April 9, 2026
He is Risen - Part 4
Mark 16:5-7
04/09/2026
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, dressed in a white
robe, and they were alarmed.
6 And he said to them, ``Do not be alarmed. You seek
Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has
risen; he is not here. See the place where they
laid him.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is
going before you to Galilee. There you will see
him, just as he told you.'' (ESV)
None of the followers of Jesus anticipated the events of
Easter Sunday. Although Jesus clearly taught that He would die
and rise again, they did not understand. Therefore, when the
women arrived at the tomb at dawn, they were perplexed, to say
the least.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on
the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were
alarmed. And he said to them, ``Do not be alarmed. You
seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has
risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid
him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is
going before you to Galilee. There you will see him,
just as he told you.''
The angels answered the classic questions which we need to
address for every event: what, why, when, how, where, and who.
Quickly the women learned that Jesus is risen from the dead, and
that He was going to see the disciples in Galilee. The women
were given explicit instructions to tell the disciples and Peter,
who was disgraced by denying Jesus, of the resurrection and
Jesus' instructions. The message is simple and direct.
Because the women found the tomb empty, and because the
angels told them Jesus' instructions, the Church is able to pray:
Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten
Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened
the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who
celebrate with joy the day of our Lord's resurrection,
may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving
Spirit.
May our Lord grant us faith to accept the gift of life given
to us because the tomb is empty. Amen.