April 7, 2026
He is Risen - Part 2
Mark 16:2-4
04/07/2026
2 And very early on the first day of the week, when
the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
3 And they were saying to one another, ``Who will
roll away the stone for us from the entrance of
the tomb?''
4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been
rolled back -- it was very large. (ESV)
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Easter Sunday.
Can we trust the Biblical accounts of the resurrection? Did
Jesus really rise from the dead, as the Bible claims, or is this
simply a religious myth which was built up over time, as some
modern authors suggest?
And very early on the first day of the week, when the
sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were
saying to one another, ``Who will roll away the stone
for us from the entrance of the tomb?'' And looking
up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back -- it
was very large.
The chief priests, expecting some sort of trickery from the
disciples, asked Pontius Pilate to set a Roman guard on the tomb.
The stone which covered the opening of the grave was sealed, the
guards alert for any disturbance.
Were the tomb left unguarded, the truth of the resurrection
would certainly be in doubt. But the witnesses of the
resurrection were the very people who had the most to lose if the
grave was empty. That the soldiers fled the scene, according to
Saint Matthew, shows that Jesus is risen from the dead.
Therefore the Church prays:
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 open our hearts and minds to the good news that
Jesus has overcome death and the grave. Amen.