Experience the Surprise of Easter | Lent Devotional Day 47

Exploring the Meaning of Jesus’ Death
April 5, 2026
Written by: Tim Ziegler

Experience the Surprise of Easter

Scripture:

After the Sabbath, at dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead … Now hurry, go and tell his disciples”.
 
Now as the women were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. They met with the elders and decided to give a large sum of money to the soldiers. They told them, “Say that Jesus’ disciples came at night and stole his body while you were sleeping. And if the governor hears about this, we will take care of it with him so you will have nothing to worry about.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told.
 
Matthew 28.1-7, 11-15a

Reflection:

Ah, yes! Easter time! And it’s also spring in the Midwest. There is a distinctive, familiar, and deeply comforting nostalgia that seems to descend upon this region each year at this time. As the landscape softens, we are met with redbuds and flowering dogwoods which erupt in vibrant blooms across our neighborhoods and parks. Children—busy at play on playgrounds and backyard wiffle ball games—may inadvertently stumble upon fragile bunny nests concealed in the returning grass. And we are met with a sense of optimism with the arrival of Opening Day and the notion that hope springs eternal for those bearing the mark of Cardinal red.

These cultural markers are beautiful! They provide a predictable, domestic sense of peace that evoke fuzzy, warm feelings intimately associated with our survival of another harsh winter and the promise of brighter days.

The above scripture paints quite a different picture: gone are the pastels as they are replaced with stark colors, images set against the oppressive shadow of the Roman Empire—the most lethal and coercive political apparatus of the ancient world. The cross was not a piece of jewelry; it was an instrument of state sponsored terror, a gruesome billboard of public torture reserved for rebels and designed to enforce strict compliance through the ultimate threat of death.
 
Mary—and the other Mary—were back on the scene, expecting to find just that: the emptiness of death, the empty tomb, presumed solid proof that the empire’s rule would continue with even more of an iron fist. After all, Jesus was executed because of the threat he posed through his radical preaching and teaching regarding love of neighbor, the inclusion of the marginalized, and the forgiveness of enemies.

The armed guards were one of the first to recognize the disruption that Jesus’ resurrection would mean to the established imperial power. Immediately, they became like ‘dead men’ themselves once they were confronted at how the empire’s ultimate weapon—death via public terror—no longer would have its sway.

So, they run to their rulers. Those in power respond with a proposed cover-up full of bribes and lies—because the empire absolutely hates resurrection. If Jesus is alive, it means that state violence does not control human destiny. It means that the rich and powerful are merely that—rich, powerful—for a limited time.

In the end, the self-emptying love of Jesus will outlast every empire. And this is why on Easter we sing. Come and check it out at The Factory or Dogwood Social! It’s always different. Even better. More alive. Because on Easter—as the dogwoods blossom and the world blooms—these triumphant songs loudly and boldly declare that we are here to profess the earth-shattering truth: the empire has failed! Death is defeated! And divine love reigns supreme.
Now run and tell. And while we’re at it, let’s sing.

Prayer:

Gracious God, may we—yet again—be surprised by hope. As we wander around the gravestones and the tombs, may we find new life. Where once we were certain we would find dismay and darkness, bless us with light and life. Give us eyes to spot the glimmers of it—at once fleeting and eternal. Enable and strengthen us to live out this new life by modeling our lives after your great love through Jesus Christ. Amen.