Why Are You Looking For The Living Among The Dead?

April 5 | Rick Thiemke

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Luke 24 opens early in the morning with a group of women walking toward a tomb. They are carrying spices, prepared to care for the body of Jesus (verse 1). They loved Him. They followed Him. They stayed near Him even through His crucifixion. But they are not coming with hope. They are coming expecting death.

When they arrive, the stone is rolled away. They enter the tomb, but the body of Jesus is not there (verses 2-3). Luke tells us they are “perplexed” (verse 4). They try to make sense of what they are seeing. Then two men in dazzling apparel stand beside them and say something that reframes everything (verses 5–6). It is a question, but it is also an invitation. It forces them to reconsider what they expected and what is actually true.

We Often Look for Life in Places Marked by Death

The women at the tomb are not foolish. They are human. They saw Jesus die. They watched His body be taken down. They knew where He was buried. Everything in their experience told them that death was final. So they came expecting more of the same. We do the same thing.

We look for life in places that cannot give it. We seek life in experiences, success, relationships, control, in self-improvement, believing that if we fix ourselves, we will finally be okay. But underneath all of it is the same assumption. That what is broken can be fixed without resurrection.

Luke shows us that even those closest to Jesus did not expect Him to rise. Later in the passage, when the women tell the others, their words seem like “an idle tale,” and they do not believe them (verse 11). And many of us still don’t live as though we believe in the resurrection. 

We live in a world where death feels final and where disappointment feels permanent. Brokenness often feels like the last word. The question still stands. Why are you looking for the living among the dead?

Jesus Meets Us With Unexpected Resurrection

The angels do not simply announce that Jesus is alive. They remind the women of something. “Remember how he told you…” (verse 6). This was not a random miracle. Jesus had already said this would happen. He told His disciples that He would be crucified and on the third day rise (verse 7). Luke tells us, “they remembered his words” (verse 8). That is the turning point.

The same is true for us. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a surprising event. It is the center of God’s plan. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of what is to come. The resurrection means that death is not final. It means sin does not have the last word. It means God’s new creation has already begun in Jesus.

But notice how the story unfolds. The women remember and go to tell others. The disciples hesitate. Peter runs to the tomb, looks in and goes home wondering (verse 12). Even here, belief is not instant or easy. Following Jesus has never required having everything figured out. It begins with trust.

Trusting that Jesus is who He says He is. Trusting that His word is true. Trusting that His resurrection changes everything, even if we are still trying to understand it. The resurrection invites us to stop looking for life in places marked by death and to come to the One who is alive.

Jesus is not in the tomb. He is risen. And that means your story is not over. It means your past does not define you. It means your failures are not final. It means even in places that feel like endings, God is able to bring new life.

The question Luke leaves with us is not simply whether the tomb is empty. The question is where we are looking for life. And whether we are willing to come to the living Jesus.