The Greatest Story Ever Told
Words of encouragement and hope from our bishop

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb,
taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground; but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen.” Luke 24:1-5


One would think that after preaching and writing about the events of that first Easter for nearly forty years, all the insights and points of view of this timeless story would be all used up. However, I’ve discovered that every year I see Easter from new eyes and in new and different ways. I’ve come to the
conclusion that it is not only the greatest story ever told, but it is a story that will never grow old. One reason is because it was conceived,
written and directed by the hand of God.

As this beautiful story unfolds, I somehow see all of us going with the women down to the graveyard early that morning to put the finishing touches on a dream. It was a dream that ended on a hill called Calvary, overshadowed by a rugged Roman cross. As we make our way to the tomb, worrying needlessly - as we so often do - about the huge stone that sits at the entrance, we arrive only to discover that the stone has already been moved! As we look inside we hear the words that will forever change the way we think, live and die: “He is Risen!” Just the sound of those words stuns us into silence. “He is what?” we ask. Once again the reply, “He is Risen!” And with the sound of those three words ringing in our ears and beating in our hearts, we dash out to tell the world that death could not hold him.

If those three words had not been spoken to the women that Easter
morning, where would we be? What kind of life would we live if we knew
that no hope existed for another life? What could possibly give any meaning
or purpose to our everyday existence if God had not stepped in and done this mighty act? With these three words God has halted our headlong plunge into emptiness and death, and has restored within us a reason to give, a reason to live, and even greater yet, a reason to die.

But if there is one fault we have as Christians during this special time of
the year it is our failure to recall the promises made to us by our Lord and
Savior. Just like the women who went looking for him in the tomb that
morning, they did not remember his words, nor were they prepared for
what they saw.

Could it be that we are still looking in empty tombs and in all the
wrong places for Jesus? Are we seeking the living among the dead? Are
we searching in vain for the answers to life’s problems? Find Jesus! He is the
only one that can give your life meaning - and he is not in an empty tomb or
hidden from us in a graveyard - HE IS RISEN!
Bishop Hayes