Easter Articles

A woman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that ordered Arby’s through DoorDash was surprised when the food arrived at her door. She did not open her door to a DoorDash driver, but instead to a police officer. With his squad car parked in front of her house, wearing his full uniform, the police officer handed the woman her two bags of Arby’s food and a soda. As he handed her the food he smiled and said, “I know I’m not who you are expecting, but your driver got arrested, so I figured I’d complete the DoorDash for you.”[1]

            As you could imagine the woman was very surprised! That same type of feeling of surprise was experienced by some friends of Jesus on Easter Sunday 2,000 years ago.

            The first testimony of the resurrection of Jesus is revealed by Luke in Luke 24:1–12. We could summarize Luke 24:1–12 this way: The empty tomb is discovered by women, interpreted by angels, and revealed to the disciples by women. Just as that woman in Sioux Falls did not expect to see a police officer holding two bags of Arby’s food, these women did not expect to see what they saw nor did they expect to hear what they were told. The disciples that later learned about what occurred did not expect (or believe) what they were told.

            Luke tells us about the messengers[2] in Luke 24:1–7. The women traveled to the tomb, “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:1–3, NASB).[3] The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women (Luke 23:55; 24:10). These ladies are the first to find out about the resurrection.

            The women were planning to honor Jesus’s body with spices and perfume (v. 1), but when they arrived they notice the stone was moved (v. 2). This was the first unexpected thing they noticed. This was the first hint that Jesus has been resurrected. A tomb’s entrance was normally closed to keep animals and vandals from disturbing the body.[4] Usually it was a circular stone rolled in front of a square entrance.

            However, when the women arrived they also notice the body was gone (v. 3). This was the second unexpected thing they noticed. Luke makes it clear by contrast what they found, “stone rolled away” (v. 2), and what they did not find, “the body of the Lord Jesus” (v. 3).

            At this point angels revealed the resurrection to the women, “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again’” (Luke 24:4–7).

            The angels were a third unexpected thing the women noticed. The angels not only appeared (v. 4), but they asked a question (v. 5), and then made two declarations (vv. 6–7): That Jesus Christ was risen (v. 6a) and that the women should remember that they were told this would happen (vv. 6b–7).[5]

            Luke reveals the messengers in Luke 24:1–7 and then tells us more about the message they brought in Luke 24:8–10, “And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles” (Luke 24:8–10).

            In these verses the women remembered Jesus’s words about his resurrection (v. 8), they

responded by returning to the disciples to reveal what they saw (v. 9), and they are recognized by name by Luke (v. 10).[6] In other words, they were messengers with a message.

            Luke has told us about the messengers and message thus far. He then reveals to us the meaning of all of this. “But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:11–12). In these two verses we see both the reaction of the group in verse eleven (which was unbelief), and we see the response of Peter in verse twelve (which was investigation).

            In Luke 24:1–12 we learn the tomb is empty and discovered by women, interpreted by angels, and revealed to the disciples by women. The former bishop of Canterbury, NT Wright has written about Luke 24:1–12, “The opening mood of Easter morning, then, is one of surprise, astonishment, fear, and confusion.”[7] All of those emotions are mixed together in this one event.

            The resurrection can be like a ball of rubber bands mixed and entangled for many of us. We are astonished it happened yet grateful at the same time. We find it almost unbelievable that a man could come back to life after being dead for three days, but when we remember it was God we can believe it. We feel unworthy that God would give us eternal life but understand why he would do it when we learn about his loving character.

            Just as the women and the disciples felt surprise, wonder, and astonishment at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, may we too feel surprise and wonder as we reflect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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Christopher L. Scott is a pastor and author of the book, Walking Straight When Life Goes Sideways: Essential Christian Truths for Enduring Life’s Trials (Wipf and Stock). He provides hundreds of free articles, videos, and Bible study resources at his website ChristopherLynnScott.com.

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[1] “Police Officer Delivers DoorDash Order After Delivery Driver Arrested,” The Today Show, January 27, 2022,

[2] In the context of the gospel of Luke these are the events that have occurred just before Luke 24:1–12. On Friday Jesus died on a cross (Luke 23:26–49) and was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50–54). A group of women stood at a distance watching Jesus die on the Cross (Luke 23:49) and those same women also saw where Jesus was buried (Luke 23:55). On Saturday those women prepared spices and perfumes for Jesus’s body (Luke 23:56).

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[4] In Jesus’s situation there were guards posted to keep it closed.

[5] Jesus had told his followers, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day” (Luke 9:22). And again later, “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.’ But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said” (Luke 18:31–34).

[6] Among this group of women was “Mary Magdalene” who had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus (Lk 8:2). Luke points out “Joanna” who was the wife of Chuza, (who was Herod’s steward), and she was one of Jesus’s companions in Galilee (Lk 8:3). Luke points out “Mary the mother of James” whom we don’t know much about. And Luke points out “also the other women with them” which was a group of women with these named prominent women.

[7] NT Wright, Luke for Everyone (Louisville, KY: Westminister John Knox, 2004), 291.

For the past year the city of Seattle has hosted, “Titanic: The Exhibition.” It’s a traveling museum about the ship and its occupants.[1] Part of this museum includes a wall that lists the names of people that died when the boat sank. The list categorizes people under groups of men, women, and children. If we attended that museum and looked at the list we would notice something surprisingly absent: the names of children and women. The list of the deceased says 1,352 men died while only 109 women and 52 children died.[2]

            As you probably know, there were not enough lifeboats to save all the passengers from the sinking Titanic. As a result, women and children were given first priority to get in lifeboats. When the Titanic was sinking into the deep icy Atlantic waters, husbands and fathers gave their lives to save women and children. What an amazing example of sacrificial love.

            The Titanic is an example of how some died so that others may live. This week we remember the same act not by men on a boat but by a man on earth in the first century. Jesus Christ gave his life so that we may live. We call this the substitutionary atonement of Christ. In other words, Christ died for sinners.

            The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement is based on the Greek word, anti, which is a preposition that often means “in the place of” or “for.” This preposition is used in Matthew 20:28 when Jesus says, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for [anti] many.”[3] Christ’s sacrifice was a substitution for sinners. His death would take the place of many deaths because only Christ could atone for our sins (Jn 1:29; Rom 5:8; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18). Christ was the perfect sacrifice.

            The doctrine of substitutionary atonement is also based on another Greek word, huper, which is also a preposition. It often means “for the benefit of” or “in the place of.” This word is used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on [huper] our behalf [huper], so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” This verse describes the heart of the gospel: The sinless Savior took our sins so that we may have God’s righteousness. The preposition huper is also used in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for [huper] the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” This verse from 1 Peter is often seen as one of the shortest, simplest, and richest summaries of the meaning of Jesus’s death on the cross.

            One of the most basic ways to explain what Jesus did during Easter week is that he gave his life for us so that we may live. Christ took our sins and died in our place. Jesus was the supreme example of love. His life was given as a substitute.

            Mrs. Marvin was on the Titanic enjoying her honeymoon with Daniel Marvin. She retells the last memories of her husband, “I was put in the boat, he [Mr. Daniel Marvin] cried to me, ‘It’s all right, little girl. You go. I will stay.’ As our boat shoved off he threw me a kiss, and that was the last I saw of him.”[4] Like those husbands and fathers on the Titanic that died so that women and children could live, Jesus died for us so that we may live.

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Christopher L. Scott is a pastor and author of the book, Walking Straight When Life Goes Sideways: Essential Christian Truths for Enduring Life’s Trials (Wipf and Stock). He provides hundreds of free articles, videos, and Bible study resources at his website ChristopherLynnScott.com.

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[1] The traveling museum was in Seattle from July 2024 through April 2025.

[2] “Titanic Disaster: Official Casualty Figures and Commentary,” Church Anesi, accessed April 7, 2025, https://anesi.com/titanic.htm.

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[4] Simon Adams, Eyewitness Titanic (New York, NY: DK Publishing, 2014), 34.

If there is one event that Christianity relies on more than others, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. John Stott once said, “We live and die; Christ died and lived!” And that “died” and then “lived” is what our Christian faith is about.

            The apostle Paul provides the best summary of the resurrection of Jesus in his letter to the believers in Corinth. Paul writes, “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NLT).

            Paul tells us that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to Peter and the twelve disciples, 500 people at one time, James and all the apostles, and the apostle Paul. While some people try to say that Christ’s resurrection was a wishful hallucination of his broken-hearted followers after this death, it is difficult for me to believe that more than 525 people had a hallucination of Jesus Christ.

            But what does Christ’s resurrection mean? If he died and came back to life, what was the point? The point is that Christians also get to experience a resurrection both spiritually and physically. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his dead? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may life new lives (Romans 6:3-4, NLT). There is a spiritual death to sin and resurrection back to life in Christ when we believe in him. There will be a resurrection physically for the Christians who have died. Paul wrote to the believers in the city of Thessalonica that when Christ returns “the Christians who have died will raise from their graves” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Because of Christ’s death and resurrection there are two resurrections for Christians. A spiritual resurrection of Christians at their moment of saving faith.  And a physical resurrection when Christ returns to the earth.  

            Christ’s death is important, but so is his resurrection. Christians often focus on Christ’s death, yet, his resurrection deserves as much attention because it is through his resurrection that we have life. Christ’s death would have been meaningless if he had not also been raised from the dead three days later.

There are some names I’m going to share that I’m sure you will recognize: Jim Jones, Charles Manson, David Koresh, Shoko Asahara, Joseph Di Mambro, Marshall Applewhite, and Bonnie Lu Nettles.

            Most of those names have something in common: a sacrifice was made by the people on behalf of the cult leader. The people would do things for the leader such as giving money, abandoning their family, inflicting harm on others, and even killing themselves.

            While those people were part of bizarre cults, there are religions in the world where people sacrifice themselves or work hard to earn their way into favor with the god they worship. Jehovah Witnesses work hard so they can hopefully become one of the 144,000 witnesses in heaven. Mormons are active in their faith hoping to one day attain godhood like Jesus. Muslims work hard to please Alah through legalistic prayer rituals & other activities.

            Christianity is antithetical to those cults and religions. As evangelical Christians we don’t sacrificeourselves for our leader, nor do we work hard to earn his favor, nor do we hope to attain a level of sainthood.

            Instead, Christianity is based on the act of our leader and our God—Jesus Christ—sacrificing Himself for us. While those cults and religions require people to sacrifice themselves for the leader, in Christianity the leader sacrificed himself for us. The prophet Isaiah writing 700 years before Jesus’s life predicted the death of our Savior for our sins.

CHRIST’S PAIN AND OUR PEACE

            In Isaiah 53:5 we learn that in Jesus’ pain He gave us peace. “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”[1] This verse describes the punishment that Jesus went through. One classic Old Testament commentary states, “There were no stronger expressions to be found in the language, to denote a violent and painful death.”[2] One Hebrew syntax manual tells us that it is “the punishment [chastening] that brought us peace.”[3]     Christ’s chastening and punishment causes our well-being. Another way to translate “well-being” would be to use the word, “peace.” The Hebrew word there is shalom (שָׁלֹום). Christ’s wounds healed our sins. Christ’s severe punishment brought us spiritual nourishment. Christ’s pain on the cross brought peace into our lives.

CHRIST’S WORK AND NOT OUR WORK

            Christ’s work on the cross means we don’t have to work for our salvation.Isaiah continues, “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:10–12).

            In these verses Isaiah tells us Jesus died because of the Father’s desire. Notice how it begins, “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him” (v. 10a). God the Father wasn’t surprised when Jesus died on the Cross. God the Father was in heaven and made the decision to have Christ die on behalf of the sinners of the earth. Why? Because God the Father loves everyone and wants to have a relationship with us, so He sent His only Son to be the sacrifice to die for us.

            In these verses Isaiah tells us Jesus died for our sins. Towards the middle of verse ten we read, “If He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (v. 10b). This describes Jesus’s whole being, his “soul” (v. 11). The same word for guilt offering, asam (אָשָׁם֙) is used here as in Leviticus 6-7 of the guilt offering which required 120 percent restitution (Leviticus 6:5). The word is used specifically in Lev 5:15; 6:5; 19:21 to describe an offering to atone for us. 

            In these verses Isaiah tells us Jesus died for everyone. Here God the Father says, “My Servant, will justify the many” (v. 11b). Christ died for everyone. Not just men or women, rich or poor, Hispanics or blacks, Jews or Arabs, he died for “the many.” 

            In these verses Isaiah tells us Jesus died with other sinners when Jesus was arrested (v. 12). Someone was already in custody and sentenced to die when Jesus was arrested. Remember his name? Barabas. Who was he? A murderer and insurrectionist (Luke 23:25). He had been sentenced to die, so when Jesus dies on the cross with two other criminals we learn that Jesus was dying with the worst of sinners. 

CHRIST’S EXALTATION AND BURIAL

            Isaiah described the execution of Jesus and also described the burial of Jesus. “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). In this prophecy Isaiah tells that us while Jesus was killed with wicked evil men and was supposed to be buried with those same men, this future savior would be buried as a rich man. The fulfillment of this verse was when named Joseph of Armathia takes Jesus down from the cross and places Jesus in Joseph of Armathia’s tomb (Matthew 27:57-60; John 19:31).

A GOD THAT SERVED US

            These verses from Isaiah teach us that we worship a God that served us. In Luke 22:25–27 Jesus told His disciples, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”[4] We must always remember that we serve a God that served us first. I’m not sure how many religions can claim that the god which they worship served them before they serve their god. But I believe that’s why the God of the Bible is worthy of our worship: He doesn’t need anything from us. Just the opposite, He gave to us and served us before we ever knew Him.

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[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, vol 2 (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI: 1877), translated by James Martin, p. 318.

[3]  Bruce Waltke and M. O’Connor, Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, IN: 1990), 146. Waltke and O’Connor describe מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלֹומֵ֨נוּ֙  as an adverbial genitive which is a genitive of effect: C causes G (Ibid.).

[4] Emphasis mine.

The Ukrainian poet, Taras Shevchenko, wrote a poem titled, “It Makes No Difference To Me” that describes a Ukrainian man’s feelings toward the neighboring nation of Russia. That poem described what was happening in 2022, 2023, and 2024 as the Ukrainian people—according to Shevchenko—fight off those “evil folk” and “wicked men” that “attack our Ukraine.” 

            And while that poem described what was felt among a lot of Ukrainians in 2022 and 2023, it was not written in 2022, 2023 or 2024. That poem was composed by Taras Shevchenko in 1861 describing his feelings about the Russians and their attacks on his home country of Ukraine.[1] While Taras Shevchenko wrote a poem that described his experience in 1861 that also described the experience of Ukrainians in 2022 and 2023 and 2024, a guy named David that lived 1000 years before Jesus Christ wrote about his own experience of suffering, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, David also described the future sufferings of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

            In Psalm 22 David describes the pain he feels from suffering. He summarizes his pain in Psalm 22:11, “Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help.”[2] This is how suffering feels at times. David is all alone. Difficult times hurt often because we are alone in them.

            In Psalm 22 David also describes pain from his enemies. He compares his enemies to wicked and cruel beasts. “Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion” (Psalm 22:12-13). The “Bulls of Bashan” (v. 12) were well fed cattle. Bashan was a fertile area east of the Sea of Galilee now known as the Golan Heights. It had lush oak forests and good pastures for cattle. The “Lion” is understood to be power and force that a lion has over us.

            David says he cannot continue on because his energy is zapped. ^“I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death” (Psalm 22:14-15). This is a picture of Jesus’ body on the cross hung by nails through His hands, His body weight suspended from His hands, and His back that was tweaked with His joints slipping out of place. As His body was stretched and His joints dislodged, His heart must have struggled to pump blood throughout His body. Like David his “heart is like wax; It is melted within me” (v. 14). He’s at the end of his life. He’s got nothing left. He was at the brink of death.             

            In Psalm 22 David says he is in such pain he’s about to die. David describes his enemies, “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16). When he says “dogs” (v. 16) we must remember that dogs in the culture of the Bible were not cute pets that lived in people’s houses. They hunted the streets as scavengers or traveled around in the wilderness in packs. This is a future picture of Jesus’ enemies. These bulls, lions, and dogs describe the Roman workers that executed Jesus and the Jewish leaders that lied in order to convict Jesus. Those enemies of Jesus were bigger, more powerful, and used their authority to attack Jesus and kill Him. Just as David would have been no match against bulls, lions, and dogs, Jesus was no match for the Jewish leaders that accused Him of a crime and the Roman officials that executed Him.  

            This is also a future picture of Jesus’s wounds. In this line, “They pierced my hands and my feet” (v. 16b). David is describing what would figuratively happen if a bull, lion, and dog attacked him. But in the New Testament the gospel writer, John, tells us that this literally happened to Jesus (John 20:20). 

            David also describes his agony. “I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:17-18). Here we see the people around Jesus that divided His clothing among them. This was a sign that they knew He would die. And for His clothing they “cast lots.” The New Living Translation says, “throw dice.” All four gospel writers record this detail in their telling of the crucifixion.

            As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday we should remember that Jesus was not surprised by what awaited Him. David had described it in Psalm 22 and Jesus was prepared for it. Jesus was ready for the suffering that was prepared for Him because He knew it was necessary for the salvation of people. And He knew that He would conquer death by coming back to life again Sunday morning.

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[1] Taras Shevchenko, “It Makes No Difference To Me.” Translated by Clarence A. Manning. https://taras-shevchenko.storinka.org/taras-shevchenko’s-poem-it-makes-no-difference-to-me-tr-by-clarence-a-manning.html Accessed March 22, 2023

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.