[2 ]Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb

[3] and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

[4] But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

[5] As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. [6] "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

[7] But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" - Mark 16:1-8 Life is full of surprises.

Once I had a shock and a troubling experience when I went to visit a parishioner who was in hospital. His wife and I reached his room at the same time. We were both surprised when we did not see him lying in bed, in his room. Instead, they were stripping the bed of its linen. Well, what is left for one to think when having such an encounter? We thought the worst. What had happened to the living person who was supposed to be in that bed? No one had informed his family or me that he had taken seriously ill and died. When we inquired, the nurse told us that he had been taken to have a procedure performed. What a relief for both his wife and I.

Sunday past, we celebrated the resurrection of Christ. Christians in The Bahamas joined with excited Christians around the world in the celebration of the glorious resurrection.

In the above text, we are told that Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome went to Jesus' tomb very early on Sunday morning expecting to anoint his body. Instead, they found an empty tomb.

They were disappointed and disturbed. Their Lord was dead and his remains were missing. Unlike us, they did not know that he had risen from the dead, so they were dumbfounded and shocked. They must have wondered whether someone had stolen the body. Had someone desecrated the tomb?

An angel sitting inside the tomb gave them words of comfort, "Do not be amazed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here!" Then the angel instructed them to inform Peter and the other disciples that Jesus was going to meet them in Galilee.

Their sorrow was changed to joy. This event of the resurrection turned the pain and grief that the disciples felt into wonder and joy. In fact, a great reversal came to all creation -- from suffering and death to joy and life.

The pain of death itself is reversed by the promise of eternal life in heaven. You may wonder, "If Jesus has freed us from the power of death, why then do we feel so uncomfortable thinking about it, a little afraid even though we do believe?

This is human. Jesus himself asked to be spared the torturous experience of his death. Jesus stood at the tomb of Lazarus and wept. He knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from death, but we are told: "Jesus wept." He wept because he understood the devastating pain of death, which we humans experience.

We thank God, our Father; Jesus swallowed his fear and yielded to God's will, trusting in the power of God to deliver him. The resurrection of Christ is a powerful reality, one that can change our lives, one that can give us new life.

In the resurrection the effects of sin have been reversed. Christ has gained the victory over suffering and death. Death is no longer the end. God has swallowed up death for us.

This is the reason for our joy at Easter. Amen. o Reverend Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas or telephone 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com.

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