Author Ray Stedman wrote, “The Resurrection is not only the Good News, it is the best news imaginable.” Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
We treasure good news. The doctor smiles and confirms the test results – you do not have cancer. Good news. The phone rings – your husband has just returned from his deployment overseas. Good news. You pace the floor in the hospital waiting room until you get the word – your daughter has just given birth to your grandchild. Good news.
We long for good news because sometimes it’s in short supply. And no moment in time feels emptier than when we bury someone we love. We approach the open grave with a sense of dread and anxiety. If only something or someone could change the heartache of that moment with good news! There is One who can. You see, when God decided to announce his good news, he shouted it from an empty tomb in a cemetery. Easter is worth celebrating because it changes everything. The resurrection of Christ assures us that death does not have the last word; there is hope which is greater than the grave. And that’s the best news imaginable!