We treasure good news. The doctor smiles and confirms the test results – you do not have cancer. Good news. The phone rings – your spouse has just returned from his or her 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. Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
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 and his news is the best news imaginable.
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; that the grave is not our final destination; that there is hope which surpasses than anything we face in this world. And that’s the best news imaginable!