Easter Sunday – April 20, 2025

The Invitation to New Life

Christopher Ingram

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:44 (The Parable of the Treasure in the Field)

At first, it looks like nothing. Just another stretch of land, ordinary and unremarkable. But then—something glints in the soil. A corner of something hidden, something buried, something worth everything.

Before the sun rises, Mary walks to the tomb, just another grave in a world full of death. But then—something is off. The stone is rolled away. The body is gone. And in that quiet moment, before she even understands, everything shifts. The world tilts toward hope.

The treasure is here. The tomb is empty. Death has lost. Jesus is alive. And because of that, resurrection is not a memory to commemorate, but a life to be lived. The world is not the same, and neither are we.

To follow the risen Christ is to live as resurrection people who bring life where there is brokenness, who pursue justice where there is oppression, and who embody the love that conquers fear. The Spirit, the very breath of God, is the power that raised Jesus from the dead and now moves in us, making all things new—not just in our hearts, but in the world.

The tomb is empty. The treasure is here. Now we must decide what we will do with it.

The palm branch is still in our hand, but now it trembles—not with the thrill of triumph, but with the weight of resurrection. The road still stretches ahead. And the question remains: Will we follow him now that the tomb is empty, just as we did when the crowd sang his name?

Prayer: Jesus, you are alive, and I can hardly believe it. The treasure is here, the tomb is empty, and the whole world feels different. What will you do with me now? What will you make new in me? Your Spirit stirs, whispering that nothing is impossible. I want to run, to tell, to live like resurrection is real. May it be so.