In this article, CMS International Director Peter Sholl shares a devotional on Luke 24:5, and CMS missionary R (serving in Eurasia) shares her desire to see more lives completely changed by the resurrection.

Why do you seek the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5)

Devotional by Peter Sholl

The first of our ‘after the resurrection’ questions comes to the women, who, having seen Jesus die and where he has been laid, have come to the tomb with spices and ointments.

Instead of seeing the body of Jesus in the early morning gloom they are faced with two men dressed in dazzling apparel. What a contrast! Their response is naturally of fear and but also of honour. Perhaps they feel like they are in the presence of heavenly beings?

It is these two men who ask the question.

It’s a question about categories. They have come with one category in mind, but that category has to change. They’ve coming thinking death and the associated rituals. Instead, they need to think life—new life.

The dazzling men go on to remind the women of what Jesus has said about his resurrection, giving them more reason to make the category change the question has posed. And they remember, and act, returning to tell the others what they have seen and heard.

The resurrection is an event that challenges us to change categories.

This Easter, reflect on how your thinking about the categories of life and death has changed, and how you can encourage others to think about those things as well.

Resurrection hope brings change?

Story by R in Eurasia

When I was asked to share a story about how I have witnessed resurrection hope change someone’s life, I thought I should decline. I am still relatively new to my location in Eurasia and do not know many locals. I don’t yet have deep relationships with local believers, new or old, to be able to share their stories with you.

The few stories I have heard from expat friends about local believers are usually cause to pray more, rather than encouraging and uplifting stories about beautiful transformations. Here are two stories

Taking Christ’s words seriously

In my location, financial concerns are pressing. Many locals, including believers, long for a comfortable life and go to other countries in search of more financial stability. I want them to stay and share the good news of the resurrection and the hope we have in Christ with their compatriots.

Familial pressures are real. After P got divorced, his mum demanded he marry again. His second wife—like most people here—doesn’t know that Jesus is Lord. Nor did she know P was a believer until after they were married, when he invited her to church on a day he was preaching.

Last year, when fellow believer R got divorced and felt lonely, P told him it was okay for him to remarry someone of another faith. After all, he had done so. R is now preparing to marry one such girl.

My desire is for believers to live holy lives, taking Christ’s words seriously in their life decisions—even if it is difficult and not keeping with their local cultural expectations.

The impact of the resurrection in my life

In my own life, Christ’s resurrection and the hope I have in him are real—and have a big impact of the decisions I make.

I would not be here in Eurasia if that were not the case. I would most definitely be in Australia, with my family and friends, in the beautiful nature, and living with a language and culture I understand. I would be living a comfortable life with normal, everyday issues to contend with—rather than struggling to learn a new language, and building relationships with new people.

And yet, since I was 12, I have wanted to live in Eurasia, hoping that that God would use me in his great purposes here. I cannot explain that apart from knowing that Christ is at work in my life, changing me and my priorities. I long to see people from all the people groups of Eurasia with us on the day we gather around the throne of the Lamb—slain and resurrected—reigning on high forevermore. Change is real. But we each have our own challenges and we each need to keep our priorities in check, every day, throughout our lives.

Please pray for the people of Eurasia to know Jesus as the resurrected Lord, and to pick up their cross and follow him. Please pray for me, my expat friends here, and local believers to live lives evident of the hope we have in him.

And while you are praying for us, perhaps you can ask how your life is different because of resurrection hope. After all, his resurrection changes everything!

PRAY

Pray, as R asks, for all believers in Eurasia to live changed lives, so that others may see the hope of the resurrection in them.