The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

April 5, 2026 – Easter Sunday- John 20:1-9

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No question is more on the minds of most of us than what happens after we die. We think about this when someone close to us dies, especially if they are members of our own family. As Christians, we are given the clearest answer to this question in today’s celebration of Easter.

Having just experienced the death and burial of Jesus, we learn of the return of two women to the tomb of Jesus in today’s gospel. Of no small significance it names one of the women as Mary Magdeline, a close friend and follower of Jesus. They were visiting to where he was placed after his death. It was a tomb belonging to a well-to-do local citizen of Jerusalem. They wondered how they would enter the tomb which had been sealed off by a large stone. Imagine their surprise when they arrived and found the stone moved away. They entered the tomb and it was empty! Had someone stolen the dead body of Jesus? They sought out those disciples closest to Jesus and reported their finding. A second group ran to the tomb and confirmed what the women had reported. He was gone.

Instead of becoming fearful, they recalled earlier discussions of Jesus that his death would not be final. He would rise from the dead and continue to be with them, but in a different way. Soon thereafter Jesus appeared to them on various occasions. Sometimes he was recognized immediately, sometimes not. In a sense, this was all new, all different, both perplexing and consoling. All providing an answer to questions about what will happen after death (that of Jesus and our own) yet also raising additional questions about further details.

I am quite familiar with the reality of dying having witnessed the deaths of many people close to me. Family members, friends and people I respected and now miss. I keep a list of them in a journal. Their number is well over a hundred. I think of them as saints who have preceded me.

I still have as many questions about what’s next, although I am not bothered by them because with each passing minute, I am closer to answers. And I wonder about the surprises I will enjoy. And newness that I will experience. Elsewhere in the gospels, we are told that eye has not seen nor has ear heard what awaits us. I know that the death of those we love brings on deep sorrow at times. But it can also provide us with deeply satisfying hope. That’s the message of Easter. Look to the future. It will be wonder full.   

David Thomas, PhD