The Lutheran Hour

"The Living Among the Dead"

#80-30
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on March 31, 2013
Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Luke 24:1-8

Easter Special :: View Sermon Video! >>

We make our beginning in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A reading from Luke, chapter 24. On the first day of the week….. the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood before them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has arisen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 And they remembered his words.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed. Hallelujah!

Did you ever think that you would say those words in this place? I’m overwhelmed even just standing here talking to you about it today. For those of you who are listening on radio, for those of you who are watching on video, we are at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, just next door to the place where the actual tomb of Jesus lies. The empty tomb. He is risen. He is risen, indeed. Hallelujah!

But, we’re not here just to gaze, incredible as that might be. We are also here to testify to the risen Lord Jesus Christ, so that others might come to know and believe in Him as their Lord and Savior; because He is the One who says, “Because I live, you will live also.” He is the One who says, “I am the resurrection and the life, though you die, yet shall you live!” Sometimes words like that are just too incredible to believe, aren’t they?

It was like that for Ruth Dillow. On Feb. 27, 1991, during the height of the Desert Storm War, she received the worst news that a mother ever could receive. Her son had been killed in action. Clayton Carpenter was a Private, First Class, and he had stepped on a mine in the Persian Gulf and he was dead. And for the next three days she grieved the loss of her son; she was inconsolable. No one could share any words that would make any difference to her whether they spoke it boldly or whether they whispered them into her ears with kindness. No words would comfort her.

Well, actually, that’s not true. There were some words that comforted her because three days after the notification that her son had been killed, she received another phone call. Three days later she received a phone call and on the other end of the line was this voice and the voice said exactly these words, “Mom, it’s me. I’m alive!” She didn’t believe it. She thought it was a cruel joke. She almost hung up the phone, she said. But as this person kept talking, she recognized the voice. It was her son. He is alive. She said that day she laughed, she cried; and what was the worst day in her life became the greatest day in her life. That’s what good news from a graveyard can do.

Good news, proclamation, incredible news. A mother receives her son back that she thought was dead, but now is alive. What do we find out today? She had to have a verified voice. She had to actually verify that voice was her son. Well, the resurrection of Jesus verifies His voice in our lives.

The resurrected Lord Jesus’ voice is our voice from God for our salvation. His Word is true because of His resurrection. His death paid the penalty of our sins. He is God and He says, “Because I live, you will live also.”

In fact, the resurrection of Jesus makes Christianity unique in all of the world; different from every religion, every philosophy in the world.

In his book, “Therefore Stand,” Wilbur Smith notes that “of the four great religions of the world resting directly on personalities rather than upon some philosophical system, the Christian faith is the only one that talks about an empty tomb in relationship to its founder. Everyone else is dead, but Jesus is alive.”

Or think about it this way: the pharaohs, the generals, the warriors, the emperors, the kings, the presidents, you can visit them in their impressive tombs! But they’re still in them.
Not this Jesus. Born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and was buried, now He is arisen. He is arisen, indeed, for you and me.

I thought we were going to be standing today, but sitting and standing at the empty tomb, we’re not just here to gaze, we’re here to proclaim that this is not just true for the world; it is true for all of us, too!

The men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen!” He’s not here. Why are you looking for Jesus in the grave? He’s not here. He has arisen.

As I thought about that, I said, “what a question.” What a question to be asked. “Why are you looking here for Jesus, the One that you just laid here three days ago?”

As I thought about that question of those women that day, I thought well at least they were seeking Him. It seems like people don’t seek Jesus a whole lot today. People ask me sometimes, “Pastor, why don’t you think people seek Jesus today? Why don’t they come looking for Him?”

Well, I thought about that. You know, it’s really not that hard of a question to answer. People don’t seek Jesus because they don’t want to find Him. They don’t want to find Him because if you seek the living Jesus Christ through His Word, you suddenly realize that your life is in His hands. Suddenly, life get’s real, doesn’t it, and like T.S. Elliot said, “human beings cannot bear too much reality.”

A lot of us don’t seek Jesus because we don’t want to find Him.

We’ve got to be careful even here at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, because we are tempted even here to miss the real point; to miss the reality of what is here. I love this cartoonist. His name is Joe McKeever. He drew a cartoon of people at a scene very much like this today. It shows a group of tourists looking at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. It’s an open tomb where the stone was rolled away and their guide said this. He said, “The angel moved the stone to reveal an empty tomb and a risen Christ. But ever since then mankind has been trying to roll that stone back into place!”

It’s really true, isn’t it; in many, many ways? There’s a lot of truth in that statement especially today with the arrogance that seems to be in humanity in this technological age. There’s a lot of people who would have no problem putting Jesus back in the tomb if they could. We’re the kind of folks today who say things like, “I don’t really need a Savior, and if I do need salvation, I’ll take care of that all by myself. If I need to do this ‘Jesus thing,’ I’ll do it my own way.”

Be very careful about such arrogance, because even the things of this world have a way of showing us the reality of such foolishness.

Sinful people don’t want to seek Jesus because if Jesus Christ is alive, then it calls all of our lives to account in Him. If Jesus Christ is alive, then life is eternal and then we will have to answer to the Risen One for all that we have done on this earth! He is risen. He is risen, indeed, and that makes all the difference.

The cross of Jesus Christ proclaims our need for a Savior, and the resurrection, the empty tomb of Jesus Christ, says we have a Savior. So let me say it clearly to anyone who is listening today, the day is coming when you and I, all people, will have to deal with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not just me saying it. It’s the empty tomb which says that as well.

The angel asked the women, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has arisen!”

The angels today are reminding us, then, they’re reminding us that we don’t seek God, God seeks us! When you think about all the stories that we have seen come played out in our walk through Jerusalem this week, we’ve seen it in action, Christmas Day is God coming for us; Jesus’ public ministry is God coming for us; and Good Friday and Easter morning is God extending His grace for us. The open tomb is a reminder that the risen Savior Jesus is still seeking sinners. You remember the scene the other day when we were here? Did you see all the people? They were seeking Jesus? No, Jesus is seeking them calling them to repentance as He calls us, granting them grace and salvation as He does to us! He wants us to know the joy of being found in Him!

In his book, “Jesus Among Other Gods,” Ravi Zacharias recounts a story about a little girl who was lost but was suddenly found in her loving father’s arms. He tells the story this way:
“A little girl who lived at the edge of the forest wandered off one day into the woods and she thought that she would explore all the dark secrets of the forest, but you know how little girls are. They tend to keep wandering a little further away and a little further away, and suddenly she was lost. She was all by herself. She was scared in the middle of the forest and darkness overwhelmed her. As the story is told, she was crying and crying out to the point where she was so exhausted, she fell asleep. Well, the town, all the people; father, mother, everyone was searching and searching and searching. In fact, they searched until they were all exhausted, and some even fell asleep waiting for the dawn, to start again, but not her father. Her father kept searching through the night and then at the break of day he was searching in one part of the forest and there she was. And so he called out her name, and he ran to her, and he ran to her, and he ran to her, and this is what happened. As she suddenly woke up and saw her father, she jumped into his arms and he grabbed hold of her, and this is what she said, “Daddy, Daddy, I’m so glad I found you! I’m so glad I found you.” And yet he was searching for her all through the night. She didn’t understand all the effort that was done as they looked everywhere for her. But did it matter to the dad? Did it matter to him whatsoever? He had her in his arms and she knew that she was safe in the arms of her father.

That’s what happened to the women that day. They were seeking Jesus and Jesus was coming to wrap His loving arms around them and say, “I have you.”

The empty tomb of a crucified Savior; it’s an offer of life and salvation from the Lord who is seeking us so that we might be found. It was an offer to those women that day. But it’s an offer to you and to me, this day, this time, right now. Listen to the voice of the messengers as they speak this word to you and me. They say, “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'”

Remember what He said! Remember who was making those promises to you. He does not let His people down. He has life and salvation in His hands! Jesus Christ is the “Light of the world,” not the light switch. Jesus Christ is the “Way,” not the signpost. He is the “Truth,” not the messenger. He is the “Good Shepherd,” not a hireling. He is the “Resurrection and the Life,” and not the undertaker or the gravedigger. Jesus Christ is the “True Vine,” not the branch. He is the “Alpha and the Omega,” the One in whom God’s promises all are fulfilled and proclaimed for you and for me!

So, my friends, this day, in this place, at the place of the empty tomb, and to all of you who are believers listening in with us today by the power of the Holy Spirit, live empty tomb lives, live resurrection lives; even if you are going through trials, and tribulations, and struggles, and problems right now, the Risen One is with you and He will not let His people down. The open tomb testifies to that!

Because of the resurrection, we can live lives of eternal hope. Because of the resurrection, we can live gracious lives of concern for others who need Christ’s concern through us. Because of the resurrection, we can live resurrection power lives to face whatever, whatever comes in our lives.

The power of an empty tomb means that there is no situation in our lives, and I mean this, no situation in our lives that cannot become an opportunity to receive Christ’s mercy or to be Christ’s mercy in action to other people. Those women, that’s what they understood that day. They came in fear. They came in trepidation. They had no idea what they were getting into and because of the words of those angels; suddenly their lives were turned from fear to faith. And they testified about this Jesus to anyone who will listen.

God can do wonderful things in our lives at any time, in any place. And so the open tomb challenges us to be open to God’s use of our lives in His hands forever and ever. In fact, God may be indeed creating a masterpiece, if you will, of His grace in your life for someone else, right now, with what you’re going through.

Every Christmas at St. John’s in Orange, my church back in California, they sing the Hallelujah Chorus, one of the most powerful pieces from Handel’s “Messiah.” So many of us are blessed every year when we hear that music on Easter Sunday. But, I wonder if you understand or know the circumstances surrounding the creation of that piece.
At the time that Handel wrote the “Messiah,” he had gone from riches to rags, literally. For 30 years he had entertained lords and ladies with operas, but now those days seemed long past. Creditors were now at his door. He was depressed. He could not sleep. He was plagued by rheumatism. He feared he would finish out his days in London debtors prison of all places. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? But, two letters arrived in the year 1741, two proclamations that literally changed his life.

The first one came from the Duke of Devonshire inviting him to the Irish capital of Dublin; to produce a series of benefit concerts. He was to perform “For the relief of the prisoners in several jails, for the support of Mercer’s Hospital in Stephen Street, and of the Charitable Infirmary on the Inn’s Quay.” He was to write for others, to bless others.

Shortly after that, he received a letter from a wealthy, but somewhat eccentric English land owner, named Charles Jennens. Now, Jennens had written some lyrics for him before, but these were something special. He opened them up and they were words, a compilation of Old Testament words and New Testament fulfillment. And Handel said he was so moved by those words that he had to sit down and put music to them right away.

Now some of you know the rest of the story, don’t you? I mean, he got to work right away. And literally one week, seven days, he finished Part I — the Christmas section of the oratorio. One week. And in nine days he focused again on the redemption and the work of Christ, and nine days later he completed that section of that great work. And he kept going. And literally then, in less than a week, he completed Part III – The Resurrection and the Future Reign of Christ. Hallelujah!

Incredibly, the first presentation of the “Messiah” was not for the dalliance of royalty or the elites, it was a charitable benefit. It was for those in need. And this incredible work continues to bless. When Handel died, now wealthy from all of the things that happened because of this piece, he left the score of the “Messiah” to the public hospital which supported the care of the poor and the sick.

And listen to what Charles Burney, 18th-century music historian says; he says Handel’s “Messiah” literally “fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan.” It literally did just that. You see, God’s timing was perfect, for Handel, for the people in need, for people like you and people like me!

It would be great if everyone could be here today, wouldn’t it? It would be great if they could see the empty tomb and they could touch and taste the place where we’re at, but they may not be able to make it to this place. But I do know this, there are people listening today who can touch your lives, who are going to come into your lives, and in that way we too are reflections of the empty tomb to others. We take this testimony out there so that they may know that Christ is seeking them with his grace. We can be a living testimony to the empty tomb for others. So let me challenge you today as God’s people, as resurrection people, to know that your lives are wonderful testimonies of His resurrection, about the power of Jesus Christ in your life. Let your lives be useful in His hands so that people might realize that the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of your life, can walk with them, too.

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed, hallelujah; and because He lives, all who believe in Him will live again too! And as we stand in this place, because of the empty tomb, the angel reminds us all that the crucified One is alive, is risen from the dead, and He did all this for you! In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for March 31, 2013
Topic: Pastor Seltz’ Easter in Jerusalem

ANNOUNCER: So, what was it like to preach about the Resurrection in the place where it happened? I’m Mark Eischer, talking here with Pastor Gregory Seltz about his experience of going to Jerusalem and preaching an Easter sermon from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where tradition tells us Christ rose from the dead. Pastor Seltz, Christ is risen!

SELTZ: He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah! A blessed Easter to you, too, Mark.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you. Well, what was that like for you, as a personal experience?

SELTZ: Well, I’ll tell you, when you’re in Jerusalem, you’re reading these things in the text and then suddenly you’re looking at these places and you’re thinking again, “Look, it happened here!” What an incredible thing! All I can tell you is Easter is a special moment for us all in the Church, because it really defines who we are as Christians. And there is a sense that there’s something really special about being in that place where it first happened. Of course, we’re living testimonies of that ongoing reality in our own lives.

ANNOUNCER: What surprised you about the setting for this?

SELTZ: Well, for me it was both magnificent and simple at the same time. I think that’s what made it so awesome. Now I can see why traditions spring up that try to capture the first time over and over again.

ANNOUNCER: How was it magnificent and simple at the same time?

SELTZ: Well, magnificent in the sense that the magnitude of the moment, you know; when we first made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, there were thousands of people there, from all over the world. The expression of piety and faithfulness was overwhelming. There were people reverencing the altar built on the site believed to be Golgotha. There were massive crowds waiting just to peer into the empty tomb of Jesus. It was awesome!

ANNOUNCER: And would you say that was your favorite moment?

SELTZ: No! It was actually a few days later, because that’s when Yvette and I got to lead a group of people to the tomb early in the morning for our Easter service, the one people just heard on the radio. It was in the quiet of the morning, there were no crowds, the street was calm and serene, you might say simple. The walk was more like a pilgrimage than a stroll, and then we entered the church. You could hear your thoughts as you made your way to the back of the church where the tomb was located. It was humbling; it was powerful in its simplicity, because we’re dealing with the events that occurred that literally changed the world!

ANNOUNCER: And what made it different was that you were there actually preaching to a group, you were there as part of a tour, so you had a congregation in front of you.

SELTZ: That’s one of the cool things. They were kind of my church. In fact, I think they might even tell you that the Speaker couldn’t even speak for just a moment.

ANNOUNCER: That’s understandable. The very point of the Resurrection is that there was an empty tomb. You went to a place where you’re not going to find the bones of Jesus.

SELTZ: Right.

ANNOUNCER: Jesus is no longer limited to any particular place and time since His resurrection, so there’s a deeper reality at work here also, isn’t there?

SELTZ: Yeah, and I think that’s what was really great, too, is that as you go to Jerusalem, you know, you’re actually amazed again that God actually touched down in real time and real place and real history with His grace. I mean, He starts with Abraham and He keeps touching down with this grace and it comes to fruition in Jesus coming to this place. And so there’s this awesomeness to that. You actually say, “Hey, He was walking here, He was walking there.” But that same Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am!” And so, there’s that sense where you go, “Wow! This awesome reverence and solemnity that I’m feeling in this place, not only should you have that when you go to Israel, but you should have that when you go to church on Sunday, because that same Jesus is really present in an even more special way, through His Word and Sacraments. So, even that should just make you go, “I loved Israel, but I love going to church on Sunday, too.”

ANNOUNCER: We should also mention that there might be more tours of this sort, God willing.

SELTZ: Absolutely! In fact, we’re going to try to do this in the sense to make a lot of things come alive, we’re going to do the Jerusalem tour, we’re going to go to Germany, and then there’s even talk of even going to Turkey for the footsteps of Paul, because again you begin to see this message of the Gospel is coming for real people. It’s coming to you. So there’s a sense going back helps us even go forward.

ANNOUNCER: And if people want more information on that, they can check out our website at lhm.org. Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music Selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.

“This Joyful Eastertide” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.

“Heut’ triumphieret Gottes Sohn” by J.S. Bach. From Orgelbüchlein & More Works by J.S. Bach by Robert Clark & John David Peterson (© 1997 Calcante Recordings, Ltd.)

“He’s Risen, He’s Risen” by C.F.W. Walther, arr. Jeffrey Blersch. From Resounding Alleluias by Jeffrey Blersch (© 2005 Jeffrey Blersch) Concordia Publishing House