Death Does Not Have The Last Word: Why Easter Changes Everything
He is risen. He is risen indeed.
These words echo across the centuries, reverberating through the silence of empty tombs, broken hearts, and desperate prayers. On Easter morning, they pierce the darkness like the first rays of dawn. And they mean everything.
For weeks, we’ve walked the Lenten road, step by step, through the words Jesus spoke from the cross. “Father, forgive them.” “My God, why have you forsaken me?” “It is finished.” Each phrase a window into the heart of a suffering Savior. Each word filled with anguish, love, and divine purpose.
But now—now we stand in the light of resurrection. And everything changes.
What If the Story Had Ended on Friday?
If the story had ended on Good Friday, we might remember Jesus as a good man with powerful teachings, a miracle-worker caught in the gears of empire. Maybe he’d be a footnote in history, another would-be Messiah crushed under Roman rule.
But the story didn’t end on Friday.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:5–6)
These were the first words spoken to the women at the tomb. They came with spices, ready to mourn. Instead, they were met with angels and a world turned upside down.
The resurrection is God’s resounding “Yes!” to Jesus’ mission. It’s the Father saying, “Every word He spoke was true. Every promise will be fulfilled.”
Saturday’s Silence
Before the joy of Easter, there was the silence of Saturday—a day where hope felt buried, and God felt distant. The disciples were devastated. Confused. Afraid.
Maybe you’ve been there too.
Maybe you’ve known the silence of Saturday—when prayers go unanswered, when diagnoses are grim, when grief lingers like a fog that won’t lift. When it feels like death—of dreams, of peace, of relationships—has won.
But here’s the truth of Easter: Saturday is not the end of the story.
When Everything Sad Comes Untrue
There’s this beautiful scene in The Return of the King, when Samwise sees Gandalf alive after believing him to be dead:
“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue?”
That line hits differently in light of the resurrection, doesn’t it?
Because Easter is God’s answer to Sam’s question.
Yes—everything sad is coming untrue.
Yes—death does not have the last word.
Yes—Jesus is alive.
The resurrection is the divine plot twist that redefines every sorrow. What looked like defeat on Friday became victory on Sunday. The cross was not the end; it was the beginning of something new.
The Empty Tomb: The Symbol of Hope
While the cross shows us the depth of God’s love, it’s the empty tomb that shows us His power. As Paul says:
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20)
The empty tomb means that death, while still real, no longer reigns. Its sting has been removed. Jesus didn’t just survive death—He conquered it. And because He did, everything is different.
We still face the reality of death in this life. Bodies wear out. Loss still hurts. But because of Easter, we grieve with hope. We suffer with the promise of redemption. We live with resurrection in our bones.
What Does It Mean for Us?
It means this: the worst thing is never the last thing.
Whatever tomb you’re facing today—grief, shame, fear, addiction, doubt—hear the angel’s words spoken fresh over your life:
“He is not here. He is risen.”
You are not alone. You are not without hope. The Savior who conquered death walks with you. And because He lives, so will you.
Easter isn’t just about one Sunday a year. It’s a new way of living.
A Resurrection Invitation
So today, let this be more than a celebration—let it be an invitation.
An invitation to live in the light of resurrection.
To trust that God writes better endings than we can imagine.
To believe that whatever feels finished in your life may just be the beginning.
To declare with joy: Death does not have the last word. Jesus does.
He is risen.
He is risen indeed.