April 5, 2026 | Easter Sunday @ Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Buffalo, NY
Scripture References
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10; John 1:5
A Week of Darkness
The one who would betray him,
the one who would deny him,
and those who would scatter when Jesus was arrested.
Last week was pretty dark. We ended Palm Sunday talking about darkness. Darkness has been present all week.
It was present on Maundy Thursday as Jesus knelt before his disciples and washed their feet.
He loved them…
he served them…
ALL of them.
It was a moment when it seemed that the light was dimming and the darkness was closing in.
And it was then that Jesus gave them a new commandment: love one another.
Not when it’s easy or convenient.
Not when people deserve it.
Simply… love… them.
When It Seemed Like Darkness Won
We witnessed more darkness on Good Friday as Jesus was crucified.
Even from the hopelessness of the cross, he prayed… he forgave… “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
It seemed as though the light of Christ had been extinguished. It seemed as though the darkness had won.
An Unexpected Morning
Early that first Easter morning, the women went to the tomb carrying spices to care for Jesus’ body—not expecting a miracle, but expecting to see the reality of death.
And when they arrived—nothing made sense.
The stone was rolled away.
The ground beneath them had shaken.
Jesus’ body was gone.
And there was an angel who told them: “Do not be afraid… He is not here, for he has been raised.”
The women who went expecting to find death… found life.
Expecting to find that darkness had won… instead they saw that Jesus was not dead, but living.
They saw for themselves that Jesus truly is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Light in Our Present Darkness
Jesus comes to us with those same words: “Do not be afraid.”
Even when the ground beneath us is trembling…
even when we’re afraid and don’t understand…
even when it feels like the darkness is closing in…
even when hope feels naïve…
We know that Jesus is the light in the darkness,
and the darkness cannot overcome him.
We know that love is present and God is at work doing a new thing.
We know that hope is not naïve—but hope is part of our lives as people of faith … hope is necessary.
For many of us, the world itself feels fragile right now.
The systems we trusted feel like they’re cracking.
The future we imagined feels less certain.
The way we relate to one another feels more divided … more strained.
This moment may feel like fear.
Or grief.
Or anger.
Or deep exhaustion.
Easter Is Still Happening
Easter does not deny that darkness exists.
It does not pretend that loss isn’t real.
It does not rush past grief or fear or uncertainty.
Easter dares to speak:
light into darkness…
love into hate…
hope into hopelessness.
Easter opens us to the possibility that God is doing a new thing—not just long ago, but right here, right now, among us.
Even when we don’t understand it … even when the ground beneath us is shaking … God is here.
Love Is Not Finished
Easter reminds us that the same love that sat at the table on Maundy Thursday…
the same love that washed the feet of those who would betray, deny, and scatter…
the same love that endured the cross…
That same love is with you and me now.
God is still raising us to new life.
God is still raising the circumstances around us to new life.
Love is not finished.
The story is not over.
You and I are part of God’s continuing story.
We are the ripple effects of the resurrection.
We bear the new life of Christ and carry it further and further.
My friends, love is never done.
Reflection Questions
- Where are you experiencing darkness or uncertainty right now? What might it mean to trust that light is still present there?
- What does it look like to “love one another” in a situation where it feels difficult or undeserved?
- How might you participate in God’s “new thing” in your community this week?
Epicurious Lutheran 
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