Episode 867
Resurrection Revelations: Insights from Easter Sunday
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
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The essence of the Easter story, as articulated through the lens of Luke 24:1-12, reveals profound insights into the nature of resurrection and the unexpected ways in which divine truth is manifested. Central to this narrative is the remarkable role of women as the first witnesses of the resurrection, a fact that subverts traditional gender dynamics and challenges contemporary listeners to reconsider their perceptions of authority and validity in testimony. The discussion invites an exploration of the implications of this divine choice, urging us to engage with the lives and experiences of those who are often marginalized in our society. By highlighting the significance of women as bearers of such critical news, the episode provokes a necessary dialogue about the voices we tend to overlook and the revelations we might miss as a result.
In addition to this exploration of gender dynamics, the episode poses a critical question regarding the search for the living among the dead, pushing us to reassess where we look for hope and life. This question resonates deeply within the context of societal structures that may appear oppressive or lifeless, suggesting that divine life often emerges from unexpected places rather than from established centers of power. By examining the contexts of our own lives, we are encouraged to seek out opportunities for renewal that exist within the margins of society, challenging us to rethink our assumptions about where transformation can occur.
Finally, the episode culminates in a call to engage in 'resurrection listening,' a practice that emphasizes the importance of actively seeking out and valuing the voices of those who are typically disregarded. This practice not only fosters a greater understanding of community inclusivity but also aligns with the overarching message of the resurrection: that hope and new life can arise in the most unlikely of circumstances. By embracing this radical openness to diverse experiences and insights, we affirm the transformative power of listening and the necessity of creating spaces where all voices are heard and valued.
Takeaways:
- In our exploration of Luke 24:1-12, we find the profound truth that the initial witnesses of the resurrection were women, a fact that challenges societal norms regarding authority and credibility.
- The resurrection narrative compels us to scrutinize our expectations and assumptions, particularly regarding the locations where we seek evidence of divine action and presence.
- The question posed by the angels, 'Why are you looking for the living one in a cemetery?' urges us to reconsider our perspectives on life, death, and the emergence of new beginnings.
- This Easter message encourages us to practice resurrection listening, which involves actively engaging with voices from marginalized communities that are typically overlooked or dismissed by society.
- The disbelief of the apostles serves as a poignant reminder of our human tendency to limit the scope of divine possibilities to our preconceived notions and societal structures.
- Through examining the role of women as primary witnesses, we are invited to reflect on the importance of acknowledging diverse voices, particularly those marginalized due to gender, class, or race, in our contemporary context.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
Looking in the wrong places for our risen Jesus.
Speaker A:An Easter Sunday Study of Luke 24:1 12 on the Daily Bible refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A: on years, a million people by: Speaker A:I'm glad that you joined me.
Speaker A:We read the Bible every day, part of the Revised Common Lectionary.
Speaker A:This is Easter Sunday in Year C.
Speaker A:We make the study of the Bible understandable by reading the New Testament message.
Speaker A:We read it from the message version of the B.
Speaker A:We make it relatable by giving you some points to ponder, to think about applicable, give you an action step and we do it all from our website, voiceofgoddaily.com that is the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A:We'd love for you to check that out.
Speaker A:Here's our reading our Easter Sunday reading from Luke 24:1 12 reading from the message looking for the living one in a cemetery at the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared.
Speaker A:They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb.
Speaker A:So they walked in.
Speaker A:But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the master Jesus.
Speaker A:They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this.
Speaker A:Then out of nowhere, it seemed two men, light cascading over them, stood there.
Speaker A:The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship.
Speaker A:And the men said, why are you looking for the living one in a cemetery?
Speaker A:He is not here, but raised up.
Speaker A:Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on the cross and in three days rise up?
Speaker A:Then they remembered Jesus words.
Speaker A:They left the tomb and broke the news to all of this to the 11 and to the rest.
Speaker A:Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles.
Speaker A:But the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.
Speaker A:But Peter jumped up to his feet and ran to the tomb.
Speaker A:He stooped down to look in and saw a few grave clothes.
Speaker A:That's all.
Speaker A:He walked away, puzzled, shaking his head.
Speaker A:An incredible story from Easter Sunday.
Speaker A:We're really talking about the resurrection here.
Speaker A:And this is the story about many of the characters, the women and Peter and others around this that really goes to challenge assumptions we may have about power and gender and where we find new life.
Speaker A:Let's talk about some of the points to ponder.
Speaker A:The teaching points about this the first one has to do with women as first witnesses.
Speaker A:It's profoundly significant that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection.
Speaker A:In a society where women's testimony wasn't considered legally valid, the divine consistently chooses to reveal truth through those whom society deems unreliable and unimportant.
Speaker A:Wow, that's profound.
Speaker A:This challenges us to consider whose voices are we dis missing today?
Speaker A:What revelations might we be missing because we discount certain witnesses based on gender or class or race or many other factors?
Speaker A:That's one point to consider.
Speaker A:Another one has to do about looking in the wrong place.
Speaker A:Why are you looking for the living one in the cemetery?
Speaker A:Is the question that resonates in this scripture reading here today.
Speaker A:It's there.
Speaker A:There's the immediate context of the Mary's coming to the tomb and not finding Jesus there.
Speaker A:But we also need to look in places of death.
Speaker A:That is systems of oppression in a hierarchical power structure defined other ways of looking at it.
Speaker A:Even in patterns of domination, we can find opportunities if we look in the right places.
Speaker A:This resurrection story suggests that divine life emerges not from the centers of power, but from the margins.
Speaker A:Not from established structures, but from the unexpected places.
Speaker A:Consider that, please, the unexpected in your life.
Speaker A:One more point is disrupting expectations.
Speaker A:The disciples disbelief reflects more than skepticism about resurrection.
Speaker A:It reveals their inability to imagine divine power working differently than expected.
Speaker A:They really couldn't conceive of God choosing women as a primary witness or of liberation coming through the apparent defeat of death.
Speaker A:And this challenges to examine our own limited imaginations about how transformation happens.
Speaker A:Here's your action step for today.
Speaker A:Practice resurrection listening.
Speaker A:That is to choose a person or a group of people whose voices are often dismissed in your community.
Speaker A:Perhaps it's immigrants, perhaps it's unhoused people.
Speaker A:Maybe it's LGBTQ folks or youth, young people, any number of other people who are in the margins and find ways to truly listen to their experiences and insights.
Speaker A:This might mean attending an event organized by marginalized people.
Speaker A:Are reading works by authors from dismissed or devalued groups or supporting organizations led by those typically who are excluded from power.
Speaker A:Or examining your own community or organization how it might be or you might be dismissing important voices.
Speaker A:It's about a methodology of reconsidering and looking in the places that are often overlooked.
Speaker A:Let's pray or we're going to pray in just a minute.
Speaker A:But I just want to remind you that just share with you that we have a great resource for you.
Speaker A:We love it when you come to us every day here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:We've been here for over 800 episodes.
Speaker A:We're going to be here for every day.
Speaker A:Moving forward, our goal is to get the audible word of God into a million people.
Speaker A: That's two millionaires by: Speaker A:But we also know that it's so important that you have your own time of Bible study on your own.
Speaker A:So here's what I want you to do.
Speaker A:Go to our website, voiceofgoddaily.com and there we have a free resource for you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A:It's so simple.
Speaker A:It's just a few pages, three or four pages of text and a guide by just a guide.
Speaker A:A step by step ABC 123 guide for you to read the scriptures of your own accord.
Speaker A:You can do it.
Speaker A:Go over to voiceofgoddaily.com and pick that up.
Speaker A:Let's have a prayer for Easter.
Speaker A:God of the unexpected who chooses the dismissed to bear witness to new life.
Speaker A:Open our hearts to resurrection hope.
Speaker A:When we're tempted to look for you only in comfortable or traditional places, redirect our gaze to the margins where you're really moving.
Speaker A:When we dismiss voices that don't match our expectations of authority, remind us of the women at the tomb.
Speaker A:When we feel dismissed or disbelieved ourselves, strengthen us with the knowledge that you often work through those whom society ignores.
Speaker A:Thank you for showing us that new life emerges in unexpected places and through unexpected people.
Speaker A:Help us be witnesses to resurrection hope in our time, especially in places where others see only death.
Speaker A:In the spirit of Jesus who confounds all our expectations, we pray.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Been so great to have you with me through this whole journey.
Speaker A:We've been here on the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:I want to wish everybody a happy Easter and let Easter be a time of renewal and refreshment.
Speaker A:And may a part of that be getting the Word of God, the audible word of God into your life every single day.
Speaker A:I'll be here every day.
Speaker A:I usually drop these episodes before 6:00am Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Please come and join me and bring a friend.
Speaker A:That's tomorrow.
Speaker A:As we continue this process of exploring new life in Jesus Christ through the reading of the New Testament, we do so whether it is applicable, relational in your life.
Speaker A:Until tomorrow then, friends.
Speaker A:Remember that My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller and I want to encourage you with the words that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
