This coming Sunday resounds with shouts of “Alleluia! Christ is Risen!” It is Easter, the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For many, Easter represents a happy ending to what otherwise would be a very sad story. Jesus – unjustly accused, tortured and murdered – escapes the bonds of death and gets the last laugh on his accusers (which is how one preacher I know defines the term “Alleluia!”).

But what if we preachers dug deeper when preparing our Easter sermons? What if we looked at the resurrection not as a happy ending for Jesus but as an explosive new beginning for all of us?

Here’s an Easter sermon that explores this idea. Maybe my preacher colleagues will find some insights to help in their sermon preparation this week. Feel free to borrow anything that will assist you. And non-preachers may discover some inspiration here, and a call to a new Beginning!

The Obituary of Jesus