I believe deeply in the victory of Jesus Christ. Not in the sense of Jesus as a conqueror but in Jesus as an agent of goodness in the world. The day that Jesus was born, this victory was put into motion.
For me, Easter is the day that evil loses. Because from the very first Easter morning, evil’s days were numbered in the world. Each Easter is a reminder of the promise of good overcoming the evils of humanity.
Reflect on Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Not a funeral, but a victory
In the United Methodist tradition, each year we walk into Easter knowing what the story holds. We tell it every year. The story of Jesus Christ, born into the world as one of us and changing our world forever, only to be brutally devoured by the ills of humankind at the hands of law and Empire.
On Easter morning as the sun rose, Mary and the other women were visiting the tomb to grieve their Lord. But they were also grieving the loss of their dear friend. They were grieving the loss of the world that he had promised them and the world that he had shown them during his life. All of those dreams and expectations had been shattered. They watched as he was imprisoned, brutalized and nailed to the cross. They watched him die.
They had no idea when they approached the tomb that they were not arriving to a funeral, but to a victory!
The women who followed Jesus are a picture of resilience. An example of showing up even when they believed the battle was lost. And had they not had the heart to show up, they would not have been gifted the great privilege of being the world’s first preachers to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world.
Believe in goodness
Death could not win. Neither can evil. But this does not abdicate our duty to play a part in the work of spreading the goodness of Christ. Instead, it is our call to work for the day we know is coming – when evil is no more.
The first step to spreading the goodness of Christ in the world is showing up in the world when it matters, just like Jesus did. Just like the women who followed him did.
Living in the Twin Cities Metro Area during the recent immigration enforcement surge has reminded me of the power of people who believe in goodness. All across the cities I watched as people, Christian and otherwise, banded together to combat injustice.
When people saw what was happening, they chose to give their time and resources to do what they could to stop the harm being done to others.
The ways that people are responding to the needs around them are a living personification of the second of John Wesley’s three general rules: Do good. The best way to share the good news is to show people who Jesus is through our character. This will always go much farther than words.
Participate in the miracle of Easter
Just like the faithful women in Scripture, who were always working in the background, I have watched so many women in nearby communities step up in such incredible ways in pursuit of righteousness and justice for our neighbors. People have risked life and limb and some have even died. But the people did not roll over in the face of injustice.
We can participate in the miracle of Easter by participating in the victory of goodness in the world. We can show up for the world the same way that Jesus shows up for us.
Love always wins because God is Love.
Laquaan Malachi is a licensed local pastor in the Minnesota Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. He has a passion for people and justice, and is also an author, poet and spoken word artist whose work often includes themes surrounding justice and/or mental health.
This commentary was published on March 26, 2025. The contact is Laura Buchanan.
