The empty tomb. (Photo Courtesy of Council of Bishops)
Council of Bishops | April 1, 2026
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." — 1 Peter 1:3
At Easter, we return again and again to the biblical witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each time, we rediscover a truth that does not change and a promise that never fades—a truth that holds steady yesterday, today, and for all our tomorrows.
The tomb is empty.
Jesus has conquered the grave.
Christ is risen.
And this good news meets us right where we are.
It meets us in a world scarred by violence and war…
in communities longing for justice and equity…
in families carrying both visible struggles and quiet, unspoken burdens…
and in churches seeking God's direction amid a rapidly changing landscape.
The resurrection is not distant from these realities—it speaks directly into them.
In the majesty of God's power, the cross—once a symbol of death, suffering, and shame—has been transformed into an eternal sign of life. It reveals the depth of God's redemptive love, the radical gift of salvation, and God's ultimate victory over pain, evil, and death.
The Easter story reminds us that no matter what we face—amid life's adversities, uncertainties, and trials—God's Spirit is at work, bringing light into dark places, hope into weary hearts, and possibility where things feel stuck or broken. What feels final is not final with God. What looks like defeat is not the end of the story. Nothing is too hard for God.
As Easter people, we are not called to ignore the realities around us—but to face them with resurrection faith. Each day, we choose not to be paralyzed by fear or consumed by despair. We choose not to surrender to injustice, division, or hopelessness. Instead, we rise—with Christ.
We rise to love more boldly.
We rise to lead with courage.
We rise to stand for justice and extend compassion.
We rise to be the Church—not only in word, but in our witness.
For the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us.
And so, even now, we depend on God's endless grace and mercy and declare with confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We boldly proclaim that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ—our hope and our salvation—through whom all things are possible.
And so we sing with joy and conviction:
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
(My Hope Is Built - Edward Mote, 1834)
Let us pray:
Risen Christ, meet us in the realities we carry today—the burdens we name and the ones we hold in silence. Breathe new life into weary hearts, renewed hope into your Church, and fresh courage into your people. Empower us to live as resurrection witnesses in a hurting world—bringing hope where there is despair, justice where there is brokenness, and love where there is division.
Strengthen us to rise with you—today and every day—until your transforming work is revealed throughout all the earth. In your risen name we pray. Amen.
Bishop Tracy S. Malone, President, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church