The story of Easter is full of complexities, complications, and intrigue. However, there is one phrase that occurs in each one of the Gospels that transforms the story of Easter into one simple truth. That one simple truth is “He has arisen!” Matthew 28:6 reveals it was an angel who shares this simple truth to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary – “He has arisen!” Mark 16:6 reveals that it was a young man dressed in a white robe sitting inside the empty tomb who shares this simple truth to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome – “He has arisen!” Luke 24:6 reveals that two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning who share with the women carrying spices to the tomb – “He has arisen!” John 20:16 reveals that it was Jesus himself who shares this simple truth to Mary Magdalene, but in a very personal way – “I have arisen!”

Like many other words in the English language, the word “arisen” has multiple definitions. Arisen can mean “to emerge.” Arisen can mean “to come into being.” Arise can mean “to occur as a result of,” “to stand up,” or “to get up.” Certainly all these definitions are applicable to the story of Easter. The definition that intrigues me the most is “to become apparent.” Not to engage in an English lesson here, but the word apparent means “clearly visible or understood; obvious.” Could it be that one of the sole purposes of the story of Easter is to make things as “obvious” as possible?

When we reflect back over the life of Jesus, there is a preponderance of evidence that he was born in Bethlehem, which makes His birth obvious. There is a preponderance of evidence that Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which makes his teenage years obvious. There is a preponderance of evidence that Jesus launched his ministry in Galilee, which makes his years of impactful service to the world obvious. There is a preponderance of evidence that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, which makes his death on the cross obvious. There is a preponderance of evidence that Jesus’ body was placed in a borrowed tomb, which makes his burial obvious.

Be this as it may, every human being on earth has either already experienced or will eventually experience this same “obvious” progression of being born, living life, and eventually dying. What is not so obvious is whether we will experience what Jesus apparently experienced: being “arisen.” However, Jesus embeds the answer to this matter in John 14:3, where he says, “I am going to prepare a place for you. So, where I am, you will be also.”  This leads us to another simple truth about Easter: it is obvious that we are included in his Easter story. He has arisen, so that we might one day be arisen.