In our Australian culture, Easter is often celebrated by going away for the weekend and by over indulgence in chocolate Easter eggs. For those among us who remember the day by going to church, we expect there to be plenty of Hallelujahs and plenty of joy as we recall that Jesus rose from the grave to new and everlasting life.

But the very first Easter Sunday, at least according to Mark’s quite short account, was a different sort of day altogether. The male disciples are huddled inside and struggling with a range of emotions including shock, grief and probably shame. Their dreams for the future have all come shattering down. The women appear more stoical and three of them set off for the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid, in order to anoint his body with spices.

At the tomb the large stone blocking the entrance has been rolled away and a figure dressed in white (an angel?) tells them that Jesus has been raised and is going ahead of them to Galilee where they will see him. The women’s emotions are intense and mostly negative ranging from great alarm and fear to utter astonishment and confusion. They flee from the tomb and talk to no-one. And that is the end of Mark’s Gospel. No hallelujahs. No joy. No sign of the risen Jesus. No celebration.

The account suggests that Jesus’ resurrection was completely unexpected, despite his having told them several times that he would rise again. The resurrection was mind boggling and amazing and terrifying all at the same time. The disciples would take a little time to adjust to the news, but this unexpected day turned their world upside down. Life had triumphed over death, light over darkness and love over hate.

We tend to be a little blasé about the message of Easter, perhaps because we knew all along how the story would end. So our challenge is to sit with the story and try to recapture some of its raw emotion and power to change our view of life and our place in the world. It’s a whole new day, if we just have eyes of faith to see it.