Listen to today’s devo!

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.” (Matt. 28:6–7)

Expanded Passage: Matthew 28:5-10

When we were sent on an errand, my mom would sometimes say, “. . . and no lollygagging!” We may have even been warned not to “dillydally.” I’m not sure of the precise meaning or history of these words, but we knew it meant not to get sidetracked with meaningless browsing or loitering and return home as quickly as possible. The angel on Easter morning could have used those words in his invitation to visit the empty tomb. “He is not here! Come and see! But no lollygagging!”

Many Holy Land tourists are taken to various possible locations for Jesus’ tomb. Not until Christians in the diaspora began making pilgrimages to see the Jerusalem of Jesus’ life was anyone even that interested in visiting a place that was known only for being vacant. Even the angel seems perplexed as to why people would look for someone who was alive in the place of the dead.

The moment of the resurrection was a powerful event in God’s salvation history. But it was not something to focus on as a curious oddity. Easter is an ongoing pattern for life. Belief in the resurrection was intended to propel believers into the world with a message of Christ’s offer of grace and love for all people—and not have us lollygagging at the tomb.

Stop lollygagging and get out to tell someone about Jesus!

Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.

© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.