"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said" (Matthew 28:6). On Good Friday it looked as though everything Jesus stood for had been defeated. Three days later, the disciples discovered they had heard only half the message.
This story about the resurrection of Christ, retold in our own words, is a well-known legend from the time of the Battle of Waterloo. It ends with a takeaway for sermons or reflection.
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"Wellington Defeated...": The Message in the Fog
This is a popular legend. There is no reliable evidence that the news of Waterloo actually reached England in this way, and historians note that it arrived by messenger. We share it as a parable.
The story goes that on an evening in June 1815, a man stood high in the tower of Winchester Cathedral, gazing anxiously towards the sea.
All of England was waiting for news. Across the Channel, the British commander, the Duke of Wellington, had led his army against Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor who had once dominated almost all of Europe. The outcome of the Battle of Waterloo would decide the future of the nation.
At last, the man saw what he was looking for: a light signalling from a ship offshore. He strained to read the message, ready to pass it on to the next signal station so that the news could travel across the country.
But just as the signal came through, a thick fog began to roll in from the sea. He could make out only two words before the light disappeared: "Wellington defeated."
His heart sank. Dutifully, he relayed the message, and the terrible news spread from station to station across the countryside. Gloom and fear settled over the land.
Then the fog lifted, and the ship sent its signal again, this time in full: "Wellington defeated the enemy."
The news raced across the country once more, and despair turned into celebration. Wellington had won.
Whatever its historical truth, the story is a powerful picture of Easter. On Good Friday, as Jesus died on the cross and was laid in a tomb, the message seemed to be "Christ defeated." His followers scattered in grief and fear. But they had received only half the message.
Three days later, on Easter morning, the fog lifted. The tomb was empty, and the risen Jesus appeared to his friends. The full message was "Christ defeated the enemy": sin, death and evil itself.
Takeaway: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55–57). When life seems to say "defeat", the resurrection gives us the rest of the message.
Source: Popular legend; author unknown.
Final thoughts
Two words in the fog, and then the full message. The resurrection of Christ is God's declaration that what looked like defeat was victory all along.
For related stories, see our Easter stories about the resurrection. For further reading, Sopranu examines The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus.
Where do you need to hear the full message of Easter this week?
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These stories are retold in our own words for teaching and reflection. Sources are credited under each story.
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