Easter
Beloved. Today is the most glorious day because today we are remembering the greatest event in all of history—Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Easter would not be the great day/ event that it is, if it had meaning only for Jesus and Jesus alone. Throughout the Church Year we remember others who were raised from the dead—like the son of the widow of Nain or Lazarus—but not like we do with Easter. The reason? It was mainly for their benefit; their blessing. Yes, these miracles showed Jesus was Lord over even death; and yes they showed Jesus is true God. But at the end of the day, the raising of the widow’s son, the centurion’s daughter and Lazarus really only benefited them, their loved ones. They "only" pointed forward to Jesus and His resurrection.
All these that Jesus raised during His earthly ministry eventually died again. Only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again and lives and reigns gloriously and eternally in heaven. And on top of that, Jesus’ resurrection was a victory for all people. Jesus’ resurrection is a victory after a difficult work, bitter suffering and a fervent struggle with the devil. It is a victory over sin, death, devil and hell—for us. To human eyes, it above all looked as if Christ was defeated when He was placed in the tomb. The disciples mourned, went into hiding, and locked themselves away; fear and terror filled their hearts. If Jesus had stayed dead, then they—and we—would be the most pitiable. But hardly had the sun began to shine on that third day when the message of victory sounded: “The Lord is risen!”
This is the joyous message of victory which continues to sound even in our day. This proclamation should make our hearts rejoice and glad and with St. Paul we glory [1 Cor. 15.57]: “Thanks be to God!” Jesus’ Easter Sunday resurrection victory over sin, death, devil and hell is also, through faith, our victory.
So great, so glorious is Jesus’ victory for us that even nature proclaims it, just as the psalm says [Psalm 19.1]: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. In glorious fashion the Lord has nature proclaim the Easter Gospel. How? Hear St. Matthew in today’s Gospel: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake. The dawn is what? It is the beginning of the new day; it is, if you will, the light/ the day gaining the victory over the night, over darkness. And Easter is the proclamation of Jesus’—the Light of the world’s—victory over the darkness of sin, death, hell and devil. When it looks all around like the devil and darkness has won, no!—the Light of Jesus’ victory shines in the darkness and grows and becomes stronger into the new day. The dawn’s sun rising out of the darkness—a beautiful preaching of the rising of the Son of God from the darkness of death. Like the new day’s sun rises and greets, so we read in our text: And behold, Jesus met them.
Not only is there the dawn of the first day of the week, but behold, there was a great earthquake. Earthquakes—yes, naturally explained, but they are still signs of great and mighty acts of God. And here, like at the crucifixion, the earthquake is a supernatural sign to call/ to get the attention of the whole world. And, beyond that, we can see the earthquake personified as the creation’s rejoicing because its Master lives; the earth is shaking in joy. So, yes, the day of Jesus’ resurrection is the day of greatest joy. Jesus rose victorious from the dead. Our spiritual enemies all lay defeated. Easter is the time of pure joy. And as we study our text, we will see that Easter is also both God’s “Amen” and our “Alleluia!”
1. Easter is God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ work, His whole work for our salvation. Listen to the angel’s Easter preaching to the women: But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. By Jesus’ death, the sins of the world have been forgiven. That’s why Jesus came—to bring about for us the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. His whole life and work on earth was aimed at this purpose. That’s why the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, took on human flesh and blood in the womb of the Blessed Virgin and became a true man; that’s why from the first moment of life-- conception-- on Jesus lived a holy life free from sin—to fulfill God’s holy Law, that very Law God demands we keep. How do we know that Jesus obeyed God’s law for us perfectly, without ever once sinning? Because God raised Him from the dead on Easter. That was God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ life without sin—a sinless life lived for us. God is saying that indeed, Jesus never sinned and therefore death has no claim on Him. Look at Easter and there be sure that Jesus kept God’s holy Law—for you! God said “Amen” to it.
But that’s not all that God said “Amen” to. Jesus living a holy, sinless for us was only part of His work. The other part of Jesus’ work was to take our sins upon Himself, to become the world’s sinner, and as our Substitute, charged and loaded down with every single sin of every single person ever to live, to go to the cross and suffer all of God’s wrath and punishment. How do we know that all of God’s punishment and wrath were poured out on Jesus? How do we know that Jesus offered up that perfect once for all sacrifice for the sins of the world? How do we know, then, that Jesus bore the punishment for all of my sin? Because He was raised from the dead Easter. If there was even one single sin that Jesus did not pay for, if there was even a little bit of God’s punishment that Jesus did not endure, then He couldn’t have been raised from the dead. But there’s Easter—God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ work for us and our salvation: He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.
With God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ work by raising Him from the dead on Easter, we are certain that our sins are forgiven, that death and devil are conquered. And how gloriously God announces His “Amen”: And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow! Nothing less than an angel could make this glorious announcement of God’s “Amen.”
And on top of that, no one and nothing could stop God from sounding His “Amen.” The guards at the tomb? – And for fear of [the angel] the guards trembled and became like dead men. And then, as the guards gradually awakened from their stupor, we read: some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. God’s “Amen” could not be stopped from being heard. Not only did the angel announce it, but those that tried to stop God’s “Amen” from sounding, tried to stop the message of the resurrection, couldn’t. They tried to suppress the great divine truth with bribery and a lie, but to no avail. “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’” How absurd! Thinking Jesus to be dead, the disciples had gone into hiding but hearing God’s “Amen”/ Jesus’ resurrection and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they went into all the world proclaiming God’s “Amen” and suffered persecution and martyrdom for it. If it was a lie, if they in fact stole Jesus’ body, they certainly wouldn’t suffer and let themselves be killed for a lie.
But notice something else: God’s “Amen” to the work of Jesus was heard loud and clear by Jesus’ enemies. Notice, they didn’t try to disprove what the soldiers said; they didn’t try to impeach their testimony. They knew very well that the soldiers didn’t sleep on duty while the disciples came to steal the body. Jesus enemies remembered Jesus’ prophecy as they themselves admitted to Pilate [Mt. 27.63]: Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away... When they don’t try to disprove the soldiers they are accepting the God’s “Amen”/ the resurrection as fact and are merely taking steps to quash the fact. Even our Lord’s enemies hear God’s “Amen” and admit Jesus rose.
2. Not only is Easter God’s “Amen”, it is also our Alleluia! What do we have to say Alleluia about? The forgiveness of our sins! What’s the first thing the angel says to the women? And what is the first thing Jesus announces to the women when He met them? Do not be afraid. What is that? That’s the absolution/ the forgiveness of sins being announced. That’s why we have great reason to exclaim Alleluia on Easter and every day—our sins are forgiven us! Easter is God’s “Amen” to Jesus’ work; it His absolution on the world. With the forgiveness of sins we don’t have to fear—we have peace with God, things are right between us and God, heaven stands open to us, the devil and hell have no claim on us. Reconciled to God, we have nothing to fear—He is our dear, loving heavenly Father. Even in the midst of our hurts and confusions in this life, there is Easter and there is the assurance that God is indeed for us and nothing can separate us from His love for us in Jesus. Look at the women at the tomb and having heard the angel’s announcement. They were full of emotions: they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy. But this is exactly what Easter and the forgiveness of sins does—it banishes all terror of sin and death and fills us with holy joy in the Lord. Jesus’ resurrection is the seal and final proof for that full atonement/ reconciliation Jesus gained for us. So yes, we can be full of various emotions as we face what we do in everyday life but through it all there’s Easter—God has given His “Amen” to Jesus’ work and so come what may, whatever situation or emotion we find ourselves in we in joy and faith shout “Alleluia!”
After Jesus meets the women along the way: Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Did you notice what Jesus calls the disciples—the very ones who had were in hiding for fear, who thought that Jesus was indeed dead and gone? He calls them my brothers. Here Jesus pronounces the absolution/ forgiveness of sins on them. That’s the result of Easter and that’s why the disciples that day and why we today can greet Easter with great shouts of Alleluia. Jesus is truly our brother. He is true man; truly one of us. And as our Brother we have all things in common with Jesus. We are heirs of His goods He gained for us by His life, suffering and death—and to which the Father said “Amen” on Easter. When we in faith and in confession give Him our sin and its effects—death and hell, He gives us His grace, righteousness, life, heaven. All we can do is shout: Alleluia!
Just like God rewarded the women’s love of Jesus that first Easter by letting them be the first witnesses and human proclaimers of Jesus resurrection, so too He rewards our love as we go to the tomb once again this Easter and diligently ponder what Easter is, as we seize Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as He comes and gives us His very body and blood; as we receive in faith and joy the forgiveness of our sins and live in that forgiveness. Easter—God’s Amen and our Alleluia! INJ