Easter Sunday
Beloved. Today we have come to that day of greatest joy; that day that is the center and focus of the entire Christian faith. Without Easter, there is no Christianity. St. Paul writes [1 Cor. 15.17]: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Without Easter there is no hope for us, no hope for the human race. Easter points us to an eternity, a life after this life. It points us to the fact that God has made us to live forever. The death that we now die because of our sin will be undone. Jesus entered into death and defeated death—He rose victorious from His tomb that first Easter Sunday—and now death is a defeated enemy. At Jesus’ command—on the Last Day—death will have to cough up/ surrender all its victims; death will be undone. So, yes, Easter points us to the fact that on the Last Day, Jesus will raise us all—both the Christian and the non-Christian—bodily from the dead. Again, as St. Paul points out [1 Cor. 15.20]: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those that have fallen asleep. Jesus is the firstfruits; He is the first to rise from the dead—and because He rose and conquered death—He will raise all the dead/ undo death. For us, dear Christian, that means a glorious heavenly future awaits us. And so, in fact, then—Easter itself—affects us now. Easter is not just one day a year and that’s it. Instead, it is something that gives form and focus to our whole life every day. That firm and certain hope the Christian has of heaven—of being soul and body eternally in heaven—changes our whole perspective of what we think is important in life; it changes our values and our priorities. St. Paul writes elsewhere in the epistle [Col. 3.2]: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
We live now as Easter Christians. In our baptism we were united with Jesus into His death and also into His resurrection. In baptism we were united with Jesus in His death on the cross and we were united with Him also in His resurrection. That shows itself now as we die to sin—that is, as we fight against temptation and sin and say no to the sinful desires that arise in us—and arise and live with Jesus, that is, as we follow the leadings and promptings of the Holy Spirit and strive to live a life of holiness, a life focused on following the will of the God and keeping our gaze focused on heaven—where because of Easter we will be one day eternally soul and body. Again, as St. Paul writes [Col 3.1]: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
The reality, though, is that we often find ourselves as the women did in the Easter Gospel—thinking it is still not Easter; that Jesus did not rise from the dead. St. Mark tells us that the women bought spices so that they might go and anoint [Jesus]. They thought He was still dead—after all they saw Him crucified and placed in the tomb—and they were coming to anoint His body for a proper burial, to improve on the quick burial he was given right before the Sabbath would start. Our text: 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. Notice that phrase: see the tomb. Their intent was to look at and stare helplessly at the tomb in which Jesus’—they thought—lifeless body laid—much like we do when we visit the graves of loved ones.
They started out that morning in sorrow, loaded down with worry and in mourning. Sadly, that is still a picture of many Christians today. We go through our lives as if Easter had never happened. We are loaded down with worry and care and act as if we had forgotten Easter and that we have a risen and living Savior. Yes, we are surrounded by coronavirus, economic uncertainty, wars, turmoil, etc. etc. But the fact still remains—Easter! Jesus rose from the dead. He is living and triumphant and seated at the right hand of God ruling all things for our good personally and for the good of the Church and history is marching toward a blessed, glorious end for Christ’s Church and His dear Christians. He rose! He is living and triumphant! So when we get burdened and distressed at events going on in the world and in our own lives, remember: Easter! Jesus rose! And this is precisely the message of Easter, preached both by the angel from heaven and by Jesus Himself: Do not be afraid. Stop fearing! This message we do well to hear again today—this Easter—and take to heart. Let it permeate and influence our lives and actions, our thoughts and attitudes: Do not be afraid.
We have great reason to stop being afraid—Jesus rose from the dead; our salvation, dear Christian is certain. Jesus’ victory is proclaimed by the events of that first Easter. Hear again our text: 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 lightening, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. That great earthquake quite possibly happened while the women were on the way to the tomb. As St. Mark [16.3] points out, as they were going to the tomb, the women were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” And why was there an earthquake? Our text: for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone. Perhaps the earthquake announced the angel’s arrival; perhaps it was because just as the earth quaked in horror on Good Friday at moment of the death of its Creator, so here it trembled in joy as the tomb was shown to be empty—its Creator was alive; He rose from the dead. In any case, the earthquake announced something big.
Next we read that the angel rolled back the stone. That great slab of stone that covered the opening to the tomb was hurled away by that heavenly being. And for the very purpose of showing that the tomb was empty. That heavy stone and that armed guard could do nothing. The tomb was empty. And the very fact that they were there adds to the truth of the resurrection and the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection. Because they were there—no one could get in or out and yet now when the stone is rolled away it reveals an empty tomb—it all the more loudly proclaims Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and as it does that, it all the more loudly proclaims the certainty of our salvation.
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. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See I have told you.” And this is Jesus’ physical, bodily resurrection. It wasn’t some sort of nonsense like “even though He died, He will still live in our hearts/ memory.” No! This is a bodily resurrection: Come, see the place where he lay. He/ His body is no longer there; He is alive. And He is so much alive that the disciples will see Him physically in Galilee. And then there is that lovely encounter the women have with Jesus on the road: after Jesus greets them, the women took hold of His feet. You can’t do that to a ghost or phantom but only to a physical being.
Other than the events and circumstances that proclaimed that Jesus rose bodily from the dead, the first actual proclaimer of the Easter gospel is the angel. He ends his announcement to the women with: See I have told you. This is not the word of earth but of heaven. Easter’s proclamation is a divine word; it comes from God in heaven. All the outward signs and evidences point to it, but wrong conclusions could be drawn. Here is the word spoken by God’s own appointed representative: See I have told you. How more trustworthy could it be? How then can we ever doubt Jesus’ resurrection and thus our salvation? And so let us hear again, rejoice in and take to heart Easter’s message: Do not be afraid!
And what is Jesus’ bodily resurrection that first Easter but the seal and final proof of the atonement, that Jesus offered that perfect, once for all sacrifice for sin; that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reconciled us sinners to the holy God; that Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted by God and complete; that Jesus had perfectly obeyed God’s holy law for us/ had lived a sinless life for us; that He had suffered the wrath of God fully and completely for the sins of the world that He took on Himself? Had Jesus sinned, had Jesus not fully paid the price for our sin, had Jesus not fully and completely reconciled us to God, if there was even one sin that Jesus took on Himself and did not pay the penalty of, if there was even a small bit of God’s wrath remaining, Jesus would not have been raised and we would still be in our sins and eternal death and hell would be awaiting us all. Remember what St. Paul had written: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. With Easter, we have God’s absolution/ forgiveness pronounced upon the world. All the attempts of the devil and his allies to try to get Jesus off that path were to no avail. Our salvation in Jesus is certain! Therefore the Easter proclamation: Do not be afraid! Our sins are forgiven us; we have been reconciled to God and now heaven stands open to us!
We hear from St. Matthew what happened next after the women’s encounter with the angel: So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!”—or more literally, “Rejoice!”— And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.” The thing is, we today are very much like the women. We will today once again hear the Easter Gospel that Jesus rose from the dead as Victor over sin, death, devil and hell. How joyous we will be. But what will soon happen? Perhaps sooner or perhaps later—but we will get some fear and anxiety, tears and sorrow, doubt and misgivings mixed into our Easter joy. So as we leave Easter and enter into our day in/ day out world, we will be like these women filled great joy and fear—their fear certainly because they had just seen and talked with the angel, that messenger from God; our fear because of what we endure and face in the world, from what happens and the uncertainties we face, from the devil with his taunts and temptations and from our own sinful desires. But what happens as we go on our way, living out our lives as Christians filled with fear and great joy? The same thing as the women: Jesus will meet us. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” He will meet us where He promised to meet us—in His holy word and sacrament. He will assure us of His presence in the midst of our trials and fears. He will guide and lead us in a life of faith and good works. He will meet us and greet us, saying “Rejoice!” And the glorious thing is not only will He greet us, but He will actually give us that joy and peace as He meets us and gives us the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. When we read and study His word, He gives us that forgiveness and peace that He brought about and promises us there; He gives us that peace that in Him things are right between us and God; in the midst of our trials—not that He necessarily takes them away—but peace in the midst of them. In Church He greets us in the word and holy absolution where He tells us and gives us forgiveness He won for us on the cross and that was proclaimed by His Easter morning resurrection. And in grace upon grace, in Holy Communion He lets us not only take hold of His feet but to receive all of Him in our mouths—His body that died and rose and His blood poured out for our forgiveness.
To us this Easter and always, let us hear, receive and take to hear Easter’s message: Do not be afraid. Jesus, our Savior from sin, death, devil and hell, rose from the dead and is living and reigning. Let us set our minds on the things of God. Christ is risen! Do not be afraid. INJ Amen.