Are You Prepared

Are You Prepared?

“But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.” Luke 24:1

Intro: In Bucyrus Ohio, at Oakwood Cemetery there is a grave inscribed Malete G. Hanzakos

born 1882 Andea Sparta Greece. He immigrated to New York and changed his name to Mike Hanzas.

He was a tall, muscular, man, who was known to have knocked the punching bag clean off its swivel.

Tired of the big city, in the early 1930’s he moved to Bucyrus Ohio where he opened a shoeshine parlor.

His nearest relatives, a sister and nephew lived in Dearborn Michigan.

Living alone he became quite a recluse.

One day he began to make preparation for his death.

He went to the Oakwood Cemetery where he met the caretaker Geroge Beale.

After all his years in America he still spoke only broken English.

He said, “Need a grave, want a grave,”

I want to pick it out myself now because I am going to die one of these days.

He bought a plot in the main part of the cemetery.

He paid $10 down and the next day he returned with a final payment of $90 all in $10 bills.

He returned once a week to visit his grave.

He planted grass seed.

He brought sheers and on his hands and knees he meticulously groomed the grave.

On Memorial Day he placed flowers on his grave.

He said I want to see flowers there now, because I want get to see them when I am gone.

Then Mike visited the Wise Funeral home where he met Earl Hewitt.

Mike said, “I want to buy, I want to buy now.”

So they negotiated on a casket and vault.

He told the funeral director “I want to buy my new home.”

He was particularly proud of the metal casket and the concrete vault he had purchased.

He would sometimes bring friends along to the funeral home to admire his new purchase.

The Funeral director helped Mike write out his obituary.

Mike wanted to run it in the local paper right away so he could see it.

But the local paper refused.

Mike did not quite understand saying, “that a man should be able to read about it before he dies.”

He picked out his headstone. He made sure the words were spelled correctly.

He wanted everything to be perfect.

Then one day Mike invited his nephew and the rest of his family to come to see him.

Mike took the family to see the cemetery to inspect the headstone and grave site.

As they stood there looking Mike patted his nephew on the shoulder and said don’t worry.

He put something in Nick’s pocket.

And they returned to Mikes apartment.

After a hearty meal, Mike began to hand out some personal effects among his visitors.

He handed out some wrapped boxes of goods.

He handed out clothes for his nephews.

He handed out some shoes and shine brushes.

The nephew protested Uncle Mike you may need these for yourself.

Mike said, “No, boy I don’t need them anymore.”

He patted his nephew on the pocket and said, remember.

He got up from the chair and took one step and dropped dead of heart failure!

There was nothing that could be done. All arrangements had been made.

It is a well known story in Bucyrus Ohio.

“So far as we know, Mike Hanzas had made every provision for his body…, But none for his soul.”

Easter is about preparation.

The text speaks of the Lord’s resurrection and second coming but whether it’s His coming or our death,

we must prepare to meet the Lord.

On this wonderful Easter Sunday morning, I want to raise this question with you.

When you get to where you are going, where will you be?

The Easter story opens with everybody on the run.

Mary is running from grief.

John begins his story of the resurrection with these words.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb

and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

She came running to Peter and John.

The first announcement of Easter was NOT, “He is risen.”

Mary shouts, “He is not here and I do not know where they have taken him.”

Grief is real.

Grief is gripping. It gnaws at our days and disturbs our nights.

Heartache puts us in such turmoil that we cannot think clearly, nor love dearly,

nor follow nearly the old familiar paths that have ordered our lives.

Mary comes to the tomb early.

She might as well; she couldn’t sleep anyway.

Here, adding insult to injury, she cannot find the body of her dead Lord.

In desperation, she runs on Easter morning.