Celebrating Jesus' Victory Over Death

Its great to celebrate isn’t it?

What are some of the things you celebrate?

Finishing school?

Birthdays? (it is someone’s birthday here today)

A new home?

A new job?

Sporting achievements?

Marriage?

Sometimes our celebrations are not for the big achievements in life…

But for the small ones…

In fact it is quite healthy for everyone to have small celebrations in their life to for the small achievements and hard work.

As someone who struggles with dieting most of the diets talk about regularly celebrating weight loss…

Not by eating a whole block of chocolate,

but one little square.

Sometimes when we celebrate it is not because we have worked hard

or actually achieved anything, but because others have.

When Geelong Football Club won last year’s AFL premiership it wasn’t just the 22 players or the players and the coaching staff.

Many people celebrated.

Infact most of the town were celebrating.

Even one of the members of our parish was affected by this win and celebrated for some weeks.

For weeks their answering machine instead of starting with the usual you have called….

It began with…

Yes we’ve won, we have finally won

The Geelong boys have done it…

And at Easter we can say….

Jesus has done it!!!

Easter is something celebrate about!!!

But imagine being those first disciples…

On Sunday morning they were still contemplating life without Jesus.

Imagine for a moment being there and you had just experienced the events of the crucifixion of your leader.

What is going through your mind?

What does it mean?

Are you thinking will we be next?

What has happened?

Are you thinking I thought he would be the one to lead us to victory?

Where is God?

Did you notice in today’s reading it wasn’t any of the 12 disciples who went out to see Jesus.

In other parts of scripture we know that they had locked themselves in a room!!

Petrified!!

But the two Mary’s went to the tomb.

Today’s reading doesn’t reveal why they went there.

But a few verses before today’s readings we see that they had seen the body placed inside!!

And the rock rolled over the top!!

And the soldiers placed on guard.

And now along with the guards they had seen an angel roll away the rock.

And to their amazement the tomb was empty.

There was no Jesus.

There are plenty of people who would be happy to have no Jesus in their life.

For them it would mean not being accountable to anyone.

But not the Mary’s

And what would you have done, if you were there with the two Mary’s?

Would you see it as something good or bad that Jesus was not in the tomb?

Would you be celebrating or worrying!!!

Well the guards were afraid!!!

No Jesus meant they could be accused of not doing their job!!

At best it could mean they may lose their job, at worse possibly their life.

It was also likely that the two Mary’s were going to be afraid!!

Even confused!!

And so the angel speaks to them!!

Reading from verse 5 of chapter 28.

The angel said to them, “But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you!”

This small section scripture highlights something that is important for each of us.

Throughout our lives we will experience good times and difficulties.

At times we will be celebrating because of the good things in our lives.

And at times we will be wondering what God is up to.

Ever been there?

When you have been wondering where on earth God is.

During those times it is easy to lose hope!!

However listen again to what the angels said to the two Mary’s from verse 6.

He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said.

Jesus had told His disciples and other followers,

that he would he would rise again.

Yet they don’t seem to remember this.

And do you know what God has said to us about life now and in the future?

Do you remember these?

I encourage you to put your life into perspective,

the perspective of what God says to you and His promises to you.

For instance

From John 15 verse 18 and 19

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.