Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!
These are words that are so ingrained into us as 21st century Christians, that we almost recite them every Easter without much of a thought. Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is. But would you have believed that good news if you were at the empty tomb nearly 2000 years ago?
The women who came to the tomb in today’s Gospel lesson didn’t believe it at first. Some today don’t believe it either. Is it that important we believe that Christ has risen? Let’s look at the reading to find out.
It’s the third day since Jesus’ crucifixion. That Friday, after He died Luke tells us these facts: Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. [7] 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. (Luke 23:50-56) Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Joseph also rolled a stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. The women who were making their way to the tomb saw all that happen. Since it was the Passover Sabbath, they were ceremonially forbidden to anoint Jesus’ body, so as today’s reading opens, it’s Sunday morning, and they’re o their way to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for a proper burial. Now what do you think they expect to find when they get there? They expect to find Jesus’ body wrapped in the linen shroud. Matthew adds in one other factor: “The next day (Saturday), that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered beore Pilate and said ‘Sir, we remember how that imposter 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 and tell the people He has risen from the dead, and the last fraud will be worse than the first. “ So Pilate consents to allow them to put a guard there with his seal. So the women are on their way, expecting to find a guard, with a stone in front of the tomb. And since they are followers of Jesus, they have to be wondering, “will the guard even let us in to prepare Jesus’ body for burial?”
So they arrive at the tomb, and to their amazement, there’s no guard, and the stone has been rolled away. No doubt, questions start to come up. What’s going on here? Who did this? What’s going to happen next? They make their way inside, and, there’s no body! It’s gone! The text tells us that they are “perplexed” about this. No doubt! Who took the body they have to be wondering?
While they don’t see the body, they do see two men standing beside them in dazzling apparel. They recognize they’re angels, shining from being in the presence of the glory of God Himself! The women, in fear, bow their faces to the ground, and these angels, or messengers, as the greek word for Angel literally means, tell them “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (v.7) You see, just as Jesus had predicted His death, He also predicted His resurrection. Once the women hear the Word spoken to them, they remembered His words.
As unbelievable as it may seem, on the surface, they believe the Word, and then go back to tell the disciples what had happened. And what happens when they get to the apostles and tell them? Do they believe at first?
Our text tells us that “these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” (v.11) They’re so wrapped in in their own experience that they ignore the Word from Jesus Himself that He would rise again after His death on the Third Day. Everyone except for one. Peter gets up, runs to the tomb, takes a look in, and he sees the linen burial cloths by themselves. That is the evidence Peter needs to know what happened. We’re told one he sees the burial cloths there and the empty tomb, Peter “went home marveling at what had happened.” Perhaps he recalled the words of Jesus that he would indeed rise again!
But, some wouldn’t believe without seeing. Jesus Himself had to appear to the disciples that night behind locked doors, and then later to Thomas, who wasn’t there. And it seems, in some ways, Jesus still has to prove His resurrection today.
There are a lot of theories out there today to try to explain why the tomb was empty. All of which deny the Resurrection. Some say that the body was stolen. But by whom? That tomb had been sealed by orders from Pilate. Anyone who would have dared to break that seal, attack a Roman guard, and enter the tomb and steal the body, would have signed his or her death warrant. Not only that, but if the Resurrection was a mere myth, why would the disciples willingly defend it to the death? Of the apostles who heard the news that first Easter that Christ had risen, all except John were executed. John lived to an old age, but as an exile on the island of Patmos. Would they have willingly risked their lives for a lie? And from the text in Matthew, we know that Jesus’ enemies wouldn’t have wanted to have the body stolen, as it would give Jesus and His followers credibility.
Just because they didn’t believe at first, it didn’t change the fact that Christ had risen! And He had to rise from the dead. Our epistle lesson tells us why when we read: If in Christ we have hope [1] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:19-26) You see, just as Christ had to die for your sins, He also had to rise also. If He didn’t rise, then He didn’t defeat the power of death. If Christ did not rise, you would not rise from death to eternal life. Just as we need Christ’s death at the cross, we also need His resurrection so that we too may rise to new life. Without the resurrection, we have no forgiveness, no eternal life, no promise of salvation. And for those of you who mourn the death of loved ones who have died in the faith, you, too, then have no hope that your loved ones are with Christ in paradise. But, He is risen! He is risen indeed! We may not have seen it with our eyes, but with the spiritual eyes of faith, through the reading of God’s Word, you have been taken back to that empty tomb. Although your experience tells you that when you visit the grave of someone who has died that the person stays there, you know that in this case, that tomb was really empty, that Christ has risen! And that one day, you too will rise to new life, because Christ was the “first fruits” of the resurrection, meaning that there’s more to come, meaning that you now have hope of eternal life because Christ won your victory over sin, death, and the devil, and left those enemies defeated in the grave!
A year and a half ago in my congregation in Audubon, I was officiating at the funeral of an elderly member of our congregation who had died after a long series of health problems. We went through the normal process of things. I was at her bedside with members of her family when she died. I was there to see the funeral director take her lifeless body from the hospital room, and then saw it lying in the casket. We had the funeral service at the church, and then took the casket to the cemetery south of town where she would be buried. I made the pronouncement made at the graveside of every deceased Christian “we now commit the body of this person to its resting place, ashes to ashes, dust to dust….” Everyone there knew that once we left the cemetery, the casket would be placed into the vault, the vault would be sealed, and then lowered into the freshly dug grave, and about 6 feet worth of dirt would be placed over top of it. Everyone except for one person. A little girl, about three or four years old, came up to me and asked me to pick her up so she could ask me a question. I did and she asked me “Pastor, who’s gonna open the box?” When I asked her what box she was talking about, she pointed at the casket and asked “who is going ot open the box so great great gramma can get out?” While it brought tears to some and eyes for others, I couldn’t help but think “if this child were at the grave with the women that first Easter, and she was told that Jesus had risen, she would have believed it.”
Indeed, just because some today want to try to say that Christ did not rise from the dead, it doesn’t change the fact that He has. And just as He lives for you, suffers for you, and dies for you, Jesus also rises from the dead for you. For one day, death will call to you unless the Lord returns first. And one day, because Christ was risen from the dead, you too, will rise from life in this sinful, fallen world, and awaken to new life a life free from sin, free from suffering pain, grief, or loss. A life that will last forever in the presence of Christ.
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, and best of all He is risen for you! The victory over sin, death, and the devil that He won that day has been won for you. For “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom. 6:3-4)
May you all be filled with great joy at the wonderful news that Christ has risen, not just this Easter, but throughout your life, knowing that because Christ was raised from the dead, we, too, will rise from the dead, and our mourning will turn to joy. Amen.
