2016 Easter Sunrise service
Over the years I have looked at many Sunrises
In many locations
I remember looking at the sunrise on cold or cool mornings as we pushed cattle towards the pens to begin our annual shipment of calves
The steam rising off the land
Smoke seemed to flow from the noses of the cattle and horses
Gloves on our hands for warmth
Jacket collar pulled up
And then
The sun begins to warm the land and the air
Bringing with it a new day
Or sitting in a boat on the gulf coast
Watching for tailing redfish
Waiting for it to get light enough to see the spotted tails waving
Sun rises
In a duck blind on ht banks of a trout stream, or on the side of a mountain hunting elk
Waiting patiently for the sun
Waiting for what the day will bring
Excitement
Adventure
I also can remember other sunrises and other emotions
Cleaning up the wreckage of a house fire of bad wreck
Seeing the sun come up
Seeing in the light the destruction
The loss of life and property
Other sunrises bring different memories
The day after my dad’s death
Unable to sleep
Up at the crack of dawn
Thinking
Remembering
Asking why
Sun rises bring many emotions to the surface for me
And I have no doubt as you look back at the sunrises of your life
Your stories although different from mine
Share a familiarity
Times of excitement
Times of disappointment
Times of elation
And times of despair
Sun rises
Seems to hold the ability
To get us thinking about the past- Remembering
Thinking about the present- Meditating
Or thinking about the future – Contemplating
Some 2000 years ago
There was a Sunrise
I have no doubt it was similar in appearance to this one
And I know
It brought with it many emotions
Let me read for you from God’s word
The account of this special sun rise
John 20:1-18
0 Early on Sunday morning,[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
In this passage of scripture
On this sunrise so long age
Mary like we often do
Is experiencing
A wide range of emotions
Sorrow
Fear
Anger
Disappointment
She watched as Jesus was tried
She watched as he was abused
She watched as he was beaten
She watched as he died
She had been there when he said
“ It is finished”
And now on this cool morning so long ago
As the sun rose
And warmed the earth
Place yourself in her shoes
Hope is gone
The one you believed to be the savior is dead
Brutally killed
Feel her pain as they took his body from the cross
Share her emotions as the prepared his body for burial
Imagine how her mind must be swirling
With the pictures and events of the past few days
Trying to piece it all together in her mind
But
Then
She gets to the tomb
And new emotions flood her mind
First anxiety
The stone is missing
What has happened?
Have they taken him?
And her sorrow turns to even deeper despair
To make things worse
She goes inside the tomb
And Jesus’ battered body is not there
Crying- sobbing
Where have you put him she asks the man she believes to be the gardener
I will go and get him
Please
Just tell me where he is
And then
Jesus
Calls her name
Mary
Mary
And suddenly the morning changed
This sunrise was different now
She was looking at Jesus
Talking to Jesus
Right there with Jesus
New emotions
Wonder
Love
Elation
Joy
He is alive
Imagine what must be going through her mind
The questions she wants to ask
The emotions spilling out of her
She has seen the risen Lord
He is not dead
He is alive
Alive and well
She for the first time since he said the words “it is finished “
Maybe in a small way
Starts to understand
What he meant
What it all meant
Why it all happened
This sun rise
Has turned out so different than it began
As I said
Sun Rises bring with them many emotions
The “Son Rise” I just described to you changed the world
In his words it is finished
Jesus removes the fear the comes with death
This Sun Rise
Removed the penalty of sin
Brings with him the joy of salvation
This sun rise
Brings redemption, restoration, forgiveness
This Son rise fulfilled all the laws
This Son Rise was different than all the others
Those before or those since
Mary came to the tomb at sun rise
So long ago
Expecting to see a dead teacher
But instead she found a risen savior
What did you come here to see?
What did you come here to celebrate?
What is your attitude?
Towards Jesus
What emotions are you feeling today?
The stone has been rolled away
Is his resurrection a reality for you today?
Jesus is not dead
He is alive
And because he lives
We can live
He died for you
And he is alive for you
Please stand with me as we sing together
And raise our voices
To celebrate our risen savior
“Because he lives”
Pray
