Let us pray O' Heavenly Father it is through your only begotten Son Jesus that we have the gift of eternal life. For He overcame death ... and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
Grant that we, ... who this day ... celebrate with joy our Lord's resurrection, ... may be raised from the clutches of death and sin ...by your life giving Spirit;
And Father it is through Jesus our Savior and Lord ... that we pray.
A Sunday School teacher ... had just finished telling her third graders ... how Jesus was crucified ... and placed in a tomb.
And that ...... a great stone was placed in front of the tomb ... sealing the opening.
Then, ...... wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: ....... "And what do you think were Jesus' first words ... when He came out of that tomb?"
A little girl in the back of the room shot her arm into the air and leaped to her feet and shouted excitedly ... ....... "I know, I know!"
"Good" said the teacher, .... "Tell us, Bethany ... what did he say."
Extending her arms high into the air she said: "TA-DA!" (Pause)
I truly enjoy that story... It puts a smile on my face ... and it is so appropriate ... for this Day.
Beloved ... The resurrection of Jesus Christ ... was indeed for the world ...... a "TA-DA".
It has touched the lives of believers ... throughout the ages.
Yes, ...... "TA DA" ... Christ is Risen (Pause)
On Easter day Christ came ... out of the tomb ...... and into our lives ...... with power ... and with victory.
Easter is the great celebration ... of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (Pause)
Today ... is Easter.
A time ... when Alleluias fill the air:
The Anglican Church ...... since its inception ... has a wonderful acclimation .... that is proclaimed ...... beginning with this day ... Easter Sunday.
The Priest Proclaims: (Slow) "Alleluia Christ is risen"
Now ...Be prepared ... And the people reply: (Hand gesture) ... "The Lord is risen, indeed Alleluia"
Our Gospel text begins on that first Easter morning.
Mary Magdalene ... and the other Mary ... make their way ... to the tomb of Jesus.
What do they expect to find?
I suppose they expect .... what you and I would expect if we went to visit ... the grave of a friend.
That the grave ... the tomb ... would look like most graves and tombs.
It would be .... un-disturbed.
You certainly would not expect your friend or love one .... to be gone!
And yet that is exactly what the two Mary's encounter!
This event ... is highly dramatic ... in Matthew's telling.
He speaks of a great earthquake, .... which shakes not only their perspective .... but literally everything else .... in the surrounding area.
And then an angel of the Lord descends from heaven before their very eyes.
And remarkably ... this single angel .... rolls back the stone from the tomb .... and then sits on it.
There the angel gazes down at them .... dazzling ... as lightning!
Can you imagine how shocking it would be for these two women .... to witness ......all of this?
It is incomprehensible.
The guard's behavior .... tells us how disarming it was.
They panic ... to the point .... that they pass out......they become as dead.
But the women, ...... the women keep it together ... perhaps that is why Jesus appears first .... to women.
The angel, then, speaks to them ... Hear again God's word: ...... BIBLE "Do not be afraid; .... for I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified ....... He is not here, ...... for he has been raised from the dead, ... Come and see the place where he lay." END (Matthew 28:5-6)
The Tomb is empty...... He is risen!
They have come to a place of death .... yet there ...they find .... life!
This is a game-changer ... this is a life altering encounter...... for the two Mary's.
The fact that Jesus is risen ... completely changes their world.
Not even death .... could defeat their Lord. (Slow) ...... He is risen.
Though they remain afraid .... and probably unsure about what this all means, .... they know that .... nothing .... nothing ... will ever be .... the same.
Then, ... the angel commands them to go.
To Go quickly ... and tell the disciples .... that Jesus is risen.
That Jesus Christ ...... is no longer dead.
The Angel goes on to tell them ... that Jesus is going ahead of them .... to Galilee .... And to Go ... and see him there.
And so, ... they respond.
They Immediately......leave the tomb...... filled with fear and with great joy .... And they ran ... to tell his disciples.
This was clearly ... a very emotional encounter.
They were surely overwhelmed ... with emotions. ....... Fear and Joy.
Much like when you cry ... and laugh at the same time .... All emotions ... come into play.
As humans, ... we can have a complicated mix of emotions that swell over us .... at the same time.
The women are afraid ....and yet are filled .... with great joy.
Then Suddenly, Jesus meets them on the road ....and greets them.
They are so elated ...... that they come right up to him, ... and embrace his feet.
They understood who he was .... and we are told ...they worshiped Him.
He is Risen.... He is risen .... He is risen bodily .... from the dead.
Not only have the women witnessed the empty tomb, .... an earthquake ...... and the stone being rolled away ... by an angelic being;
But now they have experienced personally...... the risen Jesus ... for themselves.
For them, ... it is completely clear... He is Risen.... Jesus is risen.
Then the Lord says to two women, BIBLE "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." END (Matthew 28:10)
Jesus tells them.... Go and tell.
Jesus commands them.... To Go and Tell .... To share the Good News.
Beloved .... This Resurrection ... this conquering of death .... is not just for Jesus.
But is available to everyone .... Who proclaims Jesus as their Savior.... and as their Lord,
So, ... the women ...... go and tell.
And those in turn who heard ...... go and tell.
And those that they share the Good News with .... in turn ... go and tell.
And in this way, ......the message of Christ's resurrection is passed down ...... throughout the ages;
Throughout ... the generations .... to you and to me .... this very day.
We have been given Good News ... and we are Called to ...... go and tell ... to share .... the Good News. (Pause)
Five-year-old Brian ... had a pivotal verse to recite ... in the Easter program: ...... "He is not here, he is risen" (Luke 24:6).
Unfortunately, ... he had trouble ... remembering his line.
He froze for a moment during the pageant ... then he confidently grabbed the microphone ... and triumphantly shouted, ... "He's not here; He's in prison!" (Pause)
The fact that Christ is risen may seem confusing to some, ....and unbelievable to others.
Even though the Scriptures tell us that Hundreds upon Hundreds of men and women .... encountered ... the risen Lord.
As Christians, ... we understand that in the resurrection, .... God turned everything ...... upside down.
Jesus was put to death ... but God the Father said a resounding "NO!" ... to death ... by raising him.... from the dead.
Sin and death were defeated .... and everlasting life was made possible;
For all who know him... as their Savior .... and their Lord.
Beloved .... He is risen ... The tomb is empty:
In his book Written in Blood, ... Robert Coleman tells the story ... of a little boy ... whose sister ... was in desperate need ... of a blood transfusion.
The doctor explained ... that she had the same disease ... that the boy had recovered from ... two years earlier.
Her only chance for recovery ... was a transfusion ... from someone ...... who had previously conquered ... the disease.
Since the two children ... had the same rare blood type, ... the brother ... was the ideal donor.
"Son ... Would you give your blood ... to your sister Mary?" ..... the doctor asked.
Johnny hesitated.
His lower lip started to tremble.
Then he nodded and said, ... "OK, for my sister."
Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room ... Mary, pale and thin ... Johnny... still trembling ... but robust and healthy.
Neither spoke, ... but when their eyes met, ... Johnny grinned.
As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, ... Johnny's smile faded.
He watched as his blooded flowed through the tube.
With the ordeal almost over, ... his voice, ... slightly shaky, ... broke the silence.
"Doctor, ...... when do I die?'
Only then ... did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, ... why his lip had trembled.
He thought giving his blood ... meant giving his life.
He was willing to give up his life ... for his sister.
Johnny, ... fortunately, .... did not have to die ... to save his sister.
However, ... Each of us, ... has a condition more serious than Mary's
And Beloved ... it required Jesus ... to give up not only His blood ... but His life.
Each of us has different needs ... we each ask different questions .... Yet there is only one answer ... Jesus Christ is Risen.
Beloved ... "Christmas is the promise, ... Easter is the proof."
Ta Da ... Christ is risen.
May this Easter Sunday ... be a time ... when you look for ... and receive ... a touch ... from the Risen Jesus.
A touch that will transform you;
A touch that will conform you ... into image of Christ.
Beloved ...... Rejoice ... the tomb is empty.
Let us stand ... and boldly proclaim once again ... the proclamation of Easter!
Alleluia Christ is Risen .... (Hand gesture) ... The Lord is Risen Indeed ... Alleluia.
Amen and Amen!!
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Jeff
