Easter Sunday 2021
Christ is Risen!
Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
(Romans 6:4)
It was not that long ago. I remember joining my young family for Easter worship, and I heard people greeting each other in an unfamiliar way. I thought that on Easter, you would greet someone by saying "Happy Easter." You know, like Christmas. Ok, we say "Merry Christmas," but the word merry is just a synonym for happy, right? Then I wondered if this odd greeting was because the church we were at was in Dover, Pennsylvania's farmlands. After all, I lived in New York City and for a time in New Jersey. I did not attend church until after I was married. So going to church on that first Easter was a new experience.
People would say, "Christ is Risen!" They would respond, "He is risen indeed!" I first wondered whether these people understood basic English grammar because I thought Jesus died a long time ago. Since some of the folks I knew were very well educated, I had to ask Sandy (my spouse) what was going on. She explained it pretty well. Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday, and on Easter morning, He was found to have risen from the dead. The present tense is used because, in Christians' minds, He is alive and risen from the grave. The purpose of this saying was to glorify the risen Savior.
Well, this caught my attention, and I sat in the worship service listening to the singing and the preaching. Who was this Jesus that arose from the grave? The Bible reading said that the angel who met the visitors at the empty tomb told them to go out and say to His disciples that He had risen from the dead. I thought that the word of Jesus rising from the grave would be passed on throughout the generations. Seemed like a big deal.
That greeting has faded away. Now, most church folks speak about their new clothing, festive food, holiday programs, and their gifts to their children and grandchildren. I even heard one person talk about a giant bunny rabbit that left candy eggs for children. Of course, that's better than the pellets rabbits leave behind. It all seemed odd. If this Jesus was raised by God from the grave, shouldn't that be what people talk about? I learned that Jesus died and was raised from death to life by God the Father for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Isn't this more important than Peeps and Cadbury Easter eggs? Well, ok, even more critical than Cadbury mini-eggs. Of course, Jesus' risen for the forgiveness of sins is far more vital to focus on all the time than anything else. So, what was going on?
To me, it is sad that Christianity allowed Christmas to be taken over by our secular society. Christmas was initially called Christ's mass. It was a eucharistic worship where the followers of Jesus took communion for Jesus. But the secular society took it over. I wonder how many church folks know what Christmas was initially all about. Today it is about maxing out credit cards to buy stuff that will be used for a day or two. Ok, maybe three days. We lost Christmas to the secular world. It is the biggest selling season for stores in the year.
Do you know what the second most significant event for stores is? If you said Easter, you are correct. We cannot let society steal the meaning of Easter. The message of Christmas is somewhat obscure in our time. But we cannot let this happen to Easter. The world needs to hear about what happened that morning and what it means. It does not imply a new hat or shoes. It means that God loves us so much. How much does he love us, you ask? That He raised His Son Jesus from the dead back to life. Paul said in Romans 6:4
"As Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life"
What does Easter mean to you? First, it is a mystery how God raised Jesus from the dead. You shouldn't be concerned about proving this fact. God raised Jesus from the dead. Period. It is a supreme truth that all who call themselves Christians must believe. If you don't think so, then you are not a follower of Jesus Christ. This ultimate truth must never be debated. There should not be any lengthy explanations for this truth. Either you believe the event, or you don't believe the event. There is no middle ground!
Jesus risen from the dead is the uncompromisingly accepted great climax of the truth of our faith. It is necessary for redemption, salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Period. If there was no empty open grave, then there is no opening in Heaven to receive us. If there were was no resurrection, then there is no risen Christ. Therefore, there are no Christians. There would not have been any signs of hope in this world.
Don't let any naysayers stop you from proclaiming the truth of Easter. Jesus Christ was risen by God, His Father, from the dead. Jesus Christ is ALIVE and is with us. Let your faith be heard throughout the lands. It is must be a louder exclamation than the people who shout that they got good deals in Kohls, Target, or Walmart. Easter is not about gifts, or candy, or bunnies, or even peeps. It is about salvation and eternal life because Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life to live with God with peace and harmony, and goodwill to everybody.
You know, some people read the four stories of the death and resurrection of Christ and say it's not the truth because the four stories do not match. You must stand before that person and tell them that the story is the same in each Gospel, just told differently. Yes, each Gospel has a different person coming to the tomb first. So, what is the problem? Our Western teaching tells us that the stories are different. Tell the person who questions you about the four stories that these are Middle Eastern stories. These are not Greek tragedies. No, they are simple Semitic stories. Near Eastern storytellers in Jesus day only cared that the meaning of the story is the same. Everything else is what we call window dressing. So, is the central point of these four different stories different or the same. (PAUSE) They are the same story.
The main point of the four stories is that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. His body was placed in a tomb, and a large stone covered the grave. Three days later, the tomb was open, and Jesus the Christ was not in the tomb. He appeared to His disciples and followers ALIVE!! Yes, ALIVE!! To the Near Eastern storytellers, the window dressing does not matter. They did not care which woman got there first. Or was it a man who got there first? It did not matter to them and should not matter to us. Jesus the Christ arose from the grave that morning. Period.
Perhaps your friend who you are telling the story of Christ to wants evidence. We live in a technological society. Are you prepared? Let me give you the evidence you need. Mary Magdalene hastened to the tomb on the third day to talk to the LORD, as was the custom in that day. She saw the risen Christ and went to hug Him. Several other women at the Cross Friday watching Jesus die came to the tomb and attested that they saw the Risen Christ. A man named Peter, who denied Jesus three times, witnessed the Risen Christ and told everyone who would listen to him that Jesus was alive as the Risen Christ just as Jesus promised. How about Thomas, who refused to believe in the Risen Christ until he was told to place his fingers in the holes of Christ's hands and feet. He attested to the Risen Christ.
Two men were on the Emmaus Road when the Risen Christ came to them and ate a meal with them. Oh yes, your friend may say these are biblical people, so of course, they saw the Risen Christ. Well, then your response to this friend is to tell them that the historians Josephus and Philo wrote about the Risen Christ. Even the Koran, which is the Muslim Sacred text, has a chapter about Jesus of Nazareth, who was killed and arose as the Risen Christ. The Old Testament plainly predicted the Risen Christ, who is the Savior of humankind. With this ammunition, you can more than prove to your friends that the Risen Christ came out of the grave and was made alive. You will overwhelm them with these facts.
The Resurrection of Jesus proves without any doubt that Christ has the power over life and death. The ancient Pharaohs of Egypt had their bodies embalmed and placed in large tombs called Pyramids. What an elaborate burial. But have you ever met a Pharoah of Egypt who has risen from the dead? Of course, you haven't. You can go to a museum and see the embalmed body of a Pharoah. You cannot see the body of the Risen Christ because he is not dead. The Risen Christ is alive. The grip of death and the grave could not hold back Christ. His divine power would not allow humankind to fall into Satan's grasp. Satan thought that he won when Jesus was placed in the tomb. Imagine his surprise when Christ arose from the dead.
Jesus had to rise from the dead because the resurrection was the crowning climax of God's love for us. God watched as His Son suffered and died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus could have stopped the entire process. However, He did not. He allowed everything to play out because He had faith in His Father that He would be raised from the dead. So, God the Father used His divine love to lift Jesus up from the dead. This act is the crowning climax of Divine love for us. Yes, God's love for us is seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
There is one additional guarantee that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ offers. After all that divine love I described, can you believe that there is one more. It is a critical one, so I urge you to listen to and believe. Jesus Christ's resurrection guarantees our resurrection. When your physical body dies, your spiritual body will part from it. Jesus' resurrection guarantees that we will also rise from the dead. How cool is that?? If you have the Easter faith in your heart, you need not grovel in despair because through your repentance for sins, the Risen Christ will raise you from the grave and take you into Heaven to be with Him.
Jesus said that the way to the Father is through His Son. This is how it will happen. If your sins are repented and your heart is filled with the hope of divine intervention, then Jesus the Risen Christ will lift you out of the grave and give you a resurrection, leading to an eternity with Christ and God in Heaven. Nothing can be more glorious than that being the end of your life. You will die. You will be buried. You will be raised into the glory of God.
That's the gist of the Easter message. The Risen Christ wants us to join Him in Heaven. He is ready to assist all who die to flesh to make the spiritual rebirth. Your resurrection awaits you. The Risen Christ stands prepared to help all of us in our journey to Heaven. Place your trust and love in the divine power of the Risen Christ this day and every day.
