This morning. We come together to celebrate Easter. We believe in and celebrate the empty tomb – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. However, His resurrection, this most wonderous of all miracles, and all these worship services would mean nothing for us without the reason of the resurrection. So, let’s take time to reflect on some of the events of His 3 to 3 ½ years of His public ministry.
We believe that Jesus was the eternal and divine Word the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity that became incarnate by a virgin and lived amongst us so we could experience the love of God.
We believe during His time on earth Jeus taught scripture with a wisdom and authority not heard before. He demonstrated great love and forgiveness for the people. He did many miraculous things; He healed the sick, made the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the blind see. He fed tens of thousands, walked on water, calmed the sea, and made wine from water. He even raised three people from the dead.
We believe that he was persecuted by the religious leaders of that time, and was taken into custody where he was beaten, whipped, and died by crucifixion.
With all this said one could argue even if true he might be deserving of great honor and even the center of some religion with customs, law, and ceremonies. One could argue these beliefs are nothing more than unexplained historical events and compare them to the lives of spiritual leaders like the prophets of the Old Testament, Buddha or Muhammad.
But there is that empty tomb, and the fact that not even the Romans, with all their cruel ways of making people talk, the body of Jesus was never found. This is the stumbling block for skeptics and well as for all other religions; no other Prophet in the Old Testament was resurrected from the dead. Neither were Budda or Mohammad, but even then, one might ask, why is it significant to followers almost 2000 years later?
We believe that He came as the perfect and unblemished “lamb of God”. He took our sins upon Himself and freely accepted death on the cross and on the 3rd day after the crucifixion the tomb was found empty. And then after 40 days on earth He ascended into heaven.
And by this act of love, He broke the power of death over us and opened the way to life eternal for all who believe and trust in Him. As written by the Apostle John, “But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
The Easter season is the grand finale our way of celebrating the New Covenant, (a sacred agreement), which was proclaimed by the Son of God, Jesus, at the Last Supper. To better understand this New Covenant lets briefly discuss the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant was established between God and Abraham and all the descendants of Abraham. God promised to always protect and provide for them as well as rescue them. The covenant included the Law and blood sacrifices of each male child in circumcision as well as the sacrifice of animals such as rams, bulls, lambs, and even pigeons or doves.
The New Covenant is without bloodshed. This is because Christ shed His Blood for us for atonement of sins so there is no need for us to shed any blood. And the New Covenant is a continuation of the sacred agreement of Old Covenant in which the Law was fulfilled by Christ and the promise to protect and provide and rescue until the end of time as proclaimed in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jeus tells us, “and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
I would now like to take time to speak a little about the Jewish celebration of Passover which was taking place when Jesus was crucified. Passover lasts seven days and commemorates the Hebrews’ liberation from enslavement in Egypt and the “passing over” of God’s forces of destruction, or the sparing of the death firstborn of the Israelites, on the eve of the Exodus.
The Passover originates in the book of Exodus, where God commands the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts of their homes. This act would spare them from the plague of death the firstborn, as the Lord passed over the houses marked by the blood (Exodus 12:1-13). The Passover lamb thus becomes a symbol of deliverance and redemption.
The centerpiece of Passover is the seder supper. I don’t know if you have ever attended a seder supper, but it includes eating of bitter herbs to remind all of their time in captivity, reading from scripture to tell and discuss the 10 plagues of Egypt, Boiled eggs are eaten to symbolize the cycle of life, ritual handwashing take place , three pieces of unleavened bread are placed on a special tray and blessed, and then broken and shared with all along with brisket of a lamb (which while the temple stood was a sacrificial lamb) , all also partake of blessed wine. Songs of praise are sung. A piece of blessed bread is hidden in a napkin and for children to find and the children can receive gifts for finding it. The supper closes with one final song and then a blessing.
All this is done at the same time every year to recall how God – Yahweh – heard the prayers of the faithful and fulfilled His promise to send them a prophet who was Moses. During the seder there are reading readings about Moses chosen to be the instrument to bring Gods people out of bondage and the miracles provided by God.
Does all this sound a little familiar?
Each year during Holy week we recall the final events of Jesus’ life on earth. Plam Sunday He is welcomed like a king and then the passion of the Cross. On Holy Thursday we read about the washing of the disciple’s feet to show us how to live by serving others in the humblest of love and then end the Mass by spending time in dark silence. (in the garden).
Friday in the Tenebrae service we hear the passion read again as candles are extinguished symbolizing the dying of the Light on the cross. The blood of the perfect sacrifice. The Blood of the sinless Lamb of God, Jesus, shed on the wood of the cross and painted on the lintels of our hearts for the forgiveness of sins and the passing over of death.
On Saturday after sunset, which by the ancient method of time is the start of the next day, The Great Vigil of Easter is celebrated, the church is brought alive in light and the first Mass of Easter is celebrated for some time between sundown and sunrise when the tomb was found empty Jesus resurrected.
On Easter Sunday as in the seder quite often our children may get treats and we often color eggs as part of the celebration.
Then we come to joyously celebrate in worship and give thanks in a ceremony which we call Holy Eucharist (consecrated thanksgiving). As in the seder songs are sung, prayers of repentance offered, and scriptures read and discussed. Gifts of bread a wine are brought forth and placed on a table in a special chalice and tray. There is a ritual handwashing, and prayers of blessing said. Then all get to partake of the sanctified bread and wine. Then more songs, a final prayer and blessing.
Once again here we are gathered on this glorious Easter morning to celebrate. But this is not just a meal of remembrance and celebration of a one-time event as is the Passover of old.
This is a celebration of a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins, for an empty tomb and the gift of eternal life, and participation of the timeless meal instituted by Christ Himself at the Last Supper with His Apostles. I ask you to listen carefully, especially during Holy Communion. Lift your hearts and hear the very words of Christ and the Apostles in the prayers which have been passed on to us for millennia. In humility and joy partake of the Body and Blood of Christ the meal of the New Covenant of eternal life.
When you leave today and go forth with the ever living Christ in your hearts and let His light shine forth in your words and deeds for all to see.
Alleluia Christ is risen!!
+ Michael
