“You’re not going to believe this.” When you hear those words, stand by - something big is going to follow. We were living in Virginia Beach, VA. I was still in the Navy and we had purchased our very first home. It was small, but it was cozy and it was on a corner lot on Tiffany Lane – even the street name was pretty. It had been a model home for the development so it had lots of nice wallpaper and pretty color schemes. It was a nice little place and just perfect for our family.
One day, while at work, the telephone rang. It was my wife. She said, “You’re not going to believe this.” I said, “What?” She said, “Well, it’s – it’s hard to explain – but you’re not going to believe it.” I said, “What?” She said, “Well it’s just that – you’re not going to believe it.” I said, “What??!!” “Well,” said Sofi, “It’s about the car in the dining room.” I said, “What!”
It seems that a friend of ours was teaching another friend how to drive. So they decided to drop by our house to surprise Sofi. The friend who was learning to drive pulled into our cute little driveway – a little fast it seems. The other friend told her to stop. The apprentice driver was nervous, and instead of putting her foot on the brake, she placed it squarely on the accelerator. And so, “You’re not going to believe this!” The car pushed in our dining room wall. Boy did they surprise Sofi!
Today – Easter - is the biggest, “You’re not going to believe this,” day of the Church year. The meaning of Easter has profound consequences for all of those who claim the name of Jesus Christ. You see, today is all about the Resurrection. Today is about emptying the grave that was filled on Good Friday. Today is the day that God turns the tables on death. Today is the day that the grave looses its sting. Today, beloved is the day that we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ – his victory – shared with us.
You’re not going to believe this, but there are actually people that don’t believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead. There are actually folks that equate the Resurrection with a fairytale. The truth of Jesus rising from the dead goes into the same part of the brain as the story of the Easter bunny and Santa Clause. But there is a problem with this.
You see, the whole Christian Faith hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus. Listen to this from the Bible: “…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) If Christ hasn’t risen, then this church and all the churches in the entire world are just interesting places. - Pretty architecture; A nice social club; Just a cool place to hang out on Sunday mornings. “If Christ be not risen,” says the Apostle Paul, “Our faith is vain. And we are to be pitied more than any other people.”
But we are here to praise God that the Resurrection is indeed true. It is one of the most incontrovertible truths of Scripture. The Lord Himself protected this critical element of our faith. It started with a few women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome who were going to Jesus’ grave to finish the burial preparations. When they got to the tomb, they got a big surprise. The stone had already been rolled away! You are not going to believe this. They met an angel there at the tomb. And the angel told them, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ”
But that’s not all. Then Jesus showed Himself to his own disciples. And then, you are not going to believe this - Jesus appeared to more than 500 believers at one time! There were literally hundreds of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection. There were so many people that got to see, talk with, touch, eat with and be with Jesus, that the Resurrection is just as much a historical fact as it is a theological necessity for Christianity.
And Jesus Christ isn’t done meeting people. You are not going to believe this, but He promises to come to meet with you. You don’t have to be perfect to meet Jesus. You see, to get to meet Jesus, the scriptures just ask for us to trust in the forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the Cross. And just as He came to show Himself to the disciples, Jesus comes to us.
You see, beloved, Jesus promises to come to you in the waters of Baptism – working faith and forgiveness. He promises to become one with you as you come to the Lord’s Table to receive his body and blood. He promises that in the Gospel proclamation – He will come to you. Jesus was that strange burning in your heart when you heard the Gospel – the news that Jesus came, that He died and that He is risen from the dead. And the Resurrection is not just so much theological soup – it really matters.
Just a little over a year ago today, I sat under a small canopy at a cemetery. My dad’s body was in a coffin just in front of me. The Veterans of Foreign Wars funeral detail had just fired off a twenty-one-gun salute. Each salvo created a visible reaction – a jolt from everyone at the graveside, including me. When taps rang out, the tears started to flow. My oldest son, one of the pallbearers and an active duty Navy man, took a step backward. While visibly sobbing, he raised a salute until taps ended. It was a painful time for us all – you see we love dad. But the Resurrection of Jesus is about times like those. It is about giving hope for a future. It is about the grave not being the final word. It is about opening the way to heaven.
Two days ago we experienced similar emotions as we came to the Good Friday worship. We shed tears as we thought about how our completely innocent Lord suffered and died. That suffering and death of Jesus was the first part of the equation – the Cross. That is how Jesus made restitution for our sins and transgressions.
But the Resurrection, you’re not going to believe this, beloved; the Resurrection is about showing us what the future holds for us. We too will shall rise. We too shall be raised incorruptible. When we see Jesus face to face again, my dad will be there. Your loved ones who have gone one ahead will be there. If we get separated - we shall all be gathered together one day and the grave won’t stop us. Because of the Resurrection. Beloved – Christ is risen! Amen.
