Easter Sunday 4/08/07 Text: Luke 24:1-12 Title: Inevitable Easter
Easter Sunday
4/08/07
Text: Luke 24:1-12; John 20:9
Title: Inevitable Easter
As I was reading the Gospel lesson today concerning the resurrection of Jesus, I noticed something that I do not believe that I had ever paid attention to before. It is just one little four letter word, but as I think about it, it is a word that explains importance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
But before I tell you the word, let me give you just a little background of the Gospel story. Saint Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has given us a very detailed account of Jesus’ life. He has recorded for us many of the miracles, and teachings of Jesus, while not ignoring the growing antagonism toward him by the religious leaders. When you read the account of the trial, the beatings, the crucifixion, Jesus’ death, and his resurrection it is like you are there.
Several times in the last weeks of Jesus’ ministry he told his disciples that he would be arrested, crucified, and that on the third day he would rise again.
But no matter how plainly Jesus spoke, the disciples just didn’t get it. Their problem was a common one, for just like us, they tended to hear what they expected and wanted to hear, rather than hearing what Jesus was actually telling them.
That’s how it was the night of their last meal together, for even then in the most holy of meals, it appears that when Jesus said that that he would not drink or eat with them again until the Kingdom of God would come, the disciples only heard that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom. They even started arguing among themselves about what positions they would have when that kingdom was established. There is no doubt about it, they had missed this one little word that Jesus had told them.
It is no wonder then that they were caught by surprise when Jesus was arrested later that evening. It is no wonder that they all fled in fear. It is no wonder that they watched from a distance as Jesus was humiliated, beaten and crucified Friday afternoon.
Saturday had to be one of the longest days of their lives. They were afraid to be seen in public, lest they too, be arrested and brought to trial. Instead of going to the synagogue to worship as they were probably use to doing, they hid away, like hunted animals in a hole, terrified by what the future might hold.
There is only one reason that they acted the way they did. It was not because they did not have faith, because they did. It was because they just like us missed the one word that would have cleared everything up.
But before we think too badly of the disciples, they were not the only ones to not understand, for we see that early on the third day, Sunday, several women went to the tomb.
They were not going to see an empty tomb. They were going to finish the burial process. They were going as an act of love
But when they arrived, they found that the body of Jesus was gone. What a shock, this was not the way it was suppose to be. Two Angels told them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
Have you figured out what that little four letter word is that they, that we missed? It is the word, “must”, as in Jesus must suffer, die, and rise from the dead.
You see, Easter morning was inevitable. The Roman government could do what they would with Jesus’ body. His enemies could place special guards at the tomb. The tomb could be made secure and the stone sealed. Every effort could be made to be sure an end had been made of Jesus. But it would not make any difference for Jesus must rise from the dead.
Why is the word “must” it so important? Before I go further I should tell you that I have looked at a variety of translations to see if the word “must” is really an accurate translation. I found that all of the various translations said either that he must rise from the dead, or that he had to rise from the dead.
It would not have made any difference that he was born of the Virgin Mary. It would not have made any difference that he lived a perfectly obedient life. He had to be beaten and die on the cross, and most importantly he had to be raised from the dead. This was no random event, God had a stake in the Easter story. The event had to end a certain way, because God had a plan, and the plan was that not only was Jesus to take the punishment for our sins, but that the power of death had to be broken.
As big a miracle the resurrection was, I think that it was a miracle that Jesus stayed in the tomb as long as he did, for death was way out of character for him. Jesus is life. It is inherent to him, for he gives life.
So why did Jesus’ body stay in the tomb? He did it to prove that he was really dead, for the ancient world believed that a person was not dead until the 3rd day. They believed that a person’s soul, as many still do today, hung around the body for 3 days.
The world had to know without a doubt that he was dead. Otherwise it would not be a true resurrection, as Saint Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 “Some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Do you see now how important that one little word, “must” is? Jesus had to suffer, die and be raised from the grave for two reasons. One is that in his death Jesus invaded the stronghold of hell and broke its power. The second reason that he had to suffer and die is that we do not have to face God’s wrath and thus have the assurance of life eternal.
What I want to say on this Easter Sunday is this: When our Lord rose from that grave, he not only proved that he is God, but in his resurrection, we who are united to him in our Baptism are guaranteed that we too will rise some day in our bodies.
When we do, we will not have bodies that are stricken with disease, or crippled, or have any of the other problems we struggle with. We will not have any of those things. We will though be who we are. We will have our personalities, our looks. We will know each other. But best of all we will be free of sin. We will be who God intended us to be in the first place as we live our lives with him in the new heaven and earth.
That is why Christians should never say goodbye to each other. We should always say, “See you later,” for Jesus in his birth, life, death, and resurrection has made a covenant with us that cannot be broken. See you later. Amen
4/08/07
Text: Luke 24:1-12; John 20:9
Title: Inevitable Easter
As I was reading the Gospel lesson today concerning the resurrection of Jesus, I noticed something that I do not believe that I had ever paid attention to before. It is just one little four letter word, but as I think about it, it is a word that explains importance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
But before I tell you the word, let me give you just a little background of the Gospel story. Saint Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has given us a very detailed account of Jesus’ life. He has recorded for us many of the miracles, and teachings of Jesus, while not ignoring the growing antagonism toward him by the religious leaders. When you read the account of the trial, the beatings, the crucifixion, Jesus’ death, and his resurrection it is like you are there.
Several times in the last weeks of Jesus’ ministry he told his disciples that he would be arrested, crucified, and that on the third day he would rise again.
But no matter how plainly Jesus spoke, the disciples just didn’t get it. Their problem was a common one, for just like us, they tended to hear what they expected and wanted to hear, rather than hearing what Jesus was actually telling them.
That’s how it was the night of their last meal together, for even then in the most holy of meals, it appears that when Jesus said that that he would not drink or eat with them again until the Kingdom of God would come, the disciples only heard that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom. They even started arguing among themselves about what positions they would have when that kingdom was established. There is no doubt about it, they had missed this one little word that Jesus had told them.
It is no wonder then that they were caught by surprise when Jesus was arrested later that evening. It is no wonder that they all fled in fear. It is no wonder that they watched from a distance as Jesus was humiliated, beaten and crucified Friday afternoon.
Saturday had to be one of the longest days of their lives. They were afraid to be seen in public, lest they too, be arrested and brought to trial. Instead of going to the synagogue to worship as they were probably use to doing, they hid away, like hunted animals in a hole, terrified by what the future might hold.
There is only one reason that they acted the way they did. It was not because they did not have faith, because they did. It was because they just like us missed the one word that would have cleared everything up.
But before we think too badly of the disciples, they were not the only ones to not understand, for we see that early on the third day, Sunday, several women went to the tomb.
They were not going to see an empty tomb. They were going to finish the burial process. They were going as an act of love
But when they arrived, they found that the body of Jesus was gone. What a shock, this was not the way it was suppose to be. Two Angels told them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
Have you figured out what that little four letter word is that they, that we missed? It is the word, “must”, as in Jesus must suffer, die, and rise from the dead.
You see, Easter morning was inevitable. The Roman government could do what they would with Jesus’ body. His enemies could place special guards at the tomb. The tomb could be made secure and the stone sealed. Every effort could be made to be sure an end had been made of Jesus. But it would not make any difference for Jesus must rise from the dead.
Why is the word “must” it so important? Before I go further I should tell you that I have looked at a variety of translations to see if the word “must” is really an accurate translation. I found that all of the various translations said either that he must rise from the dead, or that he had to rise from the dead.
It would not have made any difference that he was born of the Virgin Mary. It would not have made any difference that he lived a perfectly obedient life. He had to be beaten and die on the cross, and most importantly he had to be raised from the dead. This was no random event, God had a stake in the Easter story. The event had to end a certain way, because God had a plan, and the plan was that not only was Jesus to take the punishment for our sins, but that the power of death had to be broken.
As big a miracle the resurrection was, I think that it was a miracle that Jesus stayed in the tomb as long as he did, for death was way out of character for him. Jesus is life. It is inherent to him, for he gives life.
So why did Jesus’ body stay in the tomb? He did it to prove that he was really dead, for the ancient world believed that a person was not dead until the 3rd day. They believed that a person’s soul, as many still do today, hung around the body for 3 days.
The world had to know without a doubt that he was dead. Otherwise it would not be a true resurrection, as Saint Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 “Some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Do you see now how important that one little word, “must” is? Jesus had to suffer, die and be raised from the grave for two reasons. One is that in his death Jesus invaded the stronghold of hell and broke its power. The second reason that he had to suffer and die is that we do not have to face God’s wrath and thus have the assurance of life eternal.
What I want to say on this Easter Sunday is this: When our Lord rose from that grave, he not only proved that he is God, but in his resurrection, we who are united to him in our Baptism are guaranteed that we too will rise some day in our bodies.
When we do, we will not have bodies that are stricken with disease, or crippled, or have any of the other problems we struggle with. We will not have any of those things. We will though be who we are. We will have our personalities, our looks. We will know each other. But best of all we will be free of sin. We will be who God intended us to be in the first place as we live our lives with him in the new heaven and earth.
That is why Christians should never say goodbye to each other. We should always say, “See you later,” for Jesus in his birth, life, death, and resurrection has made a covenant with us that cannot be broken. See you later. Amen
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:22 AM
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