"Seeing Resurrection" - Sermon for Easter Sunday
Sermon:
Text: Matthew 28:1-10
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is Risen and tells us, do not be afraid.
At first I have a hard time identifying with Mary Magdalene and the disciples in our Easter Gospels. Easter is a moment of joy and gladness, of light and brightness. And yet in all our Gospel accounts of Easter resurrection we have women who come to the tomb, not in joyous celebration, but carrying burial spices, it’s not bright and sunny, it’s either said to be still dark, just at dawn, or just after dawn. No matter what it’s darker out, you can’t quite see where you’re going. There aren’t street lights showing the path. They come not joy filled and rejoicing, but full of grief and loss, weighed down by tears.
The disciples do not spend Saturday making Easter Eggs or planning egg bakes for brunch, or getting the finest clothes out for Sunday’s wonderful occasion. A friend of mine had this post on Facebook, “You know Easter dinner is going to be good when you’re making out the shopping list and need over a lb. of butter, 24 oz. of cool whip, the large container of sour cream and 22 oz. of cream cheese for one meal.” That’s how you are supposed to be getting ready for Easter. But the disciples? They spend it locked in the upper room, fearful that what occurred to their lord may now happen to them. It’s a day not of joy, but it begins as another of grief and loss.
It’s often said, Jesus told them so many times, The Son of Man must die and be resurrected on the third day. How can they forget that! They must be the dumbest people. How come they can’t understand what’s going on!
Because in the midst of their grief, in the midst of pain and loss, they cannot see the resurrection they do in fact understand. Because of what has occurred, the last moments of Christ’s life, his trial, his crucifixion, death, and burial, that is all they can process. The ability to see the resurrection is beyond them.
It’s beyond us sometimes as well. It’s hard to see resurrection at times. There are moments of pain and grief that overwhelm us and make us focus inwardly and not towards hope, but fear and pain. Especially in times like the last few weeks, when we have seen nerve gas attacks in Syria, Church Bombings in Egypt, and a school shooting in California. In moments like that it can be hard to see resurrection.
Because we’ve reached a point where we think resurrection is only a forward thing. We can understand resurrection for those who have died and have eternal life now with Christ, but for us, as everything surrounds us, as we are caught in whirlwinds of chaos, resurrection can seem like such a foreign thing.
We need to see resurrection differently, as not just a future thing. But to see that Christ’s resurrection impacts not just our own death and eternal life. Life with our God is indeed part of the promise we find in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is part of the Easter promise, the Easter miracle. But, it is only part of it.
When we look at what our texts say resurrection is so much more than a future thing. In Matthew when Jesus meets Mary Magdalene and the other Mary on the road back to Jerusalem as they grieve thinking that their Lord’s body has been taken from them, he greets them with “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see me.” In the Gospel of John it records that when Mary Magdalene comes back from the tomb to the disciples after meeting Jesus in the Garden she says, I have seen the Lord. In the midst of her tears in that garden, Jesus appeared to here there. Jesus appears to the disciples, he shows up in that upper room, in those deepest darkest moments of Easter Sunday when they are grieving, lost and afraid.
Resurrection is not just a future thing, but a right now thing. In the midst of our darkest moments. When all frightens, when grief overwhelms, Christ’s resurrection occurs. In the moment when all else is overwhelming, when that whirlwind is buffeting, Christ’s resurrection happens for you, and to you he says, “do not be afraid”.
And since in the midst of grief it can be hard to see resurrection, it is up to the rest of us to show all those around that resurrection promise of Christ with them. To be Christ’s presence with them. Not in a future sense, but in the here and now. To tell them, Christ’s resurrection means that he is with you now, and because of who I am, because of who you all are, as followers of Christ, parts of the Body of Christ, washed and claimed, baptized children of God, I am with you too.
It means going into the world and seeing and sharing Christ with those around us. To look at the world and see all the concerns, fears and problems. To see all the violence, to see the poor being mistreated, to see the hungry being turned away, to see hatred, corruption, lies, racism, sexism, terrorism, and despair, and say, this is not resurrection. Resurrection means we can overcome that. In the midst of everything, resurrection means that things of this world do not win. We can speak out “do not be afraid” because even those things that are most terrifying have no power. Not just in the future, but right now.
This Easter Day, resurrection means we have seen the Lord, and through that, all that weighs on you, has no power. Do not be afraid. Turn to your neighbor and tell them I have seen the resurrected Lord, do not be afraid.
As you leave today, Go from here, sharing to the world, I have seen the Lord, do not be afraid.
Because, in a time when fear seems to be the dominate thing, do not be afraid must be our answer.
Let us pray,
God of resurrection, be with us, walk with us, show yourself to us, and help us to share you with the world. Help us to not be overwhelmed by the world, but contained in the midst resurrection love. Amen.
Text: Matthew 28:1-10
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is Risen and tells us, do not be afraid.
At first I have a hard time identifying with Mary Magdalene and the disciples in our Easter Gospels. Easter is a moment of joy and gladness, of light and brightness. And yet in all our Gospel accounts of Easter resurrection we have women who come to the tomb, not in joyous celebration, but carrying burial spices, it’s not bright and sunny, it’s either said to be still dark, just at dawn, or just after dawn. No matter what it’s darker out, you can’t quite see where you’re going. There aren’t street lights showing the path. They come not joy filled and rejoicing, but full of grief and loss, weighed down by tears.
The disciples do not spend Saturday making Easter Eggs or planning egg bakes for brunch, or getting the finest clothes out for Sunday’s wonderful occasion. A friend of mine had this post on Facebook, “You know Easter dinner is going to be good when you’re making out the shopping list and need over a lb. of butter, 24 oz. of cool whip, the large container of sour cream and 22 oz. of cream cheese for one meal.” That’s how you are supposed to be getting ready for Easter. But the disciples? They spend it locked in the upper room, fearful that what occurred to their lord may now happen to them. It’s a day not of joy, but it begins as another of grief and loss.
It’s often said, Jesus told them so many times, The Son of Man must die and be resurrected on the third day. How can they forget that! They must be the dumbest people. How come they can’t understand what’s going on!
Because in the midst of their grief, in the midst of pain and loss, they cannot see the resurrection they do in fact understand. Because of what has occurred, the last moments of Christ’s life, his trial, his crucifixion, death, and burial, that is all they can process. The ability to see the resurrection is beyond them.
It’s beyond us sometimes as well. It’s hard to see resurrection at times. There are moments of pain and grief that overwhelm us and make us focus inwardly and not towards hope, but fear and pain. Especially in times like the last few weeks, when we have seen nerve gas attacks in Syria, Church Bombings in Egypt, and a school shooting in California. In moments like that it can be hard to see resurrection.
Because we’ve reached a point where we think resurrection is only a forward thing. We can understand resurrection for those who have died and have eternal life now with Christ, but for us, as everything surrounds us, as we are caught in whirlwinds of chaos, resurrection can seem like such a foreign thing.
We need to see resurrection differently, as not just a future thing. But to see that Christ’s resurrection impacts not just our own death and eternal life. Life with our God is indeed part of the promise we find in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is part of the Easter promise, the Easter miracle. But, it is only part of it.
When we look at what our texts say resurrection is so much more than a future thing. In Matthew when Jesus meets Mary Magdalene and the other Mary on the road back to Jerusalem as they grieve thinking that their Lord’s body has been taken from them, he greets them with “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see me.” In the Gospel of John it records that when Mary Magdalene comes back from the tomb to the disciples after meeting Jesus in the Garden she says, I have seen the Lord. In the midst of her tears in that garden, Jesus appeared to here there. Jesus appears to the disciples, he shows up in that upper room, in those deepest darkest moments of Easter Sunday when they are grieving, lost and afraid.
Resurrection is not just a future thing, but a right now thing. In the midst of our darkest moments. When all frightens, when grief overwhelms, Christ’s resurrection occurs. In the moment when all else is overwhelming, when that whirlwind is buffeting, Christ’s resurrection happens for you, and to you he says, “do not be afraid”.
And since in the midst of grief it can be hard to see resurrection, it is up to the rest of us to show all those around that resurrection promise of Christ with them. To be Christ’s presence with them. Not in a future sense, but in the here and now. To tell them, Christ’s resurrection means that he is with you now, and because of who I am, because of who you all are, as followers of Christ, parts of the Body of Christ, washed and claimed, baptized children of God, I am with you too.
It means going into the world and seeing and sharing Christ with those around us. To look at the world and see all the concerns, fears and problems. To see all the violence, to see the poor being mistreated, to see the hungry being turned away, to see hatred, corruption, lies, racism, sexism, terrorism, and despair, and say, this is not resurrection. Resurrection means we can overcome that. In the midst of everything, resurrection means that things of this world do not win. We can speak out “do not be afraid” because even those things that are most terrifying have no power. Not just in the future, but right now.
This Easter Day, resurrection means we have seen the Lord, and through that, all that weighs on you, has no power. Do not be afraid. Turn to your neighbor and tell them I have seen the resurrected Lord, do not be afraid.
As you leave today, Go from here, sharing to the world, I have seen the Lord, do not be afraid.
Because, in a time when fear seems to be the dominate thing, do not be afraid must be our answer.
Let us pray,
God of resurrection, be with us, walk with us, show yourself to us, and help us to share you with the world. Help us to not be overwhelmed by the world, but contained in the midst resurrection love. Amen.
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