AtomEaster Sunday 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and Matthew 28:1-10
Easter 2011
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Matthew 28:1-10
While I’m not going to focus on the Gospel today…I do want to bring on thing about the Gospel to your attention today.
Notice Matthew’s use of the word GO!!
It’s been said, when a word is used several times in the bible…maybe, just maybe the Gospel is trying to tell us something…and in this case, I think it is…it’s telling us, who are witnesses of the resurrection that we’re to GO…AT the end of Matthew it’s GO into all the world…Go and Tell others of this Good News of Life.
The Easter Gospel from Matthew 28:
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay. Then GO quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is GOING ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; GO and tell my brothers to GO to Galilee; there they will see me.”
By the way: Reverend Fun had some Fun with today’s Gospel…I couldn’t resist!!
While Good news-bad news jokes have become somewhat passé, there’s one that just BEGS to be told on Easter Sunday.
There were these two guys who lived and breathed baseball. They were professional players with, let’s say, the Minnesota Twins, and you would think that playing for a living would be enough. But not so – these guys breathed, ate, and slept baseball. More than teammates, they were very close friends. So, they talked with each other about that mattered most in their lives. One of their big concerns was whether there would be baseball in heaven. They loved baseball so much that they were not sure at all they wanted to spend eternity in heaven unless they could play baseball.
So, they made an agreement that the first one who died would somehow get a message back to earth, letting the other know whether baseball was in heaven or not. Well, it happened. John died, and Jim grieved. He grieved for days - deeply saddened over his friend John’s death.
About two weeks went by, and then it happened. Jim was awakened in the middle of the night by the calling of his name, “Jim, Jim, Jim, wake up! This is John.” “John, where are you?” “I’m in heaven - and Jim, I have some good news and bad news. The GOOD NEWS is…We do have baseball in heaven. It’s great. We play every day and there are marvelous teams, and tough, exciting competition.”
“That’s great,” said Jim. “But what’s the bad news?”
“Well,” said John, “You’re on the schedule to pitch here next Tuesday.”
And you and I know why we smile at this story…we smile because we know its truths: that while none of knows WHEN we’re scheduled to pitch…all of us know it will happen someday because DEATH will occur…and oftentimes it occurs without warning…
And, it’s into these truths concerning mortality and perishability, the truths of Good Friday: it’s into these truths that we proclaim on Easter…THE CROSS IS EMPTY!!
HE IS RISEN!! HE IS RISEN INDEED!!
This past Monday as Joy and I were getting ready for the day, over the morning news came the news of the hundreds of tornadoes happening on Palm Sunday weekend…last weekend; similar to what happened in Wadena last year.
Joy happened to make the comment…”can you imagine…in a moment, everything you own, all that is yours…all lived for is gone…destroyed!! In a moment…loved ones or even you are seriously injured or even killed…just like that!!”
I then added…”maybe we don’t have to imagine”, and while thinking of people within First Lutheran and a few others, we added: cancer, floods, strokes, addictions, heart attacks, entering Hospice, kidney failure…death itself…
And, all these remind us: Surely…we need a Savior…a Savior who has won the victory over all these mortal things.
And Easter proclaims that God has given us this Savior…His name is Jesus…the one who rose from the dead…the one who, on the cross, has WON THE VICTORY…
Martin Luther wrote of the Victory in that Great Hymn “A mighty Fortress is our God”. It’s an Easter Hymn!! Remember the words?
A Mighty Fortress is our God. A sword and shield victorious…
Were they to take our house, goods, honor, child or spouse.
Though life be wretched away, they cannot win the day. The Kingdom’s ours forever!!!
Our Lesson and Gospel proclaim this Good News…let’s remember the lesson…from what is called the Resurrection chapter…From First Corinthians 15:51-57
51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does this mean for us today, Easter Sunday? Of all that it means, I’m going to focus in on one central meaning (the last enemy to be destroyed is death). It means for mortal beings, when all is said and done, we no longer need not fear death, because death has lost it’s sting!! Fear death like:
Those persons who never attend funerals: because of fears…
Those persons who stay by their cars at the cemetery, or don’t even go there:
because of fears…
Those persons who deny their own mortality to the point that they put off talking with loved ones about important issues and thus, they don’t plan for their “day to pitch on Tuesday”…and in doing so leave their spouses and loved ones with many questions at their deaths: because of fears
Easter means those who know Christ need not fear death! Listen to it this way:
The story is told of a man and his son out for a spring drive in weather like we are still hoping for this spring: the windows were rolled down and they were enjoying the spring air and the breezes flowing through the car…when…suddenly…a bee flew in through the window and began to buzz around and around the young boy.
The boy began to panic…because…he was deathly allergic to bee stings…one sting would be fatal to him. Calmly the father reached over…grabbed the bee….held on tight…then, as the child began to calm down…the dad released the bee to fly around once again.
As the boy began to panic once again…the father reached over…opened up his hand…and said,
“My child…there is no need to be afraid. Look, here in my hand is the stinger. The bee can no longer harm you…the bee has lost it’s sting!!!”
This Easter, Jesus is the one who comes into our worship today, opens his wounded hand, and tells us…in the midst of a time of death…
“Do not be afraid…do not panic…because look…here in my hand is the sting…yes…while death is still with you…death can no longer harm you…it has lost it’s sting”. See, the sting of death is here, in my hand…
Let ‘s note…this doesn’t mean DEATH won’t occur!! As we know only too well, everyone will someday be scheduled to pitch on Tuesday!! Jesus death and resurrection DID NOT take away the bee of death that still flies around us: it took away the STING of death…as it gives us the ASSURANCE of Life Eternal made possible through the resurrection of Jesus.
This Lenten season…and this week…much conversation has taken place over a new book by a pastor named Rob Bell that asks the question, and suggests the answer to the question:
What if there’s no Hell?
Several people this week have commented about this Times article and book…and how Easter resurrection enters into the conversation.
From page 40 – Bell believes in the Atonement, the gift of eternal life given through Jesus death and resurrection. He believes in the need of Jesus to die and rise again for the sake of salvation!! That’s not the question: The question he raises is (to quote author Jon Meacham):
“If heaven, however defined, is everyone’s ultimate destination in any event, then what’s the incentive to confess Jesus as Lord in this life?”
I suggest he’s missed a crucial point!! Consider this from 1 Corinthians:
The only way to live in the truth that death has lost its sting is to KNOW the ONE who took the sting of death in his hands FOR US!!
Thus, the ultimate question is not a matter of knowing whether there is a hell or not…
the ULTIMATE QUESTION is knowing the one who took the sting of death away in His hands.
Remember: It was because the young boy in the car KNEW the one who took the sting of the bee FOR HIM, he was given assurance and peace.
Thus…today brings the Easter encouragement, whether we believe there is a hell or not:
GET TO KNOW THE ONE who took the sting of death in His hand…
for it’s in knowing HIM: Jesus risen from the dead, that we can live each day secure in the knowledge that indeed, death will occur: AND…when it does occur, the sting is gone because God has prepared a place in heaven…
People of God…Today, we’ve got GOOD news and BAD news:
First the Bad news…
Someday “YOU WILL BE SCHEDULED TO PITCH on Tuesday” because DEATH will come for everyone here…It’s going to happen for you…and chances are, it’s going to happen at an un-expected time. Thus…live your lives READY for when that day comes…
Spiritually ready
And then, the Good News…THE CROSS IS EMPTY!! Family ready
HE IS RISEN…HE IS RISEN INDEED!! Prepared ready
Look in my hand Jesus says…see…death has lost it’s sting!!
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this IS GOOD NEWS. Thanks be to God. AMEN!!
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