The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! (Matthew 28:1-10)
Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!)
Over many centuries, this is how the church has
joyfully responded to the great Easter proclamation.
What calls forth such a response of joy and worship?
It is the glorious good news of reassurance and
restoration that comes with the resurrection of our
Lord. On this most glorious of mornings, the whole
church in heaven and on earth rejoices to respond, He
Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
But first comes Gods word to us, Christ is risen.
Thats what the angel said to the women at the tomb,
I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is
not here, for he has risen, as he said. Here is the
great fact of the resurrection stated--or perhaps I
should say, understated--in simple yet profound words.
The reality of the resurrection itself is the first
thing that grabs our attention. Jesus really died and
was buried. Now he is alive, risen from the dead!
This Jesus is the defeater of death and the Lord of
life. Indeed, by his resurrection from the dead,
Jesus Christ our Lord was declared to be the Son of
God in power. The grave could not hold him. Our
Savior broke the power of death and by his
resurrection brought life and salvation to all
creation.
I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. . . .
He has risen. This announcement by the angel brings
together the two central events at the heart of the
gospel, namely, Christs death and his resurrection.
On the cross Christ finished the work of our
redemption, and now his resurrection testifies to the
infinite worth and the astonishing effects of his
atoning sacrifice. You see, on the cross Jesus Christ
made the perfect sacrifice for all of your sins and
for the sin of the whole world. Nothing else would
do, only the holy precious blood of the Son of God
come in the flesh. This is how much God loves you and
has acted to save you from your sins and the death you
deserve: Gods own Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified
for you! As a result, God is at peace with you! God
is reconciled to men--he must be--for the sacrifice of
the Son has been accepted by the Father. Easter shows
that Good Friday was enough; it did the job of paying
for sin and overcoming death. The crucifixion and the
resurrection together declare the glory of the Lord
and guarantee our salvation. This Jesus who was
crucified . . . has risen.
Whats more, the angel says, He has risen, as he
said. Jesus himself had foretold his own
resurrection. Not only had he predicted his Passion,
but with it he promised that on the third day he would
be raised to life. Therefore the resurrection attests
to the truthfulness of all Christs teaching. His
words, all of them, are sound and sure. There is
nothing more trustworthy. You can depend on it.
Follow Jesus, keep on following him and listening to
him, as he preaches his word to you and teaches you
what it means to be his disciple. He has the words of
eternal life. He has risen, as he said. Our Lords
resurrection verifies what he himself had said: I am
the way and the truth and the life. The way to the
Father is open through the sacrifice of the Son. The
truth of Christs word is affirmed, as he fulfills his
own prophecy. The life that conquers death is
declared, in the angels words, Jesus who was
crucified . . . has risen, as he said.
Now you would think that such a proclamation of a
glorious and mighty resurrection would bring nothing
but pure joy. But our text says that the women
departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great
joy. Yes, their joy was great, and it certainly
predominated, yet it was mixed with fear. In some
way, I suppose this was understandable. Any contact
with the awesome power of the Almighty causes us
sinners to tremble with fear.
We too find this thing incredible, this amazing power
of God which raised our Lord from the dead. But
equally impressive, if not more so, is the amazing
grace of the risen Lord! This grace is reassuring and
restorative. It relieves our fears and restores us to
fellowship.
Jesus meets the frightened women and calms their
fears. Greetings! he says. Be of good cheer, is
another way to say it. He reassures the astonished
women with the sound of his familiar voice. He greets
them with a word of happiness and well-being. And
happiness and joy certainly come to these women, for
now they see Jesus before them and hear his voice.
Then Jesus gives them even more reassurance: Do not
be afraid. Fear not, for the perfect love of Christ
drives out our fears. Fear of punishment, fear of
Gods judgment, fear of death--all these are overcome
by the comforting voice of Jesus our Savior. Jesus
speaks these same words of reassurance to us today:
Greetings! Do not be afraid. I have risen from the
dead. I have conquered the grave. I am not angry
with you. Indeed, I have good news for you! Be
reassured by my resurrection.
So impressive, so glorious, is the grace of our risen
Lord! Now he says to the women, Go and tell my
brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see
me. It is in reference to his disciples that Jesus
says, Tell my brothers. But these are the same
disciples who had deserted, denied, and disowned their
Lord in his hour of trial just a few nights earlier.
Yet here Jesus claims them as his own with a term of
intimacy and endearment, my brothers. In so doing,
he speaks pardon for all their lack of faith. He
restores them to fellowship. Instead of saying,
Forget those guys, they were faithless when it came
to crunch time--no, instead Jesus says, Go and tell
my brothers.
Restoration to fellowship is a gift that Christ gives
his disciples, both then and now. Today Jesus speaks
his word of restoration to us, as well. He calls us
his brothers. What hope, what riches are ours as a
result! Martin Luther writes: If now Christ is our
brother, I would like to know what we still lack?
Brethren in the flesh have common possessions, have
together one father, one inheritance, else they would
not be brethren. So we have common possessions with
Christ, and have together one Father and one
inheritance.
In Holy Baptism, you and I were united to Christ and
made Gods children. Now we are heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ. Our Lords resurrection,
therefore, is the guarantee of our own resurrection.
This paschal candle, lighted on Easter morning, is a
visual reminder that our risen Lord is here present
with his church, and that his resurrection life has
been delivered to each one of us in the waters of Holy
Baptism. On this Easter Day then, baptized
Christians, take hope in the victory over death that
Jesus gives you.
Whats more, today Christ invites us to share in this
his feast of victory. The Lamb who was slain has
begun his reign. At this table he gives us a
foretaste of the feast to come, the marriage supper
of the Lamb in his kingdom, which has no end. Today
we celebrate the greatest of all the festivals in the
church year, the Resurrection of Our Lord. So let us
keep the festival whereto the Lord invites us. Then
let us feast this Easter Day on Christ, the Bread of
heaven.
Today the Lords messenger announces the good news:
Jesus who was crucified . . . has risen, as he said.
Today our risen Lord himself cheers us with his
presence, his familiar and comforting voice, and his
reassuring, restorative words: Greetings! Do not be
afraid. I call you my brothers and sisters. Hearing
these words, what other response could we have but one
of joy and worship? Thats what those words are, He
is risen indeed! Alleluia! They are joy and
worship! With the women at the empty tomb, we are
filled with joy and bow in adoration before our risen
Lord. With them--indeed, with angels and archangels
and with all the company of heaven--we and all
Christians around the world today join in joyous
Easter worship.
Christ, our crucified Savior, is risen from the dead.
He is here with us now. The only fitting response is
to worship him, to give him the highest honor and
praise. This is the day the Lord has made; let us
rejoice and be glad in it. This is the Festival of
the Resurrection of Our Lord! Therefore let us
joyful be and sing to God right thankfully loud songs
of hallelujah!
Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!
Alleluia!)
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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