Today’s Scripture

Exodus 15:1-18           Isaiah 65:17-25           1 Corinthians 15:19-26           Luke 24:1-12

 

                        Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

                                    He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

 

            Have you ever had a “Surprise Party” thrown for you?  As you entered the door you did not expect what was there.  Sometimes all that occurs is overwhelming and you are not able to put everything together in your mind at first.  It takes a few moments to figure out who all is there, etc.  Later you put together all of the signs that were before and you wonder why you never caught on ahead of time.  “I should have known,” you say.

 

            The women approach the tomb expecting to do one thing, complete the proper burial ritual for Jesus’ body.  Instead they found an empty tomb and two angels suddenly appearing to them.  Peter later runs to the tomb, sees the empty tomb and the evidence there.  He wanders around wondering what this is all about.  Maybe Peter was a Lutheran asking, “What does this mean?”

 

            The angels’ words to the women inquire why they haven’t put two and two together.  “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again?’’  Now they got it as “Then they remembered his words.”  [v. 6-8].  Imagine their joy as this reality set in.  This is really true.  The unbelievable has happened.  Yes, it was a surprise.  But what a grand surprise.  And it is still a surprise to us today.  Humanly speaking, there is no return from the grave.  Scientifically speaking, there is no return from the grave.  God speaking, the grave no longer has its hold on you.

 

            God’s words to us today in the readings tell us over and over again what Easter is all about.  No matter how much we read, how much we know, how strong our faith is, there is still a great amount of surprise, and very good surprise for each one of you and all believers in the resurrection. 

 

            Today’s Introit is the Psalm of victory the Israelites sang after God led them victoriously across the dry floor of the Red Sea and then destroyed all of Pharaoh’s army.  As magnificent as this victory was, the song concludes looking to the final sanctuary the Lord has established where he will reign forever and ever. 

 

            So often we see the victories of this earth as that victory was, but each day returns us back to the reality of continuing in this sinful earth.  The flood.  The new and promised land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan.  Being delivered to Egypt from the ravages of famine.  Then delivered from slavery in Egypt back to the promised land.  Exile into Babylon and beyond and returning again.  God keeps showing that the sinful world continues until the final day.  God keeps delivering his people through all kinds peril and trials in this world, but the final deliverance will be beyond one’s imagination.

 

            God promises that he will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered [Isaiah 65:17].  We cannot imagine exactly what that will be like.  What we know on this earth will be just a moment.  God is telling us how, in eternity, time will fly because it is so joyful.  Toil and trouble and sadness and sorrow and frustration and anger and all that sinful stuff are gone in the resurrection.

 

            Through Paul God reminds us that our real hope is not for things in this life alone.  God has created all things for our good and for us to be faithful stewards taking care of this creation for him. Not matter how well things may go, or that we would wish for them to go, sinful life has an end.  Sinful life without faith in a savior ends in a permanent death.  But in faith in God our Savior believers have a new life.  Jesus tells us that “…whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life,” [John 5:24].

 

            That is what Easter is all about.  Jesus is alive.  He has risen from the dead.  As Jesus rose from the dead, we know we too will have this same new life.  Jesus ascended bodily into heaven and will come back at the last day, raising up our mortal flesh to be like his immortal flesh to be with him in God’s kingdom forever.  We cannot imagine what it will be like.  Yes, it will be a great and glorious surprise.

 

            That surprise what the ladies and all the disciples experienced that Easter day.  Yes, they had heard Jesus promise that he would die and rise again.  Seeing and realizing it firsthand was a great surprise.  There is no way to explain what and how they felt inside expect for that word, “Joy.” 

 

            We are coming up on April 15.  We look at our mortal bodies.  We know that the only certain things in this life are death and taxes.  Death is because we are sinners and sin results in death.  Taxes are to take care of the things that we cannot take care of ourselves such as roads and defense.  They are beyond an individual’s ability to do.

 

            Surprise!  The certain thing about Jesus is death and taxes.  Jesus’ death is real.  It was witnessed on the cross and as he was carried to the tomb.  Jesus was a real human.  Jesus is also real God.  He came to earth and became man miraculously.  He lived without sin, a miracle that neither you nor I can do.  When he died, God the Son did die.  When he rose from the grave, Jesus as God and Jesus as Man arose from the grave.  He was not a spirit, but a live body in the flesh.  When Jesus died on the cross, he paid our taxes, he paid what we owed God for our sins.  The account is settled.  The account is justified.  In that accounting, we are redeemed, bought back from sin, death and the devil.  Not with gold or silver, but with his precious body and blood.

 

            We have before us the statue of Jesus from the former church building.  Compare this resurrected body to the body in front of the pulpit that is on the cross.  The body on the cross is emaciated, as Christ’s body was as he suffered dehydration and complete physical exhaustion to death.  The resurrected body still bears the open wounds of the nail prints and the spear that pierced him.  But the flesh is complete again as he reaches out to you, to me and to all people of all time.

 

            As Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, you too will be raised immortal and taken with him.  It will be a terrible surprise to those who have not believed.  It will be a joyous surprise that all believers anxiously await.  It is because we know:

 

            Alleluia!  Christ is risen.!

                        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

 

            Let us confess that joyful faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.