Read Mark 16: 1-8
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! You hear a lot about what is normal these days. People are wanting to get back to normal some are talking about a new normal whatever they may be. I would like to think that we are getting back to normal by having our Easter celebration today. Being together, hearing the comforting words of our Lord God and singing hymns of praise to Jesus for His sacrifice. So, let’s talk about what is normal. I have been to cemeteries. Not just as a pastor to officiate over a funeral but also to see the gravesite of family and friends who have died. I am certain that many if not all of you have been to cemeteries too. The reasons that we go is to decorate the grave with flowers or maybe just to remember those who once were with us. When you go to the cemetery to visit the grave of a family member there is one sure assumption. The grave, tomb, or the mausoleum still holds the person. That is our experience. What is normal for us is that no one is able, on their own, to escape the grave. That was the expectation of the three women who went to the tomb of Jesus. The body of Jesus would still be there when they arrive. They were going there to complete the details of the burial left undone on Friday. The usual events after a death needed to be hurried. The Sabbath was starting soon at sundown. There was no time for the cleansing of the body or the anointing of the body with spices. Joseph of Arimathea had to get permission to take the lifeless body of Jesus off the cross. That took time and then to place Jesus into the grave took time. So the niceties where omitted. The three women expected to find the body of Jesus in the tomb where they saw Him buried. That is normal. That is expected. They would anoint His body with fragrant spices. The goal was to do an act of love for Jesus and help hide the stink of death. “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.” It was now Sunday morning. The Sabbath was over. The Sabbath day was commanded by God for all of Israel to rest from work. Now it was early in the morning. This act of proper burial should not be put off any longer. So, when the sun had risen these three went to the tomb. A new day had dawned. A new week was beginning. The Son had risen. The ladies did not know it yet but Jesus was no longer in the tomb. The Son of God had risen. Malachi prophesied this, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” They did not expect a dead person to come alive on His own. That was not normal. Along the way they had a good question. Who will roll the stone away for us? It was so large that several men would be needed to roll it out of the way of the door. Who can do this for us? But when they arrived at the cemetery, they saw something they did not expect. The huge stone was already rolled away. Who did this? What does this mean? Did someone try to rob or desecrate this place? They did not know that Jesus had risen. They didn’t expect that. The women do exactly what any curious person does, they try to figure out for themselves what happened. Someone rolled that stone from the door. Maybe they did it knowing we were coming. Maybe someone is there mourning or maybe someone had the same idea to anoint the body. Neither of these were normal activities. But someone rolled the stone away. But they did not think that Jesus had rolled that stone away. When they go into the tomb, they see a young man, an angel, but looking quite ordinary like any young man. He is dressed in a white robe. That is not expected. They are alarmed. Confused. Questioning. What is going on here? How did he get into tomb by himself? Here is this young man sitting there as if nothing is wrong. He is sitting there as if everything is normal. This is to be expected! “And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”’ Even on this joyous Easter morning that cross thing is brought to mind again. The crucified Jesus you are looking for He is not here. Yes, He was crucified. Jesus will always be the crucified one. The cross goes along with Easter. Without Easter the cross has no power or meaning. Without the cross Easter is meaningless. The cross now means more than that Jesus simply died. All of us die. But on this Easter morning the cross has the power to save us because God approved of that one holy sacrifice. The approval is seen in that Jesus is risen from the dead. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross now means that all sins are forgiven for all people. Your sins are forgiven. For those who follow Jesus, your life will be triumphant just as Jesus was victorious over death. “He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” The women expected to find a corpse. Instead, they are told that Jesus is not here. He is not a corpse. He is alive. This just doesn’t happen. So, what is so normal and expected about this? That young man sat there telling the women that this is what was to happen. They should have known this. Jesus told His disciples He would be handed over, condemned, flogged and killed and in three days rise. Three times He told them. Jesus came to do this. Now the young man says, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Tell the disciples and Peter. Tell them that Jesus is risen. HE is not dead. This is what Jesus said would happen. Jesus always told them the truth. Now Jesus will go to Galilee and meet them there, again just as Jesus said. Believe His words. What is normal? This is normal, this is expected that whatever Jesus says will happen does happen. He says He will rise and He does. He says He will go ahead into Galilee so you should go and meet Him there. He says I have died for you and have forgiven your sins. All who believe in me will live. And tell Peter. Poor Peter. Peter said that he would never fall away. The others might but not me. “If I must die with you, I will not deny you”, he told Jesus. Well Peter did. He failed miserably. He denied Jesus with oaths and curses. Peter the one who proclaimed before all the disciples that I would never leave you. Tell Peter too. Peter is not to be left out of the power of the cross and of this resurrection. That is good news for all of you. You are not left out either. If Jesus willingly forgives Peter who blasphemed God and denied knowing Jesus can be forgiven so can you. That is the message of this wonderful day. The son of God has risen. It is a new day. Life has defeated death. The light has defeated darkness. Forgiveness is available for all. This is what is the normal action of our God is. He serves you. He dies for you. He keeps His promise to be merciful and save you from sin, from the just wrath of God, and from death. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:8-13, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” The young man tells the women to go, tell the disciples to believe the words of Jesus. Jesus is going ahead to Galilee. “There you will see him, just as he told you.” that is a message for us too. You will see Jesus when you believe Him. We often hear seeing is believing. But for us it is the opposite. We believe and then we see. We see Jesus when we trust His word. We can rely on His word because what He says will happen. Throughout the Gospel of Mark what Jesus said would happen and did happen. We are not like the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus to come down from the cross in order that we may see and believe. We see Jesus when we believe His words the Scriptures and in Baptism and Holy Communion. So now we proclaim that Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. We can say the same as that young man in tomb. What is normal is that Jesus is alive, sin and death are defeated and you are a child of God. Just as Jesus has told us. But why does Mark tell us, “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”? Seems like a strange way to end the story of the resurrection much less the whole Gospel of Mark. Why not a glorious ending to the story. Everyone lives happily ever after? Well, think about it. Everything was so new and different from what they had expected. The reality of it all had not yet sunk in. It probably doesn’t sink in with us always either. We see the paper is still full of obituaries. We still know people who are nearing the end of their life. we drive around and see that the cemeteries are still full and getting fuller. But Jesus has changed all of that He has defeated death. And you will too. You have had your sins washed away. You are saved from the wrath of God. Jesus will return and on that last day will destroy death and for us it will be life everlasting. (John 11) Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” That is the question today. Do you believe the words of Jesus? Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Pastor Dave Dukovan Comments are closed.
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