Sermon Central
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Christ Is Risen!
Contributed by James Jerpseth on Apr 28, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Christ’s resurrection is with us every day of the week in all that we do -- if we can take the step of faith to leave our safe secure setting like the women did and venture to the tomb.
Easter Sunday - April 15, 2001
"Christ Is Risen!"
SERMON TEXT
(Luke 24 NRSV) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. {2} They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, {3} but when they went in, they did not find the body. {4} While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. {5} The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. {6} Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, {7} that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." {8} Then they remembered his words, {9} and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. {10} Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. {11} But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. {12} But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
SERMON
CHRIST IS RISEN! [HE IS RISEN INDEED]
- Oh my, that was not a real Easter response. I want to hear a true Easter response - this is the greatest event of all time. This is the moment that defines human history and set us free to be the people of hope and forgiveness that we must be as the people of God. The great mystery of faith is once again proclaimed to all the world - that all the world might listen and know the truth that
Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again
Let’s begin again as if our entire lives depended upon the answer - for indeed they do
CHRIST IS RISEN! [HE IS RISEN INDEED]
In this service, we use two of the most ancient of Christian proclamations. This proclamation about the Risen Christ and the ancient mystery of faith -
Christ has died. Christ is Risen. Christ will come again.
- that is the center and the heart of our faith. The absolute fact - the knowledge - not in our heads or in some book but deep down core knowledge about ourselves and our lives and the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. That we look around us at the difficulties of life and see only one answer - not family or work or government or schools or money - but the resurrection of Jesus and the Empty Tomb. We must remember that the resurrection was not something that the disciples and the women were counting on. For them, it was over - the men were hiding, lest they be executed by Pilate also and the women were carrying out their last act of friendship and devotion by anointing Jesus’ body in death. If they had been expecting the resurrection, they wouldn’t have been hiding but waiting by the door to the tomb for the resurrection miracle. That is why none of the Gospels records the how and the when of the resurrection - we assume it was around daybreak on Sunday morning and huge amounts of light are always coming out of the tomb in pictures - but we don’t know when or how - we only know who.. And the who is Jesus - resurrected from the dead into a new and eternal body. This is not a resuscitated body like someone whose heart stops during a heart attack and is revived with the shocking paddles. Jesus does not have his old body re-vitalized like a Frankenstein monster but this is a new eternal body - a physical body that eats and drinks but one not confined by locked doors, a body that can move from place to place instantly. But still a body that bears the scars of his death and all of his personality and life - for in the Gospel of Matthew Mary recognizes Jesus and so do the other Apostles in the Gospel of John.
In Jesus Resurrection, God is doing something new. In Jesus’ resurrection we have the answer to unlock all of the human problems - problems of abuse, violence, anger, work, money - you name it - they can all be answered in the resurrection of Jesus and the new life he offers us.
Living in the resurrection, suddenly family can be transformed. Where there was once anger and hatred, the Love of God and forgiveness can be the guiding principles. Entire families can see the working of Jesus in their life and suddenly the drudgery of family can become a resurrection joy.
