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“The Resurrection of Jesus Christ”
Matthew 28:1-10
The Lord is risen! (Echo: The Lord is risen, indeed!) The Lord is risen! (Echo: The Lord is risen, indeed!) The Lord is risen! (Echo: The Lord is risen, indeed!)
Can you say that? Can you respond with all your heart: The Lord is risen, indeed! OR is there hesitation? Do you have reservations, uncertainty, unbelief? It is a heady proposition this resurrection.
In all our hymns, prayers and responses, we celebrate and sing the resurrected Lord; the One whom death has no victory over, the One who brings abundant life to us now and forever, throughout all eternity. This is the Gospel; this is the good news of Jesus Christ: He is alive!
In a sense, we can say Easter is the celebration of life – the opposite of death. And perhaps that is why the resurrection is so hard to believe because we fear death. These hesitations about the resurrection come from our deep fear of the unknown. We are afraid of that which may let us down. We are intuitively afraid of that which we have never experienced. We’re afraid: will it hurt us or harm us. We are afraid for our survival. We are intuitively afraid of the unknown. We fear death because we don’t know what it is, what happens after death. And so we cling to life, we cling to the present. We don’t want to die and we have this intuitive fear that the next life may not be as grand as this one. So we cling to our known world, although this world is becoming darker and darker and more fearful. We may wonder that our belief in God is an invention to satisfy our own need for immortality, to make us feel more secure and happy in this, the only life on earth.
These are the thoughts of someone who hesitates to proclaim the resurrection.
For 21st century people, the resurrection can exhaust our capacity to imagine and it can push our reasoning ability to the breaking point. But let me give you a way to approach the resurrection that might be helpful, if not for you, for others who you share the gospel with. We are the evidence of the resurrection. We don’t have to explain the resurrection. The resurrection explains us and why we are here. It establishes who we are. Because Easter happened, because the resurrection happened, the church happened.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of all of Christianity. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the church would not have existed nor flourished. The absolute assurance of this event is what enabled the disciples to continue with such power.
And so we are here today because we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe what every Gospel has included in its scripture. We continue what the early church began: spreading the news that Jesus is alive! And every Sunday morning throughout the year the church celebrates the resurrection. It is that important to the church.
God raised Jesus, not only as an invitation to us to come to heaven when we die, but as a declaration that God has now established permanent, eternal residence on earth. The resurrection places Jesus on this side of the grave – here and now – in the midst of this life. He is not just standing on the shore of eternity beckoning us to join him there. He is standing beside us, strengthening us in this life. The good news of the resurrection of Jesus is not that we shall die and go home to him, but that he has risen and comes home with us every day to help us be his disciples here and now.
On the morning of the resurrection, God put life in the present tense, not in the future. God gave us not a promise but a presence. Not a hope for the future but power for the present. Not so much the assurance that we shall live someday but that he is risen today. Jesus’ resurrection is not to convince the incredulous nor to reassure the fearful, but to enkindle the believers. The proof that God raised Jesus from the dead is not the empty tomb, but the full hearts of his transformed disciples. The crowning evidence that he lives is not a vacant grave, but a spirit-filled fellowship. It isn’t a rolled-away stone, but a carried-away church.
And so we celebrate and believe the resurrection and eternal life. God spoke hope in the overcoming act of resurrection, that death is not the end, that beyond our sight and understanding, the final word is joy! There is no need to be afraid of the future, for the future is going to be far more glorious than the present we now see.
In Matthew’s gospel, we read: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised.” In the gospels, the story of Jesus’ resurrection lets us in on the future. We do not have to be afraid. Because of this day everything has changed – death has no power over us. Love wins! I have recently been introduced to a spiritual that talks about the power of the resurrection. It is called: “There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.” The words say: “There ain’t no grave can hold my body down. They ain’t no grave can keep a sistuh underground. I will listen for the trumpet sound. Ain’t no grave can hold my body down. They rolled a stone on Jesus. And then they tried to bury me. But then the Holy Ghost it freed us so we could live eternally. Sistah you better get cho ticket if you wanna ride. In the morning when Jesus call my numbuh, I’ll be on the other side. No grave gonna hold me down. I will fly to Jesus in the mornin’ when I die. I know he will take me home to live with him on high. Ain’t no grave can hold me down. You cain’t keep me underground. When the silver trumpet sounds, Ain’t no grave hold me down. No grave eveh been dug so low. No grave digguh been born so strong. Ain’t no grave that goes so low, Ain’t no grave dug low enough down.”
It is a fabulous song proclaiming the resurrection. We are risen to new life because of the gift Jesus Christ has given us. Because He lives, we live.
The Lord is risen! (Echo: He is risen, indeed!) The Lord is risen! (Echo: He is risen, indeed!) The Lord is risen! (Congregation responds: He is risen, indeed!) Alleluia, Amen.