Easter Sunday April
24, 2011
Matthew
28:1-10 Do Not Be
Afraid. Happy Ending Ahead!
Dear fellow redeemed,
Are you afraid to drive?
1 Maybe you're suffering some memory loss.
You're not sure you'll find your way back home.
2 Or perhaps you were in an accident a
while back, and you're afraid it could happen again.
This
next time you might be seriously hurt, or perhaps hurt someone else.
3 Or maybe you can't see like you used
to. You're not sure you'll know what to
do should
you encounter
some construction and you have to interpret all these different road signs.
* That
definitely could prove to be a problem.
Signs
are intended to increase driving's safety as well as
to take the fear out of driving.
* But
what if you're not able to read a sign until it's almost too late. There's the various
warnings: "Soft Shoulder", "Road
Narrows', "Bridge Out", "Railroad Crossing."
* Even
if you can see fine, there are those times when you're tired.
You're
having trouble concentrating. You'd like
some reassurance you don't have to be
afraid. You're going to make it! You're almost home!
You know, there's a similar question we may ask if
we put ourselves in the shoes of the two
Marys on their way to Christ's tomb.
"Are you afraid of life?"
* I'd
be stating the obvious this Easter morning, if I told you don't have to be.
Jesus
is risen! He's
gained the victory over sin, death and Satan.
* And
he's provided us with all the necessary signs.
The stone to the tomb has been rolled
aside. The grave is empty. There's no sign of a dead Jesus. It's just as he said.
It's
the third day since his crucifixion. And
he's risen!
* But
what if this particular day you're not able to read the proper signs?
Yes. You're still able to think for yourself and
make your own decisions in life.
You're
still in the driver's seat.
* But
you really don't know where you're going.
You're not sure whether you ought to be
slowing
down, speeding up, or turning right or left.
* You're
having difficulty processing a given challenge the Lord has set before you. And
you'd like
every assurance that you don't have to be afraid. There's a happy ending
ahead. It's not something about which we should have any fears.
* Jesus
came to this earth so that we might trust him and have no concerns about our
future.
His
intention is to take the fear out of living; specifically living in this world
as a believer.
* That's
why during his walk here on earth, the Lord offered a number of signs to those
who trusted
in him. There was the raising of
Lazarus, the healing of the blind man, the
healing of
the paralytic (remember the guy they lowered down through the roof?)
* There
was also the healing of the man who was deaf and mute,
the feeding of the five
thousand, and
the changing of water into wine.
* These
were all signs that Jesus was the promised Messiah whom God had sent to rescue
us from
sin. He was the Son of God who would
take on human flesh and blood that he
might live
and die for us.
By the time we get to the resurrection of our
Lord, there should really be no doubt as to who this
Christ is, what he's capable of, and what is his motivation.
* The
two Marys should have anticipated it. They had seen Jesus' miracles.
They
had heard his prediction that he would rise again. On this third day following his
death, it
should have been a very natural proposal.
"Let's go see the empty tomb!"
* Of
course, in order to reach that empty tomb, there were a couple other signs they
would
first have
to deal with, weren't there? There was
the earthquake and the bright white angel.
* If
the women were to associate these events with the right access into Christ's
grave, I'm
guessing
they may have thought it wasn't a very good idea entering this grave just now.
* And
were they debating whether they should, picture them looking up and suddenly
seeing this
angel sitting on the stone whose appearance "was
like lightening, and his
clothing
white as snow." You want
a second opinion on your next move here?
The
guards were so afraid "they trembled and became like
dead men."
Honestly, from the women's
standpoint, they had every reason to be afraid.
* Then
again, these guards were not believers.
And when a person does not believe in
Christ, there is only one possible
reaction to God's signs. "God is holy as
are his bright
white
angels. And I'm nothing but a sinner who
deserves judgment and death."
* That
was the message outside of the tomb. Inside the tomb was a much different
message.
Of course, that raises
the question what these women came to see inside Christ's grave.
* Did
they expect to see death? Were they
perhaps expecting to identify his dead body?
Surely,
that wouldn't take their fear away.
* We
may be reminded of our opportunity to visit the morgue in order to i.d. a family
member
killed in a "hit and run." As we peer
through the opening of that body bag to
identify the
him or her, we have every reason to be afraid.
* Is
that how we're feeling today, like the two women outside Jesus' tomb?
Perhaps
we feel that our chance to see Jesus will simply substantiate that we
have a
reason for
being afraid.
And we're not sure we want to take
that next step in order to get a better look.
1
Maybe we've been out of the church loop for
awhile, and we're a little leery about
becoming
active in the congregation again. We don't want to be judged for having been
gone so
long.
2
Or maybe we're afraid to become more involved at
Triune God, because it will simply
alert people
to the fact that we're not really qualified to offer our help in anything.
3
Or maybe we're afraid to learn more about the
teachings of our church body and our
congregation. We've got the impression that we're merely
going to learn more about our
sin, or how
we've failed to live a proper Christian life.
If so, you're looking at the wrong signs. The earthquake and angel are long gone behind
us.
It's time to see the empty tomb and what that
empty tomb tells us.
* "Do not be afraid...you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen...
Come, see
the place where he lay."
* Don't
be afraid. Inasmuch as there is no
evidence here of Christ's death, there is no
evidence
here of your sin. Christ lives. Therefore you may expect a happy ending!
* Outside
the grave and inside the grave: you might say it's the difference between the
Law
and the
Gospel, the two main teachings of the Christian faith.
* The
Law concerns God's will. It shows us our
sin and God's judgment.
The
Gospel concerns the good news of our Savior.
It shows us our salvation and God's
rescue from
sin.
Well, the women, we're informed, responded to the
instructions of the angel without hesitation.
They went to tell the disciples the Easter Gospel,
the good news about Christ.
* Then
again, although "they departed quickly from the
tomb" they departed with fear.
Apparently, they're not afraid of
seeing Christ (as may have been the case earlier).
They're
afraid to see their life with Christ; how the resurrected Christ would have a
very
definite
effect on their immediate future.
* What
could this possibly mean? You're saying
he's alive? He's risen?
He's
got every intention of remaining a part of our lives?
In what way and for how long? What's does this mean?
* There
was no doubt that the women believed the words of the angel. But there was still
that element
of fear. They may have questioned
whether the Gospel could really assure
them of a
better ending. Which one of these two
messages would win out?
* Would
it be the Law which commands that I be as holy as the Father is but also teaches
me that I am
not? Or would it be the Gospel which
teaches that I am made holy in the
sight of God
by the blood of Christ, and his resurrection is the proof.
And we too have this tendency to be afraid,
despite the Easter Gospel that's been preached to us.
* We're
not sure we want to see how our future with Christ is going to pan out.
Maybe
it will end badly. What if the good news
he declares to me is short-lived?
* I'm
reminded of an acquaintance who can't bear watching a
Vikings game live.
He can't handle the disappointment
should the home team appear to be winning the game
but then the
tables turn, and the thrill and excitement is suddenly replaced with a grueling
defeat.
* So
he records every game in advance. He
doesn't sit down and actually watch the game
until after he knows the final score.
* That's
how we sometimes want it when our the resurrected Lord
takes the field.
It's
not that we're afraid to see Christ.
We're afraid to see our life with Christ.
We're
afraid to see our life with Christ . . live.
* We
want know: but what will happen when his life intersects with mine?
1 What if I discover that there's something
more important than having my Sundays to
myself?
2 Or what if I do learn more about the
Gospel and the message of forgiveness?
Do
I really want to discover that I have the means to forgive that relative or
associate at
work who's
been a thorn in my flesh for the last three or four years?
3 Or maybe we're afraid of how our talk of
Christ might affect our new girlfriend or
boyfriend.
Things are very comfortable between us right now. Do I really want to talk
about
religion and risk giving the impression that I'm better than he or she?
* Right
now, everything's good. My life is
good. "I think I'd like to put that on
pause for
now. I'll press "play" after things settle down
some.
A good life, like a good football game, you can
expect to have its ups and downs.
In fact, like the women in our text, you may have
an assortment of feelings all at the same time.
* Remember how when "they departed quickly from the tomb" they left
"with fear and
great joy." They were afraid because they were unsure of
what lay ahead for them as
believers.
But
they had great joy in their hearts, because they knew they no longer had to be
afraid.
The
last few days had not ended with tragedy.
Ahead of them was a very happy ending.
* The
same story is told of you and me and every last Christian on earth.
You
see, at the very same instant, we're both sinners and believers.
* And
that means we need to hear the same two messages every day of our life.
We
need to hear specifics on how we've crossed the line from what God regards as
holy
to what he
clearly states is sinful. And we need to
hear how Christ has fixed our
imperfect
life.
* By
offering himself as the required ransom for our sins and by vacating his grave
on the
third day
after his death, he has guaranteed us a good life.
* That
means it doesn't matter how mixed our feelings happen to be on a given day.
Despite
how many times and to what extent we've proved ourselves sinners, Christ has
the
opportunity to prove himself our Savior.
* Despite
the fear and sorrow we experience on account of the Law, we may always
experience
joy and consolation on account of the Gospel.
* It
happens to be the bottom line, and the message which wins out in every
instance.
We
may still be sinners, but we still have our live with Christ. The Law may give us
plenty of
reason for alarm, but the Gospel gives us even more reason for joy.
Are you afraid of life? Do you ever wish you could skip the next few
years and get to a point
where life has no more unknowns? It's simply comfortable and happy.
* You
may think of that someone who spoils the ending of a book you've been reading.
Don't
you hate it when you share what you've been reading, and someone tells you how
it ends?
* Then
again, maybe you're one of those who would just as soon not read the whole
book,
but skip
ahead to the last chapter. Or if you're
watching a movie on a DVD you prefer
fast-
forwarding through the dialog to get to the action scenes, and ultimately the
movie's
climax.
* In
either case, someone might tell you: "but you don't experience the story
personally in
such a
case. It simply ends up being a story
with a happy ending."
Obviously we may get away with this - reading a
novel or watching our favorite movie.
But we can't achieve this as believers going
through life.
* And
actually, there's no reason for even trying.
Our risen Savior assures each and
everyone of
us of a happy ending when we seek him out in his Gospel and sacraments.
* True. Some signs we come across may create anxiety
and alarm. But we know what
we're going
to find in the end. It's not a corpse
inside a body bag we have come to see.
It's
an empty tomb. And the words of Christ's messenger still applies.
Do Not be
Afraid. A Happy Ending is Ahead! Amen.
May the peace of God which passes all
understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.