Christ is Risen! In Him We Rise

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!

Christ is Risen! He has risen indeed, alleluia!

We all have normal patterns in which we think the way the world works. No matter our experiences, no matter our careers, for the most part we all have a similar pattern in the way in which we see the world working. There was a campaign slogan that highlighted from the insurance company Geico. There are many different commercials all tied around the same catchphrase, “It’s what you do.” For example, one commercial had a fisherman telling a story, and the story was really getting out of hand. The fisherman was describing this great big fish he had to reel in, he was describing the huge enemy of this big squid to battle for his catch. After the drama of the story is told, it flashes to a fisherman holding a puny, tiny fish. And the commercial says. “Fisherman tell tales, it’s what you do.” Or another had Tarzan and Jane arguing in the jungle. Tarzan spoke up and said, I’m the King of the Jungle, I know where we are going. Then the commercial states, “A couple fight over directions, it’s what you do.” Or lastly, I saw this one over again and again recently, there was a little pig in the back seat of car. The window was down, and the little pig was crying “wee.” Then the commercial states, “A little pig crying “wee” all the way home, it’s what you do.” We all for have a similar understanding in the way the world works. We all for most part, respond to situations in a relatively similar way. I’m for most of us in here, I could list a few other different examples - like different Geico commercials - and we could all say together, it makes sense, because “it’s what you do!”

Well today, in our text, on this great Easter Sunday - we have the women flocking to the tomb early in the morning. They had experienced the pain, the grief, the loss of Jesus on Good Friday. They sat in fear with the rest of His disciples - on the Sabbath which was supposed to be a rest. But this Sabbath day was anything but restful. They were wrestling with the fear of the unknown - what’s next for us? I’m sure they were wondering - what do we do now? It must have been an extremely difficult couple of days for all the followers of Jesus. But the women woke up early on Sunday morning to bring spices to the tomb - to prepare and preserve and care for the body of Jesus as He lay in the tomb because “it’s what you do.” It’s what you do for a loved one, it’s what you would have done for someone you have loved. The women weren’t going to do anything special - to go and hear the good news of Easter. They were fully going to continue the process of preparing the body of Jesus for death. For them they were going to a tomb, they were going to a cemetery to receive the closure of death. It’s what you do.

But as they were there at he tomb, they saw something out of the ordinary. They saw the stone rolled away. They didn’t see the body of Jesus which is why they came in first place. But as they found themselves wondering what had happened, our text continues to tells us that - the angels were there in dazzling white and they got to deliver the wonderful news! They said to the women, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, He has risen.” And they even came the women there more explanation - Remember what He told you - while you were still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be lifted up, handed over to sinful men, and on the third day rise.” They angels for reminded the women at the tomb - what Jesus had said. Here, Jesus doesn’t follow the norm. He isn’t held down by death. Jesus flexes His power over the grave, over sin, over death. Jesus here shows His faithfulness to do exactly, what He said He was going to do! For this first Easter, it’s not about the normal patterns of life, just doing “what we do!”, but the hope and joy that women encountered as they remembered - is all about, “What He has done!” The power and work of Jesus completely changed everything for those women, for the disciples, and for the whole world.

In our lives, do we ever find ourselves - just gathering today here because it is “What we do”? Do we come to church to celebrate Easter with our first and family - making it a quick stop before we go home and open our Easter baskets or devour all the candy. Has this moment in church, the reading of His Word become just a pattern of “What we do” that we forget the importance, the unordinary, the special victory that we have in Christ. The women after hearing the news - of Jesus. After receiving the message from the angels - they went immediately and told the rest of the followers of Jesus, the rest of the disciples. They left behind the whole idea of preparing the body of Jesus - to run to the others to celebrate the hope, celebrate the life rooted in Jesus. Their lives were completely changed but what they had saw. Wouldn’t it have been strange if after hearing the news of Jesus - the women picked up the spices, walked home casually, and went and sat in the grief in sadness? It would be odd if after hearing this powerful, unusual message of Jesus - if the women would have gone back to the sadness and grief that everyone else was experiencing? The women did go back to their old reality, “What they do”, but they were able to share a new hope rooted in Jesus. May we too no longer, just follow the ordinary ways of the world, but we have this powerful, hopeful message found in Jesus - that completely changes our lives, our world.

As we gather here on Easter, it’s not because “it’s just what we do” but it is celebrate what He has done! Jesus Christ for you was faithful to God’s promises when we weren’t faithful. Jesus came to this world - to save us. And as He rose from the grave we have confidence that we have life eternal. In Jesus - we too have the victory, over the grave. He defeated death once and for all for you! There was a person who was struggling with cancer about to die and he had this powerful saying about the power of Christ and the hope that Jesus brings us. “If Jesus Christ was actually raised from the dead, everything is go to be alright.” No matter is thrown our way, no matter what we face - we have confidence that because He lives we will live also! This is why we gather! This is why we celebrate! The resurrection of Jesus completely changes our reality. Completely changes our world. We celebrate because of what He has done! Christ is Risen!

Now may the grace of God which surpasses all understanding may it guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.