Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Matt. 28: 1-15 Easter morning, the day on which Jesus Christ rose from the dead to live forever! It's something that we're all familiar with, something that easily slips off the tongue, something amazing and immense. And yet, for all that, there's a real danger that we can take it too much as a given, forgetting how radical the idea of a once living person coming back to life is, never mind coming back to life immortal! So that in a sense, even though we might never admit it, it becomes almost a thing of fiction, of superstition. With the consequent danger that, whenever we're challenged by non-believers about the possibility of such an event, our faith can begin to waiver, we can start to doubt. After all, bringing people back to life is impossible, isn't it? Oh yes, we read about Frankenstein's monster, and such characters this, in our fiction books, but they're not real. No, the fact is that when someone dies their body immediately begins to deteriorate and that's it, there's no chance of revival, and certainly not after three days. So how could Jesus have risen from the dead? How can we, if we really think about it, believe it to have been the case? Well, there's the overwhelming evidence that we have that he did rise. And firstly, there's the evidence of those who tried to hush it all up, those who actively refused to believe ... After the body of Jesus had been taken down from the cross on Good Friday he was pronounced as dead by the Romans, and they would certainly have known what they were talking about because this was something that they were used to doing, it was part of their job and something that they'd have been very careful to get right. Then Joseph of Arimathea along with Nicodemus, both members of the Sanhedrin, the court of Jewish Judges, and secret followers of Jesus, had gone to ask Pilate for the body in order to bury it. Which they did, in accordance with Jewish burial customs, in a new tomb belonging to Joseph which was near to the sight of the cross. But Jesus had spoken before he died about rising again from the dead after three days, and the Jewish religious authorities knew about this. And so we read at the end of Matthew chapter 27 that they also went to Pilate, not to move the body this time, but to ensure that it stayed where it was. They asked him to give the order that would ensure that if Jesus' disciples tried to take his body out of the tomb over those three days, so that they could claim that he'd risen just as he'd said he would, they'd be prevented from doing so. And so Pilate, probably wanting to maintain the peace, gave them a guard of Roman soldiers, telling them to secure the tomb to their own satisfaction. And so we're told that they "went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone, and posting the guard." In other words everything that it was humanly possible to do, to prevent what Jesus had promised from coming true, had been done. But still, this wasn't enough! Because early in the morning, when it was still dark, there was suddenly what seemed like a violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down and rolled away the stone that had been so carefully and tightly fastened against the tomb's opening. And then he went and sat on the stone in full view of the guards who were literally terrified out of their wits, as they shook and acted as if they themselves had been turned to stone. The actual stone, blocking the entrance to the tomb, had proved pathetically ineffective after all. All mankind's efforts, what they themselves would have found impossible to penetrate, was as nothing to God. Which is without doubt a lesson and encouragement to us all. Because how often do we look at the world around us, seemingly lined up against God and his church, as well as at our own circumstances, the difficulties we've been going through, at the moment perhaps the thought of Covid 19 and its possible ramifications, and feel deflated, feel defeated. We think about the past and the present and then we contemplate the future, and what terrors it might hold, and we feel at a loss, thinking wistfully "we'll cope surely; things'll somehow turn out alright for us." Whereas the wonderful truth is that when we belong to Him through Christ Jesus his Son, God is the one who's in control of our lives and destinies. So that it follows that nothing that man or the devil can do against us will ever be able to prevent Him working out his plans for us. And therefore, we can trust Him fully and rest assured that, whatever difficulties appear to face us, the one who, with ease, rolled the stone away from the grave of the Lord Jesus, a stone that was meant to stop his great plan for his Son and for humanity in its tracks, will surely roll away from us anything that would hinder our receiving the blessings that he has for us. However, the rejection by some of what God had planned for his Son didn't end there because we're told from verse 11 of our passage that, once they'd come to their senses, the soldiers who'd been guarding the tomb went into Jerusalem and reported all that had happened to the chief priests for whom this was now a disaster, the worst news possible. They couldn't explain the empty tomb away by pretending that Jesus had never actually been dead in the first place, because they'd gone to such great lengths to make it clear that he was, and so, after calling together a council meeting, they decided that they'd bribe the soldiers to tell the false story that whilst they were sleeping the disciples had crept along and stolen him away. And they each received a large amount of money to say this, being assured by the chief priests and elders that they'd protect them from Pilate if it ever came to his attention that they'd fallen asleep whilst on duty, which was a capital offence. And so, this untruth was spread, which Matthew tells us was still very popular amongst the Jews at the time that he wrote his gospel, perhaps forty plus years later. The official position then that the authorities chose to take about Jesus' disciple's claims that he'd risen from the dead was that it was all a hoax. That his body, despite all the might of Rome's efforts to prevent it from happening, had been stolen and hidden away, never to be found. Next we come to the evidence of those who came upon the scene, it seems, after the soldiers had left: the women who'd made their way to the tomb that morning just before day break. They'd without doubt have been distraught as they made their way through the gloom because, less than forty-eight hours before, they'd stood and witnessed Jesus' last hours as he hung on the cross. And then had followed, watching where he was buried. The day in between would have been one of terrible mourning when they were forced to rest because it was the Sabbath, so that this would have been their first opportunity to return to the tomb, Mark and Luke tell us, so as to anoint Jesus' body with spices that they'd been preparing. And surely the prospect of seeing the body of Jesus again would have filled them with feelings of dread, which would have only heightened as they entered the garden where the tomb was. And then, what a shock as they looked towards the place where Jesus lay. There was the angel by the tomb! What must they have thought? How must their, already strained, nerves have felt? But then, unlike the soldiers, the women were given access into what was happening as the angel spoke gently to them calming their fears by saying: "Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified." It seems that the angel recognised that their motives were pure, that they were truly seekers after Jesus. And so he rewarded them, going on to explain: "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." And how their hearts must have beaten with excitement! But the revelation wasn't to end there as the angel continued "come and see the place where he lay", come and see the truth of the matter for yourselves; don't just take my word for it. The soldiers had no interest in the truth; they intended to try and suppress it ... and so the truth was withheld from them. But the two Mary's had loved Jesus and wanted to know what had happened to him and so they were gently led to see, being told to go and tell everything to the disciples, being told also that they were to go north to Galilee where they were to meet with Jesus. And so in obedience, and no doubt filled with conflicting emotions, they hurried off to do as they were told. And once again their faithfulness was rewarded as God's revelation reached its climax when "suddenly", verse 9 tells us: "Jesus met them". And their response was all that it should have been as they fell at his feet, and worshipped him. No longer was there any doubt that Jesus was alive; the risen Lord was now once more an integral part of their lives. And they'd shortly discover that he was even more so when, along with the other disciples gathered at Pentecost, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. However for now Jesus simply confirmed that they were to tell the others , those who'd so recently run away in fear and left him to his fate, those whom he now called "my brothers". What comforting and encouraging words, for them and for us too, to think that the Lord should view us in this way! This then was the experience of the women who came to Jesus' tomb on that morning. However it could be argued that this was just a plausible story made up by the early Church. Until we realise how lacking in plausibility the story actually is. Because of course women in those days were very much seen as second-class citizens, people whose word would certainly not have been trusted before that of a group of Roman soldiers. Who would expect God to choose them to be the first witnesses of the risen Jesus? Clearly if you were trying to persuade people about the accuracy of a hoax, you'd pick on a more believable group of witnesses than they were. You'd choose people who had authority; people who were universally respected? No, the fact is that each of the gospel writer's insistence that it was women who were the first to see the open tomb and receive the angel's message, surely only adds credibility to the story. After all who would make it up? It also, once again, sounds a note of encouragement for us all. Because the fact is that not one of us is worthy to be chosen by God to know him, to be called by Christ his brothers, or sisters. And yet the same compassion and loving kindness that the lord showed to these women he also shows to everyone who in humility, acknowledging their failings, seeks him. And just as they were given such a precious message to be made known to others, simple women as they were, so we're given this same message in our simplicity, to simply pass it on. We're not asked to be great orators, or to speak in refined language, but simply to be who we are where we are. The impact of these women's words has rumbled down through the centuries picking up pace all the time ... who knows that our words might not do the same. It is very much the case that God deals with simple people. And what a relief that is! This brings us, lastly, to the evidence of those who heard of the empty tomb from these women who, despite some initial scepticism, came to accept and rejoice that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, just as he told them he would. And the result was changed lives, changed attitudes, and changed priorities which led people who were weak and fearful to be strong and brave. People who'd run away at the thought of being arrested along with Jesus who were subsequently prepared to speak out the truth of what they'd heard, knowing that it might well lead to rejection, arrest or even death. People who, it's been said: "did not believe in the resurrection of Christ because they could not find his dead body. Instead, they believed because they did find a living Christ" And down through the centuries this has continued to be the case as many millions, who've not seen the empty tomb with their own eyes, have yet believed and have found the living Christ for themselves. In the process themselves becoming evidence for the truth of the resurrection. Because the fact is that if Jesus hadn't risen, if he had remained in the tomb, then he wouldn't have defeated death, he wouldn't have returned to the Father, being at his right-hand interceding for us, he wouldn't have sent the Holy Spirit. His promises and the promises of God's Word would have failed, he'd never have appeared to the women, the church would never have come into being, and we would have no hope of eternal life, and we wouldn't be here today. So is the resurrection true? Yes of course it is. We know this to be the case because of the evidence of the poor way in which the truth was suppressed, because of the persuasiveness of the gospel narrative, because of the growth and influence of the church down through the ages and because, supremely, when we know the Lord Jesus to be our saviour then we ourselves are evidence for its truth. Because those who are his are now truly Easter people, people who live in the final era of the world. An era that began with the rising of one man to eternal life. Who's set the pattern for all to whom he reveals the truth of the gospel of resurrection. Which is eternal life with the Lord our God that begins here in this life as he changes and moulds us towards that pattern. And, meanwhile, all around us there are those of whom our Lord is saying to us: "go and tell my brothers". What a message we, simple people, have to proclaim today! Amen. 10