Resurrection

Introduction for me

Good morning everyone. I will do a quick intro for those who don’t know me. My name is Ben Eschenfelder and I have been the pastor at Asbury UMC since 2015. I have been married for 23 years and I have three children. I just finished my seminary degree this past December and am now catching up on all the sleepless nights I had in finishing papers.

Thanking Hillsboro for support

For those of you that know me, from the beginning of my time as Asbury I have been connected to Hillsboro UMC through the pastors here who have helped mentor me, first Chris and now Kent. Their experience and wisdom have helped me navigate the waters of both church and community building. For that, I am very grateful for the support they have provided over the years.

The second part is I want to also say thank you for the connection nature Hillsboro has offered to the community through partnering in youth ministry and community outreach. I have enjoyed being part of youth camps, warmth in winter, and summer sizzlers where Asbury and Hillsboro youth has joined with other youth groups.

The second part I want to mention is that, not only has Hillsboro supported me with pastor mentorship, youth and community ministry, but also has helped support me by providing financial support for my schooling. For nearly all my years of seminary, Hillsboro has provided financial support that has helped to pay for my books and lodging during my intensive weeks in Dayton, Ohio. This help was unsolicited and I am so grateful and thankful that the community of Hillsboro UMC did this me. It speaks to one of the many ways in which Hillsboro believes in the mission of supporting both community and the pastors serving the community.

Introduction for Sermon

Today is Easter Sunday! We celebrate that our Savior is risen and the tomb is empty. Most often the birth and the resurrection are the most familiar stories people know. Easter and Christmas are also the most attended services in the year as well. While we may be hearing a familiar story, today I want to read and listen to what these witnesses went through. I want to try and experience resurrection through their recorded experience. I will focus on three words which will help us relate to what they experienced. Perhaps, your own journey in finding and loving Jesus may relate to this story as well. Perhaps some of your own experience may resonate with this story. First listen to the resurrection story as recorded in Mark 16:1-8

Mark 16:1–8 NRSV

1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.

Three words: I want to focus on three words which communicate what these people went through as they experienced the resurrection.

Worry and Determination - The three women were worried about how to roll the stone away

It is thought that since they were applying burial spices to his body after the sabbath had ended that Jesus’ burial was quickly done and missing the rituals of applying burial spices. Three days later these three set out to finish what should have been done already. As they made their way to the tomb, they worried, how will they get to Jesus’ body. In this time period and region, tombs carved out like this one would have had a stone to cover the opening.

Two types of stones might be used. The first would have been a square stone if the family was poor and a round stone if the family was wealthy. These stones were often set in a track that kept them in place and they were leaning against the tomb creating a lot of friction, making it hard to move the stone down the track. As you could imagine, rolling a large stone out of the way round or square would have been very difficult without the right tools and sometimes enough people to have the strength to move it.

Despite their concern over how to get the stone rolled away they still set out determined to get the task done. While they may have been worrying about the specifics around how to roll the stone away, it did not deter them. They were determined to do what needed to be done.

Amazement and Curiosity - When they arrived at the tomb, and saw and examined everything, their worry changed to amazement.

The word used here in this translation is alarmed but in the Greek it can mean distressed or amazed. At any rate, the problem of rolling the stone away has been already resolved and Jesus isn’t here in the tomb. They were not going to be anointing Jesus dead body today.

What did that mean? Who rolled the stone away? I am sure they had lots of questions and curiosity upon seeing this unexpected scene. Their curiosity led them into the tomb to seek answers.

Terror and Astonishment - The words used in this translation are terror and amazement seized them.

When you go back and look at the original words here in verse 8 that when they left the tomb and fled, terror and amazement had seized them. The word for terror is also translated as trembling - meaning sincere loyalty and fear. The word for amazement is, well amazement but also astonishment and bewilderment. The way I look at this phrase of terror and amazement is that the light bulb went off. This Jesus is no ordinary person. Death did not hold him in the grave. Could it be he is the Messiah, the Christ King that was alluded to? They had a new level of respect and awe for Jesus that they could not quite process. This Jesus they followed was not just a prophet, not just a miracle worker, nothing like any person that had ever come before.

Our Words - What words would you use to describe what you went through or felt or reacted with upon discovering or learning about the resurrection?

I can remember years ago when it finally clicked. I felt sorrow and joy at the same time. I can remember feeling guilty my savior had to go to the cross in my place. I remember feeling joy as well knowing that what I could not hope to accomplish had already been done.

I have since been on a journey where I am trying to grow closer to my savior. Each year I am learning more about Christ who has not only given me new life but has put joy and purpose in my life. I still go through times of astonishment when I realize how deep and wide the wisdom and love of God is. While we have read and talked about these three ladies responding to the resurrection, I ask you today, how are you going to respond? Will you let doubt creep in because as doubt tells us, don’t believe what you have been told. Will you let amazement and curiosity move you to seeking a deeper relationship with you Savior?

If you don’t already know this risen Savior, then today is a great day to start that journey. If you do know Jesus, then I encourage you to let awe and wonder, amazement and curiosity and reverent fear spur you on to seek that deeper relationship with Christ. It is a journey that we all can begin and sometimes need to be encouraged to spend more time with our Savior. Let today be the start of that deeper journey. Let today be the start of that genuine love that motivates us to be more Christ like each day. Let the Resurrected King be your inspiration and motivation to be who you are called to be.