Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, alleluia! Amen +
The ladies were not in their right mind. They were besides themselves with grief and sorrow. If you have lost a loved one, if you've had to go through any sort of funeral planning for a loved one, you know what I'm talking about here – where questions come from out of the blue and you don't know how to handle things or plan or make decisions or follow through with them. Because as we see Mary Magdalene and Mary and Salome heading to the tomb that morning – they are trying to do funeral planning. Because Jesus hadn't had His funeral yet, well, not a proper one. He had died just before Sundown, just before the Sabbath started – and while Joseph of Arimathea had tended to the Body... well, gals, can you really trust the guys to make things as neat and tidy and as they should be? And so these women are headed to the tomb to get the job of burying Jesus done right. They go looking to care for a corpse, that's their goal.
But they're not thinking rightly. They get up incredibly early, get together and head to the tomb, and we hear, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Oh, there's a practical problem here that they hadn't thought of – which again, something utterly typical to come across when funeral planning. The stone. The big, heavy stone in front of the tomb – who's going to open it? How are we going to get in, how are we going to have access to Jesus' corpse? Do you get the mindset of these women, where they are, what they are thinking? The tension, the emotion that has to be there in them?
And they get to the tomb, and it's opened. Already. Their problem that they realized was solved for them before they even got too it. But someone else solving your problems for you – we don't always assume that's a good thing. It might not be done right. It might mean trouble. So the gals enter on into the tomb – and there's a young man dressed in white there – which isn't what they expect. People dressed in white, clean clothes don't generally hang around in the cemetery – we don't expect to see anyone in white robes just sitting on a tomb stone today. And this young man tells them that Jesus is risen – Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him!
Matthew notes for us that this fellow is an angel – the angel who rolled back the stone from the tomb, who scared off the guards. And think about how great it would be to be this angel, to get this assignment, to be the one who gets to announce that Christ is Risen. The joy, the delight – ah, I will give good news to these poor, sorrowing women. Oh, and I'll have them go and tell the disciples what's going on! Isn't this a great day? “And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” And the women's reaction wasn't what was expected – they flee, they are shaking and are besides themselves. They can't process, they can't understand. Eventually the word gets to disciples – more on that at second service – but in the moment, in the shock, the surprise, they just can't comprehend.
For they were afraid. That's how Mark's account of Easter morning ends. And it seems like such a strange ending – especially when compared with all the pretty dresses and the Easter eggs and candy, and breakfast, don't forget breakfast coming. But here right now, we still remember the darkness before the dawn, how dim it was outside walking on into church today – and Mark's Gospel reminds us of a profound truth. Sometimes in this life, even on Easter – we might still see a bit more of the dimness. Sometimes, even hearing wonderful things, we might know the fear that we feel. It might seem like such a downer, almost an anti-Easter idea to have a focus on fear and worry – but it's not that. Mark's Gospel is defiant here, actually it's most defiant. Even if you are fearful, even if there is sorrow, even if you are mourning – the Easter message is still proclaimed to you! But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you. Jesus still ends up seeing these gals, in spite of their fear. His word holds true, just as He had said. He's risen, and nothing will stop Jesus from fulfilling His Word – not death, not all the powers of the world, not Satan, not sin, nothing – nothing stops Jesus from fulfilling His word.
You will see Him, just as He told you. Well, this morning there's a fellow here in a white robe – no longer a young man (even though some of you are kind and say that I am), and I get to proclaim that same message – Jesus is risen, and you know what – come what may, whatever has been going on, whatever comes, you, you here in this room, you will see Jesus, just as He has told you. Because that is what Jesus has told you – that's the promise of your baptism. There's a reason we confess the creed as part of the rite of Baptism, and there's a promise there – He will come again! There is the resurrection of the body and the everlasting life. Because Easter happened – because Jesus rose – He is not in His tomb, and sin is forgiven and death is defeated. And you – you will see Him – He will come again, and then, when He does, all the tombs will be emptied, and the sea will give up its dead, and you will see Him – and that will be good, good for you, grand, far more wondrous than you or I can comprehend right now. The problems we don't think of until we think of them too late – Jesus has already got them solved – no stone is left unturned or unrolled away in His plan of salvation for you.
And so, my friends, again, do not be alarmed, do not let what fears or worries you have carry the day, for big though they may be, they aren't as big or as powerful as this – Christ Jesus has been raised from dead. Now, the mortal will put on immortality, the perishable will be made imperishable, for death has been swallowed up in victory. Sin and death, they're done for – they tangled with Christ Jesus and they lost – see, He is risen. And so shall you – either from your grave when He calls you forth on the Last Day, or if we live until then we get resurrected, changed, in the twinkling of an eye. The tomb is empty, Christ has won, and therefore, because He loves you, His baptized brothers and sisters, you win as well. Amen. Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! +
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