5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen
The tomb is empty! The stone rolled away! Death conquered!
and Christ is raised from the dead!
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
God’s word here gives a very wonderful description of what happened very early on that first day of the week, Sunday morning, as an angel of the Lord rolls away the stone … not as an aid to the resurrection but as a sign to the empty tomb and the reality that Jesus had risen from the dead.
This angel rolled the stone away and used it for his own seat and such was in his appearance as lightening and as white as snow.
Can you imagine the look on the guard’s faces that were placed there to make sure that the disciples didn’t come to steal the body of the Lord.
At the sight of this angel, they trembled and became as dead men out of fear.
The evidence that Jesus had been crucified, dead and buried and was now raised from the dead - was no longer in doubt - and there was no more concern for those who were placed to guard the tomb.
As the women … those faithful who came to contend with the Lord’s body the angle says:
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
For this is now a place where He, Jesus, had been laid in death and He is not there;
No longer in the tomb … no longer dead … but risen and alive!
Death … a part of life that we all have had some experience with … connects us too with the death of Christ.
Even as little children we know death as a sign of fallen humanity.
We see death in nature and with the loss of family pets, and we know the reality of death in our lives with the loss of beloved relatives, siblings or parents and high-profile people in the world and that reality becomes clearer as we get older.
Our own families become the evidence of this as we see those who sustained us through life leave us, showing the reality of sin in their life and ours as they fall victim to the wages of sin and these wages bring death, a death that is assured just as our crucified Lord who breathed His last was dead as He gave up the Spirit, commending his Spirit into the Father’s hands.
I have seen this reality with fellow believers and members of Christ’s body the church as well as they too breathed their last and gave up their spirit in this life over the last few months.
The Rich’s, the Rappuhn’s, the Carlson’s and Mark Bunerak, all morning the loss of loved ones called away from the joys of this life and the ones that they loved.
How quickly it is that even one day can change our whole lives.
Those first disciples, those first followers of Jesus too felt loss.
The one in whom they had placed their hope as the Messiah and Lord had been taken from them … and this loss brought grief and confusion.
Was he too just a man?
Did he deceive all those who had placed their trust in him?
Did their hope too … die with him?
And what about our own hope?
As a pastor I get to preach at funerals and it is always a joy to remind those who are grieving and suffering loss that in Christ, death is not the end for we who cling to the blessed hope of Christ’s resurrection.
But, it is only a time of parting … for a while.
St Paul gives us the joyful hope in his epistle to the Romans in chapter 8 where he says:
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Earlier I said,
“How quickly it is that even one day can change our whole lives.”
St Luke tells us in a parallel account:
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24: 1-3)
… one day can change our whole lives …
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen!” (Luke 24:5b)
Those blessed loved ones who just a few short weeks ago were here and struggling with their illnesses and consequences of sin are now resting in the arms of Jesus and the promise of an eternity with him.
You too, who trust in Christ, have this home waiting for you.
The blessed Good News that Jesus died for your sins - is the wonderful Gospel message you can trust.
He has forgiven your sin and has called you to faith by the Gospel and through the power of the Holy Spirit, and has given you faith to believe in Christ’s saving work.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Because:
Christ is raised … so you too will rise!
The good news of Easter is our present reality and hope until Christ Jesus returns in glory to gather us to himself!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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