Sermon - Easter Day 2020 - Mark 16:1-8

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “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.” What a beautiful sight and a wonderful message!

The women who went early that morning on which our Lord rose from the dead witnessed such a spectacular sight and heard the most precious news! Christ victoriously triumphed over death, through death, to bring us life. “Death is swallowed up in victory!” “He has swallowed up death forever!” Our death is swallowed up by Jesus’s death so that the sting of death would be lost forever! 

Now all that remains for Christians is life. This fantastic news is well symbolized by the angel’s calming presence. Throughout the Old Testament, angels are beings of great and magnificent power, warriors that destroy our enemies. Always are they on guard against the demon hoards that battle against the children of God. Earlier in the Gospels, at the birth of Christ, we saw the angels in the heavens, prepared to do battle, ready for action. 

But today we see the angel sitting in the tomb. He’s not standing ready and alert, he’s not poised for battle, but he’s sitting down as though relaxed. He’s in the form of a young man, sitting, and dressed in a white robe. This is not the posture of a soldier ready to fight, but the posture of a soldier whose war is ended.

Jesus has conquered the devil, death, sin, and evil, and the angel knows it well! He’s calm and relaxed. But the women were still in a panic because they hadn’t yet realized that death had been defeated, instead they fled from the tomb with trembling and astonishment; they had the shakes because they were sore afraid.

Later on that Easter day, the women snapped out of their shock and told the apostles, yet fear still seized them all. That evening on Easter Day the apostles huddled together in a house, behind locked doors, because they were afraid of being killed by the Jews. They were still in shellshock, and they didn’t really comprehend that the war was already over, death was defeated and Christ had arisen. But the angel gets it, and so he calmly sits there and commands the women “Do not be alarmed.” 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the angel’s message is for you this day: “Do not be alarmed.” If your heart is anxious, your body is shaking, the fear of death is overwhelming: listen to the angel, see his composure, and listen to his comforting message. Do not fear, for Christ is near, with His cheer, and never will He leave you.

“You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen.” Christ the crucified has by His death trampled over our enemy, and destroyed the power of death. He has taken your sins, paid their debt, and forgiven you on the cross. Seek that One! Look for Him, that Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified One! But He’s not in the tomb, He’s not dead, He’s alive, He’s risen! He has the power to give up His life for ours, and He also has the power to take it back up again! 

When death seems to surround you, and everyone is panicking, remember the angel’s message: “Do not be alarmed.” Your sins are forgiven. Death has no power over you. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, He has shown by what sort of death we will die too. Not a permanent one, not one that ends in judgement like the unbelievers will experience; but one that continues with life. Jesus is the first fruit of the grave! We will follow Him from death to life! His love poured out for us on the cross makes our life with Him in paradise guaranteed!

So in the midst of a fearful world, let us celebrate the Easter festival with joy, since Christ is Himself the joy of all, and the sun that warms and lights us. He is the sun of righteousness rising after this long night of sin. “Let us feast this Easter Day, on Christ the bread of heaven; the Word of grace has purged away the old and evil leaven. Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed; faith lives upon no other! Alleluia!”

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!