Sermon - Easter 2021 - Mark 16:1-8

 

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

“Where is Jesus?” Presumably this was a question racing through the women’s and Peter’s and John’s minds when they raced to the tomb that Easter morning, only to discover it empty. Mary, Mary, and Salome went to the tomb, not expecting to see Jesus alive, but dead. They had purchased burial spices, meant to have preserved the body of Jesus they assumed was decaying. 

But upon reaching the tomb they discovered the stone rolled away and Jesus not there. Where was Jesus? Instead of Jesus they were greeted by a young man, a messenger, dressed in white telling 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.” 

When the women told the apostles that Jesus wasn’t in the tomb and that He’d risen, the apostles didn’t believe it. It was a story, a fable, a fairytale! Yet, Peter and John couldn’t help it, they ran to the tomb without stopping and sure enough, Jesus was gone. There were the linen clothes, but where was Jesus?

I suspect we may sometimes ask the same question at different times in our lives: “Where’s Jesus? Where’s God in all this?” Where’s God when a deadly virus strikes? Where’s God when the nation is rioting and on fire? Where’s God when Muslim terrorists are crashing into our buildings? Where’s God when Communism in Russia and National Socialism in Germany is killing millions? Where’s God when the person I love so dearly is dying? Where’s God? Where’s Jesus?

It’s a good question. God be praised the angel has the answer. “He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 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.” The angel’s message is such a joyous and comforting message! First, it means Jesus is not dead! Jesus of Nazareth, the one they watched die on the cross and laid in a tomb on Friday, the crucified one, that one is alive! He’s risen! Second, it means that not only is Jesus not dead, but He’s not gone. He’s risen from the grave, and He still didn’t leave us! We’re not alone, God hasn’t left! Third, the angel’s message means that not only is Jesus alive and present, but we know exactly where He is! We don’t have to hunt Him down, because He’s told us where He’s present for us.

All of this ought to bring us great joy! Easter is more than just a fun story, it’s more than a family tradition, it’s more than mere history, but Easter is a profound reality which impacts our lives on even a daily basis. Let’s see how by unpacking the angel’s message.

First, Jesus is not dead! Jesus our Lord was “delivered for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Jesus was crucified. “Christ our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus is the crucified one and bears in His body the trophies of the cross in His hands, feet, and side. By His wounds we are healed. He was crushed for our iniquities. Yet, He, though killed, is raised and lives now and forever! Jesus is not dead!

By His death He paid the debt of sin which we owe. His crucifixion was the price set to release us from our slavery to death. But by His resurrection He has won for us not only freedom from death but the freedom to live! His resurrection gives us life with Him. Jesus says He is our brother, and therefore we will rise to new life with our brother! On the last day we shall rise from our graves, like Christ, and live eternally with God in heaven. Death has no power over us.

And lest we think Jesus’ resurrection only has meaning for us in heaven, let me remind you that Jesus’ resurrection changes our lives now. We already have been raised to new life with Christ, now! We’ve already died to sin! In baptism we’ve already been resurrected from the dead! We’re living that new resurrection life today! “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.” The old leaven of malice and evil are already dead in the grave, and Christ has raised us to be unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. You’re already living in eternity, your death will be nothing but a slumber, you’re already immortal!

And so, since Jesus is alive, not dead, and we’re alive with Him, Jesus is also not gone! Not only has Jesus risen from the dead, but He hasn’t left us! He’s not gone! His ascension into heaven doesn’t take Him away from us, but His ascension actually brings Him nearer to us! Because of Christ’s ascension into heaven, the method of His coming to us has changed. He’s no longer limited to just being present in one physical location at one particular time, but He’s able to be with all His church throughout the earth at the same time.

Jesus is still with us. Just as the angel told us that His name shall be Immanuel, God with us, so He is; Jesus is God with us, and that hasn’t changed. Jesus is with His church. Jesus is always with His church.

And this brings us to our third point: Jesus has told us where we are to find Him. “He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you.” No, Jesus is not just in Galilee, but like the women and apostles we do know where He is. We don’t have to perform some sort of Divine Easter Egg hunt for Jesus, because He’s told us explicitly where we are to find Him.

Our Lord told us, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Again, He said, “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Again, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body… Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood.” 

It’s no mystery where the living Christ is among us still today. When Christians are gathered together in Christ’s name, Jesus is with them. When Christians gather around Jesus’ teachings and Baptism, Jesus is with them. When Christians receive the Sacrament of the Altar, Jesus is with them. This means God was there with the Christians killed in Communist Russia and National Socialist Germany. God was there with the Christians in terrorist attacks. God was with His Christians when their businesses were burning down. God is with those Christians who have died of viruses or other illnesses. God is even with us today and every day.

Since we know that Jesus is alive, with us, and where He is, “Let us therefore celebrate the festival,... with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Today we Christians have come to the altar of God, where Jesus has promised to be with us. There is no giant stone blocking our entrance, we may gather here in this sanctuary without hesitation. There’s no angel telling us that Christ is not here, instead there’s your pastor, a different messenger, a different young man, telling you that He has risen, and He is here! See, the place where Christ stands! Go, tell others that Christ is here just as He told you!

All of this beautiful message of the angel ought to leave us with profound joy. We ought to leave this sanctuary today like the women. I know Mark’s Gospel simply says that “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.” But Matthew’s gospel gives us a more complete picture: “They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”

Since they hadn’t yet seen Jesus, fear still clung to their hearts. But on account of the spectacular news they were also filled with great joy! Once they would see Christ in the flesh, their fear would leave them and the woman and apostles would be filled with incredible boldness and courage. The early Christians in the first centuries faced remarkable persecution from the world, and yet went forth with boldness proclaiming the message of salvation in Christ. They faced death without fear since they believed wholeheartedly that Christ is alive, not gone, and that they know where He is.

Likewise, we too know that glorious resurrection truth. So let us go forth not filled with the fear of death, but only with the boldness and courage of joyfilled hearts. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!