St. Paul Lutheran Church
The Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord – March 31, 2013+
The Rev. BT Ball
In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, 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 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 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.
We prefer our funerals neat and tidy, and pay undertakers to make things as nice as possible. Sometimes funerals can’t be made neat and tidy and so the casket remains closed. There is great pain there because the ravages of death are too much. Such was the case of Jesus, his would certainly have been a closed casket funeral. Bruises on his face from where he was struck by hand and reed. Wounds on his forehead from the crown of thorns and there his hands could not have been placed nicely folded on his chest, they had holes in them. There has nothing neat or tidy about Jesus death, or his burial. That was done in a hurry, lovingly yes, but in haste. So the women, with great courage come to finish the job. The reason why they were coming with the spices is that how they buried their dead back then was a bit different. They would be placed in a tomb and left to decompose. Sometime later, family would return and gather up the bones and place them in a box to be buried again, finally. So to cover up the stink of, what they anticipated to be the decomposing and horrific looking body of Jesus they bought the spices and go to the tomb to anoint him.
They came looking for the crucified Jesus, a dead Jesus. What more could they have expected. Death is final, the end. Even though they had known of Jesus raising, Lazarus, and Jairus’ daughter and the widow’s son at Nain, that was Jesus working on someone else. But they had seen how Jesus had been worked on, and nothing could get him out of that death, too great, too strong, too horrific. Nothing neat or tidy or clean about the death of Jesus. And that sure is right because he on the cross was bearing all the filth and stench of sin, the wickedness and foul rebellion of every person who ever has been or will be. Death is horrible, it stings. And many of you here know that sting and horror, it is all too real. What you know of it is only a part, a hard part to be sure, but only a part. Jesus knew it all and in seeing him dead, dead like he was the women could only think of what were they going to do about that big stone.
Can you imagine going to the cemetery, after the funeral of the one you love and having someone sitting there saying. That would not only make you alarmed, it would make you angry. The dead don’t rise. The women at the tomb heard the same proclamation. They heard the proclamation from an angel, looking as a young man, sitting on the right side of the tomb. But for them and for you it is the very proclamation of life itself. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, he is risen, he is not here. The spices are not needed. Jesus has tidied himself up, because He is the resurrection and the life. He said he would be given into the hands of sinful men. They spat on him, struck him, scourged him and crucified him. The horror of that is turned to pure joy because as he is risen he does not come to seek retribution or pay back for those who did that to him. That was you. No, he is risen bodily to forgive and cleanse by his blood those who have sinned, you. And he his risen to destroy the power of death over all who believe.
And there is the hard thing, the believing, not only for yourself, but for those who have died. He himself has said, he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. The baptizing can get done to you, for most here it was done when we were so very small. That was a washing and rebirth for us all who are destined for the grave. It is a baptism into Jesus own bodily resurrection, that it is yours and death cannot hold you down, nor can it hold those who were kept in the true faith unto death. But the sting of death, the power of death is so very strong, the pain and loss and grief can seem to be more than you can bear. And guess what they are. But Christ has born all sorrows, every grief, the sting of death, the power of death – he has destroyed them all. He is risen and the grave cannot hold those who have heard his voice and believe in him. That you may the more confidently believe this. Jesus was crucified, is risen and is here, according to his promise. He one who was so horribly slain, lives to give you his victory over death, by giving you his sacred flesh and blood. The risen Christ guides you to the altar where death cannot reign, because his immortal flesh and blood are given to you. Your flesh and blood, even though they may die will be raised up to everylasting life. For you are in Christ and Christ lives.
There is nothing neat or tidy about death. It is real and it cannot be defeated by you. But it has been defeated by Christ Jesus whom God the father raised up from the dead. The women didn’t need to anoint Jesus body. He is the anointed one the Christ whom death could not hold. And though you mourn the deaths of those you love, remember that in Christ all shall be made alive. The caskets will all be open, and Christ will call his own to himself. You are one of those, now clean and tidy in the forgiveness of your sins, to life everlasting.
In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
