Sermons of Pastor Rank: Easter Day

In Nomine Iesu

Pastor Thomas L. Rank
Resurrection of Our Lord
April 16, 2006

Exordium
The joy of Easter does not depend on the weather – if it is snowing and cold or if it is stormy or if it is bright and sunny – such things do not change the meaning of Easter. The joy of Easter does not depend on us, on whether or not we have an “Easter feeling.” The joy of Easter does not depend on its recognition in the world – what do headlines on magazines or newspapers, or lead stories on daily news shows, which today are here and tomorrow are gone – what can these do to Easter? Nothing.

The joy of Easter is about a fact, and about what that fact means for people, for you. Easter is the fact that Jesus, the Jesus who was dead on Friday, is alive on Sunday morning. Easter is the fact that the Son of God was not defeated by worldly enemies, nor by Satan, nor by death itself. Easter is a time of joy because it proclaims to the world what God has done in Christ, the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Therefore we rejoice this Easter morning, not depending on anything other than the truth of God’s Word which brings to us the news, the message and power of salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Away then with all worries and cares and concerns and troubles. For Jesus is alive, and that means you have life, too. Let us then all rise and join in singing to each other and praising God with the hymn:

Hymn 348 – “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word!”

Text: Mark 16:1-8
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away – for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is 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 into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." 8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Dear people gathered on this day of resurrection,

We know that every year for the past several decades, at least, various efforts are made through printed materials and through special broadcasts to raise doubts about the facts of Christianity: especially the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Mary’s Son. So this year we have the fantasy of the Gospel of Judas examined by so-called “scholars” and declared to be another hurdle for the Christian Church. “What will this do to those who believe in the resurrection of Jesus?” the scholars wonder.

After you’ve been around a few decades, most Christians get used to these contrived events. But, for those of you who see this as something that does make you wonder, think of it this way: instead of it being looked on as a challenge to the faithful, I suggest that we look at these efforts, in whatever media they appear, as just more evidence of the fact of the resurrection. One can hardly imagine there needing to be such efforts year in and year out to discredit something, if that something were not considered too dangerous, and, true. If the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning was not a bone stuck in the craw of many people, do you think they would expend the money and time to try to disgrace this great event in the history of humanity? By the very scale of the protests we get a good picture of just how much the resurrection truly discomforts people. It reminds me of the Passion history of Jesus when Pilate hears from the Jews that Jesus is called “the Son of God.” That’s when Pilate determines he wants nothing to do with judging Jesus. He washes his hands and says to the crowd: “you do it.” He was nervous about Jesus, and rightly so. There are many people nervous about the resurrection of Jesus, and they calm their nerves, or try to, by finding reasons not to believe it.

Why? Why not just believe it? Well, belief in the resurrection of Jesus entails believing in Jesus Himself, His birth, His life – the miracles and teachings – His suffering, death, and then resurrection. It also means believing in the reasons for Jesus coming here: our sin, our need for a Savior, and the love of God which sends the Savior. Believing in the resurrection of Jesus, for you, means believing that you need it, and that, more than anything else, is what makes people not want to accept it.

Do you see what it comes down to? It comes down to confessing: “I am a sinner in thought, word, and deed, a sinner against God and against people.” And that is hard to admit; it is hard for us, it is hard for the unbeliever. Pride and stubbornness get in the way. And so Jesus is rejected. But that is just where we need Jesus the most.

Think of the efforts so many religions require of their followers. Think of the life of denial that Buddhists try to live, or Hinduism’s ways of works, knowledge, or devotion; or Islam’s requirements of prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimages. Other religions all have their own sets of rules and regulations that are to be followed so that you can become more at peace with the world, with yourself, and with your ultimate destiny.

Now, sadly, some even make of Christianity a religion of rules, legal requirements, godly principles, and so on. And every time that happens, Christianity sinks away from its unique message, and becomes one more works-oriented religion of the world.

Christianity, biblical, Christ-centered Christianity, has no equal. It points away from our efforts. And it points to Christ. Sure, there are many things of good that we can do and even should do as the people of God: works of charity of all kinds, support and encouragement for the many people who need help. But these works are never part of the main fabric of the Church, for that place of honor is given only to the work of Christ and never to us or what we do. It is that unique understanding and teaching of God’s Word that puts Christ at center stage that the world hates. For as Christ is put there, we see how little our works can do. The world cannot stand when our efforts are minimized and Christ’s are maximized. Never forget that. It is never Christian charity that is despised here in this world, but it is the teaching of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone that will be attacked. That is why the resurrection is attacked, as well as the virgin birth of Jesus, the fact that Jesus is both truly God and truly man, and that He suffered and died, and rose again the third day. These are attacked, undermined, mocked, declared a hoax, because they are at odds with the religion of the sinful flesh and devil and world which wants us and what we do at center stage.

The resurrection of Jesus puts all that in the proper perspective. Our celebration of Easter says to the world: Jesus is at the heart of it all. He has won the victory and declares to all people on this day of His resurrection from the dead. He died for us all, for our sins, for our pride at thinking we could ever, in any way, measure up to what is needed for eternal life. He sweeps that all away like the remains of last year’s leaves from our yards and patios. He replaces our failed efforts with His own victory, His own death for us, His own resurrection so that we, too, may one day rise from the dead to life eternal, through faith in Jesus Christ.

On this Easter morning let us rejoice in the fact of the resurrection, and even more, rejoice in what it means for us, for all who have died in faith in this Jesus Christ, and for all who cling in faith to the One whom even death cannot destroy. This is Jesus, our Savior, our Redeemer. God keep us in such faith, from now until we see Him face to face in life eternal. In the name of Jesus who was dead and is now alive. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!

Back to Sermons

Back to Main

Pastor Thomas L. Rank
The Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord
March 27, 2005

Exordium
This past week death has been in the news once more. There was the tragic shooting in Red Lake, Minnesota, where nine people were shot and the shooter himself, a boy, committed suicide. There is great grief in a small town, brought by death. In Florida we have been hearing about another death to come. Many are debating whether or not the woman should live. She has committed no crime, other than suffering from an illness that does not allow her to have normal human functions of the brain and body. So the decision of our great country is to let her starve to death. God have mercy on us all.

Besides these tragedies, we are confronted with our own lives of sorrow. In the past year many of us, if not all of us, have experienced the death of a loved one, of a close friend or family member. We ourselves confront the reality of death as we notice our bodies of flesh and blood not healing so fast anymore, eyes needing more correction, muscles that ache more easily and for far longer than they used to. God have mercy on us all.

It was into this exact world struggling with death that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus put Himself into our struggle. He became our brother as He took on human flesh. He became our sin as He willed to carry that evil and malignant burden. He became our death as He went the way of the cross, putting His own body in the path of the death that should have hit us. This is what Jesus did. But thanks be to God, Jesus did not end at His crucifixion and burial. Rather, today, around the world, Christians gather to celebrate the truth of Easter: Jesus lives. He rose the third day, just as the Scriptures say. This is a day that overcomes our struggles, our death. How? Because no matter what, the sting of death is removed. Jesus rose in order to prove to all that He is stronger than death. And He shows that He is the first of all those who will follow Him through the grave to a sure resurrection, through faith in this blessed One, He who died and now lives.

In Jesus’ name let us rise and sing to each other about the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. “He is arisen, glorious word!”

Text: Mark 16:1-8
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away – for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is 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 into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” 8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

THESE ARE YOUR WORDS, HEAVENLY FATHER, SANCTIFY US BY YOUR TRUTH, YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. AMEN.

The fact is that on Friday afternoon, Jesus, the teacher and healer, the One many thought was a prophet or even more, the fact is that on Friday He was dead. Many saw Him there on the cross, having heard His last words, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” Soldiers made sure He was dead by pushing the point of a spear into His side, and seeing blood and water come out. Jesus had not fainted. Jesus was dead. He breathed no more. His heart beat no more. This dead body was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, helped by Nicodemus who brought the preparations for wrapping the body and preserving it. Various women followed and watched the body being brought to a new tomb. A large stone was rolled across the opening, closing it.

Later on the enemies of Jesus, hoping to insure that no one could steal the body, asked Pilate to seal the tomb. Pilate told them to go and make the tomb as secure as they knew how. So the tomb was sealed, and guards were placed to watch it.

That was the status of the body of Jesus on Saturday. In a tomb. Wrapped up in strips of cloth. With a large stone covering the opening. A seal put on it so that any tampering with the tomb would be immediately evident. And soldiers watching and guarding. Everyone knew where the body was on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, the first day of the week, the women who had watched the burial of Jesus, return to the tomb with more materials for the proper burial of Jesus. But a great change has occurred. Early Sunday morning there had been an earthquake. St. Matthew teaches us:

When the women found the tomb, they saw the stone was rolled away, the entrance was unblocked, and as they looked in, the tomb was empty. At least, it was empty of the body of Jesus. In His place they see an angel. Like the guards, their first reaction is one of fear. The angel speaks, “Do not be alarmed.” Just like the angel said at the birth of Jesus to the shepherds who heard the glorious announcement of the birth of Jesus, so also here at His resurrection an angel speaks peace to the humans who are frightened at such works of God. There is no cause for fear. Fear comes from sin, from guilt, but now with Christ raised from the dead the reason for fear is done away with. It is not the time for fear, it is the time of rejoicing. For He who was dead is risen.

The ordinary preparations for death did not keep Jesus dead. The extraordinary measures taken to keep Jesus dead did not work. Not even death itself, that power of the dark shadows, could keep Jesus dead. And now Jesus was alive.

This is an amazing thing. There is simply nothing else like it in the world. The God of all power and authority and justice allowed Himself, the Second Person of God, to suffer and die. To give up power. To allow the authority of death to rule Him. To allow justice to be turned upside down. The innocent dies for the guilty.

Flesh and blood had failed Jesus. Friends deserted Him. Enemies mocked Him. The world He created groaned with earthquakes, but could not prevent His death. Sin, death, and devil all joined forces to bring Him down. All of this piles on Jesus so that He is buried as deeply as possible under all the weight of sin, under the penalty of death, with Satan sitting on the tomb and manipulating people to keep it as secure as ever could be.

All of this Jesus shrugs off. He arises from death as if He wakes from a sleep to greet the dawn of a new day. The only sign left of His struggle are the marks on His hands and feet and side. Those marks remain as scars of triumph and victory.

Jesus is alive. And this means you, too, shall live, even though you die. All the promises of God are fulfilled. Sins are forgiven because they remain buried when Jesus leaves the tomb. Salvation, freedom, is yours because the chains are broken, you can never be shackled to sin again with faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior. And eternal life is yours. It is just what St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians:

This is the great truth of Easter, the festival of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a truth that changes lives, that changes even death.

God grant each of you the joy of the resurrection, through faith in Jesus Christ. For this great day is about what Jesus does for you. He did not arise for Himself, but so that you can be “in Him” – which means life. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!