Easter Sunday         March 23, 2008

Acts 10:34-43

Psalm 118:14-29

Colossians 3:1-4

Matthew 28:1-10

In her book, God In Pain, Barbara Brown Taylor tells about the summer she had two pet spiders.  They were small and black and furry with red dots on their backs.  They lived in the kitchen and played chase on the water faucet and hid from each other in the African violet.

They provided much early morning entertainment and presumably ate bugs, so they were doubly welcome.  One morning one of them was on his back, belly up on the window sill with all 6 of his legs curled up.  A jar lid had fallen on him and his tiny little thorax was crushed.  Dr. Taylor turned him over with a toothpick and let him lie in state there in the sun.  She just left him there.

A week later he looked plumper.  A couple of days after that his legs uncurled.  The next week she lifted one of his legs with a toothpick and he jerked slightly and pulled back.  He was alive again – no doubt about it.  So the question: “Do spiders hibernate? Do they regenerate like starfish if they lose an appendage?”  I don’t know, but it was really weird.  Why?  Because in the normal course of things, what’s dead stays dead.

And if it comes back to life again, it’s only because it wasn’t dead in the first place.  There was a spark of life left that got invigorated and death was pushed away for a little while longer.  Now that’s generally miracle enough for most of us, a miracle that more time was given before death wins out.

Resurrection is a miracle of a different order.  Full blown, unequivocal death occurs.  No ember of life is fanned back into full blown flame. The spark of life has been utterly extinguished.  The heart stops. Breath stops. Brain waves stop. The living grieve and then get on with their lives and the silence is complete.

Then right smack dab in the middle of death, life occurs anew – not a spark rescued from the ashes, but a whole new fire kindled out of nothing – the gracious act of God who can breathe into dust and make life.

Imagine if you will the thoughts of the women who went to tend the dead body of Jesus. (Turn to the gospel lesson Mt. 28:1)

“After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.”

My own thought is that they were in a hurry.  They were of the common sense school of so many women that they needed to get to the task at hand; this time it was tending this corpse.  This was not a joyous time for them, but it was a loving chore that he deserved.  They were going meet a sorrowful obligation.

What was awaiting them was hardly expected.  Read what comes next in the Gospel lesson. (Matthew 28:2-6)

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone

and sat on it. His appearance was like lightening, and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and

became like dead men.”.

(That would get the old adrenalin pumping, wouldn’t it?)

“The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here;

for he has been raised, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.”

There’s a wonderful word that the people of England use: it’s “Gob smacked.”  It’s when the lower jaw falls open and you are not thinking about closing it.

But as you can see, the Angel doesn’t stop.  He continues.

Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you

will see him.  This is my message for you.  So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy; and ran to tell his disciples.

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings.” And they came to him, took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

In your mind’s eye, in your heart, what is this risen Christ like for you?  If you met him would you fall on your face and grab his feet and worship Him?

What’s Christ like for you?

Max Lucado suggests some ways that people view Jesus.

The Lucky rabbits’s foot redeemer.  Jesus is one who brings you good luck.  You give him a quick prayer as you buy your lottery ticket. He’s pocket sized. Handy. Easily packaged.  Easily understood.  You can put his picture on your wall or in your wallet along with your insurance card.  You can dangle him from your rear view mirror or glue him to your dash board.  What’s his specialty? Getting you out of a jam.

Hope the cop didn’t see you?  Need help on a test you didn’t study for? Pull out your rabbit’s foot savior.  No need to be committed to him.  No need to love him. Just keep him around next to your four leaf clover.

How about Jesus as the Gini in a Lamp Redeemer?  I need a new job: A new Lexus, maybe a new and improved husband or wife.  Your wish is his command.  And what’s even more special, He conveniently goes back into the lamp when you don’t want Him around reminding you about those things done or left undone we call sin.

For other folks, Jesus is a Monty Hall Redeemer.  Some of you may not be old enough to remember Monty Hall, but he had a game show on TV some time back, where people came in funny costumes and brought strange stuff to trade for neat prizes.  The show was called Let’s Make a Deal.  So, ok, there are 52 Sundays in the year.  How about if I make it to Church on 40 of them?  I’ll even put on a costume – a coat and tie or skirt and hose.  And I can put up with any sermon and even most music.  Is that a deal?  And in exchange you give me the blessings behind Pearly Gate #3.

Now to the other extreme of all this is Christ, stony, aloof, frightening, forbidding like some stone cold statue.  Over looking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is the famous Cristo Redemtor – Christ the Redeemer.  It’s 90 feet tall. 1320 tons of reinforced Brazilian tile.  It’s a mile and half above sea level.  The head alone is 9 feet tall;   the wing span of his outstretched arms is 63 feet from finger tip to finger tip.

Is this what Christ is like for you?  Awesome and impressive, but cold and aloof? Savior of the world, but not for me.  He cares about really important things, but not for me.

Let’s look at the two extremes.  On the one hand we have the lightweights, the Rabbits foot redeemer, the Gini in the lamp redeemer, the Monty Hall Redeemer.  Very few demands; no challenges, no need to change my life, no sacrifice for him, no need for commitment.

Or there’s the Great Cold Statue Redeemer.  A lot of demands – no warmth.

Compare these shallow characteristics with the Risen Christ that these two women fell down and worshiped.  I think that their eyes were opened and they saw the nail holes in his hands and the wound in his side from where the sword pierced him.  This was at least a week before Thomas made such a big deal about seeing these things.

No, these women saw the risen Christ, the one who loves us and protects us, and tends us, and makes great demands on us because He wants us to do great things in His name.

Behold!  Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!