Easter Festival

Easter 2019

Luke 24:1-11

“Stat Crux Dum Volvitur Orbis” –“The cross of Christ stands while the world spins.” Even when steeples are falling.  

The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. Its construction began in the 12th century. Was completed in the 13th century. A treasure of French Gothic architecture. One of the most famous symbols of Paris. Attracting 12 million visitors yearly. 850 years of history. Was reduced to a smoldering shell. In just a few short hours this past Monday. 

And on this day. Easter Sunday 2019. Especially within the context of events. Which shape our time. We must remember. Once again. The word, which we use for “church”. Is a translation of the Greek word ecclesia. (Εκκλησία) Meaning “a calling out.” It never refers to a building. Or a meeting place. But always to a people. The ones “called out” of this world by God. Calling them into His service.

The message of Easter. Is a third person confession of faith. “Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!” As well as a first person testimony. “I have seen the Lord” And this is the message those “called out” are to proclaim. It is all you need to hear. 

The story of Easter starts with the obvious. Jesus is dead. And His followers assume that he remained dead. The women come to the tomb. Because that is where they saw the body of Jesus was placed after his crucifixion (23:55-56). 

They bring the spices along to anoint the body of Jesus. To show proper respect for the dead. The discovery of the empty tomb does not lead to an easy change of perspective. It brings confusion. Not clarity. Bodies that are dead presumably remain dead. The best one can do is to treat them with respect.

They arrived at the tomb to hallow his memory. With praise for his legacy. Much as the women imagined themselves. Called to honor his dead body. With spices and ointments. 

The women receive a word that runs counter to what they know to be true. "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (24:5). 

The women encounter the resurrection through this message. They are told that Jesus has risen. But they do not see the risen Jesus himself. 

What they have is a word. A message. And this is precisely where our situation is like that of the women on the first Easter. We are all given a message of resurrection. This flies in the face of what we know to be true.

The only logical response to such a message is unbelief. Experience teaches that death wins. The Easter message says that Jesus lives. The women bring the message of resurrection to the others. And they respond as thinking people regularly respond. They thought that the message was "an idle tale, and they did not believe them" (24:11).

Unbelief does not mean that people believe nothing. Rather. It means that they believe something else. People say, "I don't believe it!" Because there is something else. That they believe more strongly. 

Yet here is where the Easter message begins its work. By challenging our convictions. Experience teaches that death wins. And that even the strongest succumb to it. Experience teaches that life is what you make it. So get what you can while you can. Because it will be over soon enough. And the Easter message asks, "Really? How can you be so sure?" Yes! Death is real. But it is not final.  Because of Easter. Life gets the last word.

What changed their minds? Those who once regarded the Resurrection as an idle tale. Would eventually have a powerful experience of the Risen Christ. 

Somehow, Peter – perhaps because of his experience on the mount of Transfiguration. Or his sleepy time in the Garden. Did not dismiss the report of the women. Instead of snickering. He went running. And he found what he probably already knew to be true. The tomb was empty. 

You who gather for worship on Easter Sunday. Follow in the footsteps of Peter.  You have heard the rumor that Jesus is alive. And you have come to hear again for yourselves: “Christ is risen” and “We have seen the Lord!”  What if it is true? What if death is real. But not final? What if Jesus is not merely past. But present?  

In the midst of change. We cling to that which is permanent. Dead is real. But it is not final. In Jesus, life gets the last word. The message is clear. We have seen the Lord. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Hallelujah.

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Image: CNN 
Text-week: Commentary on Luke 24:1-12 by Craig R. Koester Working Preacher © March 2013