Pr. DFD : Easter

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Saturday, April 4, 2026

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Saturday, April 12, 2025

EASTER Series C - study notes

Isaiah 65:17–25

1 Corinthians 15:19–26

Luke 24:1–12

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Christ’s Resurrection Is the First-fruits of the New Creation

The Lord has promised to “create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17), in which His people shall abide in peace and joy. That new creation has begun in the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus. All the baptized belong to that new creation. Reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, they are “the offspring of the blessed of the Lord” (Isaiah 65:23). The Lord rejoices and is glad in them; He hears and answers their prayers. For “if in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). But Christ Jesus has been raised, “the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). We may be “perplexed about this” (Luke 24:4), perhaps even frightened and brought to our knees, because it seems like an “idle tale” (Luke 24:11). But faith clings to the Word of Christ and finds His resurrected body — not in the tomb, but in His Holy Supper.

Luke 24:1 – τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέως ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα ἦλθον φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα.

refers back to 11:55, they rested on the Sabbath preparing spices...the first day after the Sabbath, very early they came with the spices. They did not anticipate the resurrection...if making this up why go into these details?

Luke 24:2 – εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου,

they found the stone rolled Latterly popped out of the grove. Lying flat.

Luke 24:3 – εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα.

but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Expressed in very few words.

Luke 24:4 – καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ.

and it happened, while they were amazed at these things right then and there two men stood in dazzling clothing.

John says Angels were at the head and foot reminiscent of the ark of the covenant.

Luke 24:5 – ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπα εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτάς· Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν;

in their fright they bowed their faces to the dirt and the men said "why are you seeking the living one with the dead ones?"

Look at the Easter chants..."Why seek the living among the dead?" A sermon in itself.

Luke 24:6 – οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλὰ ἠγέρθη. μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ,

He Is not here he is raised is in brackets...he is raised remember how he spoke to you while in Galilee.

Luke 24:7- λέγων [i]τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὅτι δεῖ παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι.

it was necessary (divine necessity) for the Son of man to be handed into the hands of men sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise.

Raised as a human, "Son of man." See Psalm 2, Ps. 110,

Luke 24:8 – καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ,

then they remembered His words.

Luke 24:9 – καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς λοιποῖς.

returning from the tomb they proclaimed reported these things...woman's ordination?

Luke 24:10 – ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία ἡ Ἰακώβου καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς· ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα.

the list of women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and others...at least five...told this to the apostles.

Luke 24:11 – καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα [l]ταῦτα, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς.

they did not believe them it sounded as nonsense

Luke 24:12 – Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον· καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ [n]ὀθόνια μόνα· καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς [o]αὑτὸν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.

Peter standing up ran to the tomb, stopping, saw the linen strips and returned to his own place marveling at what had become.

some Gk editions do not have this verse.

Sources:

The Risen Christ copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Easter Festival

Reasoning through the Resurrection

Luke’s account is devoid of the spectacular: an earthquake, rolling away of the stone, terrified soldiers, and the appearance of Christ at the tomb, men rather than angels. Luke uses reasoning as proof of the resurrection. It is modern man’s version of the resurrection as proof of the resurrection. It is modern man’s version of the resurrection because today we cannot have a reappearance of the risen Lord. Luke answers the question how we of today can be convinced of the reality of the resurrection.

1. The cold fact of an empty tomb – Vv. 3 “but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” - Luke 24:3

The tomb of Jesus is empty! This is the reality of the resurrection. The tombs of other great religious leaders contain the bones of these dead men. Christ’s tomb remains different. We base our faith the one simple yet important fact. An empty tomb and the visible appearance of Jesus Christ to His disciples.

2. The logic of the situation – Vv. 5 “In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Luke 24:5

St. Paul would remind us, “But if Christ is not raised from the dead you are still in your sins and we are to be pitied above all men.” But now Christ is raised from the dead. The logic of the witnesses rings true. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Christ will not be found there in a tomb. He is alive.

For a period of 40 days Jesus appeared to His disciples time and again so they would know without any doubt that He truly is alive and risen from the dead. In fact, the testimony of the early disciples was simply this, “we have seen Jesus alive from the dead.”

Remember, these disciples did not run off to Athens or Rome. They remained in the very city where Jesus had died. While the church scattered due to persecution the disciples remained in Jerusalem bearing witness to any who would hear that they had seen Jesus with their own eyes.

3. Trust in the words of Jesus – Vv. 6-8 “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.” - Luke 24:6-8

We are called to live this same faith. Recalling Jesus’ words we live by them. Recalling His promise of life beyond death we live in this sure and certain hope. For the Christian death is not the end. We trust in Him who has conquered death and given life and immortality to all who believe.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Words-510
Passive Sentences – 8%
Readability – 76.1%
Reading Level – 6.0

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Easter Series C

EASTER DAY Series C

Isaiah 65:17–25

1 Corinthians 15:19–26

Luke 24:1–12

Christ’s Resurrection Is the First-fruits of the New Creation

The Lord has promised to “create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17), in which His people shall abide in peace and joy. That new creation has begun in the bodily resurrection of Christ Jesus. All the baptized belong to that new creation. Reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, they are “the offspring of the blessed of the Lord” (Isaiah 65:23). The Lord rejoices and is glad in them; He hears and answers their prayers. For “if in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). But Christ Jesus has been raised, “the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). We may be “perplexed about this” (Luke 24:4), perhaps even frightened and brought to our knees, because it seems like an “idle tale” (Luke 24:11). But faith clings to the Word of Christ and finds His resurrected body — not in the tomb, but in His Holy Supper.

Luke 24:1 –

τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέως ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα ἦλθον φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα.

refers back to 11:55, they rested on the Sabbath preparing spices...the first day after the Sabbath, very early they came with the spices. They did not anticipate the resurrection...if making this up why go into these details?

Luke 24:2 –

εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου,

they found the stone rolled Latterly popped out of the grove. Lying flat.

Luke 24:3 –

εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα.

but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Expressed in very few words.

Luke 24:4 –

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ.

and it happened, while they were amazed at these things right then and there two men stood in dazzling clothing. John says Angels were at the head and foot reminiscent of the ark of the covenant.

Luke 24:5 –

ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπα εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτάς• Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν;

in their fright they bowed their faces to the dirt and the men said "why are you seeking the living one with the dead ones?"

Look at the Easter chants... "Why seek the living among the dead?" A sermon in itself.

Luke 24:6 –

οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλὰ ἠγέρθη. μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ,

He Is not here he is raised is in brackets...he is raised remember how he spoke to you while in Galilee.

Luke 24:7-

λέγων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὅτι δεῖ παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι.

it was necessary (divine necessity) for the Son of man to be handed into the hands of men sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise.

Raised as a human, "Son of man." See Psalm 2, Ps. 110,

Luke 24:8 –

καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ,

then they remembered His words.

Luke 24:9 –

καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς λοιποῖς.

returning from the tomb they proclaimed reported these things...woman's ordination?

Luke 24:10 –

ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία ἡ Ἰακώβου καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς• ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα.

the list of women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and others...at least five...told this to the apostles.

Luke 24:11 –

καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα [l]ταῦτα, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς.

they did not believe them it sounded as nonsense

Luke 24:12 –

Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον• καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ [n]ὀθόνια μόνα• καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς [o]αὑτὸν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.

Peter standing up ran to the tomb, stopping, saw the linen strips and returned to his own place marveling at what had become.

some Gk editions do not have this verse.

-Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Resurrection’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Easter - J Hart

Saturday, April 3, 2021

Easter

Mark 16:1-8
Easter, it’s All True!

[1]

God our Father, creator of all, today is the day of Easter joy. This is the morning on which the Lord appeared to men who had begun to lose hope and opened their eyes to what the scriptures foretold that first he must die and then he would rise and ascend into his Father’s glorious presence. May the risen Lord breathe on our minds and open our eyes that we may know him in the breaking of bread, and follow him in his risen life. Grant this through Christ our Lord.[2]

The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened 2,000 years ago. How can we, who are so far removed from that first Easter, be sure it happened? So much depends on whether it is true. Without the resurrection there is no hope for life beyond the grave. Without the resurrection there is no assurance that God is in control. Without the resurrection there is no guarantee that love is greater than hatred. How do we know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is real?

1. First, there is circumstantial evidence – an empty tomb. Listen as Mark gives us his account of that first Easter, “the angel said: “here is the place where they laid Him.” V.6 On the way to the tomb, the three women were asking themselves “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?” The question indicates that they did not expect a resurrection even though they must have heard Jesus say several times, “and on the third day I will rise again.”

If the resurrection were a fabrication and a hoax the question would not be asked. Well, who did roll away the stone? Mark does not tell us. We learn from St. Paul in his letter to Rome that the Father Himself raised up Jesus. “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 4:24; “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus4 from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8:11

The LORD Himself moved the stone! Man could not do it – not the stone of death. All the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men would not be able to conquer death. This was the Father’s act of grace and victory!

The angel identifies the risen one as the man Jesus from Nazareth who was crucified. This gives reality to the Easter story. The risen Christ is not a spirit. The resurrected person was Jesus from the town of Nazareth. He was killed on a cross. He was truly dead and buried.

There is no room here for a “spiritual” or a “symbolic” resurrection! We must not spiritualize the account. It was not a resurrection of the spirit or the soul of Jesus. The physical body, the whole person of Jesus - rose from the dead on that first Easter.

2. There is the witness of God’s messenger, an angel, as well as the testimony of those who met Jesus recorded in the Words of Scripture. Mark continues, “And entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting at the right wearing a white robe and they were amazed. And he said, ‘why seek the living among the dead. He is not here, He is risen from the dead,’”

There is no such thing as a dead Christ. Why seek the living among the dead? Jesus will not be found in the tombs of the dead. He is alive! Why seek Him there?

The grave could not hold Him. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. The disciples’ testimony is true. “We are witnesses of these events; we have seen Him with our own eyes.” This Jesus who was crucified is now alive forevermore. The grave could not hold Him. See the place where they laid Him. He is not here. He is risen from the dead!

3. Then there is the experience of the living Christ – He will be seen in Galilee. “There you will see Him just as He said.” V.7 The angel instructs the women to tell the disciples, and Peter, to meet Jesus in Galilee as Jesus had told them.

In this account of the resurrection the risen Christ does not appear. He will meet His disciples in Galilee. Thus we are reminded by the message of the angel to heed the word of the Savior. Time and again He predicted His bodily resurrection. The women found the tomb empty. Where would they find Him?

They find Him at the very place where Jesus had directed them – in Galilee. Likewise, in your life, you find the risen Savior at those places where He has directed you – in the waters of Baptism, in the elements of Bread and Wine, in His very words and promises of Holy Scripture.

The women hurried off to Galilee and there they found Him as the angel predicted. Will you too find Him where He has directed you? Search the Scriptures; the eye-witness account of those who met the risen Lord Jesus. There you will find Him alive. He cannot deny Himself. He is risen just as He said!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Words-935
Passive Sentences – 10%
Readability – 80.8%
Reading Level -4.8

[2] Opening Prayer for Easter, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, © Delhi, NY

Easter Festival

Isaiah 25:6-9

Easter Joy

The one thing most people want is happiness. Our expressions at Easter indicate that Easter is supposed to a happy time, “Easter Joy” and “Happy Easter” are just a few expressions which come to mind. It is a time of rejoicing not because of our happy circumstances but because, and only because of what God has done for us in the Resurrection. True Christians are happy regardless of the hardships they may face. If circumstances indicate that you may be experiencing hardships, handicaps and misfortunes God has a message for you this day – Easter joy is based not on outward circumstances rather on God’s victory which He invites you to share this day.

Easter is a happy time because…

I. It is a feast – Isaiah 25:6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.

“On this mountain,” the LORD will prepare a sumptuous, Julia-Childs-worthy meal. The LORD crawls to the back of the wine cellar to retrieve the best vintage wines. Wines that have aged for years. Perhaps in preparation for this very occasion. V 6

On this same mountain where the china has been laid out and the wine glasses are sparkling, the LORD will not only nurture and feed; He will destroy. The LORD will destroy “the shroud” and “the sheet” that cover all people (verse 7).

Turns out this a feast to commemorate the LORD’s defeat of nothing less than death itself.

A. This passage from Isaiah looks forward to the day when God would destroy death forever. Isaiah looks to the day when God would offer a fest for all the nations. A banquet in the Old Testament stood as a symbol of the consummation of God’s saving purpose in history.

B. This feast is a celebration of God’s victory over death. God will swallow death up forever and thus death will no longer plague mankind. This is the work of God, and people have reason to celebrate His salvation with joy.

At this event, God will demonstrate that He is able to supply far more than any of His children could ever dream. There will be feasting and celebration in abundance!

In eternity, we will not need to give up any good thing to be with God! What God offers will far surpass any good thing we could imagine in this world!

Paul speaks this way. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21

The Lord God can do so much more than we can imagine! What He offers is far better than what this world offers. Everything in this life will pale in comparison with this feast. He will prepare the most epic party ever for His people!

II. It is a victory – Isaiah 25:7-8 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

A. A question could be asked “how can we find an Easter message in an Old Testament passage?” It is found in the form of a promise of the future. The future was fulfilled on Easter.

B. Today we’ve been given a perspective of God’s plan of salvation which was in His mind from the time of creation. When Isaiah wrote these words is was God Himself giving us His Word. On Easter God gave us His deed!

Notice who is invited to this feast; it is “for all peoples” v 6, “from all faces;” and “from all the earth” v.8

You may well remember Jesus speaking of a feast where many were invited. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. - Matthew 22:2-3; 8-9

Jesus’ parable shares this similar scene, of a feast where people of all kinds invited to celebrate with the king.

This feast on the mountain includes all types of people: every race, language, culture, background, economic make-up; they’re all invited.

So, all peoples, that is; all that God has saved from the earth, will gather in one place, at a homecoming feast with their Savior.

III. It is salvation – Isaiah 25:9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD; we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.

A. Your happiness does not depend on your well being in this world. Christians to this hour are oppressed, persecuted, and defeated yet they still rejoice. How so?

B. The reason is the source of Christian’s joy – God. A person can rejoice because God Himself has defeated our worst enemy – death. God has provided a banquet feast for us.

This feast, however, is THE moment that God’s people have been waiting for. Death is dead, sorrows are gone, tears flow no more, and God has kept His promise.

They will say, ‘This is our God! He’s the one that we’ve waited for! We are now in His presence! We will rejoice in Him!’ This will be a joyous celebration, forever!

On Easter we celebrate the reality that life overcomes death by the power of the resurrection. This was the promise Isaiah hoped for – for us today we celebrate its reality. Now death is dead forever! This is what God has done for us! This is reason for rejoicing and celebration.

Words- 1,115
Passive Sentences -11%
Readability – 76%
Reading Level – 6.0
Easter copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Easter Series B

Easter Series B

4 April 2021

EASTER SUNRISE

Exodus 15:1–11

1 Corinthians 5:6b–8

John 20:1–18

The Risen Lord Jesus Is Our Strength and Our Song, for He Has Become Our Salvation

O come, let us “sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously” (Ex. 15:1). By His cross, He has shattered the enemy, crushing sin and death beneath His feet; and in His resurrection, He has brought us out of Egypt into the freedom of the Gospel. He has called us out of darkness into light, and led us from confusion, fear and weeping into the joy and gladness of His resurrection. He is our strength and our song, and He has become our salvation (Ex. 15:2). Thus do we hear and respond to His voice of the Gospel, as He calls each of us by name. We enter His tomb by our Baptism into His death, and just as surely as He has risen, so we also “must rise from the dead” (John 20:9). “Let us therefore celebrate the festival” (1 Cor. 5:8), not in the revelry of self-indulgence, nor in the debauchery of lust, but in sincere faith and genuine love. For “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). He has thereby set us free from sin and death, and now He feeds us with Himself unto life everlasting.

And lest anyone think this is all simply a liturgical abstraction, it was human flesh that went down into that tomb, and human flesh that emerged from it. Human flesh-the depressed, the addicted, the lonely, those struggling with sexuality, those who struggle financially, those who struggle in marriage, in short, all of humanity, has been crucified with Christ, and resurrected with Him. Who cares what you have done? Who cares where you have been? Judgment belongs to the Father, but you, you, bear the image of the Son, and it was you, you, whom he rescued. - Pr. Ken Kelly, from Baptism of our Lord Homily 1.13.2019

EASTER SUNDAY

(4 April 2021)

Isaiah 25:6–9

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Mark 16:1–8

The Risen Christ Has Swallowed Up Death Forever!

The entire fallen world is veiled in a funeral shroud “that is spread over all nations” and “cast over all peoples” (Is. 25:7). But the Lord of hosts, in the Person of the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, has removed that terrible pall and swallowed up death forever. By submitting Himself to death, He burst it apart from the inside out. Now He wipes away all tears from our faces, and He invites us to “be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9). His body and His blood, crucified and risen, are given and poured out for us as a feast “of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Is. 25:6). We enter that feast through Holy Baptism, whereby our old man is buried with Jesus Christ, and we are raised up in Him, “dressed in a white robe” of His perfect righteousness (Mark 16:5). What St. Paul and the other apostles received “by the grace of God” is also “delivered to you” by the preaching of Christ, “in which you stand, and by which you are being saved” (1 Cor. 15:1–11).

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Resurrection: Biological Event

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen. (Mark 16:6)

Many Christians have the misconception that the Christian faith is only a spiritual matter. To be sure, the Christian faith involves deep spiritual things; it speaks with God’s authority on spiritual themes such as faith, hope, love and forgiveness. It deals with spiritual beings such as angels and with the spirits of those who have died, and it addresses numerous other spiritual matters.

However, Christianity—unlike any other religion—recognizes the foundational value of the physical. The Christian faith recognizes that God created all things good. He created all the elements of the universe and He created all the laws that enable such elements to interact. Above all, God created physical, biological life—life that is directly dependent upon elements such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sodium and the like. To remain alive, a creature must continue to absorb and use such elements through food and respiration. Human beings are not mere “spiritual” beings; they are—in many ways like the animals—biological beings. They are nonetheless far different from the animals, for they were created to be like God, in His image, and they were intended to live forever—as biological beings. If the Creator removes His hand of blessing, biological life spins like a top preparing to fall. Because of spiritual death (being disconnected from God), biological life runs down and ultimately crashes in physical death.

When man rebelled against the Creator and thus became separated from God because of sin, all biological life wobbled toward death. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately became—as God had promised—dead. They were, as St. Paul would explain, dead in their trespasses and sins (Ep 2:1ff). This spiritual death is directly linked to physical death. Spiritual death could not be readily detected, but physical death would be keenly observed. This happened when human bodies ceased to absorb and use those nutrients necessary for biological life. Though only physical death can be quantified, yet both spiritual and physical death are inexorably linked, and they are together essential in defining death. Because of spiritual death, human bodies have genetic problems, age-related ailments, various destructive diseases, debilitating injuries…and ultimately physical death.

When the Son of God became man, He could not be a mere spiritual being; appropriately He became a biological being, He became flesh. He was and still is Mary’s biological son. He was also, unlike the rest of humanity, spiritually alive, that is He was without sin, perfectly connected to God. Consequently His body did not inherit the various ailments that would ultimately bring His physical death. However, out of unfathomable love, He chose to bear our griefs, our sicknesses and our sins (Is 53). He chose to carry all that causes physical death. Physically He was not destined to die a “natural death” but He would allow Himself to be susceptible to the pain and murder inflicted by fallen mankind. Thus the One who should not die, biologically died. His body ceased to be able to absorb nutrients; He died of thirst, He died from lack of oxygen, He died as essential elements bled from His body, He died from physical shock.

Because He is the Son of God, He was able to carry mankind’s spiritual death, but this also meant He had to carry physical death. Then, demonstrating His total victory over sin and all of man’s fallenness, He physically rose from the dead. He rose with a body that is now incapable of death—but it is an actual body. This resurrection came with two wondrous, yet related, results: First, it guaranteed forgiveness and justification, thus undoing spiritual death. Second, it guarantees our physical resurrection.

As surely as Jesus went around performing biological miracles…healing the sick and crippled, giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and raising the dead…He now gives the ultimate biological miracle: Our permanent biological resurrection from the grave. Because He lives, we too shall live!

- Mark 16:1-8

1 Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

The Sabbath was past.

Now they are to finish the job

1. Bought spices

2. Go to anoint

They are going to lay flowers

How many "Mary's"?

Mary Magdalene was the common denominator. "Mary the Mother of James" would be Jesus' mother.

Mark 15:47 lists are the eye-witnesses

See - Luke 24:10

Is Salome the same as Johanna?

2 καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου.

And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

Sunday, "Sabbath 1" as soon as possible, after the sun had risen, they go... they respond.

Context, Mark is writing to a persecuted church. Who were living with this every day. Yet the women go where their Lord is even if they don't have it all figured out.

3 καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς• Τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου;

And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"

'who will roll it from the door of the tomb'

4 καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος, ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα.

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back-it was very large.

Receiving their sight, they saw The stone was exceedingly great. By the resurrection account they see the reality. They turn from looking down to looking up. The opposite of Genesis 3.

See how immediate the response is to their need.

5 καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

See Mark 14:51 "a young man" see Baptism, this is where Christ is for you. You are now clothed in the righteousness of Christ. This is the new man showing up on the other side of Easter. See Romans 6 this is where the resurrected Christ is to be found.

The women are amazed, fearful, alarmed shocked, feeling more than one emotion.

6 ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς• Μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε• Ἰησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον• ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε• ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν•

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.

He said, Stop fearing! See right here the place He was put.

We don't need a body...we go where He has promised He would be...

7 ἀλλὰ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι Προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν• ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑμῖν.

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 Ascension happened in Galilee. He Ascended not to be absent but to be near. You won't have me as you once did...now we have Him in the Sacramrnts.

8 καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, εἶχεν [f]γὰρ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις• καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαν, ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.

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.

They were standing literally outside of themselves. The told no one nothing. In Greek the negatives stack up.

-Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Resurrection’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Easter - 2020

To say it’s been a strange few weeks would be like saying;”the sky is blue.” Little did any of us realize what effects the COVIT-19 pandemic would have on our community, state, nation and our world. Schools have been closed for the remainder of the school year. Stay-at-home orders have been enacted. Unemployment continues to rise as only “essential workers” are allowed to venture out from their homes.

This Holy week; the holiest of weeks for us as Christians will be a week we will never forget. I pray it will never be replicated again! I hate it!

Jesus says that this life's sorrows last only “a little while,” but they certainly don’t feel that way. In the moment, they can seem to last forever. The great comfort of the Gospel is that Jesus took your sins as His own and suffered what they deserve. You may trust His compassion that He knows your sorrows are real, because they took Him to the grave. Take great comfort in His resurrection, which shows Him to be victorious over them all.

What are we to make of this present reality? An invisible threat lurks on every door handle and in every cough. Grocery stores are emptying, and jobs are disappearing. A general feeling of uncertainty abounds, and anxiety is going to be on the rise.

No one is immune. The fact that someone is infected does not mean it is visible on the surface. Thousands have perished. More will die from this disease. There isn’t any known cure…yet. Epidemiologists are on this. We pray that effective treatments will soon be discovered. We depend on medicine to find solutions, but the One who cures your greatest ill is the Redeemer - Christ Jesus.

The voice of Christ can be heard even more clearly. There is something immovable. There is someone whose promise remains unaffected. There is a message which stands, no matter where the Corona -virus spreads. Unlike COVID-19, your sin already has a cure in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And, in fact, Christ whom we proclaim knew sickness and death first-hand, so that He could be with us in our time of trial. He is not an anchor just for calm waters. He stands firm no matter how much the waves thrash about. The cross stands while the world spins.

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is your present reality. We are EASTER people.

A. Why seek the living among the dead?

This world is fallen. - It is a playground for the Devil in his main task: The destruction of faith in Jesus Christ. In this brokenness we call out. Searching for God. “I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” – Psalm 42:9-10

We are broken. “All the things we worshiped as idols in our society have been taken away by this pandemic. Sports, music and entertainment, the economy, all have been shut down. When you run out of all your made up strength and have no place else to stand, repent and return to God in Christ Jesus. Everything can and will fail you, but Jesus promises never to leave nor forsake those who have believed and are baptized into His life, death, and resurrection. The only eternal thing you can have to hold on to is Christ Jesus.” 1

Sickness is not simply a picture of sin. It’s also a result of sin. Human sickness was not an inherent part of the good world that the Father created. It only made its entrance as a result of our rebellion against God. So we have good reason to expect the removal of sin to lead to the end of the sickness. Jesus has healed our wounds by dealing with the root problem: your sin.

Jesus entered time and space to be your suffering servant. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

All systems in this world are fallen and broken. You cannot place your ultimate trust in things. Like physical health. Financial security. And societal stability. They can all vanish before us in the twinkling of an eye.

B. “He is not here.”

You won’t find Jesus in death. Christ is Risen! This is your certain reality. We are Easter people. Christ is risen! We say this in all confidence in the words of the Te Deum “When You had overcome the sharpness of death. You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.” With the Psalmist we can say,” "You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon." - Psalm 91:5-6

C. He is risen indeed!

See the place. And what do you behold? An empty tomb. A rolled away stone. “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.” (Vs.2) This stone. Was not rolled away for Christ to get out. It was rolled away so that you could enter. To find the tomb to be empty.

Transition: We are EASTER people because of the evidence. But there is more - we have seen Him.

2. An eye-witness encounter with Jesus Christ is what has changed this world.

A. Consider Mary.

Distraught over the events of the past few days. Her hopes and dreams had been crushed. She found herself walking to the tomb to mourn her loss. She was alone in her grief. Suffering in silence and isolation. She was a witness of Jesus’ arrest, trial, passion, death, burial. Who could forget such events?

Now an empty tomb – Even more drama! Her grief blinded her to the present reality. She could not see Jesus stand right before her. But with one word all grief and pain was gone. He spoke her name. “Mary!” He speaks your name – even in the midst of your fear and dread. He speaks to you; not in a voice from within yourself to confuse or frighten you. He comes to you in specific places. He comes to you in His Word of the Gospel which is proclaimed to you this day. He comes to you in the waters of your Baptism washing all your sins away. He speaks His word of forgiveness in His word of absolution. He gives His life to you –in His meal.

B. Christ goes before you.

To order your days and direct your path. No matter how this journey goes Christ will direct you. He goes before you to prepare a place for you. To give you His new life. You! You are The Father's beloved child.

This is your value, which Jesus has purchased you from sin, death, and the devil.

We look for self-worth outside ourselves to avoid looking at our sins, to deny them, to cover up our self-disappointment.

So, go ahead, look outside yourself, but to Jesus, and behold by faith, that His righteousness, His approval, now covers and hides every one of your sins.

You are now innocent in the Father's sight, beloved. Forgiven of your sins. An inheritor of eternal life.

So, stop looking at your phone. Stop looking at your job, your marriage, your children, stop looking at other people. Find your value, instead, in this Gospel, that Jesus died and rose again for you. If you have felt lonely and dejected. If you've sought your value in other people and been let down, look to Jesus and His cross. And believe that He, and He alone, knows all your pain.

"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows."

All that endless sorrows you have in seeking approval, value, and worth, the reason you so desperately seek it, is to avoid looking at your sin. So the only way Jesus could heal you was to take that, your sin, away. As His own. And to the grave.

But on the third day, He rose again to a most glorious word of praise.

In His Baptism, God the Father had said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Again, in His transfiguration, "This is My beloved Son."

God the Father is pleased beyond measure in everything Jesus says and does.

And so when the Father raised Him from the tomb, He proclaimed one more announcement for all to hear: "This is My beloved Son, who has taken your sins as His own, suffered punishment and hell in your place, and now, because He has done this, now, I am well pleased with you."

This is the Easter Spirit that Jesus speaks about today: "He will take of Mine and show it to you." (John 16:14) For the work of the Spirit is to proclaim the victory of Christ's resurrection.

The Easter Spirit shows you Jesus raised from the dead and that it means everything He accomplished is yours.

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

__________
Words – 1,700
Passive Sentences –8%
Readability – 81.5%
Reading Level –4.3
The Risen Christ copyright © Ed Riojas Higher Things
________________
1 Taken from a Facebook_TM post 4.07.2020 by Pr. Eric Johnson who fell victim to the Covid-19 virus
i. https://www.1517.org/articles/pandemic-preaching
ii T Daub Easter 4 “Patience” April 22, 2018 John 16:16-23 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Hecla, South Dakota

Saturday, April 11, 2020

I believe in the Resurrection!

The Church building might be empty this Easter due to Covid-19

But this we know and believe...

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

tune in - WZBD 92.7 fm

and

live-stream on our parish facebook page

9:05 am this Easter

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Easter Series A

EASTER Series A

12 April 2020

Exodus 14:10—15:1

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

John 20:1–18

The Lord Jesus Brings Us Out of Death into Life with His God and Father in Heaven

In Adam all people die, because all people sin. The children of that first gardener have been driven out of Paradise and return to the dust whence they were taken. But now another Gardener has come, who has made His bed in the dust of the earth and who by His rising restores Paradise to all the children of men. With His voice of the Gospel, He calls us by name, and He opens our eyes to behold Him by faith. At His Word, we enter His tomb through Baptism into His death, so that, just as He is risen, we also “rise from the dead” (John 20:9). Come, then, “sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously” (Ex. 15:1). He has fought for us against our enemies, and in His resurrection not one enemy remains. “Fear not,” therefore, but “see the salvation of the Lord” (Ex. 14:13), which He delivers “as of first importance” by the preaching of His Gospel (1 Cor. 15:3). Thus we are raised with Christ “in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:4), and we stand firm because we “are being saved” (1 Cor. 15:1–2).

EASTER SUNDAY

Acts 10:34–43 or Jeremiah 31:1–6

Colossians 3:1–4

Matthew 28:1–10

EASTER SUNRISE

Exodus 14:10—15:1

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

John 20:1–18

John 20:1-18

John 20:1

Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

John 20:2

τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴν ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς• Ἦραν τὸν κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

John 20:3

ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητής, καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον.

So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.

John 20:4

ἔτρεχον δὲ οἱ δύο ὁμοῦ• καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς προέδραμεν τάχιον τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ ἦλθεν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,

Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

John 20:5

καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια, οὐ μέντοι εἰσῆλθεν.

And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

John 20:6

ἔρχεται οὖν καὶ Σίμων Πέτρος ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον• καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα,

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,

John 20:7

καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον•

and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

John 20:8

τότε οὖν εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἐπίστευσεν•

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

John 20:9

οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γραφὴν ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι.

for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

John 20:10

ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς [b]αὑτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί.

Then the disciples went back to their homes.

John 20:11

Μαρία δὲ εἱστήκει πρὸςτῷ μνημείῳ ἔξω κλαίουσα. ὡς οὖν ἔκλαιεν παρέκυψεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.

John 20:12

καὶ θεωρεῖ δύο ἀγγέλους ἐν λευκοῖς καθεζομένους, ἕνα πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἕνα πρὸς τοῖς ποσίν, ὅπου ἔκειτο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.

And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

John 20:13

καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ ἐκεῖνοι• Γύναι, τί κλαίεις; λέγει αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ἦραν τὸν κύριόν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.

They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."

John 20:14

αῦτα εἰποῦσα ἐστράφη εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν.

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

John 20:15

λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς• Γύναι, τί κλαίεις; τίνα ζητεῖς; ἐκείνη δοκοῦσα ὅτι ὁ κηπουρός ἐστιν λέγει αὐτῷ• Κύριε, εἰ σὺ ἐβάστασας αὐτόν, εἰπέ μοι ποῦ ἔθηκας αὐτόν, κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἀρῶ.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

John 20:16

λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς• Μαριάμ. στραφεῖσα ἐκείνη λέγει αὐτῷ [h]Ἑβραϊστί• Ραββουνι (ὃ λέγεται Διδάσκαλε).

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

John 20:17

λέγειαὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς• Μή μου ἅπτου, οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν [j]πατέρα• πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς• Ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν.

Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

John 20:18

ἔρχεται Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἀγγέλλουσα τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὅτι Ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ.

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"-and that he had said these things to her

EASTER SUNDAY

Acts 10:34–43 (or Jeremiah 31:1–6)

Colossians 3:1–4

St. Matthew 28:1–10

The Victory of the Christ Crucified Is Given to You in the Preaching of His Resurrection

Every Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the day of His Resurrection, “after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week” (Matt. 28:1). In the Divine Service the Church enters upon the eternal “Eighth Day.” The Lord Jesus, “who was crucified,” who “has risen, as He said” (Matt. 28:6), is the firstborn from the dead and the first-fruits of the New Creation. Because “you have died” with Him in Holy Baptism, “you have been raised with Christ” and “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1, 3). The Lord Jesus has become our God, as surely as He is “the God of all the clans of Israel,” and we now belong to His people (Jer. 31:1). In this He “shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34), but “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43). As “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” and “raised Him on the third day,” He also raises us up and pours out His Spirit upon us through the Gospel (Acts 10:38, 40).

Matthew 28:1-10 -

Matthew 28:1

Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων, τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς μίαν σαββάτων, ἦλθεν αριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεωρῆσαι τὸν τάφον.

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

Matthew 28:2

καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας• ἄγγελος γὰρ κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισε τὸν λίθον καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.

And behold, (right here and now...) there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

An earthquake happened at the crucifixion, the opening of the tombs, see Romans 8:22

"For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." - Romans 8:22 -

Matthew 28:3

ἦν δὲ ἡ εἰδέα αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀστραπὴ καὶ τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ λευκὸν ὡς χιών.

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

- similar to the Transfiguration...we behold Christ's full Exaltation...especially in John His glory is in the cross...

Matthew 28:4

ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ φόβου αὐτοῦ ἐσείσθησαν οἱ τηροῦντες καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ὡς νεκροί.

And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

Matthew 28:5

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος εἶπεν ταῖς γυναιξίν• Μὴ φοβεῖσθε ὑμεῖς, οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον ζητεῖτε•

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here in death...

See "Fear not" in Matthew 14:27

Matthew 28:6

οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἠγέρθη γὰρ καθὼς εἶπεν• δεῦτε ἴδετε τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἔκειτο•

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Look, see the empirical evidence

The tomb is the scene of Christ's divine absence...He is now present in His Word/Sacraments

Matthew 28:7

καὶ ταχὺ πορευθεῖσαι εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι Ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε• ἰδοὺ εἶπον ὑμῖν.

Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and (behold), he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, (behold) I have told you."

Fulfillment of the Transfiguration...he directs them to a specific mountain in Galilee...

Matthew 28:8

καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ταχὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου μετὰ φόβου καὶ χαρᾶς μεγάλης ἔδραμον ἀπαγγεῖλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ.

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

The simil of life... "We should fear and love God..."

Matthew 28:9

καὶ ἰδοὺ Ἰησοῦς [j]ὑπήντησεν αὐταῖς λέγων• Χαίρετε• αἱ δὲ προσελθοῦσαι ἐκράτησαν αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας καὶ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ.

And (behold), Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

Worship at his feet a posture of humility...

Matthew 28:10

τότε λέγει αὐταῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς• Μὴ φοβεῖσθε• ὑπάγετε ἀπαγγείλατε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου ἵνα ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, κἀκεῖ με ὄψονται.

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."