St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church

Sermon by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007 Matthew 28:1-10

After the Sabbath, at dawn, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lighting and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with joy and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid!”

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

When I was I college—when each day’s classes were done—we’d go down into the TV room. We’d get a little bottle of Mt. Dew and a small bag of cheese corn—and we’d watch the original Star Trek! There was Captain Kirk—on the bridge—full speed ahead Mr. Checkov! Put up the shields when the Star Ship Enterprise was fired upon. There were phasers on stun—because the Enterprise crew tried never to vaporize their enemies. There was Mr. Spock—half Vulvan—pure logic—devoid of any human emotion. There was Dr. McCoy—who tried desperately to save the lives of the security guys in red shirts who were always expendable. And there was Scotty—down in the engine room. He was always telling Captain Kirk they couldn’t go any faster—the engines were all on the brink of exploding! Scotty’s real name was James—a man named James Doohan—born in Canada. James died on Nancy’s birthday—back in 2005 when he was 85 years old. James was cremated when he died. And his ashes are going to be blasted—way out into space! How cool is that? Scotty’s ashes are going to be loaded onto a real rocket—along with the ashes of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper—who flew a space ship called Faith 7—and the ashes of some 200 other people! The fact is—for $495. you can have some of your loved one’s ashes blasted into space too! It doesn’t really matter—because when Judgment Day comes—it won’t be a problem at all for Jesus to raise you from the dead. It won’t be a problem for Jesus at all—to put your glorified body and immortal soul back together—for ever and for good! We are here in God’s House this Easter morning because:

Easter Means Jesus’ Eternal Victory!

1. We are not afraid any more

2. We are filled with joy!

Jesus certainly didn’t look victorious on Good Friday! Jesus had been up through the night. He had sweat great drops of blood—he prayed in such earnestness in the small grove of olive trees. There he was arrested and tied up. He was pushed and shoved and slapped. He was falsely accused—yelled at—even screamed at. He was taken to the Roman Governor—where he was scourged—whipped with whips—again deviously designed by people—to do near fatal damage to a person’s back—their spine and their kidneys. He was crowned with thorns—and struck on the head again and again. He was blindfolded—then punched and knocked down. It’s easy to imagine the whole company of soldiers—trying to see who could hit him the hardest. Who could literally knock him off his feet with one blow? Who could raise the biggest welt? Who could open the biggest cut on his face? By the time they were done with him—their hands must have hurt—and Jesus’ face was so battered it didn’t even look human any more. They forced Jesus to carry his cross until he couldn’t. When they got to the stony hill shaped like a skull—there they crucified him. There they nailed him to the tree. There they gambled for his clothes. Then they taunted and ridiculed him more. There they spent the last hours of Jesus’ life—taunting him and baiting him. If he was the Christ—why didn’t he save himself?

After the Sabbath, at dawn, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. What with the Sabbath beginning at sunset—there wasn’t time that very dark Friday afternoon to finish wrapping Jesus’ body with the linen and the spices. And so—this—the first chance—Sunday morning—they were going to finish the job—this last act of worship and devotion. Their eyes were red from crying. Their heads hurt from lack of sleep. Their chief worry was—who would roll the massive stone away from the door to the tomb—so they could get in. In a moment all that would change—For there was a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lighting and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid!” This was the same thing the angel said that very first Christmas night. “Do not be afraid!” The Greek very literally means—stop being afraid! I know you are frightened—but don’t be scared any more! “Do not be afraid!” The stone is rolled away—to show that his is grave is empty. He is our risen Savior and living Lord!

He is not here; he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. Jesus died and rose again. And because Jesus rose again—we have the sure and certain hope of eternal life. I wonder how many people know and believe that! I read the obituaries again the other day—from the Boston Globe. It said a lady named Janet died. It said that she was vibrant—she and her paintings filled with life! It said when she found out last year that she was dying from lung cancer she had one of those pre-wake parties. She invited some 70 of her closest friends—to have a going away party—an opportunity to say goodbye when she was still strong and happy! I wonder if her friends and relatives pointed her to the forever wedding feast in heaven—for Jesus’ sake! A man named Baron von Loringhoven died—some 93 years old. He was actually in the bunker with Adolf Hitler—when Hitler and most of his generals talked about despair and argued over different ways of self-destruction! I wonder what it was like to be near Hitler—a man filled with such fanatical murderous hateful evil! And yet the fact is—Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom the Apostle Paul said—I am the worst! We are no better than Hitler—nor the Baron who did his bidding! A man named Howard died. Howard was like the head plumber for the White House! How cool would that be? He was in charge of all the fountains—all the water—the pipes and faucets in the building where the most powerful people in all the world live! Those people were only people—people just like you and me. People who do sins and make mistakes. People who sin all the time. People in positions of great public trust. People to honor—according to the 4^th commandment. People to pray for—that God would give them discerning hearts—to rule with the wisdom of Solomon. I wonder if this plumber knew about living water—water that once you drink it—you will never be thirsty again! In the Easter Gospel we have refreshment for souls and lives that are parched and dying from thirst!

He is not here. He has risen from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead. And because he rose from the dead—the first fruits of those who sleep—we too will rise from the dead. That means we don’t need to be afraid of the grave. When we die—our soul will come home to heaven. And on Judgment Day our immortal soul and our glorified body—will be together safe and strong—new through and through! I learned the other day that there are still lots and lots of soldiers who died in Korea—whose bodies have not been recovered. How many do you think that would be? I wasn’t sure. Maybe 40 or 50? That would seem like a lot! Maybe a hundred or two? That would be pretty many too! Sons and husbands and fathers who had died in that painful police action—that war that nobody really won. Maybe a thousand? That would be so many! And yet—I learned the other day—that there are some 8,100 people who are officially listed as missing in action! How can that be? I someone looking for them? Could they possibly be prisoners of war—hidden in some terrible labor camps in North Korea? Or did they give their lives—fighting for their country? Jesus knows! Jesus knows where every single one is. Jesus knows—because Jesus died and rose again to save them! That’s how great Jesus’ forgiving love is—to wash away the sins of everyone. On Judgment Day Jesus will raise up me and all the dead and give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. Jesus will surely keep that Easter promise!

Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” he said. They came to him clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid!” Can you imagine that? Everyone was so sad—their teacher, their Savior, their Lord, their Redeemer, their best friend had died a tortured death. They had seen him die—suffering unspeakable pain as he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And then—very early Easter morning—the women saw angels—holy heavenly messengers—who said Jesus was not dead—but risen! And then as they hurry away from the tomb—they bump into Jesus himself! What does Jesus say? Something complicated and deeply theological? Jesus simply says, “Greetings!” Hi there! Good morning! Jesus was risen from the dead—just like he promised. Remember what Jesus said on the way up to Jerusalem? Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:23 Remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus? Jesus reviewed with them all the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27. The Scriptures set their hearts on fire—as they saw the grace and mercy and goodness and forgiveness of their Redeemer!

Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” he said. They came to him clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid!” We worship Jesus because we know he is our Savior—our only Savior—by grace through faith! There is in Newsweek magazine this week—page after page entitled The God Debate! It is interesting—to hear the attacks of those who have cold hard hearts of unbelief that continue to attack and ridicule the Gospel. They mock prayer. If praying really works—and God is really almighty—the atheist asks—then why don’t you find one person who has lost his arm—and have one billion Christians pray that God would regrow his arm—the same way a salamander regrows a limb. How about that? Certainly regrowing a limb isn’t any harder than water into fine wine—cleansing lepers or raising the dead? What do you say? What would you say? Can Jesus make limbs grow back? Yes he can. And if a person needed a new arm—Jesus could give him one. Jesus has made it possible to have artificial hands and arms and even hearts. Jesus has made it possible to transplant kidneys and livers and hearts. Jesus has made it possible to replace fingers with toes. And perhaps through stem cells—Jesus will make it possible to regrow a whole arm and hand. Unbelievers taunted Jesus himself—show us a miracle—give us a sign—come down from the cross—and we will believe in you! When we come home to heaven—which might be exceedingly soon—we will have new arms and legs—fingers—eyes, ears, noses and much much more. This is just part of our Easter joy—that our light and momentary problems—no matter how terrible they might be—are not worthy to be compared—to the joy that we will know in heaven—because Jesus died and rose again to save us! Easter is about Jesus healing our spiritual heart—forgiving all our sins—setting us free even from the fear of death. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz