Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010
Where is Jesus?
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
The women went to the tomb on that first Easter morning looking for the body of Jesus. They did not find it. Where is Jesus, they wondered. The angels told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. The women told everything to the disciples. Then Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty. Where is Jesus, he wondered. Christ had risen from the dead! He was no longer in the tomb. They could not find Jesus, but he found them. Jesus appeared to the women and to the disciples and they could really know that Jesus truly had risen from the grave. Hallelujah!
Today on this Easter morning, we too search for Jesus. We know we will not find him in the tomb, of course, but where shall we look if we want to find him. But, on second thought, I was wondering, maybe we want to find him still in the tomb. The way people live it is as if Jesus were still dead. Sometimes it seems easier to live our lives if Jesus does not bother us. Then we could do what we wanted to do. Our consciences would not bother us. We could do whatever we wanted to do. We would not be limited by anything. Except that we would be limited by death. We might be able to overcome some things in this world. We can overcome some of our problems and even recover from sickness. But we cannot overcome death. And that is why we do not want to find Jesus in the tomb. If Jesus is still dead, then we have no hope for eternal life. We have no hope for forgiveness. We have no hope for guidance and help in our lives. And so we have to find Jesus. But where shall we find him?
Where shall we look for Jesus? Where shall we seek for God? In nature? In this season of spring? In an Easter egg basket? This morning we are in church because we know that this is the place to begin our search. Here we find Jesus. First we find him in the Bible. We find Jesus because he comes to us. He comes in the story we read. Jesus died on the cross and on the third day he rose from the dead. Just in the reading of those words Jesus comes to us. In faith we find Jesus there. Then in the hymns and prayers and sermon, we find out more about Jesus. We find that he died to forgive our sin. He died to destroy the final power of death. He arose that we too might arise. He rose on the third day, we shall rise on the Last Day. He arose that we might live right now in the joy and peace of Godfs love.
The Gospel message of Easter is not so much that we find Jesus, but rather that Jesus has found us. He was born in Bethlehem at Christmas in order to search for us. He found the poor, the outcasts, and all those who love the Lord. On the cross he found our sin and took it upon himself. He found our death and died. But on the third day, he found life again. He broke out of the tomb. He broke free of sin and death. Jesus first found the women, then he found the disciples, and now he has found us.
Have you found Jesus? Has he found you? Then today, letfs confess our faith in word and song and prayer and sacrament.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church