Sermon Index
Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012
Early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. She was expecting to find Jesus in the tomb. She was expecting to see death. She had already lost hope and faith. But when she got to the tomb, Jesus was not there! Something was wrong, this is not the way it was supposed to be, and the empty tomb made her afraid. She was gripped with terror. She ran to the disciples and said, gThey have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put him!h Her life was all confused now. She could not find the dead body of her Lord.
For Mary, the empty tomb meant terror and despair and fear and hate and unbelief and hell and the judgment of God on sinners. In panic she ran to tell the disciples.
This morning we have read the Easter Gospel. As we read it, we were like Mary Magdalene and we went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Unlike Mary, we do not expect to find Jesus there; we do not expect to see death because we have hope and faith. But just imagine if we were to arrive there and the rock was still in front of the entrance and when it was rolled back that the body of Jesus was still there wrapped in the linen clothes. Then we would feel like Mary did at first that morning. We would suddenly feel afraid. Our hope in Jesus would be crushed. We would be filled with terror and dread. We would feel the judgment of God and the threat of hell.
But this morning, like Mary, we do find the tomb empty. But unlike Mary, we know the rest of the story. We know that Jesus has risen from the dead. And so, in the empty tomb, we see life. We find hope and amazement and courage and love and faith and the mercy of God toward forgiven sinners.
For Mary, the empty tomb was abnormal and caused terror. For us, the empty tomb has become the expected thing and gives us comfort and assurance. The empty tomb means that we too shall rise from the dead when Christ returns to raise us all from our tombs. This is the Easter hope and joy!
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church