Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Mark 16:8, “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.” However, that is not the way they started out on that first Easter morning. They were not bewildered because they knew what had happened. They knew and even witnessed that Jesus had died on the cross. They knew where he had been buried. They were not afraid to go to the tomb, but they were sad. They had loved Jesus and had hoped that he would be the Messiah Savior. They had believed his Good News Message. And so maybe they were bewildered. Why did Jesus have to die? Jesus had talked about eternal life, so how could he die? Were their hopes and dreams empty? Was their faith misplaced? Had they lost faith?
And yet, they had loved Jesus, so they wanted to do the proper funeral ceremonies. So they “bought spices so that they might anoint Jesus’ body.” Death was death. The tomb was sealed with a large rock.
Now they were bewildered again. First, the very large stone had already been rolled away. That should not have been. But it had been rolled away so that they could enter, which they did. Then, they were bewildered to see “a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.” He was a messenger from God and he had been waiting for the women to come because he had a message from God for them.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
The women were as terrified as if they had seen a ghost! They scrambled to get out of the tomb and run away. They were trembling and bewildered and speechless.
Today we have come to church. We know the Easter Story. In faith we expect that the rock will be rolled away so that we can look inside the tomb. We expect it to be empty. We know that Jesus is not there because he has risen. And we read again the words of the Angel dressed in a white robe. “He has risen!”
And yet we are still bewildered. Why did Jesus have to die? Why is there still death and pain and trouble in the world? Why doesn’t the whole world believe in Jesus as their Savior? I know the answer to only the first question. Jesus had to die in order to be a sacrifice to forgive our sin. But that faith gives me strength to live in this world of death and pain and trouble. That faith gives me love to want the whole world to believe in Jesus as their Savior.
The words of the Angel give me clarity. “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Galilee was the home of the disciples. That is where their families were. Jesus would meet them where they were. In the same way Jesus meets us in our homes, whether our homes are in Galilee or Okinawa. Jesus comes to us and tells us again the great Good News.
He comes to us and we see his love. Our sins are forgiven. Our fears are removed. Our faith and hope are strengthened.
It is the simple message of the Angel. “He has risen!”
Alleluia! Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church
