christ has crushed the pow'r of hell

now there is naught but death's gray shell

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke!

For Easter Sunday; it sure is gloomy. Not only that, either. The Gospel practically reads like a misprint this day.

Here you are. Dressed in your Sunday finest. On your best behavior, no doubt. The Easter feast is waiting at home. Or the brunch reservation made weeks ago. 

You’re here. Ready for some good news. All decked out and just waiting to sing Alleluias to the rafters. Only the Gospel is sure full of false-starts. 

Instead of “alleluias;” the Gospel report is keeps inserting that qualifier, “but.” Hardly a joyous word.

And that isn’t all that’s wrong!

The cast isn’t filled with joy or wonder this day. The women arrive early to prepare the body, only to have two men dressed in dazzling clothes, reprimand them. They should know better than to be looking for Jesus in a tomb, they sternly say.
Once they finally remember everything Jesus had said, they go back to the other eleven. To the very folks who should have been most open to this news. They, however, simply dismiss the report as so much foolishness!

• This is no cast for Easter Sunday. 

They aren’t receptive! They’re not ready to take on the world. Why, they have just as much trouble believing, they’re just as bewildered and afraid as the rest of us!

There’s also one big omission… 

The Risen Lord doesn’t even make an appearance!  The risen, conquering son shows neither hide, nor hare! The closest we get is the angel’s rebuke. If you want to find Jesus - don’t bother looking in a place like a prison for the dead.

Why, this story doesn’t even build and build, until it bursts with a great Easter crescendo. It all ends rather un-climatically, actually. Peter runs back; and upon finding the tomb empty, he just turns around and goes back home…

No, this isn’t much of a story for Easter Sunday… 

All there is, is that tomb — sitting there, empty - dashing all our expectations… 

And maybe that’s how Easter always begins…

After all, if there’s one thing today’s Gospel is clear about; it’s how hard this Good News is to trust. How it wasn’t what anyone was expecting. And that includes you and me. 

We all know, when something dies; it stays that way. 

So we come to the tomb, expecting a corpse. Only, there isn’t anything there! There’s no body. 

The tomb is full of nothing! 

That’s not what the women, the eleven, or any of us for that matter, were expecting. 

The tomb sits there, like that giant elephant in the room. Empty as it is, unsettling.

We’ve come here, looking to do something for Jesus. But he isn’t where we thought. And all there is, is that darn vacant tomb! Upending our expectations.

The one we came looking for, isn’t where we thought. Perhaps you’re, like Peter, tempted to turn around and go home, bewildered by it all. But just wait.

No doubt you weren’t expecting this, but on this Easter Day. When, instead of sleeping-in, hunting for colored eggs and then going to Easter brunch, you came here.  All you get for your trouble, is admonished!

You should have known better!
What are you doing??? Why do you insist upon looking for the Lord of Life among the dead?!? C’mon! 

He’s out! He’s among the living! Even through you weren’t expecting that, you should have known better!

The tomb is empty! What are you doing there? Death couldn’t hold this Risen One! Neither could the mere rubble of his grave! He’s on the loose!

Look out!

If it’s all a little disconcerting. Good.

The empty tomb, the chiding from the two angels, Jesus’ ominous absence; it all puts us on notice today. 

Which isn’t what any of us were expecting this morning. 

Like Peter, like those faithful women, you’re going to leave perplexed and bewildered by it all. 

I know you’ve gone through all the trouble to get here this morning. You look stunning in your Sunday best this fine day, yes. And, I have no doubt your Easter meal will be just lovely. 

But, it doesn’t get you off the hook. Sorry.

Listen, I hate to rain on your parade this morning, but I’ve got a Word for you today. You—you’re put on notice today! Right now!

Jesus brook loose. The tomb couldn’t hold him. Neither could Death. The tomb is empty, there’s nothing in there. The one who was buried, has busted out!

He’s on the loose. Out. On the prowl…

All you get today is a warning; just as neither the tomb or Death could stop this one; neither can you! 

The crucified one, the one who’s out among the living, is out — to get you!

While you’re sitting there like a useless bump on a log no less, he’s getting you. Watch out, the risen savior is on the loose. 

He’s among the living. 

He’s among y’all! 

He’s showing up in the places you might not expect - which is just how he likes it. When you least expect it; he’ll get you - like right now. 

As another Word, which would be easy to dismiss as idle is proclaimed: Your sins are forgiven. The one’s you dare not speak of. The one’s that still cause you pain. They are forgiven. 

Your Lord and Savior takes your sins to the grave and just leaves them there. He will have no truck with those sins. Remember, Jesus isn’t in the tomb. Don’t look for him there. Don’t make me say it again.
Your savior takes your sins to the grave and just leaves them there, for those things are about Death. Your Savior on the other hand, is about life; new and eternal so that on the great gettin' up day, your tomb will be found empty too - as you rise with the Great Tomb Robber - Jesus the Christ! 

This is a Word which is active and living, is loose. Jesus, the one who broke free will get to you in this Word. WATCH OUT!