then we saw the man from across the road
with the sunshine in his eyes
Jesus Christ is Risen! (He is risen, indeed!)
Well, a Happy Easter to you all!
And it really is a lovely Easter. Isn’t it?
After all, last year it was snowing. So this is about as close to a perfect of an Easter as we’ll get on this side of heaven.
And the icing on the cake this Easter is you all! Here you all are, on time and decked out in your Sunday best!
It’s a privilege to preach to the likes of you on an Easter like this!
…And let me tell you, pastors give plenty of thought to preaching to the likes of you, come Easter.
In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret; for as much Bible study pastors may, or may not, do. For as well as we all know the Easter story; the part of the sermon that always gives the pastor fits, is the illustration…
An illustration to hook you in. An illustration to connect the concepts in the sermon to your life.
And I’m no different, either. I hem and haw about coming up with just the right illustration to begin the sermon…
This Easter, though, I’ve been given an unlikely blessing… Because I don’t need an illustration!
I don’t need an illustration because, what’s been happening here is much more interesting than any illustration I could come up with!
As you may know, what’s happened is, about a month ago we had an explosion at our other church…
That’s why we didn’t have early service at our church on S. Central; the investigators, engineers and various testers have all asked us to steer clear for now…
But you know, and I know it doesn’t look like it; but that explosion turned out to be a blessing THIS Easter…
It’s shown us things are never as they appear, especially on Easter.
That’s how it was the first Easter, and how it’s been ever since…
Things are never as they appear on Easter
The first Easter happens after Jesus has been crucified, died and was buried. After the sabbath has come and gone; when a couple of faithful women go to the tomb early one Sunday morning to pay their respects.
As they arrive, it looks like guards are keeping watch over a dead body…
BUT, before they get to the tomb, there’s an earthquake! And as the earth shakes, the heavens open! And an angel of the Lord descends!
*Now, I like to imagine the angel as a Captain Marvel type…
Arriving clearly in control, the angel looks as the tomb with contempt. Going up to the giant stone meant to confine the body, the angel knocks it over like inflatable furniture! Then, taking a seat on the improvised recliner, the angel casually tells the women things are not as they appear!
And at that, everyone is taken aback!
No one more so, than the guards! In fact, Matthew tells us that for fear the guards shook and became LIKE dead men!
That first Easter it looked like the guards were alive, and keeping watch over a dead body. BUT, it turned out the guards were as good as dead!
AND, the dead body that looked like it was sealed in the tomb, the angel tells us; is really alive! Alive, AND out on the loose!
>Jesus Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed!)
Things are not as they appear on Easter! The first Easter, and every one since. This one included!
Because, sure, we’re here looking put together, but on the inside we’re all a bit of a mess. Aren’t we?
Maybe you planned to go to the early service at the formal church, and now your world is a little shook up this Easter…
And even if your plan was to come here for the later, family-friendly Easter all along, you still have places in your life that have been shook-up. Don’t you?
I know you do, because we all do…
The truth is, you can only dress the truth up so much. Sure, we come here looking prim and proper. And you all really do look great. But the truth is, we all have messy lives.
As it turns out, though, the Good News on Easter is that things are not as they appear! For you see, there is more to you than meets the eye! Because you have been baptized!
*And, if you’re not baptized; let me know. We can take care of that! It’s the easiest thing in the world!
In baptism you ARE covered with a promise! And promises work, not by what you see, but what you hear.
So, listen up!
In baptism you are covered with Christ! Marked with God’s love! And sealed with the Easter blessing that things are not as the appear!
That’s why when God looks at you, God sees something we can’t: how deeply loved you are! How perfectly forgiven you are. How totally healed you are!
And this mercy with which God see you, shakes your world together!
You are more than the sins and mistakes that show up in your past; you are a beloved child of God!
*As we like to tell our children, God has said to you, “you’re mine; you’re a keeper!” And nothing can change that! Not any messes. Not any sins!
And that’s the unlikely blessing the explosion has given us this Easter.
It’s shown us things are not as they appear!
Because it looked like we lost a place of worship, but in truth we gained one! And it looked like life had handed us a blow, but we really got to experience God’s love! God’s love that’s strongest, when we’re at our weakest!
And I could go on with examples like these, but let me tell you; this has turned out to be the holiest Holy Week we’ve ever had!
Not because everything went just so. Let me tell you, it didn’t!
It’s been such a holy, Holy Week; because God gave us something you can’t see! A promise that cannot be shaken! A hope that cannot be destroyed!
In the midst of everything, our stone has been rolled away. We’ve seen there’s nothing strong enough to stop Jesus! To keep Jesus away!
Ask any member here; we’ve been through the wringer, BUT in spite of appearances, Jesus has been at work!
>Jesus Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed!)
And that promise is just as true for you and your life, as it’s been for us and ours! That’s what makes us one and the same!
It doesn’t take an explosion to shake up our world. Does it?
And that’s the bad news. But, the Good News is, Jesus has an even stronger, more earth rattling promise!
Your messes aren’t too messy for Jesus! The stone that would seal your fate can’t stop Jesus!
Pastors don’t need illustrations for Easter. Do they?
You all come here with a load of them every week. Places in your life and the world where things have been shook up. Where all there is to see is a mess.
Places where soldiers guard long dead hopes. Places where our dream of a perfect life, perfect marriage, or perfect children have been laid to rest.
BUT, the promise you have This Easter is, things are not as they appear!
For those places that look all wrong, are just right for Jesus! They are where Jesus comes to bring his unlikely Easter blessing!
Easter happens in cemeteries, & nowhere else!
And that’s the unlikely blessing you have this Easter!
So if that’s where you’re coming from today; let me be your angel!
*And I know I’m no Brie Larson; but God in all God’s wisdom, or foolishness, or both; has decided that I get to be your angel this Easter!
So listen up!
Things are not as they appear! You are covered with a promise!
The promise that those places in your life has been all shook up, are the ones Jesus brings his earth-shaking promise to bear! That your tomb has become your Easter chapel!
It may not look like it, but you have everything Jesus needs to make Easter happen this year! And that’s the Good News!
Things aren’t as they appear!
Happy Easter.
>Jesus Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed!)
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