+ Resurrection of Our Lord – April 1st,
2018 +
Series B:
Isaiah 25:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8
Redeemer
Lutheran, HB
In the Name of the
Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is
Risen! (He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!)
Some days it seems
like the calendar has a sense of humor, doesn’t it? Almost like it’s playing a
prank on you. We’re used to this in Southern California. It’s the first day of
winter and the Santa Ana’s are blowing, hottest day on record. It’s the first
day of summer and June gloom covers the beach like a wet blanket. It’s Easter
Sunday and it’s April Fools’ day.
“Joke’s on you,
Christians,” some will say. A fools’ day for anyone who’s foolish enough to
believe in a fairy tale. Jesus is no different than leprechauns or the Easter
bunny. Wise up, don’t be a fool.”
Not a lot has changed
over the centuries. Jesus was thought a fool in his day too.
As Jesus began his earthly ministry the Pharisees questioned
his disciples: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and
sinners?” How foolish.
Nazareth, his hometown, rejected him too. What is the wisdom given to him? How are
such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter,
the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And
are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. What a fool that boy’s become.
When Jesus cleansed
the temple, the Jews asked for a sign. Jesus gave them one. Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up. It’s taken 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise
it up in three days? Who are you fooling?
The Pharisees said
the same thing on Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to palm branches
waving and shouts of Hosanna! You see
that you are gaining nothing. The whole world has gone after him. Fools,
all of them.
Pilate’s soldiers,
too, joined in the mockery before Jesus’ crucifixion. They clothed him in a
purple cloak, pressed a crown of thorns upon his head, and placed a reed in his
hand. Hail, King of the Jews! King of
fools.
Even as Jesus hung on
the cross, the scribes and chief priests could not contain their cruel jest. He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let
the Christ, the King of Israel come down from the cross that we may see and
believe. A fool’s death for a fool.
And
the truth is, if Christ is not raised, then we really are fools, and not just
on April 1st.
As
St. Paul boldly declares: If Christ is not raised from the dead, then our
preaching and our faith is in vain. If Christ is not raised from the dead we’re
all liars.; we’re all wasting our time here this morning, and we’re still in
our sins. They would all be right, but for one important, historical fact.
Christ has been
raised from the dead. Christ is risen!
For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I
also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he
appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five
hundred brothers at one time
On the cross, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things
that are not, to bring to nothing things that are. On the cross, God was
rejected for us who had rejected him. On the cross, God made him who knew no
sin to become sin for us. On the cross God became the fool for us rebels who
have foolishly wandered.
The word of the cross
is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God. In these foolish ways of
God you are saved.
Jesus
ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors for you. And he still does today
in bread and wine with his body and blood.
Jesus
was rejected by his hometown for you.
Jesus
let the temple of his body be destroyed and raised up again three days later
for you.
Jesus
entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday for you; a rehearsal for his Good Friday
procession to the cross where Jesus bore the shame and mockery, the lies and
ridicule all for you, where Jesus took our foolish shame, pride, our sin and
death and made it his own for you.
Jesus
was crucified for you. He would not come down from the cross to save himself,
but stayed there to save you. Jesus rose from the dead for you to bring you
with him.
Indeed,
the
weakness of God is stronger than men. And the foolishness of God is
wiser than men.
Today we hear the Good
News that the women were not on a fool’s errand that first Easter morning. Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of
Nazareth, the crucified one. He has risen. He is not here!
Today ours is not a
fool’s hope in a fairy tale, but faith founded on fact. Eyewitnesses saw Jesus
crucified, dead, and buried on Friday afternoon and alive again on Sunday. Credible
eyewitnesses. Sane, sober, rational people who did not initially believe that
Jesus had risen from the dead even though He had told them this would happen.
They had everything to lose and nothing to gain from their testimony.
Today Jesus’ tomb is empty,
the devil is the fool; the power of the Grave is a joke; and Death is put to
shame in Christ’s resurrection.
Today we rejoice and
laugh at the jaw-dropping wonder of the once-dead God who strolled right out of
his grave, and one day, will call us out of ours as well. Today we celebrate
the greatest punchline of all time. After all, the key to a good joke is the
surprise ending, the twist no one saw coming. And nothing is more surprising
than what we celebrate today.
Christ is risen. And
death is dead.
Christ is risen. And
your sin is covered.
Christ is risen. And
the tomb is empty.
Christ is risen. And
the angels rejoice.
Christ is risen. And
you live forever.
Christ is risen. No
foolin’.
A blessed Easter to
each of you…
In the Name of the
Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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