Easter Sunrise Sermon

Grace mercy and Peace to you from God our Father and form our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! Amen.

Please pray with me. Almighty God, on this day we remember and rejoice in the truth that Jesus Christ is risen from the Dead.  In Him we have forgiveness, life and salvation.  Pour out on to each of us today, Your Holy spirit that we may be strengthened in the sure hope and promise that because of all He has endured and accomplished for our sake, through faith in Him we have full pardon of our sins, we will be raised to glorious new life, and we will live forever in Your presence, in the new creation, world without end; in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

These are strange times we live in.  Amen?  Each of us confined to our homes.  Afraid to leave…for fear of what the authorities might do…for fear of death.  Not able to gather freely as followers of Jesus, who we have proclaimed as the Messiah…the Christ…the Holy One…the promised one of God.

But the more things change, the more things stay the same.  On a Sunday morning nearly 2000 years ago, the first to believe in and follow Jesus, were afraid…confused…on lock down.  Only a few dared venture out; the women headed out for a few essential things.  Perhaps they could keep out of the watchful eye of the authorities.

They went to pay their last respects to Jesus.  He had been crucified just a couple of days before; on a Friday – the day before the Sabbath.  The body of Jesus had been hastily taken down from the cross, wrapped in a linen shroud by Joseph and Nicodemus.  His body was then quickly prepared with 75 lbs of fragrant myrrh and aloes, before the stone was rolled over the entrance and the tomb was finally sealed. 

The women saw where His body was laid.  I imagine they saw the speed with which it had all been done, and that they were just chomping at the bit for the Sabbath (this high holy day of the Passover) to pass and be over…over so they could go and do right by Jesus…bury Him with care…with dignity…without all of the time pressures that Joseph and Nicodemus were contending with on that dreadful dusk, just a couple of days prior.

The haste with which they had buried the Lord is reminiscent of the haste of the first Passover.  The Israelites rising up in the morning after the Lord had made good on His promise of deliverance.  He had given them a sure sign (the blood of the Lamb) to mark them as those redeemed by the Lord…those who would not be held accountable to God’s judgement.  The final plague (the slaying of the first born). 

When they left in the morning they left with all of the riches of the Land of Egypt.  They alone had the cattle who were spared.  They left with all of the gold and precious things of their neighbors.  They left even with their bread, (unleavened), in haste.  And rejoicing in the victory they were ecstatic…Free at last…at least for a moment.   

But then Pharaoh, and all his chariots, and horsemen came charging after.  After their dulled senses from the fear of death, and grief of loss had let up for a moment, the advisors of Pharaoh berated him.  “How could you let Israel go?”  Our economy is ruined.  There is no way we can come back from this without the workforce of the Israelites, and the capital they now possess.  We must go after them and salvage something from this ruin that has fallen upon us. 

And so the people of Israel find themselves stuck…between that devil Pharaoh and the deep blue sea.  In fear and anxiety the people cry out.  “Why couldn’t you just leave us alone in our bondage and slavery?  We were content there…or at least we were better off.  Now we are going to die, and it’s all your fault, Moses…it’s all Your fault God! 

When faced with the fear of death, we often turn our backs on those who are our truest and surest hope.  We lose sight of the promises of God…we lose faith in the God who saves!...the God who made all things, who brings to life from lifeless clay, and who is even able bring to life that which has died.  But today, let us not lose hope! Today let us not fear death, for Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!).

God not only, saved the people of Israel (even despite their faithless accusations and complaints) God destroyed that devil Pharaoh, and all his forces.  The people of Israel were indeed free!  Free from bondage.  Free from attacks of the enemy.  Free to worship God as He would call them to do.  Free…they were free.  Free from the fear of death. 

Fast forward back to that blessed Sunday morning.  Early in the morning…the women went to the tomb.  The men hid in their homes for fear of the authorities…fear of death.  But at the report of the women, Peter and John burst out from behind closed doors and ran to the tomb.  The stone was rolled away.  The tomb was empty.  The linen shroud was folded neatly in the place where just a few hours before the lifeless body of Jesus laid.  But it was no longer there.  For Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! 

These two men…and the women before them…the rest of the eleven and later as many as 500 would soon see with their own eyes that Christ is Risen! (He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!)  And that news – that Good news together with all that it meant for them…for you and for me…and for every other person who down through the ages has been blessed with faith in this victory Christ has won for us over our bondage to sin, death and the devil – that news gave them confidence…the unwavering hope to face every threat against their lives…every threat of the authorities against their proclamation that Jesus is the Christ, the King, reigning on His eternal throne, because Alleluia! Christ in Risen! He is risen Indeed! Alleluia!

May we have that same word on our mouths, in our hearts and minds, as we face whatever threats come against us in our lives.  In the words of St. Paul, I remind you:

For I deliver 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 yes, He is reigning on His throne and He will be coming again in glory to judge both the living and the dead. For on the day of His return we all shall rise, for Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!  May we all live each day in that truth, and sure hope, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please pray with me: Almighty God, in uncertain times, when we feel like the whole world is against us…in times when we fear death, it is easy for our faith to falter.  In this blessed season, strengthen us with Your Holy Spirit, in the sure and certain hope that in Christ, we have forgiveness of sins, resurrection life, and eternal salvation; for Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.