The Resurrection of Our Lord

The Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day – April 11, 2004

John 20:1-18

Have you come this morning to celebrate resurrected life? Can you see that God is at work in this world, giving you resurrected life?

If you search the scriptures for helpful hints on what is happening today you might look at three specific passages.

The first could be in Luke 7:11-17. This is the story of the raising of the son of the widow at Nain. Jesus had come to the town of Nain and encounters a funeral procession. The only son of this widow was being buried. Jesus stops the procession and calls the man back to life. The observers are impressed, some even afraid. They conclude that God is at work! You might conclude that, too.

The second text you might look at could be Luke 8:40-42, 49-56. Here is the story of Jesus calling the daughter of Jairus back to life. You may remember it well. When Jairus approaches Jesus his daughter is only dying. They are interrupted along the way and by the time they reach his daughter she is dead. When Jesus says she is not, the mourners literally laugh at him. They know she is dead. The Jesus calls her back to life. Her parents are astonished. Perhaps you are, too.

The final text you might search for help today is the calling of Lazarus back to life by Jesus in John 11:1-44. Literally Jesus calls him back to life. Along the way there is conversation by Jesus with his disciples, and with Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Jesus even says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” After prayer, Jesus calls “Lazarus, come out!” And that is what Lazarus does. The result is that some who are following Jesus believe. Perhaps you believe, as well.

You would think these three passages are adequate for you to come and celebrate resurrected life today. All three have people who are dead called back to life by Jesus. All three clearly show you God at work in our world. All three events have a deep impact on those who observe them. They may even impact you.

However, as good as these three events are, they are not adequate for this morning.

Yes, in each people are called from death to life. But, it is more a resuscitation than a resurrection. The widow’s son, the daughter of Jairus and Lazarus all die eventually. They have been resuscitated but not resurrected. Today is about more than resuscitation.

Today is about resurrection. Today you celebrate that God has acted with power and grace in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Christ is raised and you know that you have more than resuscitation in your future; you have a resurrected life at the kingdom table with Jesus in your future.

God, you see, is about much more than just bringing someone back to life that they might die again. Today is a celebration of much more: today you celebrate the powerful and unconditional love of God in the cross that calls you to resurrected life.

In resurrected life you cannot ever be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus. In Romans 8, St. Paul says so eloquently, “For I am convinced that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There it is: resurrected life is a life always lived with God present loving you.

Resurrected life is also serving. In I Peter 2:9 you read, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” You have been called by God to proclaim the great and grand news that what is celebrated today is resurrected life, not just resuscitation. It is a life of love and service; it is God acting here in our world, now and forever in the future.

Resurrected life is a life of love and service, but it is also life you live right now. Your resurrected life began at your baptism. Galatians 3 reads: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Yes, you look forward to the kingdom to come where you will dine with Christ, but Galatians tells us you already are living with him, living resurrected life, clothed with Christ. It began in your baptism and will be complete at the heavenly banquet Christ is preparing for you.

If you have come today to celebrate resurrected life with its love that forgives, its service that calls you and its presence to you right now, then you are at the right place. If you have come today to celebrate resurrected life you can look at the scriptures and then proclaim with Mary, “I have seen the Lord!” Amen.

Pastor Robert F. Holley