James Moore tells a humorous story about a woman named Carol who was the organist at her church. She was an outstanding musician, but she did something no organist should ever do. She overslept on Easter morning and missed the sunrise service. Obviously, she was embarrassed. Of course, the minister and the church forgave her. They teased her about it a little, but it was done lovingly and in good fun.
However, the next Easter her phone rang at 5:00 in the morning. Jolted awake by the loud ringing, she scrambled to answer it. It was the minister, and he said, “Carol, it’s Easter morning! The Lord is risen! And I suggest you do the same!” (1)
I’m glad that none of you overslept this Easter morning. I’m glad that you are here to celebrate the most important day in the Christian year--the day the followers of Jesus went to his tomb early in the morning and found it empty, for he had risen from the dead. Even though he had told them that he would be crucified, dead and buried and then, on the third day, would be resurrected, it took a while for this unimaginable event to become real to them. This was something way out of their experience. The dead simply do not rise from the grave.
Perhaps you heard about a family in Japan several years ago who for a few hours had their lives turned upside down. It began with a traffic accident in which a man died. The police arrived on the scene and examined the body. The victim was badly disfigured but several of the witnesses thought they knew the car and identified the victim as a 60-year-old local shipbuilder.
Police contacted this man’s family and a brother-in-law came to officially identify the body. “Yes,” he said, “That’s him. That’s my brother-in-law.” Then he went home to break the sad news to the rest of his family. They in turn quickly spread the news to other family members who promptly gathered at the home of the widow. As you might imagine this was a scene of deep mourning. Family members embraced one another, shared remembrances, made funeral plans, etc. Suddenly, in the midst of their time of grieving, the front door opened and in walked the 60-year-old shipbuilder who was thought to be dead. This poor unsuspecting man had come home from a hard day’s work and was wondering why all the relatives had gathered at his house. Had he forgotten some special occasion?
Can you imagine the celebration those family members had at his appearance? Now this was not a resurrection; it was simply a case of a mistaken identity. But think of the joy in their hearts as they phoned the police to tell them to start their identification process all over again, because the one they thought was dead had just walked into their living room. (2)
On that first Easter Sunday the small handful of grieving Christians would have been thrilled if it had been a case of mistaken identity when their Master had been pronounced dead. Then they would have rejoiced immediately to see their Lord return to them. Then it would have been just one of those things that sometimes happens. But a resurrection? Nobody they knew had ever been resurrected from the dead. Such things just don’t happen, do they? Notice the confusion that resulted. Mary Magdalene who loved him greatly failed to recognize him. Some of the disciples, when first informed of the empty tomb by the women who had been to the tomb, dismissed it as an idle tale. It is clear that, at first, even Simon Peter, Christ’s most prominent and out-spoken disciple, didn’t know what to believe. But in very short order they all discovered it was true--Christ had risen as he said he would . . . And their emotions were like ours would be. They scarcely could believe it. It was simply too good to be true. But it was true . . . and that is why we are here today. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave.
Of course there are many people today who have difficulty believing in the resurrection. There are many people for whom this is a nice story, but they cannot allow themselves to believe it is true. And we understand why they might feel that way. After all, none of us has ever encountered anyone who has risen from the dead. I mean, the so-called “Zombie Apocalypse” is popular right now in a specific genre of motion pictures. But that’s only a fictional thing. And besides, does it really matter that Christ is risen from the grave? Good question. Does it all really matter? Would you be surprised if I answer with a hearty, “Yes, it really does matter?”
It matters if you have ever truly loved somebody and lost them to death. Isn’t that right? A pastor named Chris Heckert tells about an experience he had when he was a senior in high school. It was Easter Sunday and he showed up at church for Sunday school. There were only a couple of other kids present in class that day. To their surprise the teacher asked them if they were up to a mystery field trip. A little confused, but happy to potentially get out of church for an hour, they all in one voice declared: “Yes!”
So, they shuffled into her van, which stopped by a local donut shop and eventually drove up a winding, steep hill to a place Chris wasn’t very familiar with. It was just moments after they reached the top of the hill when the van turned into a gated drive, leading them straight into a cemetery. “What kind of sick joke is this?” Chris wondered.
Shortly after they entered the cemetery the teacher pulled the van off to the side, and they got out into the cool, damp Easter air. Their assignment was given to them as they ate donuts from a box that had been set on a headstone. They were to walk around the cemetery and read what they saw on the stones. And they were to make note of the stories that were told on those stones. They were to become aware of the families, and the years, and the inscriptions that they would read there. It was a strange, but noble task their teacher had given them. Chris knows now that she wanted to de-mystify death for them a bit and to give them a context for understanding the true meaning and impact of the Easter story.
After walking around for a few minutes in the cemetery with half of a donut in his hand, Chris realized that they were in the same cemetery that his best friend was buried in. Although his friend had been killed four years before, Chris had never been to his grave, and didn’t know where it was. But he quickly found a groundskeeper who knew the name and remembered the young man’s story. He pointed Chris in the right direction and before he knew it, Chris was standing at the grave of his friend, Joe, on Easter morning. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to feel. He didn’t understand why his teacher had brought them to this place . . . and he didn’t know what she wanted to accomplish . . . but he discovered that standing there beside the grave of someone he knew and loved changed the meaning of the Easter story for him forever. (3)
Separation is difficult for people who have truly loved someone close to them, particularly the separation of death. It leaves a void that nothing can fill. Easter is important to us for what it says to us about our continuing relationship with those we love. Does it matter if Christ has risen from the grave? It certainly matters if you have lost someone you love to death.
It also matters if you value the gift of life. Life is so precious. No person who is healthy physically and emotionally is eager to die! Life is simply too wonderful to welcome death as a friend.
The story is told of a man who went to his doctor for a complete checkup. He hadn’t been feeling well, so he wanted to find out what the problem was. After the checkup the doctor came in with the results of the examination. “I’m afraid I have some bad news,” the doctor told him. “You’re dying and you don’t have much time.”
“That’s quite a shock, Doc,” the man replied, “but I appreciate your honesty. How much time do I have?”
“10,” the doctor answered.
“10 what?” the man demanded in a desperate voice. “Years, months, weeks?”
The doctor answered, “10, 9, 8, 7. . .” (4)
Well, we can laugh about it . . . And deep in our heart we know that our Redeemer lives . . . but still, God has instilled within each of us the desire to live--here on this earth for as long as we possibly can. We don’t have to apologize for wanting to hold on to life in this world even as we anticipate heaven in the next one. That is the way we were created.
I like the story of some nine-year-old children who were asked what they thought of death and dying.
One of them named Jim said, “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it’s too crowded up there already.”
A girl named Judy said, “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it’s hot all the time . . . like in Florida.” [I thought that was a pretty good answer.]
Marsha commented, “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there too.” Is she saying that some teachers might not make the cut? Surely not.
But a little guy named John spoke for many of us when he said, “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it’s no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” (5)
And that’s true--at least on this side of the grave. Maybe they have birthday parties in heaven.
Actor Jack Nicholson was once interviewed by Parade magazine in anticipation of the release of his popular film, “The Bucket List.” In keeping with the theme of that movie, Nicholson reflected on how his understanding of life had changed over the years.
At one point in the interview, Nicholson said, “We all want to go on forever, don’t we? We fear the unknown. Everybody goes to that wall, yet nobody knows what’s on the other side. That’s why we fear death.” (6)
I will have to differ with Mr. Nicholson on one point. Followers of Christ know what’s on the other side of that wall. We don’t so much fear death as much as we resist letting go of life. That is the way God created us to be. Life is so beautiful, so rich, so wonderful. We know that beyond this world is another world and we trust God that it will be an even better world than this one, but we were created out of the dust of this world. It has been our home, and we love it as God created us to love it. Only a deeply troubled person wants to die. We all want to live. Still death is one reality in life that confronts us all.
Does it matter that Christ has risen from the dead? It is if you have ever loved or been loved. It is if you value life and want to cling to it forever. It also matters whether Christ is risen from the grave if you want to make any sense out of living. Easter is important not only because of what it says about life beyond the grave, but because of what it says about life on this side of the grave.
If Christ lives, then life has meaning. There is hope even in the most difficult circumstances. Even at the very end of my rope, here is a knot I can hang on to. If Christ defeated death, if my life goes on forever, if the gospel is true, I can live courageously, victoriously. I can overcome my fears by his grace and I can be all he intends for me to be. I need never countenance the possibility of absolute futility and failure--not if Christ has been raised from the grave. It is that knowledge that has given followers of Jesus Christ power over their circumstances in every era for more than two thousand years.
It’s like a song that Gloria Gaither wrote many years ago while she was expecting a child. She and her husband Bill had been going through some difficult times. He had been seriously sick and their music had drawn some highly critical reviews in the Gospel music industry.
On New Year’s Eve, Gloria sat in a darkened room experiencing a time of torment and fear. “I sat alone in the darkness thinking about the rebellious world and all of our problems--about our baby yet unborn. Who in their right mind would bring a child into a world like this?” she thought to herself.
She was at the height of her fear when something indescribable happened. She said, “I can’t quite explain what happened in that next moment but suddenly I felt released from it all. The panic that had begun to build inside was gently dispelled by a reassuring presence and a soft voice kept saying, ‘Don’t forget the empty tomb, don’t forget the empty tomb.’” She then began to confess her faith in Christ and knew that she could indeed have a baby and face the future with optimism and trust for she had been reminded that it was all worth it “Just Because He Lives.”
And from that experience she began to write these words, “How sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives; but greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives.” (7)
Reaffirming our faith in the resurrection is part of why many of us are here today. We need to be reminded of the power of life over death, of hope over despair, of love over hate, and there is only one place on earth that can be found. That is by peering into the empty tomb of the man from Galilee.
Does it matter that Christ was victorious over the grave? It does if you have ever lost someone you loved. It does if you love life and want it to go on forever. It does if you want to make any sense out of life at all. Are we simply part of the animal kingdom--a creature who fills a space on this earth and then dies and is forgotten? What is the meaning of it all, if death be not conquered? But it has been conquered. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave. What amazing good news this Easter Day! Hallelujah. He lives. Amen.
1. Some Things Are Too Good Not To Be True (Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1994).
2. Adapted from a sermon by Father James E. Bordner, http://stjamesanglicancatholic-satx.org/sermons/sermon-easter/.
3. http://www.heckertresources.com/Heckert_Worship_Resources/Sermons/Entries/2011/4/24_Becoming_Easter_People_-_John_20_1-18.html.
4. George W. Knight, Hilarious Clean Jokes, Anecdotes, and One-Liners (Kindle Locations 362-366).
5. Good Housekeeping. Cited in Rev. Lowell’s Laughter in the House of God: Humorous Anecdotes about Churches, Clergy, and the World of Religion. Kindle Edition.
6. Adapted from Barry L Davis, 52 Sermons About Jesus (Pulpit Outlines Book 1) (p. 157). GodSpeed Publishing. Kindle Edition.
7. Adapted from a sermon by Tim Smith, https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/overcoming-fear-tim-smith-sermon-on-fear-204232?ref=SermonSerps.