One of the moving and insightful stories that came out of the Nazi concentration camps in Europe concerned a musician by the name of Gustaf Moeller and his niece. When the young Jewish girl arrived at the camp it was decided she was too valuable to be killed like the others. Instead, she was ordered to gather together an orchestra to play for the Nazi officers and top brass. She was able to gather together many talented Jewish musicians who were ready to be killed. Some of the performers were the most talented in all of Europe.
She described the bizarre experience of playing beautiful music for some of the most ugly people who have ever tried to run the world. They had to practice and play when trainloads of Jewish families came in for what they thought was a new homeland, but was in reality the horrors of the gas chambers. She shared how they wished to smash to pieces the valuable instruments they held in their hands, "For how can you sing and play when there is no music in your soul?" (1)
That really is the question on the hearts of many of you as you sit in this sanctuary today. You ask in the private and deepest place of your heart today, "Is there any word from the Lord today?" I know before me today are people who are struggling and striving hard to believe. They want to be a better Christian than they presently are.
There are those afflicted with sickness, disease, and medical hardships for which the field of medicine has no known cure, they just treat the symptoms. There are young couples wanting to have children, but so far they rock an empty cradle. There are married people struggling to keep a special relationship together and their home happy. There are people struggling with inappropriate lifestyles, morals, and addictions. There are people wanting to work, but having no job. There are people struggling to hold onto retirement. There are people struggling against the power of failure, disappointment, roadblocks, detours, dead-end streets. No matter where they turn, it seems to be the wrong way and a poor choice.
When I read in the Bible what happened to the disciples between the time of the arrest of Jesus and the placing of his body in a borrowed tomb, I can understand why they would also ask, "How do we believe and sing when there is no music or joy in our soul?" I am glad you asked.
My task today is not to give an academic defense to the question of whether or not the resurrection really happened. You can read far better arguments that I could ever write. However, I will share with you that we have more proven historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ than we have that a man called George Washington was the President of the United States of America.
I love the story of the New York City native who saw the beauty and splendor of the Grand Canyon for the first time and shouted, "My God, something incredible happened here!"
I want to share today the incredible Good News about what happened on that first Easter day and what a difference the power of the truth of that day can make in your life.
EASTER DAY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DECLARES THAT GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD, NOT SATAN. Let me share an illustration here.
On display in the magnificent Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is that dramatic painting of Goethe''s Faust. Faust is seated at a table engaged in a competitive game of chess. And at first glance, it looks like Faust is losing. His opponent in the chess game is Satan. The devil sits there grinning smugly. He thinks he has the victory in hand. He is pointing at the chessboard with an evil leer and he is gloating.
As you look at the painting, you can almost hear the devil shouting: "Checkmate! Game''s over! I win!" However, a person with a keen eye who knows the game of chess can see that the match is not over at all. As a matter of fact, just a few years ago, an internationally famous chess player was admiring the painting when all of a sudden he lunged forward and exclaimed: "Wait a minute! Look! Faust has another move and that move will give him the victory!"
The painting is something of a parable for us Christians, because here we see symbolized the good news of Easter. Think of it. When we look at the Cross on Good Friday, it looks (at first glance) like evil has won. It looks like the defeat of righteousness. It looks like goodness is dead and buried forever. It looks like Christ has been silenced and conquered. But then, Easter Sunday morning reveals God''s move, the greatest checkmate move of all time. Christ comes out of the grave and into our lives with power and victory. (2)
One of the greatest upset victories in sports history occurred in the 1969 Super Bowl. The New York Jets of the upstart American Football League were scheduled to play the mighty Baltimore Colts. Almost every newspaper columnist and sportscaster was predicting the Colts to kick the wings of the Jets. However, Joe Namath predicted a victory. John Dockery, who was a member of the 1969 Jets team shared this account:
"It was late in the third quarter when I looked up at the scoreboard and a message flashed through my mind. `We are going to win! My God, we are actually going to win.'' What a difference one day can make."
The game had to be played on the field, not in the newspapers and barbershops. Never forget, my friends, that when you are a Christian you are always playing with the home field advantage.
SECONDLY, INSTEAD OF LIVING OUR LIVES PRISONERS OF GUILT AND EVIL, WE NOW CAN LIVE AS THE FORGIVEN PEOPLE OF GOD.
The Apostle Paul, in writing to the church at Corinth, shared what he believed to be the foundation of the Gospel and its power and the difference it made for those who believed. "For I deliver to you of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture." Jesus Christ was the only offering that could satisfy the justice of God for the sins of the human race. Jesus was the Lamb of God that has the power to take away the sins of the world. The Apostle Paul experienced that power for himself on the road to Damascus when he was journeying to a destination to kill even more followers of Christ. Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer, expressed this truth when he wrote:
He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
He sets the prisoner free,
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me."
The famous preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, once shared these marvelous words which provide great hope for us today: "There may be some sins of which a man cannot speak, but there is no sin which the blood of Christ cannot wash away." Easter declares to us that forgiveness is not an idea but a reality that can be shared with those who place faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. What a difference that day makes when Christ is professed as SAVIOR.
IN ADDITION, EASTER DAY ASSURES US THAT WE CAN LIVE AS VICTORS RATHER THAN VICTIMS OF DEFEAT.
We can gain two insights from the study of world history to help us understand this principle. The allied troops under General Wellington fought Napoleon on June 18, 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo, a village in Belgium just south of Brussels. News was transmitted by the use of lights across the channel to anxious Britishers. The words were spelled out, "Wellington defeated...." and then a fog, so typical of England, fell over the channel. England thought the battle was lost and the dreadful news was spread quickly, throwing the land into despair. But when the fog lifted, they could see the final word, "Wellington defeated Napoleon." And the mood in Great Britain changed from one of tragedy to triumph. The whole country exploded in thunderous celebration as the news was relayed. Napoleon had been defeated.
We know from the Gospel records that there was a great deal of circumstantial evidence that at first clouded the landscape for the disciples. It seemed that the Roman authorities had taken their fondest hopes and greatest dreams from them on Good Friday. They were living as victims--when God had achieved for them the victory. How tragic it is for Christian believers to continue to fight the Good Friday battle and always remain a victim when we could claim the resurrection power of Christ and be a victor. However, I understand that it does take a leap of faith to believe that Christ has won the big war when our world looks the way it does today.
EASTER CAN MAKE A GREATER DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE IF YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST IS NOT LIMITED TO A FAITH FOR DEATH BUT ALSO IS YOUR FAITH FOR LIFE.
A fellow pastor in Texas is a pilot for small aircraft. One day, he decided that it was time to teach his seven year old son, Adam, to fly. When they were aloft, he turned over the controls to Adam. He taught him to climb, to dive, and to bank the plane to the left or right. Adam was comfortable and natural with all of the maneuvers, and his father praised him for being a good pilot.
They turned the plane to head back to the airport after about an hour. Adam was still flying the plane when the airport came into sight. Suddenly, the father noticed that his son''s hands had a kind of death grip on the controls, and he had a look of real worry and panic upon his face. "What''s the matter, Adam?" Adam replied emotionally, "I don''t know how to land the plane." His father said he had forgotten to tell Adam that he would land the plane.
That''s the assurance of Easter. God promises absolutely to take over the final landing. God safely sees us home. That promise is guaranteed. (3)
You and I receive great comfort from stories and illustrations like this one that can communicate the Biblical truth that a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior does deliver us from the morbid bondage to death and eternal damnation because of our sins.
However, the Christian faith also holds the keys to living life each day to its fullest. How often we forget this side of the Easter story. A number of years ago a story appeared in the newspapers about a young man who picked up a beautiful rock from a North Carolina stream bed and used it as his cabin''s doorstop. A little while later, a skilled geologist was hiking in the area and stopped at the cabin for a glass of cold water. He immediately recognized the rock as a huge lump of gold. In fact, it proved to be the largest gold nugget ever found east of the Rocky Mountains. Like the man who failed to recognize gold when he held it in his hands, the disciples failed to recognize the true nature of our Lord after spending three full years with him. Jesus holds all the keys of life, he holds life and death, heaven and hell, the abundant life, the authentic life, all of them are in the hands of Christ.
But, you may say, I have never met the risen Lord on my way to work or in any other place, for that matter. Neither have I. If you mean a person walking up the street with pierced hands and feet, I''ve never met him. Some have, but I never have. But if you mean the life that takes hold of a person and changes him from a self-centered brat into a companionable, loving human being, I've seen him.
Or, if you mean the life that gradually developed an overgrown, spoiled teenager into one of the most sensitive, competent professionals in his field, I''ve seen him.
Or, if you mean a middle-aged person whose life had gone down the drain either in alcohol or something worse, and suddenly he begins to live and stand up, throw back his head, have a job, be glad to be alive, if you mean that, I''ve seen him.
I have met that life. In fact, I think if it weren't for him, I''d give up. For the darkness of life is deep and powerful. I cannot face it alone. I can face it because I know that in him is life; and that life is the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never yet been able to put it out. In fact, it is shining here now! (4)
The next time there is no music in your soul, remember the difference that Easter can make in your life. God has the last move and word. God has forgiven us. We are not victims but victors. God''s presence is with us in all things.
Amen and amen.