- Easter Sunday -
Reading: Matthew 28:1-10
Preached at Beckley Presbyterian Church on March
27th 2005
Some
scary stuff can happen from time to time. There’s good scary. And there’s bad scary. Sometimes we enjoy a scare –
a ride on a roller coaster, watching a horror movie, attending a Spice Girls Reunion concert. That’s
scary! Some scares we welcome.
Then there’s the
bad – near misses that could have been a bad accident, when a child disappears at the mall, when you receive some bad
news that has an uncertain outcome, the scare of terrorism, or the scare of disease and death. The Easter story, part of which is found in Matthew 28:1 -10, is a mix of good scary and bad scary. Twice there appears the phrase: “Do not
be afraid.”
There are a lot of bad
things happening in the Easter account, the unwarranted execution and death of Jesus Christ. To
those who were his closest friends, they had to not only contend with the loss but the fact that their lives were now at risk.
Such was the reality of this threat that Peter went as far as denying any association
with Jesus.
It was a heroic and
dangerous action that the two Mary’s were taking in making the journey to the tomb with their spices. To be around Jesus, even a dead Jesus, was taking a huge risk of guilt by association. It was a risk the other disciples were afraid to make as they hid away behind closed doors.
Then there is an earthquake
to contend with. Ever been in an earthquake? In
my first church over in Wales we experienced a couple of earth tremors of a very minor nature. (Actually the day of my instillation
as a pastor, but that’s another story!). It’s a bad scary experience
when the earth starts shaking beneath your feet.
Visions of angels and
great stones moving away are not phenomena we can fathom. The guards at the tomb couldn’t either. We know that the experience was of such intensity that the guards trembled and fell to the ground as though
dead. The women seem made of sturdier stuff. Still,
they are scared. If seeing the angel wasn’t scary enough, to be told that
the corpse was now alive and well and would see them later was just icing on the cake of a scary story.
So it is hardly surprising
that the angel’s words are “Be not afraid.” The implications of the resurrection are scary. People who are executed tend not to recover. However good a
person may be, and however innocent of the crimes for which they have been condemned, the fact is that dead folk don’t
go on walkabouts.
It’s the sort
of thing that should be preceded by angels and earthquakes. It is certainly
the sort of thing that should shake us out of our complacency and move our cold hearts of stone. “Christ is Risen “ – “He is Risen Indeed!”
This is awesome news!!!
Now the women are given
another daunting task. They have to go and tell the disciples what’s going
on. What if the disciples don’t believe them? What if the angel was a bad angel playing a real nasty joke on them? Jesus
is alive, that’s great – but who’s going to believe it?
So – zoom –
they are out of there – away from the tomb – carrying a message that’s going to change the world; full of
great joy – yet carrying a burden of fear and uncertainty. If they needed
more evidence of the truth they had heard, that evidence in the person of Jesus Himself was about to show up.
There they go –
zoom – and Jesus shows up and says “Hey…. Wazzup!” (Actually He says “Hail” but “Hey…
Wazzup” carries a more contemporary ring and gets your attention better). This stops the women mid gallop. It’s true. It’s real. “Christ is Risen” –
“He is Risen Indeed!” There
they are – with Jesus – a face to face encounter with the Living God… “What’s going on, Ladies?”
They fall to their knees,
take hold of His feet, and worship Him. What else were they to do? They had gone
to the tomb to pay their last respects to somebody they thought they had lost for ever.
And now… here He was … larger than life and victorious over death.
In the midst of our
busy lives – in the everyday normality or even times of heightened excitement, let’s be honest; we don’t
expect to find God showing up saying “Hey, Wazzup!” The message Jesus
brings is simple: “Don’t be Afraid!”
We meet around a table
laid with Bread and Wine. We will hear words about a broken body and poured out
blood. You could get the impression that this was some kind of macabre memorial
service for a fallen hero. If that be so.. then we are the biggest losers in
town. If we are celebrating a death – or a memory – or a mistaken
crucifixion – then we are to be pitied.
Today I’m on the
side of the angel. I’m here to bring you the good and scary (in the most
awesomely positive sense of the word) amazing news. I’m here to stop you
in your tracks with a huge and heavenly “Wazzup!” I’m here
on Easter Sunday 2005 to declare that “Christ is Risen.” – “He
is Risen indeed!”
I’m here to declare
the Word of the Lord… “Do not be afraid.”
Do not be afraid of the bad scary stuff and rejoice in the good scary stuff.
Do not be afraid of the storms that surround your life, because Jesus calms
the storm.
Do not be afraid of the waves that disrupt your calm, because Jesus walks on
the waves.
Do not be afraid of those who set their hearts against you, because they do
not have the final word.
Do not be afraid of sin or of sorrow or of sickness, for Jesus died for your
sins, sorrows and sicknesses.
Do not be afraid of death, for Jesus declares, “I am the Resurrection
and the Life.”
Do not be afraid to seek Jesus for direction and help and counsel, for Jesus
declares, “I am the Way. I am Truth. I
am the Life.”
Do not be afraid to believe in love, to believe in hope, to believe in life
beyond anything that we can currently comprehend.
Do not be afraid to
make a stand for Jesus, to take holy risks, to embrace divine foolishness, to set your life on a sacred course….. to
boldly go where no man has boldly gone before.
(No wait…. That’s
Star Trek.)
I ‘m not here
to recruit for Captain Kirk; this is not science fiction. I’m here to say
that there is a reality known as the resurrection - that Jesus died on the Cross and that God raised Him from death on the
third day. The Holy Spirit can today confront us, convict us, empower us, and
move us forward along the road of discipleship.
Do not be afraid. Come to this
table and share bread and wine. Seek for the love of God to be renewed in your
heart and for God’s life to be the lifeblood that flows through your being.
Do not be afraid. Be assured.
God has everything under control. One
day we’ll see the whole picture. But for now, be content knowing that today
the resurrection is making a difference to your life.
Do not be afraid. “Christ is Risen.”
– “He is Risen Indeed!”
AMEN!
Adrian Pratt
