The Resurrection of our Lord/Easter Sunday Rev. Mark Duer
The Resurrection March 31, 2024
When Jesus died on the cross, it looked grim. For the disciples who believed in Him, all hopes were gone. To the mortal eye, it looked as if God had lost and the devil had won. There hung the world’s great Redeemer—dead, defeated, and humiliated.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the tomb on the first Easter morning, we would all still be dead in our trespasses and sins. We would have no hope of eternal life. Death would hold just as much terror for you as it did for everyone else.
Opponents of traditional Christianity know how essential this piece of the puzzle is. They know that without the resurrection of Christ, the whole Christian house of cards falls apart. And that’s why they do everything possible to call into question the truthfulness of this event.
Today we rejoice that this is not where the story ended. That age-old enemy death had done its worst on Calvary. It had its way with the Son of God. It sank its dreadful teeth into the author of life. But its victory was short-lived. Its dominion over the souls of men was brought to an end on the first day of the week, when early in the morning our Lord Jesus rose from the dead.
Mark’s Gospel tells us that the two Mary’s had gone to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning on the first day of the week to anoint the body of Jesus with ointment and spices.
The women, still in shock from the events of Good Friday, are now faced with the sight of a glorious angel, whose was dressed in a white robe. The angel said to the women in verse 5: “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.”
And then the most joyful words in verse 6: “He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
All was not lost! Death did not have the last word! Their faith was not in vain. The humiliation and death of the Son of God was part of God’s plan to reconcile sinful men to Himself. It was necessary that the Christ should suffer, be crucified, and be raised again on the third day.
Over and over Jesus had told His disciples these words, trying to prepare them for what was coming. But it was not until He rose from the dead and appeared to them that they finally believed in Him.
Jesus death on Good Friday was God’s answer to sin. All people are sinners in their thoughts, words, and their deeds. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Good Friday and Easter mean that your sins are forgiven in Christ who suffered and bled on the Cross. He died and after three days rose victorious from the grave. He conquered sin, death, and Satan once and for all.
The prophet Isaiah foretold God’s victory over sin and death, as well as a celebratory feast that God Himself would prepare: Isaiah 25:6: “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”
What better way to celebrate the Lord’s triumph over sin, death, and the grave than to dine at His holy Table? Indeed, the Lord is good. He has risen! He is not in the grave, but here, with us in the salutary gift of the Lord’s Supper.
God kept His promises and destroyed our greatest enemy of all (death) in the death and resurrection of His Son. And in His grace, He has also given to us a feast of “rich food” in the Holy Supper of His Son’s body and blood. For what can be richer, what can be more satisfying than the very bread of heaven Himself?
Martin Luther’s great Easter hymn (Christ Jesus lay in Death’s Strong Bands) blends together these two themes, the triumph of our Lord over death and the grave and the participation in that victory through Holy Communion.
(LSB 458:7): “Then let us feast this Easter Day On Christ, the bread of heaven; The Word of grace has purged away The old and evil leaven. Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed; Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia!”
In this feast of victory, it is not an imagined Jesus that we dine with. It is not a mere symbol of a far distant Savior. It is the risen Christ Himself who is present with us and feeds us with His crucified and risen flesh and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins, life, and salvation.
What a marvelous antidote this is to our fear of death and judgment! What glorious comfort there is for Christians on this day. Not only do we hear the news that our Lord has defeated death, we also get to celebrate that victory by feasting on His body and blood.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that from the very beginning the Christian Church gathered on Sunday to hear the teaching of the apostles and celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
After all, this is the day that God put the breath of life back into His Son for us and for our salvation.
This is the day that Christ appeared to Peter and the other disciples who had been chosen by God as witnesses, “who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.”
One can easily see why Easter is the chief festival of the Church Year, and why every Sunday is a mini-celebration of that first Easter.
This validates and gives meaning to everything that our Lord said and did during His earthly ministry. There can be no doubt that His words are true. There can be no doubt that He was the Son of God. Nor can there be any doubt that God has forgiven all our sins.
The same could be said of the Church and the works done within her. If the Lord is risen, then our faith is not in vain. There can be no doubt that Baptism truly is a washing away of sins.
There can be no doubt or uncertainty that Holy Communion is truly a life-giving feast of forgiveness.
There can be no doubt that the Absolution spoken in the name of the triune God is truly the word of the risen Christ sounding forth from the lips of His called servants to comfort frightened sinners.
That is perhaps the best part of Christ’s triumphant resurrection—all doubts flee. All uncertainty about God, about His attitude toward us, about the extent of His love, or about the truthfulness of His promises must depart.
And for anyone who has borne heavy crosses, for anyone who has thought in moments of difficulty that God had forgotten them, or that their faith was in vain, or that their lives were utterly futile, or that they are suffering from any affliction, no news is more welcome.
If you are facing death or severe illness, if you have lost a spouse or loved one, parents or children, if you have suffered ridicule or mockery for the sake of Christ, you do not need to despair.
For Christ is risen. He won the victory over death, and bestows on all believer’s forgiveness, and His peace which has no end.
Today we rejoice that death did not have the last word for Jesus, nor does it for you. We live in Christs victory over Satan. And we give thanks to God for preparing for us a feast of victory in the salutary gift of the Lord’s Supper.
Jesus Christ is Risen! He has Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Amen.