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A Sermon Delivered at First Christian
Church Stockton Early
on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came
to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one
whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the
tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.
The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter
and reached the tomb first. He
bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did
not go in. Then Simon Peter
came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings
lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with
the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in,
and he saw and believed; for
as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the
dead. Then the disciples
returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. Happy Easter! This is a great day to be alive, to be together with family and friends, to worship our God and to celebrate our Risen Lord. Today is what our faith is all about; that no matter how dark and dreary things may appear to be, God has the power to turn defeat into victory. There is a terrible angst among all of humanity who live life from day to day without a belief in God and God’s enduring love for all. There is a thirst for meaning and purpose that pervades people of all cultures and all generations. Whether one lives in Weston Ranch, the more affluent North side of Stockton, or in the heart of the city, there is a poverty of spirituality in the hearts of men and women and youth that yearns to be filled and made whole. Ultimately we all want to know if our life has any meaning and any intrinsic worth. That is what makes today so powerful for us gathered here, knowing that our lives have eternal meaning, and that our worth is measured not by dollars or fame but by the love of the creator for all of creation. This is why we gather this day to celebrate. For some, going to an empty tomb is reason for alarm and despair. For Mary Magdalene, the empty tomb meant that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. Jesus’ enemies must have taken the dead Jesus, she presumed. But Jesus would not have been caught dead in a tomb. Tombs are where the dead are laid to rest, and stones are put in front of them to keep the living out, not the dead in. A host of characters come to the tomb; Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, guards, the Roman authorities, and angels, and they all agree on one thing: All concur that Jesus would not be caught dead in that cave. The
tomb echoes with emptiness. It's a reality that challenges us to embark on
a search for Jesus, a journey of faith that can include being caught alive
by the Risen Christ. If we join Mary in waiting and wondering outside the
tomb, we have the experience of Jesus
calling us by name and leading us into the way of life that is full of
meaning and lasting hope. Jesus
would not be caught dead in that tomb. He prefers being caught alive
outside the tomb - seen in the garden, along the road to Emmaus, in the
faces of people who have experienced resurrection.
Jesus wants to be caught alive - in you.
Here's
the point: If you're not caught alive, you'll be caught dead. By
your presence here this morning I can assume that you wish to be caught
alive by the risen Christ. I
can probably assume that you have already been caught alive by him, that
you have already experienced new life, new hope, new meaning.
But not all have, and that is where we become like Mary Magdalene,
like Peter and John and the other disciples.
We have the responsibility to tell others that the tomb is empty,
that God has the power to roll away the stones in their lives that are
keeping them entombed in despair. We
all have friends and family who live their lives in hopelessness, people
who are filled with shame and guilt because of things they have done or
things done to them. We all
know people who harbor grudges, who have an unforgiving spirit.
We all know someone who feels powerless and alone, someone who is
looking for a fresh start and some meaning in their life.
If we have experienced being caught alive by the risen Christ, then
we have the responsibility to share him with them! Following
his death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to many people, fully alive,
but transformed. Jesus comes
again today, fully alive and transformed.
He wants to know if we are alive, if his death and resurrection
have transformed us. He is
calling us to come out of the graves that entrap our lives, and he is
willing to roll away the stones that keep us within our tombs. Has
Jesus caught you dead or alive?
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