death cannot prevail resurrection is proclaimed do not be afraid Sermon

Transcript

1 !! Pastor David J. Risendal facebook Dave Risendal Twitter: drisendal Saint Peter Lutheran Church 9300 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, CO voice: 303/ fax: 303/ facebook.com/stplc! CHRIST IS RISEN! The Resurrection of Our Lord; Easter Sunday (Year A) April 20, 2014 Lessons Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6 Psalm 118:1-2, Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43 St. John 20:1-18 or St. Matthew 28:1-10 Prayer of the Day O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to sin, so that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. death cannot prevail resurrection is proclaimed do not be afraid Sermon And, for my friend Tony: Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! [Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη!] Christ is Risen Welcome to our celebration of the resurrection. I am glad you are all here to worship with us this morning. Easter Sunday stands at the very center of the Christian calendar. Everything that comes before leads up to it, and everything that comes after follows from it. And not only is today Easter Sunday, today is also the beginning of the Easter season: seven weeks of worship that are focused around the proclamation that: Christ is risen! [Response/ Christ is risen, indeed!] Christ is risen indeed! That reminds me: I have to tell you about my Good Friday. Two 1 days ago we were in the middle of our annual Triduum worship service we gathered here 1 Triduum is Latin for three day and refers to the one liturgy that takes place over the span of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

2 The Resurrection of Our Lord; Easter Sunday Year A (April 20, 2014)! 2! for scripture and prayer and song, as we marked the day of our Lord s death. It was a deeply moving service, and I was once again struck by how much our God loves us. On the way home, after worship, I stopped in to see some friends of ours here in Greenwood Village. They are a Jewish family, and while we visited in the kitchen, I ate some matzo bread, and had matzo soup. I later wished I had asked them to take a picture of me: a Lutheran Pastor, dressed in black clerics, eating matzo in a Jewish home on Good Friday. How often do you get to take that picture? (And how many likes do you suppose that image might have won on facebook?) As you know, our Jewish friends are celebrating Passover right now, so we talked for a while about our traditions around these holy days. They are a faithful family, and a thoughtful family, and the father asked me about a sign he had seen at a local car dealership. It said, simply, Christ Is Risen, and he wondered about the syntax. Why not, he said, Christ rose? Or Christ was raised? Or Christ is alive? He was insightful in observing that the word is is a present tense verb, but the noun risen appears to refer to something took place in the past. The phrase is risen sounded awkward and confusing to him, and he wondered why we put it that way. This really is a good question, and one I d like to consider this morning. Why do we say is risen every Sunday morning during the Easter season? In some ways, this phrase gets to the very heart of our celebration. The Announcement of Most people realize that this is a day when we gather to give thanks Christ s Resurrection. for what took place in history some two thousand years ago. Christ was put to death on the cross on Friday, and buried in a nearby tomb. On that first Easter morning, Mary and Mary made their way to the tomb at the dawning of the day to pay their respects to Jesus, much like you and I might visit the grave of someone we love, to remember them. They arrive and everything seems to be pretty much as they had expected: the large stone is still lying against the door of the tomb, the opening has been sealed (as per Pilate s instruction) and the soldiers are standing guard to make sure nobody disturbs anything. Then, suddenly, there is an earthquake, and an angel from God descends before their very eyes, rolls away the stone, and sits on it. The burly, grizzled soldiers who are stationed there to keep order are so terrified that they faint dead-away. And then the women learn that the situation isn t quite what they assumed it to be. The angel announces the resurrection. In our Gospel, you will notice that the Greek word 2 used to report the proclamation from the angel is translated as he has been raised. Mary and Mary aren t able to see this because the tomb is still sealed, but Jesus has already been raised. God has already defeated the powers of death. He is not in the tomb. Despite the stone being sealed in place, and the soldiers standing guard, he has been raised, he is gone, and he is no longer there. The resurrection has happened. Past. Done. Accomplished. The miracle of Easter has made its way out into the world. If this had been the full content of the Angel s proclamation, then my friend would be right: the car dealership should have a banner that says, Christ Rose or Christ Was Raised. What people sometimes miss is that there is more to this The Promise of announcement. The angel informs these two women that Jesus is 3 going ahead of you. Here the past tense is replaced by the present Christ s Presence. tense. Jesus has not only been raised, but he is going ahead. The promise is that he is neither confined to the grave, nor to the past. He will be with you along the way. If you are 2 3 ἠγέρθη: verb, third person, singular, aorist, passive, indicative; from ἐγείρω (to waken, to raise up) προάγει: verb, third person, singular, present, active, indicative; from προάγω (to lead forth, to go before)

3 The Resurrection of Our Lord; Easter Sunday Year A (April 20, 2014)! 3! able to look with the eyes of faith, you will see him. No matter where your life s journey takes you, he will be there to guide you, to strengthen you, and to empower you for faithfulness. You see, what we celebrate this morning has its roots in something that took place long, long ago and far, far away. But it is not only a celebration of a past event. It is also a celebration of the present reality that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and is going ahead of us. He is here with us today in the word, and in the meal, and in the gathered community, as surely as he is here in the first century with his followers on the cross, and in the resurrection, in the months and years to come during those early years of the Christian movement. Past, present and future come together in the resurrection of our Lord. In other words: Christ is risen! [Response/ Christ is risen, indeed!] That is what we have come here to celebrate this morning. The good news of the empty tomb is a sign that God has defeated the powers of death once-and-for-all. And the promise of the angel is that the presence of Christ is with us, today and tomorrow and the day after that. Which leads us to one more message that is important to hear this morning. We hear it from the angel who speaks to the women. We also hear it as the Risen Christ meets them while they are racing back to town to tell the others. Both the angel and Jesus say to them: Do not be afraid. These two women have just experienced a horrific week. They leave the tomb with fear and great joy. They are confused about what the future holds for them. In the midst of this turmoil comes the promise of our faith: Jesus goes before us, and that is what allows us to live without fear. No matter what comes, he is with us. In the midst of our greatest joys, he is with us to celebrate. In the midst of our deepest disappointments, he is with us to grieve. In the midst of our most significant challenges, he is with to give us strength. When we feel as though we can't take another step, he is with us to pick us up and set us back on our feet. When we are tempted by doubt and despair, he is with to inspire and encourage. Past, present and future come together in the resurrection of our Lord in a way that allows us to live without fear, no mater what comes our way. And so we are bold to proclaim that Christ is risen! [Response/ Christ is risen, indeed!] And even better yet: we proclaim that he goes ahead of us, to meet us in every tomorrow. May we walk into the future with hope and joy, and without fear, knowing that our God waits for us there to guide us; to strengthen us; and to empower us for faithfulness. Amen. David J. Risendal, Pastor Gospel Lesson; English Text 4 Do Not Be Afraid 28.1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him. This is 4 A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at

4 The Resurrection of Our Lord; Easter Sunday Year A (April 20, 2014)! 4! my message for you. 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, Greetings! And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. 5 Gospel Lesson; Greek Text: 28.1 Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων, τῃ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ εἰς µίαν σαββάτων ἠ λθεν Μαριὰµ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία θεωρη σαι τὸν τάφον. 2 καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισµὸς ἐγένετο µέγας ἄγγελος γὰρ κυρίου καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανου καὶ προσελθὼν ἀπεκύλισεν τὸν λίθον καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπάνω αὐτου. 3 ἠ ν δὲ ἡ εἰδέα αὐτου ὡς ἀστραπὴ καὶ τὸ ἔνδυµα αὐτου λευκὸν ὡς χιών. 4 ἀπὸ δὲ του φόβου αὐτου ἐσείσθησαν οἱ τηρου ντες καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ὡς νεκροί. 5 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἄγγελος εἰ πεν ται ς γυναιξίν µὴ φοβει σθε ὑµει ς, οἰ δα γὰρ ὅτι Ἰησου ν τὸν ἐσταυρωµένον ζητει τε 6 οὐκ ἔστιν ὡ δε, ἠγέρθη γὰρ καθὼς εἰ πεν δευ τε ἴδετε τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἔκειτο. 7 καὶ ταχὺ πορευθει σαι εἴπατε τοι ς µαθηται ς αὐτου ὅτι ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τω ν νεκρω ν, καὶ ἰδοὺ προάγει ὑµα ς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ἐκει αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε ἰδοὺ εἰ πον ὑµι ν. 8 Καὶ ἀπελθου σαι ταχὺ ἀπὸ του µνηµείου µετὰ φόβου καὶ χαρα ς µεγάλης ἔδραµον ἀπαγγει λαι τοι ς µαθηται ς αὐτου. 9 καὶ ἰδοὺ Ἰησου ς ὑπήντησεν αὐται ς λέγων χαίρετε. αἱ δὲ προσελθου σαι ἐκράτησαν αὐτου τοὺς πόδας καὶ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῳ. 10 τότε λέγει αὐται ς ὁ Ἰησου ς µὴ φοβει σθε ὑπάγετε ἀπαγγείλατε τοι ς ἀδελφοι ς µου ἵνα ἀπέλθωσιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, κακει µε ὄψονται. 6 First Lesson; English Text: 10:34 Then Peter began to speak to them: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. 7 First Lesson; Greek Text: 10:34 Ἀνοίξας δὲ Πέτρος τὸ στόµα εἶπεν ἐπ ἀληθείας καταλαµβάνοµαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήµπτης ὁ θεός, 35 ἀλλ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούµενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόµενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν. 36 τὸν λόγον [ὃν] ἀπέστειλεν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ εὐαγγελιζόµενος εἰρήνην διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὗτος ἐστιν πάντων κύριος, 37 ὑµεῖς οἴδατε τὸ γενόµενον ῥῆµα καθ ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἀρξάµενος ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας µετὰ τὸ βάπτισµα ὃ ἐκήρυξεν Ἰωάννης, 38 Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ, ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς πνεύµατι ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάµει, ὃς διῆλθεν εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἰώµενος πάντας τοὺς καταδυναστευοµένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἦν µετ αὐτοῦ. 39 καὶ ἡµεῖς µάρτυρες St. Matthew 28:1-10, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America). St. Matthew 28:1-10, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart). Acts 10:34-43, New Revised Standard Version Bible, opp. cit.

5 The Resurrection of Our Lord; Easter Sunday Year A (April 20, 2014)! 5! πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔν τε τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ [ἐν] Ἰερουσαλήµ. ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεµάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου, 40 τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν [ἐν] τῇ τρίτῃ ἡµέρᾳ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν ἐµφανῆ γενέσθαι, 41 οὐ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, ἀλλὰ µάρτυσιν τοῖς προκεχειροτονηµένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡµῖν, οἵτινες συνεφάγοµεν καὶ συνεπίοµεν αὐτῷ µετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν 42 καὶ παρήγγειλεν ἡµῖν κηρύξαι τῷ λαῷ καὶ διαµαρτύρασθαι ὅτι οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ ὡρισµένος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν. 43 τούτῳ πάντες οἱ προφῆται µαρτυροῦσιν ἄφεσιν ἁµαρτιῶν λαβεῖν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόµατος αὐτοῦ πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς αὐτόν. 8 Second Lesson; English Text: 3.1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 9 Second Lesson; Greek Text: 3.1 Εἰ οὖν συνηγέρθητε τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε, οὗ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ καθήµενος 2 τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖτε, µὴ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 3 ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑµῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ θεῷ. 4 ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ὑµῶν, τότε καὶ ὑµεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ Acts 10:34-43, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart). Colossians 3:1-4, New Revised Standard Version Bible, opp. cit. Colossians 3:1-4, The Greek New Testament, opp. cit.