Sermon for 4/17/22: The Resurrection of Our Lord

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The Great Reversal
Mark 16:1-8

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

On this day, the Church celebrates nothing less than the greatest reversal in the history of the universe. We are talking here about reversing things that simply cannot be reversed, at least not in the way we are used to thinking of them. The blackest sin you have ever committed is reversed into perfect righteousness. The most grievous sadness you have experienced is reversed into ecstatic joy. Darkest death itself is reversed into eternal life. We are talking, of course, about the resurrection of Jesus. He who was dead is alive forevermore! The world will never be the same!

When those two women named Mary went to the tomb on that morning, they were certain what they would find: the dead body of Jesus. Jesus may have talked about hope, but in the end, He had not been able to escape crucifixion. Death, it seemed, had the last word. The women were simply returning to the tomb to complete the burial rites that had been cut short by the onset of the Sabbath the evening of that past Friday. And they hoped that someone—perhaps the Roman guards stationed at the tomb—could roll the stone away so they could finish their work.

But when they arrived at the tomb, the huge stone had already been rolled away. Entering the tomb, they were met by a young man sitting there—an angel actually, clothed in a long white robe. To these women, downcast and dejected by death and defeat, the angel proclaimed eternal light and life and victory. He announced the world’s greatest reversal. “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him...” Against all odds, against all the power of sin and death and this world, Jesus has won the victory, and it is your victory. Open your eyes and see!

The very natural reaction of the women was to be alarmed. Who wouldn’t be? People dead and buried don’t just come back to life, do they? But the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed.” It is a fact! Jesus, who was crucified, is risen from the dead. That is the first point we must get right if we are to take into our souls and our bodies this incredible victory and experience for ourselves our Lord’s reversal of sin and death. Initially, the women did not know what to think. They knew something had happened, but exactly what, they didn’t know. But that’s not good enough. Indeed, even today there are those who say things like this: “Well, just what happened on that first Easter, we can’t be sure. All we can know is that for those disciples, at least, Jesus was alive; and what matters for you and me is that Jesus is alive in our hearts.” Well, that is not good enough, either. And if you ever hear a preacher say that, run away from him as fast as you can go. Do not listen to the voice of the devil. The angel gives us the facts: Jesus was dead by crucifixion; He was buried; and on the third day He was literally raised from the dead in his very own body. It’s the greatest reversal in the history of the world, and it’s a fact.

The Scriptures testify that Jesus, as God and Man in one Person, was the man who was without deceit, without guilt, without sin. Jesus presented Himself to death and the devil, to be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, spit upon, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, and finally killed. Of course, death and the devil were overjoyed. But they got more than they had bargained for. Being a man, Jesus could be killed. But being God, He must live and reign forever. On Easter, the eternal life that Jesus had within Himself as God triumphed over death and the devil.

Jesus took on this mission for one reason, and it was not for Himself. After all, He was pure and sinless by nature. He undertook this battle for you. He took your sins into His own body and was tortured for your sins all the way to death. He did this to reverse your situation, that you need never be tortured for your sins; so that you may have His peace. He reversed your situation so that you could stop fearing death and start rejoicing in His resurrection. He rose bodily from death to reverse the dark history of your sin and sadness and death, and to replace it with His righteousness and joy and abundant, everlasting life. And He gives the gift of His resurrection triumph to all who believe and are baptized into His name. His innocent suffering, His bloody death, and His victorious resurrection are more powerful than all the sins and deaths in the world. He reverses all of that. How desperately sad that anyone would think he did not need this reversal, and refuse to be reversed by Christ!

But this great reversal is ours now through faith, and it will be ours in eternity, when we will see our Lord face to face. Jesus will reverse our sin and death and bring us into His righteousness and life in heaven forever, with all the saints of all time. It is the greatest reversal in the history of the world. The Christ, crucified in our place, has been raised. In so doing, He has overcome death and the devil for us. He has brought us to righteousness and eternal life. The world will never be the same! Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! In the name of the Father and of the (†) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.