The Easter Story March 31st, 2024
Spirit of resurrecting Truth, roll away any assumptions that block our understanding of the Easter story. Open our minds and hearts to receive the Good News that Christ is risen indeed. Change our lives with this gift. Alleluia! Amen
The Easter story is a story of love that rises above death. It is a story that invites us to encounter the risen Christ in our own lives, even when we are facing grief, pain, and loss. So, how do we embrace this story when our hearts are broken, and our hopes are shattered? How do we find the courage to trust in God's promise of resurrection when we are surrounded by death and despair? How do we make the leap from the pain of Good Friday to the happiness of Easter?
One way is to remember that the Easter story is not only about joy and victory, but also about sorrow and struggle. The first witnesses of the resurrection were the women who went to the tomb early in the morning, expecting to find a dead body. They were grieving, confused, and afraid. They did not understand what had happened, and they did not recognize Jesus when he appeared to them. They thought he was a gardener, or a stranger, or a ghost. They needed to hear him call their names, to see him show his wounds, to touch him and feel his warmth. They needed to experience his presence in a personal and intimate way before they could believe and rejoice.
We too need to hear Jesus call our names, especially when we are in the depths of despair. We too need to see him show his wounds, especially when we are wounded by life's trials. We too need to touch him and feel his warmth, especially when we feel cold and alone. We too need to experience his presence in a personal and intimate way before we can believe and rejoice.
But how do we do that? How do we encounter the risen Christ in our daily lives? How do we recognize him in the midst of our grief and suffering?
One way is to look for him in the people around us, especially those who are also hurting and in need of love. Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) When we reach out to comfort, support, and serve others who are suffering, we are also reaching out to Christ. When we listen to their stories, share their burdens, and offer them hope, we are also listening to Christ, sharing his burden, and receiving his hope. When we love them as ourselves, we are also loving Christ as ourselves.
Another way is to look for him in the creation around us, especially the signs of new life and beauty. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) When we witness the miracle of nature, the cycle of seasons, the growth of plants and animals, we are also witnessing the miracle of Christ's resurrection. When we appreciate the beauty of the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars, we are also appreciating the beauty of Christ's glory. When we care for the environment, protect the resources, and respect the diversity of life and people, we are also caring for God's creation, the world Christ came to save.
A third way is to look for him is in the Scriptures and the traditions of our faith, especially those that speak to our hearts and minds. Jesus said, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you - that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44) When we read and study the Bible, pray, and meditate on its message, we are also reading and studying Christ's words. When we celebrate and participate in the sacraments, worship and praise God with songs and hymns, we are also celebrating and participating in Christ's presence. The Bible tells us Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) We can feel his presence in spirit and love.
These are some of the ways that we can encounter the risen Christ in our lives, and move from grief to joy, from fear to faith, from death to life. But there is one more thing that we need to do, and that is to share this encounter with others. The Easter story is not only a personal story, but also a communal story. It is not only a story of love, but also a story of mission. It is not only a story that demands to be heard, but also a story that demands to be told. Just as Jesus told his first followers when he rose on Easter Sunday, tell others so that they too can find salvation.
When Jesus said to his disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) he reminded them that we are all called to be witnesses of the resurrection, to share our experience of Christ's love with others, to invite them into a relationship with him, to teach them his ways, and to join them in his mission. We are called to be Easter people, people who live in hope, people who act in love, people who follow in faith.
This is how we come to terms with our grief in the midst of such a powerful story of love. This is what we take from it to help us navigate our own lives, which may be full of fear, frustration, and suffering. This is how we experience our own names being expressed through our tears and fears. This is how we move away from the tomb and enter into the world ready to respond to this love that already has moved from the tomb into the world.
When I was researching articles for this message, I came across this story concerning the funeral of Winston Churchill. Most of us know him as the man who single-handedly rallied the British people in the darkest days of World War II when the armies of Hitler were poised to cross the English Channel. By the power of Churchill’s words, he gave courage to an entire country.
Before he died, he planned his own funeral service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The service itself was filled with Bible readings and great hymns. Just as the benediction was pronounced, an unseen bugler hidden in one side of the church began to play Taps, the traditional melody signaling the end of the day or the death of a soldier. As the mournful notes faded away, another bugler on the other side of the sanctuary began to play Reveille, the traditional melody signaling the coming of a new day. “It’s time to get up, it’s time to get up, it’s time to get up in the morning.” It was Sir Winston’s way of saying that though he was dead, he expected to “get up” on the day of the Resurrection.
This is the Easter story, the story of love that transcends death, the story of hope that overcomes despair, the story of life that never ends.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the greatest gift we could ever receive, the promise of eternal life given to us through faith in your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. His sacrifice and love are the ultimate blessings for which we are eternally thankful. Please bless our church family as they go forth in the love and joy of Easter. Amen