1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 (Good News Translation)
Acts 10: 34-43 (Common English Bible)
Mark 16: 1-8 (Common English Bible)
Mark’s Easter story is a shock and maybe even a debbie-downer to some readers who are used to the more detailed readings in the other three gospels. But Mark’s gospel was the first written, it has the least details and Jesus is merely mentioned in its ending. Mark’s empty tomb feels more ominous than joyful. But I think there is something else this particular account of the resurrection gives us, the resurrection is overwhelming. This requires us to lean into the shock and awe that overwhelmed Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James.
That first Easter morning when the three women made their way to the tomb, they had just one question in their mind. It wasn't Jesus still alive, it was, “Who will roll away the stone for us?” It was a very large stone put there by the Roman and the religious hierarchy to stop any removal of Jesus's body to prevent any rumors of Jesus rising from the dead like Lazarus.
The women wanted to anoint the body of their beloved Rabbi’s dead body. They were not afraid of any Roman guards who might still be guarding the tomb. They were not even worried why Peter and the other male disciples were not with them. The disciples were secluded, hidden away in the upper room afraid for their lives. The male disciples had in a sense, created a tomb for themselves after the crucifixion of Jesus and put a stone of their own making over it.
Now think about people today with stones in their own life. Those obstacles that keep people from living the full abundance with Christ. Think about the challenges that try to keep people in their own personal tombs. And then, think about what Easter teaches us about how God plans to remove those tombs and stones. Our Risen Lord enters into our lives, even our own personal tombs and rolls away the stones that are keeping us from being all that God wants us to be.
Yes, those women at the tomb were afraid and for good reason. An empty tomb was the last thing they expected. And that fear became another stone for them to be rolled away. But here is another miracle of Easter. Their stone was rolled away. The three women told the disciples what they saw. And Jesus did appear to his disciples, just as he promised. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit and so it did appear on the day of Pentecost. And the very last stone in the lives of those disciples was rolled away. There is no stone too large for God to remove.
The resurrection of Christ energized the disciples. They went from hiding in fear in a locked room, to boldly sharing the message and story of Jesus throughout their known world. No stone could stop them anymore. All the disciples, except one, died as martyrs. That is the miracle of Easter, for them, and for us today.
The first question to ask, is this story true to your life today? It’s not because we might think this story of Easter has changed since last year. Our life is different from last Easter but we also want to be reminded that Easter is still real for us.
God never leaves anyone in the darkness of a tomb. The large stones of our lives can be rolled back. Our tombs can be emptied. And the guidance of the Holy Spirit is there to help us. What the young man in white said at the tomb, “He has been raised. He isn’t here,” is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.
The most important part of Easter is not what happens today. What is really important is what we do tomorrow and the days ahead. As the young man said, “He is going ahead of you.” Jesus is going ahead of us rolling away the stones of injustice, the stones of war, the stones of bigotry and greed and replacing those evils with a better existence.
First Corinthians 15: 1-11 serves as a prelude for the Apostle Paul’s view on the resurrection of Jesus. The churches in Corinth had a problem with the resurrection of all the dead people at the end of the present age. They were tutored in Greek philosophy and the idea of a dead body living again made no sense. They believed the physical body was something to be discarded and forgotten after death. The spiritual body was the only thing important. Paul explained to the Corinthians his ideas about a universal resurrection that differed from what the churches in Corinth thought. Neither the resurrection of Christ or the future resurrection of the dead for humankind can be explained logically. It was a mystery among the first followers of Jesus and even today, it is hard for the human mind to comprehend.
On this Easter Sunday, churches will be filled with those who have doubts about the resurrection, and that’s OK. We can assure listeners that doubts and questions are perfectly normal and are part of one’s journey of faith. The job of a minister is not to give details to explain the resurrection, but to proclaim the testimony of witnesses, both ancient and modern, of what the resurrection had done for their lives.
In 1st Corinthians 15, verse three, Paul writes, “Christ died for our sins.” We’ve heard that phrase thousands of times in our lives. But what does it really mean? I don’t believe the human Jesus of Nazareth knew me personally 2,000 years ago, but instead it refers to the collective sins of humankind that date back millions of years to the very beginning of human evolution.
Paul Tillich, one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century, lists three major sins that have infected the human species since our primeval ancestors were tree dwellers.
The first is called “Hubris” which is the self-elevation of one’s self to the level of God. Those in a state of hubris, do not recognize their own limits. They are filled with excessive pride and arrogance.
The second major sin is “Unbelief” which occurs when one turns away from God and towards oneself in trying to reach freedom. This is not the same as rejecting church doctrine. A lot of good Christians have done that.
The third is “Concupiscence” which occurs when one working through others dominates and exploits everything possible, pursuing an unlimited desire for abundance, material possessions, power and all other aspects of one’s desire to control the world.
Those were the sins the Apostle Paul was writing about. Only Jesus overcame them by his death on the cross and the resurrection. But how do we view the resurrection today in the 21st century? Paul Tillich wrote that the cross of Christ is a sign of purification and connection, where we are reconciled to God. Christ showed us that we cannot be separated from God, no matter who we are.
The cross is a sign of union and restoration. The cross is a place where Christ’s unfailing obedience connects with our own disobedience. In entering the dimension of death, Jesus changed the essence of what it means to be human. A new way opens up. Jesus is the true Human One which all humanity should be.
As a Cosmic event, the cross is a sign of liberation. There is an abundance of scripture that reminds us of the cosmic aspect of the cross. Jesus confronted the greatest evils, both seen and unseen, that oppose God and attack humanity. Jesus fought the great battle and won. In his victory over death, he shared his triumph with humankind, with life everlasting and goodness forever.
When we talk about the cross, we often focus on “salvation” (what “saves” us) and atonement. Break down the term atonement and it means at-one-ment. We become one with God. We should never be afraid to seek out and embrace a new symbol for our faith. It has happened many times throughout the history of our Christian faith.
We can see symbols in many places that can reinforce our faith. One of mine was actually from a TV series some might remember. It was from the series “The X-Files.” In the series FBI agent Fox Mulder had a sign in his office that said “I Want To Believe” with a photo of a UFO in it. The word “Believe” comes from an Old English Saxon term meaning “belove.” And doesn’t that speak for all of us here today? We belove the stories about Jesus and his resurrection, which sets all of us free from bondage, whether it’s religion, political leaders or the fear of death. Have a Blessed Easter with a rebirth and a new beginning in all lives.
