Grace Lutheran Church Easter, March 27, 2005

The Rev. Evan Gaerther
Easter, The Day of the Resurrection of our Lord
“Come and See, Go and Tell”
March 27, 2005
Matthew 28:1-10

As the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary made their way to the tomb. They came to see the crucified Jesus, to mourn some more, a hope lost. When they arrive the angel was sitting atop the stone that had been rolled away.

The angel said to the women, “Stop being afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.”

They were coming to see the Jesus that had died on the cross.

But the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.”

For the angel it was important to tell the women that the events that are unfolding are according to God’s wisdom. The Word of God has been found to be truthful. The resurrection of Jesus is a vindication of all the claims he has made. On the cross, Jesus cried the cry of despair and then commended himself into the hands of his Father. Jesus handed himself over to the judgment of God the Father. And the Father received his son as just payment. Our sins have been paid for. The resurrection is the receipt. The resurrection confirms that God said yes to his Son and to his Son’s work.

When I go shopping at BJ’s, the warehouse club in Tonawanda, I go through the self-checkout lane. I scan my membership card, then I scan the diapers, the socks, the ground meat, and the batteries. I swipe my credit card and sign the electronic screen. A receipt is printed. I put all the stuff into the cart and make my way out of the store, but I keep the receipt handy. The store has someone at the door that checks my receipt against what is in my cart. The receipt is punched and I can go.

The women came looking for the one that was crucified. They were invited by the angel to get a different receipt. A great exchange had been made. Christ died for our sins. If this death was not valid and just payment then Christ would still be crucified, dead, and buried, just as the women were expecting.

But the angel invited them to look at the receipt, saying, “Come, see the place where he lay.”

It is an invitation to look at the receipt and see that payment had been made in full, death no longer has any claim.

Paul said to the Corinthians, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sin.” (1 Cor. 15:14,17)

The basis of our faith, the purpose of our faith, the outcome of our faith is found in the resurrection of our Lord. We have faith in our God because he has delivered us from being bonded to death to being freed in Christ. Our faith in Jesus is faith in his real life, lived holy and perfect in submission to the Father for us. Our faith in Jesus is faith in his real death, died on the cross to atone for our sins. Our faith in Jesus is faith in his real resurrection. Jesus is victorious over death. He alone is the Son of God who has delivered on his promises. The angel of the Lord said to the women, he has risen, just as he said. We can stand firm on Christ, because he delivers on his work of redemption.

Our faith is based on something real and true. The angel invited the women, “Come, see the place where he lay.” Take with you when you go to the disciples a receipt, take with you what you have seen, that proves the purchase of life from death.

The angel tells the women to take this receipt and show it, saying, “go quickly and tell his disciples that that he has risen from the dead.”

This band of followers that had all scattered when the shepherd had been struck was being gathered together because the shepherd has been restored. It is profound for those followers of Jesus that had all spiritually scattered to still be called “His disciples.” Truly they knew they did not rightly deserve to be called disciples of Jesus any longer, but from divine grace they were gathered together and called “his disciples.”

As the women leave the tomb to go and tell the disciples, they could hardly believe the receipt they held. One could look at it and see that all life had been purchased and won from the depths of dead. Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Jesus said to them, “Stop being afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The angel called them, “His disciples,” and now Jesus calls them “his brothers.”

Truly out of divine grace we have been gathered together because our Lord and Savior has gathered us. We gather this Easter assured that our faith is not empty and vain, but has substance and purpose. Come and see the substance of your faith is victory.

Your faith has the substance of Christ who suffered, died, and rose again for the forgiveness of your sins. As we were once dead in our trespasses we are made alive in Christ. Take this receipt, what you have seen and heard in the Word of God, show that your life has been purchased from death. Go and tell others.

Your faith has substance and it has purpose. With the women you are invited to come and see in the Word of God the substance of your faith. With the women you are given the purpose to go quickly and tell the others that Jesus is risen.

As you go into this world and the devil seeks to pull you away from trusting in God, pull out your receipt that shows you have been purchased by Christ. How do you know that Jesus did this all for you? Tell the devil and all his works, “I am baptized, I am a child of God, purchased and won by Christ himself.”

Consider when I am leaving the BJ’s warehouse club, I can show the receipt and walk out with confidence. Without the receipt, well, I would have to either go pay the bill myself or get caught trying to sneak out. You can never pay the debt of your sins, it is too great, but give thanks to God that he has had mercy and paid the price, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. You could never sneak out of this bill. There is a danger in our society that thinks of faith as an option that can be ordered ala carte as needed. I am encouraging you to come and see the victory that God is offering in Christ Jesus. I implore you to go quickly and tell others of this good news.

You can go out into this world with freedom and confidence and do acts of mercy and sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ. You can do all these no matter what the world, the devil, and your own sinful flesh may try to work against you because you carry with you a receipt of life.

Grace Lutheran Church

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