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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaertner Easter The text for this morning's celebration of the new life in Christ is from the book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost Peter preached to all those that were gathered in Peter's words are very judgmental. He said to the crowd, "You crucified and killed him by the hands of lawless men." Now a days preaching is supposed to be gentler and kinder. People come to church to become comfortable and happy. It is true that I want you to leave here this morning comfortable and happy. It is also true that Peter wanted people to leave his Pentecost Day sermon comfortable and happy. But the comfort and happiness that is offered this morning with the good news of the empty grave is founded upon not making you satisfied in the life you are living, but satisfied in the life that Jesus Christ lives for you. Peter had said to his Lord, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But Peter said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And all the disciples said the same. (Mark 14:28-31) Peter felt comfortable and happy about this declaration. He was confident about the life he was living. But then that very night Peter denied three times ever having known. The rooster crowed for the second time and Peter broke down and wept. Peter found in himself no ability to comfort or rescue. He could only hope in Jesus Christ who stood trial. But Jesus was convicted. Peter's hope was crucified. Peter included himself in the words of condemnation that he opened his sermon with. We all include ourselves through our confession of sins in the guilt of crucifying and killing our Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike the anti-Semitism of some that pins this blame on the Jews, there is no denial that we all are guilty. As the women went to the tomb they presume the story is over. They are going to anoint his body with oils. They wonder who will roll the stone away for them. The stone in a groove would have easily slid closed, blocking the way to the tomb. But to open the stone would be much more difficult. How different the muted questions and motions of the women walking to the tomb that early morning compared to the shouts of Hosanna that followed Jesus one week earlier when he entered Jerusalem. The week of our Lord's passion began with his parade into On Monday Jesus entered the temple square and with anger threw out the money changers. What a dramatic sight to witness. His disciples must have thought they were truly following the man that could make a real difference in the world. His disciples were witnessing the mockery of justice and self-righteousness being overturned. They had joined themselves to a man that was going to make a difference. On Tuesday the authorities questioned Jesus saying, "By what authority are you doing these things?" They questioned Jesus because he was performing what appeared to be official acts of teaching, cleansing, forgiving, restoring people to the kingdom, but he possessed no official status. The authority of Jesus did not come from any man but he was the very authority of God having come in the flesh. Jesus spoke as one with authority because he was the authority. During the week of our Lord's passion he would not be tricked or manipulated by the authorities. So on Wednesday they plotted against Jesus. The authorities were delighted when Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to them and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you." They counted out for him thirty silver coins. Judas from then on watched for an opportunity to betray his master. On Thursday Jesus gathered his disciples into the upper room of a home in The evening meal broke up and Jesus was in the Garden praying when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss of friendship. Friday was the day of loneliness and defeat. The disciples scattered, Peter had denied, the women wept, and the mother of our Lord watched this all. Friday was the day when all of their expectations and power came crashing down into the despair of death. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus down from the cross and placed him into a new tomb. Jesus was dead and buried. There are many people in the time of Jesus and now that do not believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In Jesus time the slander was that while the guards slept the disciples came and stole the body. This is a very clumsy lie. How could the soldiers know that the body of Christ was stolen if they were asleep? Other people have said that Christ did not really die on the cross but was in a coma or some sort of special sleep from which he awoke. To attack this false notion There are some today that think that Jesus did not bodily rise from the dead and instead the resurrection of the New Testament is really about Jesus coming to his disciples in a new form of wisdom and knowledge. In that empty tomb that first Easter morning we find the comfort and happiness that we long for. There is a custom that we greet one another in the Easter season with the words, "Christ is risen" and the answer, "He is risen indeed." These same words of assurance are the closing words of a Lutheran burial service at the graveside. In the midst of grief and death the words "Christ is risen," and the response, "He is risen indeed," pull the hearts of every Christian brother and sister together with the reminder that death does not have the final word over a Christian. We are hear today because Christ is not dead. Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed. The accusation of Peter when he told the crowd, "You crucified and killed him" becomes flipped on end. Jesus Christ could not be held by death. Jesus Christ cannot be defeated by this world's wars and angers. The peace that he brings could not be defeated with the iron nails of a roman solider. The victory of Jesus could not be silenced with the shouts of an angry crowd. We celebrate because Christ is alive. My savior lay dead in the grave but death does get to keep its prey. Jesus tore the bars away. Jesus is my Lord. It was not possible that he should be held by death. This same truth is given to all those that repent of their sins and believe in. Death does not get to keep you. And this is truth not just for later, but for today, because this environment of war, anger, violence, revenge does not get to keep. Christ tore the bars of this prison away. We are Easter People. We cannot be defeated by this world's wars and angers. We have a peace that surpasses all understanding. Celebrate! He is alive! He could not be silenced. No weapon has ever been able to be formed by this world's hands or the hands of the devil that is able to destroy the good news that Jesus is alive. The message of the gospel is still alive today. We do not need to crouch in fear or doubt. We celebrate with great joy. Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia. Let us go forward in peace. Amen Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |