The Resurrection of our Lord (2019) Easter Sunday

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Luke 24:1
Theme: They Went To The Tomb



Chris risen! Alleluia!
He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!


Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

They shouldn’t have gone! They should not have gone because Jesus was NEVER going to be found in that tomb- wrapped up in those grave clothes. They shouldn’t have gone, but they were fueled by grief and they could do nothing else. You and I would have done the same thing. Or, we wouldn’t have gone at all because we might have been too distraught, too overcome. But they went, and they were greeted by angels. And it was necessary for those angels to pose one of the most profound questions ever spoken, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”1 They were looking for the giver of life in the place of the dead.

We cannot reproduce the tone of the angel’s voices or the expressions on the women’s faces, but we can be certain that that exchange was one of the most surreal conversations that ever took place. Jesus Christ was resurrected from death. That reality could not be comprehended from a simple exchange of information. How could it be? Reflection on the recent events must have swirled in their minds like a maelstrom. His covert arrest. His illicit trial. His illegal sentence. The Sanhedrin. Pilate. The shouts. The taunting. The mockery. The nails. The spear. His body was beaten. His dignity was destroyed. His life was forfeited. His corpse was entombed. The order was given. The guards were posted.

And now, on the third day… The angels were present! The tomb was empty. The body was gone. The Saviour was risen. It meant: Death was defeated. Satan was conquered. Hell was vanquished. Sin was forgiven. Guilt was removed. Life was restored. The Scripture says, “We know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.”2 Therefore, with all God’s people let us say, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him! For the wedding for the Lamb has come…”3

Easter is a celebration for sinners. We need His resurrection. It is essential. If He remained in the grave, we would remain there too. So, we raise our alleluias not because Christ needs us to, but because it is evidence of the authenticity of our faith. God Himself doesn’t have any needs. Jesus, as a man, had needs when He walked this earth. The Bible tells us He hungered, He thirsted, and He became tired. Though sinless, He had feelings and emotions. Yet, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, like the Father and the Spirit, He requires nothing to sustain His existence. That includes our adoration and praise. If not one single person were to ever worship God that doesn’t mean He would cease to exist. If no one believes in Him that doesn’t mean He’s not there.

God is not dependent on us for His happiness, His security, or His identity. He is completely self-reliant and non-contingent. Yet, He is not content to limit exposure to His presence or access to His blessings. His love flows outward inexorably. His compassion cannot be contained. His desire to forgive cannot be measured. Still, the immeasurability of His grace should never be an excuse for apathy, but a cause for adoration. We seek the Spirit’s gift of continual revival our faith- particularly genuine gratitude for the remission of our sins.
Underestimation of the gravity of sin leads to a corresponding under appreciation of the crucifixion and resurrection- of the gospel message.

The self-righteous will never believe, on their own, they need a Saviour. The Spirit must convict the heart otherwise the arrogant egotist continues on the path to self-destruction. As the Scripture says, “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”4 Remember, Christ, the man, was not destined to die. He committed no sin. He was not conceived in iniquity. The penalty of death was not relevant to Him. The sharing of our fate was an act of His will. It was a selfless outpouring of His love. As the Son of God, He is the only One who was capable to atone for sin. Today we rejoice in His victory.

Christ rose from the dead and it’s not your concern to prove to skeptics how it happened. The credible testimony is available to all. We have it in the Scriptures and we should study them diligently. But the how of the resurrection can never be explained. God won’t be pushed into a corner or painted into a box. No one can summon Him for interrogation. He knows how to defend Himself. So, stand firm, dear friends, even though belief that metaphysical questions can be answered by scientific explanation continues to gain popularity. We’re marching towards a materialism that is much more profoundly soulless than the material affluence ‘suffered’ for some time now by wealthy societies. The Bible calls mishandled material affluence mammon- misused wealth, idolized wealth. Greed is as ancient as the fall into sin. But the materialism we’re speaking of here is the conviction that there is no spiritual realm at all. All that exists is matter in all of its combinations. For the scientific materialist there’s no heaven, no hell, no design or purpose built into life by a creator.

Of course, an increasingly evident irony exists here. One of the great blessings of technological and scientific advancement is the ability to more comprehensively document the great diversity and complexity of life that exists. Examples and expressions of living things from the microscopic to the enormous are beyond most superlative designations we can attribute to them. They are miraculous. Life is astonishing beyond our ability to appreciate it. Imagine what it must have been like in that first paradise called Eden before the world fell into decay? Imagine what it will be like in the new creation? The Scripture says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5

What relevance does the resurrection still have today? Does the message fall only on deaf ears? In spite of the aggressive move towards secularism in our culture, there are still many in society acutely attuned to spiritual realities. Humans are wired, or should I say ‘Wi-Fied’ this way! Some are openly searching for answers in non-Christian sources. They seek advice from palm readers and psychics. They hope to channel their own inner god or goddess. They look to tap into the lifeforce of the universe. They attempt to access the haunting and cursing capabilities of dead relatives. They consult horoscopes and mediums. They experiment with an array of occultic practices. They are reviving pagan rituals. Just one notable example: Thousands of pagans and Druids gather each year at Stonehenge to honour the cycles of life and death and to celebrate the sun’s rebirth. Such practices and gatherings are becoming more mainstream.

Should we be concerned? Should be alarmed? Should we afraid? The angel said to the women, “Do not be alarmed.”6. The risen Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you!”7
So, with the Psalmist we can say, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”8 And with the apostle we can confess, “Neither life, nor death…nor any powers…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”9 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is never an historical reality relegated to the past. Christ is living! He is the immortal, unchanging, Son of God not subject to ageing or decay. He says, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hades.”10 We are not baptized into the names of deposed deities or motionless divinities, but into the existence of the Ruler over life and death. We don’t participate in oblations to obsolete idols, but in the body and blood of the living Saviour.

Jesus was never going to be found lying in the tomb on Easter morning. It wasn’t the shortest time a person ever spent in a grave. (There are cases the world over where people were presumed dead but buried alive.) But this is the only case where one who was dead walked out of the grave under His own power. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Chris risen! Alleluia!
He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!




+ In nomine Jesu +

The Resurrection of our Lord
21 April 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 24:5-6
2 Romans 6:9-10
3 Revelation 19:6-7
4 James 1:15
5 Revelation 21:4
6 Mark 16:6
7 John 20:19
8 Psalm 118:6
9 Romans 8:38-39
10 Revelation 1:17-18