Easter

Good Shepherd

2004 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Draft Job 19:23–27; 1 Cor 15:51–57; Mk 16:1–8; Ps 118:15–29; ant: v. 1   –     4/5/26

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

He is risen!

There is often the question whether the narrative of the resurrection makes sense and whether the four Gospels actually agree with one another. Consider our reading this morning, and the angel said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. But if we were to look at the other accounts we would see how Mary Magdalene and others go tell the disciples. Critics of the Bible would call this a contradiction. We, however, have long had the answer to such issues.

St. Augustine wrote, “We may however enquire how Mark can say this, when Matthew says, ‘they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciples word,’ unless we understand it to mean, that they did not dare to say a word to any of the Angels themselves, that is, to answer the words which they had spoken to them; or else to the guards whom they saw lying there; for that joy of which Matthew speaks is not inconsistent with the fear which Mark mentions. For we ought to have understood that both feelings were in their minds, even though Matthew had not mentioned the fear. But since he has also said that they came out with fear and great joy, he does not allow room for any question to be raised.” (Augustine, de Con. Evan., iii, 24) A simple explanation, and perhaps that is what happened. Another possibility is that when Mark says, they said nothing he was referring to the message the angel had given them and the angels they had seen, for it seems from the other accounts that Sts. Peter and John only know the tomb is empty when they run out to it. Either way, there is no contradiction. Scripture remains unerring. Now to the meat of the text.

St. Paul writes, Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Rom 4:25). Paul tells us exactly why Christ suffered and how we should conform ourselves to his sufferings, that Jesus died for our sins. This is the only interpretation of the sufferings of Christ where we receive any benefit from them. It is not enough for me merely to know and believe Christ has died, nor will it suffice to know and believe that He rose again with His body transfigured in the new state of joy and blessedness, no longer subject to mortality, because simply knowing and believing that wouldn’t help me very much at all. But when I understand the fact that all the works which God has done in Christ are done for me, more so, when I understand that He has given them to me, the effect of his resurrection being that I will also arise and live with Him on the last day; that is what will cause me to rejoice. This understanding is what must be held tightly in our hearts and we must not merely hear the preaching of this good news with our ears nor merely confess it with our mouths.

I have often preached to you that the story of Christ’s suffering during His life is meant to be an example to us, and that is true. But there are others who say that if we follow the example of His life, and look to the Passion, that is, His death as an example and cling to Him we will receive the Spirit, who will enable us also to suffer, but that is a step to far. For it is not living like Christ that gives us the Holy Spirit. Following His example trains us for holy living, true, but it does not make us holy. Remember what St. Paul said, and let that be your guide rather than the high minded words of other preachers. Put Paul’s words within your heart and look to them for comfort, not your own efforts. St. Paul said, Christ was raised for our justification.

In that sentence the Lamb of God is truly revealed, the One of Whom John the Baptist testified, Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Here God fulfills what He said to the serpent who had murdered Adam and Eve and al of humanity, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed: He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heal (Gen 3:15), which means that for all those who believe in Him, hell, death, the devil, and sin have been destroyed. The final petition of the Lord’s Prayer is accomplished. Likewise, the promise God gave to Abraham has been fulfilled this day, In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (22:18). God meant Christ who takes away the curse that had come upon us and overcomes the power of sin, death, and the devil. Today is God’s answer to Job’s petition, a most beautiful petition which all Christians should know by heart, Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! Indeed his Redeemer lives, and because Christ lives so lives also Job and all who are joined to the death and resurrection of Christ. Indeed, Christ has engraved Job’s name into the book of life, and He has provided Job not only with his daily bread, but his eternal provision.

All this we receive by faith. Luther says, “For if you believe that by this seed the serpent has been slain, then it is slain for you; and if you believe that in this seed all nations are to be blessed, then you are also blessed. For each one individually should have crushed the serpent under foot and redeemed himself from the curse, which would have been too difficult, nay impossible for us. But now it has been done easily, namely, by Christ, who has crushed the serpent once, who alone is given as a blessing and benediction, and who has caused this Gospel to be published throughout the world, so that he who believes, accepts it and clings to it, is also in possession of it, and is assured that it is as he believes. For in the heart of such a man the Word becomes so powerful that he will conquer death, the devil, sin and all adversity, like Christ himself did. So mighty is the Word that God himself would sooner be vanquished than that his Word should be conquered.” (§8)

When St. Paul says, Christ was raised for our justification, he would turn my eyes away from my own sins and direct them to Christ. Whenever I look at my own sins, they destroy me. But when I look to Christ Who has taken my sins upon Himself, crushed the head of the serpent, I have all good and blessing from God. Now my sins no longer torture my conscience, but I rest upon Christ whom they would destroy. When my sins attack me, they would hurl me to the ground and kill me, I would be all alone and helpless before the accusations of the devil, and led around by the nose by the world and the desires of my flesh. But then God appears in Christ, delivers me from my sins and makes me alive again. Not only does he raise me up from my death in sin, but He gives me the promise of a home in heaven with Him forevermore, where Christ reigns in glory and honor. What has become of my sin? There it is, lying under His feet, He has conquered it.

Thus Luther says, “If I then cling to this, I have a cheerful conscience like Christ, because I am without sin. Now I can defy death, the devil, sin and hell to do me any harm. As I am a child of Adam, they can indeed accomplish it that I must die. But since Christ has taken my sins upon himself, has died for them, has suffered himself to be slain on account of my sins, they can no longer harm me; for Christ is too strong for them, they cannot keep him, he breaks forth and overpowers them, ascends into heaven takes sin and sorrow captive, and rules there over all throughout eternity. Now I have a clear conscience, am joyful and happy and am no longer afraid of this tyrant, for Christ has taken my sins away from me and made them his own. But they cannot remain upon him; what then becomes of them? They must disappear and be destroyed. This then is the effect of faith. He who believes that Christ has taken away our sin, is without sin, like Christ himself, and death, the devil and hell are vanquished as far as he is concerned and they can no longer harm him.” (§9)

St. Paul speaks more in 1 Corinthians, quoting the Prophet Hosea (13:14): Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Paul shows by this quote that Christ has been victorious, He has won by His resurrection, He has conquered sin, death, hell, our own sinful flesh, and all the enemies of His Church. St. Paul says that death has been swallowed up in victory, and thus he defies death by these words. Luther says it is as though Paul were taunting death, “O death, where are thy teeth? Come, bite off one of my fingers. Thou formerly hadst a spear, what has become of it now? Christ has taken it from thee. Death, where is now thy spear…? Sin, where is now the edge of thy sword and thy power?” (§10) The power of sin lay in the law. The more clear the law becomes to us, the more our sins are apparent and oppress us with guilt and suffering. And it is in response to this malady of our that St. Paul has written these words, comforting us with the clear statement that Christ has completely annihilated the weapons of death. For you who believe in Christ, no power of sin, death, or devil can stand against the One Who fights on your behalf, for they are already defeated in Christ. Your great defender bestows on you life, strength, and power to stand in the day of trial for you know that your enemy lies beaten under Jesus’ feet.

Thus you must always seek to learn more of Christ, that you may understand well all that He has said and done for you. God to the Bible and meditate always upon the Words of Life, understand the righteousness with which God has blessed you, and seek the true knowledge of your Savior. Pray daily for wisdom and that God may prosper you on your way, and that He would teach you so that you truly learn to know Christ, that God’s name would always be kept holy in your life, that God’s Kingdom would come to you every day, that God’s will would be done for you, that God would provide not just the bread you need to live in this life but the life giving bread He has promised, that God would daily forgive you your sins when you err and that you may thus be strengthened to forgive all who sin against you, that God would guard your eyes, ears, mouth, and mind that you are not led into temptation by the devil, but at the last that God who has defeated sin, death, and the devil, would bring to an end once and for all the sinful flesh which yet clings to you and thus rise with Him on the last day. Amen. Christ is risen!

He has done it. Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen