Fear the Risen Christ – Easter Sunday

Fear the Risen Christ

Mark 16:1-8 T Easter Sunday

INI

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!

What does Christ’s resurrection do for you? Do you know? Why is His resurrection so important? And Comforting? It’s why you gather here in this place, isn’t it?

But before we talk of Christ, let’s talk about us.

Fear. That was the reaction of the women who found the empty tomb. It was also the reaction of the disciples, who locked themselves in the Upper Room following Jesus’ crucifixion, because they feared. They feared they were the next victims.

But there’s an important difference between these two types of fear. The women feared because they encountered the risen Christ! They feared because they had faith! In contrast, the disciples feared to go encounter Christ. They feared due to their lack of faith.

Because the disciples feared the wrong thing. They feared the one who could only kill the body. That is, they feared the hostile crowds who killed Jesus on Good Friday. They feared losing their lives, their friends, their reputations – they didn’t want to be labeled as a “follower” of Jesus. They feared all the wrong things.

Why did they fear? How did that fear get there? Well, it’s because they forgot the story. They forgot God’s Word, God’s promises. Three times, Jesus told them “I will go to Jerusalem to die and on the third day, rise again.” But were they racing to the tomb with anticipatory joy on this Easter morning? No. They locked themselves up in the Upper Room. Because THAT was their refuge on earth, and not the Risen Christ.

Certainly, that’s not our problem, right? Christ has risen, it’s Easter Sunday, so NOW what? God has paid the price for our sins on the cross through Christ’s sacrifice. So, should I go lock away this message and proclamation for fear of my reputation? Should I just keep this message of forgiveness to myself? Or, should I follow through with what Christ has told me to do as a Christian? Should I listen to how Christ has taught me HOW to live as a Christian, even when it may draw criticism from the world?

Just as the disciples forgot God’s promise, it’s easy for us to forget how God’s promises have freed us from sin to live to Christ. Forgetting the Word of God is dangerous. We’re all victims to it. It’s even more dangerous to hear it, and become numb and unaffected by it. Because at the depths of our soul, we fear. Don’t we? Maybe we fear what we may be labeled if we wear our Christian faith on our sleeve. Maybe we fear living the Christian faith may take up too much time. Maybe we fear losing favor with someone for living as a Christian. Maybe we fear that living the Christian life may take too much effort.

But perhaps, that’s the problem. Some lack a healthy dose of the fear of God, like the holy women demonstrated at the empty tomb. They feared God, because they recognized He is the one who can destroy both body AND soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). They realized that there was a real punishment to their sins. That’s what faith recognizes. It fears God more than others. We love to speak on how “God loves the sinner” without ever truly talking about the other half of that axiom, which is that “God hates the sin”.

Truth is, if God didn’t hate sin, He wouldn’t have sent His Son to die for it. He didn’t die and rise that we would continue in our greed, laziness, pride, gluttony, hatred, sexual immorality, whatever pet sins you have, and general unfaithfulness in our everyday lives by not walking the path He’s carved for us. Certainly, an unbelieving world would be friendlier to you because of your sins, if you wish to continue towards soul destruction.

Perhaps you may not find this sermon very “Easter-y”. But the truth of the matter is, Easter is meaningless if we don’t know the depths of our sin. If there’s no sorrow over your sin on Good Friday, the joy of Easter is just a show. Because unconfessed sin jeopardizes the truth of what Christ has won for you! For if I told you that Christ’s death and resurrection frees you, what do you think that means? What does it mean that you have freedom? The freedom you have is not to be god of your own hearts, but you have the freedom from one “master” who seeks to destroy you, and you are now enslaved to Christ, who is the Master who saves you. For He doesn’t seek to destroy you. He seeks to restore you. He seeks to bestow His saving gifts upon you in Word and Sacrament! This fact is certain and true, for the Lord has risen from the dead!

Now, live as one who is freed in Christ. Proclaim the saving work of God to everyone around you without reservation. Because THIS is what the resurrection has freed you to do.

We’re gathered here today because we should. It’s Easter. Our Lord has told us not to neglect the gathering of His people. But this Easter proclamation is more than just today. Every Sunday is an Easter proclamation and celebration. That’s why Christians don’t worship on the Sabbath Day, which is Saturday, and instead, worship on Sunday. For THIS is the day when Christ broke death’s strong bands. This is the day when He delivered us from the corruption of our weak flesh and gave us hope of bodily life! This is the day when He won new life for us.

And we’re gathered here because there’s an especially meaningful and comforting truth about Christ’s resurrection. It proves that Jesus is who He claimed to be. He is the Son of God, despite the charge of blasphemy from the unbelieving world. Romans 1:4 says, “He was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.” The resurrection proved that with Him there is forgiveness. Therefore, He is to be feared. To be sure, not feared in the sense of scared of. He wishes us to flee to Him in times of trouble. Rather, we are to fear, or respect, Him over anything else in life. Therefore, He is to be prioritized FIRST over everything in life.

It also proved that His doctrines are truth. It proves we are to listen to Him, since He is the Son of God. John 8:28 says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” Jesus teaches many things that take a lifetime of learning, but the truth of what He teaches is this: no human being is exempt from needing Christ’s healing. Your sin is pervasive. The old evil foe would love for you to simply carry on and run the risk of having your faith destroyed. But in the absolving words and wounds of Christ, you have healing and freedom to live a new life not marked by sin, but marked by Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life.

Also, Christ’s resurrection proved that His death was an acceptable sacrifice to His Father. And this is the good news of Easter – God’s wrath on your sin is satisfied in the death of Jesus. All your sins have been absorbed into His beaten and bloodied body. But Jesus was innocent of sin. He was the innocent Lamb of God accused, beaten, and killed unjustly on Good Friday. But the Father vindicated Jesus from this injustice by raising Him from the dead. In this resurrecting act, God’s wrath on the sin of the whole world is satisfied, and a sinful humanity is reconciled to the Father once again – primed and ready for faith to receive His justification. For Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). Or as Romans 5:10 says, “If when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!”

Lastly, the resurrection proves that all believers in Christ will rise to eternal life. For Jesus said to His disciples, and to all who follow Him, “Because I live, you also will live.” The life that’s promised is not some bodiless existence in the spiritual realm. It is that. But it’s much more. Believers will be raised to eternal BODILY life, just as Christ was raised – with a REAL BODY. And this is the promise for anyone who not just believes with the mind, but believes with the heart. That is, trusts in God with a holy fear, like the faith of the women who encountered the angels at the tomb. Jesus promises to such ones, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.”

Why? Because Jesus lives! He is not the God of the dead, He is the God of the living! So, while we live here on earth below, we should fear, love, and trust in Him above all things because He is the only one here on earth that has your best interests at heart. Because His divine heart of love is completely occupied with serving you, and bringing life in the means of grace to all believers.

This is the value of the resurrection. It frees you from sin. It frees you from fear, that you may live a God-pleasing life. So, live in holy fear of God who is here to give salvation to you. Listen to Him. Listen to what He has done to get rid of your sins. Listen to and believe the victory He has over your sin and death. For we were once dead to sin, but by Christ’s resurrection, we are alive to God.

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

He is Risen indeed, alleluia!

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston