“You Can’t Hold onto Death If You Want to Live Life”

TEXT:  John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43

John 20:1-18 (NRSV) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ^2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ^3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ^4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ^5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ^6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ^7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ^8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ^9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ^10Then the disciples returned to their homes. ^11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ^12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ^13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ^14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ^15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ^16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ^17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ^18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Acts 10:34-43 (NRSV) ^34Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ^35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ^36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. ^37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ^38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ^39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ^40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ^41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ^42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ^43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

“You Can’t Hold onto Death If You Want to Live Life”

TEXT:  John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43

The events which occurred at the tomb of Jesus all those centuries ago bestowed a great gift on Mary, the disciples and all those who would choose to become part of the ever unfolding story which dawned that morning so long ago. That gift was not a promise of immortality. No, it was the promise made of life in the face of the reality of death. God’s powerful love intrudes and is victorious over death in such a way that though we lose life for God’s sake, we find it and in finding it we are freed to live life to its fullest. It is the message that God’s love so overpowers death that we are transformed from desolation bearers to message bearers of hope.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Have you ever had the experience of spending an extended period of time with the lifeless body of a friend or relative, or even a stranger for that matter, in prayerful meditation. Within Jewish tradition that experience is known as “sitting shevah.” Originally, it was to stay with the body of the deceased for a period of three days until all hope of resuscitation was gone. At some point it has become a period of seven days during which the family members cannot participate in any form of joyful activity—a time of mourning.

For some of us, it would seem that “sitting shevah” has become our soul approach to life. There is no joy. There is only a fear of death. We have become afraid to live and afraid to die, and thus we move through our days with no evidence of life, no presence of joy, no power of love.

Yet for others of us, Baby Boomers and Busters, there is no talk about death or if we should talk about it, we gloss it over or pretty it up.  We prefer to talk about “candles in the wind.”  We think of life in terms of the Energizer Bunny, we just go on and on and on and on….  Social commentator James Swanson, a boomer himself,  has charged that there is a grandiose narcissism and impertinence among boomers who are determined that, for us, death will be different.  He has labeled this outlook as “Faith Lite.”  We like the idea of immortality where we will just go on and on. Like the ghosts of popular fiction or movie fare, we will continue to interact with the living, impacting their lives for good or ill.

Well, 9/11 and the events on the world stage have certainly shook up our comfort zone with even the glossy understandings of the sudden intrusion death on our life plans.

Folks, the story of Easter morning is not about immortality or how you are going to continue after your physical death. Sure, there is something alluring, even seductive, about immortality.  As Christians we are even guilty of using it as a lure in our evangelism approaches.  But I want to remind you that it is resurrection that Easter is about, not immortality of the soul, not even "life after death." Easter is about life now. Sure, I believe that there is life after death, and God's people can expect it, but the point is that it won't be the way that  Hollywood and lots of Western people think about "life after death."  In fact, if you think about it too much it can be really confusing, but that does not mean that life beyond death is a fabrication.  It just means that there is no one to explain it.

Christians don't believe in the immortality of a disembodied soul. We believe-- as we say in the Apostle’s Creed-- in "the resurrection of the body." Not the resuscitation of the body, a corpse that suddenly comes back to life. Not in the immortality of the soul, some divine spark that goes on living despite our death. We believe that dead Jesus was raised by a loving God who would not be defeated by death and evil.

It's not just that there's a cushy afterlife in store for some of us who make the grade, someday. If it were, then Christianity could be justly accused of being some sort of pie-in-the-sky religion rather than the thy-kingdom-come-on-earth-as-in-heaven religion that it is. If Easter is just about Jesus exiting the tomb in some ethereal spiritual sense, leaving a body in the tomb to rot, leaving the world to stew in its own juice, then what hope is there for us? Better go make some movies that speak of death as being only apparent, and spirits taking off for the pastel skies. Nor is Christ just about having some warm feeling in your heart, some vague inclinations of a spiritual nature. It is about kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven.

It isn't just about warmed hearts. It's ultimately about transformed bodies, a new heaven and new earth first hinted at in the resurrection of the body of Jesus on Easter, one day to come in fullness when God does Easter in full for the whole of creation. God faced evil and death on Good Friday, then on Easter triumphed. Now God intends to do for the whole world, through us Easter people, what was done for Jesus on Easter.

Karl Marx charged that Christianity lulls people into political complacency, willing to tolerate other people's misery and injustice because Christianity has got nothing but heaven in its head, some future spiritual experience removed from the here and the now. "John Brown's body lies a moldering in the grave, but God goes marching on!" No!  And again I say, NO!

Well, for some who would bear the name of Christ but not the cross, or for some who would embrace the social panache and political power of the institutions of the church without the world turning right side up social and political radicalism of Jesus.

Note that the first witnesses to Easter knew full well that something, something totally outside the realm of the kingdoms of this world, had happened to them. Their world had been entered, encountered, transformed, reformed. Easter wasn't God saying, “Let me get you out of this terrible, deadly, tearful world.”  Easter was God saying, “Let me show you what I am doing to you and your world. “

You take the resurrection of the body away, and Marx is right. Christianity is just one more method of wish fulfillment, a means of escape into some Nirvana of our own creation, ignoring the problems of the here and the now.

You take the resurrection of the body seriously—or  more to the point of the music of this day, joyously--and you have a great responsibility laid upon your shoulders. If you can sing today, "Alleluia! Christ is risen," then you are saying that Jesus Christ really is Lord and all other would-be lord-lets of this world are not. When we sing, "The strife is o'er, the battle won," it means that we must join in the mopping up actions wherever evil still dares to challenge the reign of a good and loving God. If you believe, "Jesus Christ is risen!" then get ready to witness to that the next time someone by their hate, or cruelty, or lust witnesses that they believe death is in charge.

The hope of Easter morn is the dawning realization that the Christian has been given an “inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” 

Yes, Easter is a remembrance for the Christian community that hope springs forth at dawn because death has been defeated.  That the darkness cannot overcome the light of Christ.  The good news of Easter is that there has been given:

            a new promise

                        a new presence, and

                                    a new purpose.

To be alive in Christ at least means...”to be awakened to his presence in your life in such a way that your life is never again the same.”  It is the removal of fear of standing for the new heaven and new earth before the forces which want to continue to exploit the old heaven and earth.

“God enables believers not only to glimpse but to embody an alternative perspective on the world, one shaped by the knowledge that God indeed creates, that God’s power indeed triumphs over all other powers, and that, in Jesus Christ, God signals the redemption of humankind. So embrace the reality of your death, your death with Christ, and celebrate the joy of the resurrection by living the life of Christ, life to its fullest extent. Indeed that is our baptismal confession.

Peter wrote:  “in this (hope--recognition that we are protected by the power of God through faith) you rejoice, even if now for a little which you have had to suffer various trials.”  Peter now understood.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Mighty God, in Creation you called forth light out of darkness; and in Resurrection Sunday you called forth life out of death. 

As the night has passed and dawn’s light has come, some of us feel tired of body and soul, yet we celebrate that you have given our earthly lives back to us again.

We praise you for the gift of today, and the sparkling aliveness of Spring. 

Redeeming God, in resurrection you have called forth forever light out of sinful darkness. As the night of death has been defeated and resurrection’s light has made today Easter Sunday, you have given us the salvation gift of eternal life.  We worship you as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

God of miracles, only you can create emptiness to proclaim fullness, for now by an empty cross you have granted us full pardon and forgiveness.  By an empty tomb you have made manifest full salvation and eternal life for all who believe and receive. 

Only you can take our empty lives and make them whole and complete in Christ.  We are deeply thankful.  Like those who first encountered the resurrection we come today with deep longings.  Like them, we too gather behind the locked doors of our fears.  Let us hear and experience again your blessing of Peace be with you.

Like Peter, we wait in anguish of betrayal, seeking forgiveness and another chance.  As with him, seek us out and bid us back to the family and home, and favor us with the invitation to feed your sheep.

Like Mary, we come not knowing and wondering where you are.  As with her, call us tenderly by our names so that we, too, shall surely know it is you.

Like Thomas, we wrestle with doubts.  Gently touch us and allow us to touch your presence.  And in glad response, we shall proclaim, “My Lord and my God.”

And as we walk our roads to Emmaus, share the journey with us and instruct us in your truths, so that we may be able to look back and remember with joy and understanding burning within us like a holy fire.

God of healing, we bring before you these our friends and ask that they too might experience your miraculous touch which removes fear and restores hope.

God of resurrection:  we believe Jesus Christ is alive, and we give thanks.  Blessed be your name.  Alleluia, Alleluia, and Amen!

                                    (--adapted from prayer by William M. Johnson)