The Feast of the Resurrection | 20 04 25 | Luke 24:1-12 | David H. Brooks |

¹On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ²And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” ⁸And they remembered his words, ⁹and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, ¹¹but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹²But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Publishers

God’s Wondrous Invitation

The great African-American preacher Gardner Taylor once told a story of standing with his daughter in the back of a great, empty sanctuary. All the lights were out, making the space very dim. Far away, near the altar, the sanctuary lamp could be seen gleaming. He relates that “as we stood back in the shadows, my little girl edged closer to me and said, ‘I’m scared.’ I said ‘My dear, you need not be. This is God’s house, so let us walk forward.’”

As Dr. Gardner and his daughter approached the altar and the lamp, she said, ‘I’m not so afraid now as we get closer.’” Dr. Taylor concluded by saying “yes, fear might fill us when we are far from God, but we can see, as we draw closer, the smiling face of our tender Father.”

Is it the smiling face you see when you think of God? Or is it the harsh frown of one who disapproves? Is God someone who fills you with delight or who makes you perplexed, even afraid? So many people walk through life thinking that God prefers it that way, that God’s way is to create perplexity and fear, that God is angry, disapproving and quite willing to steal away whatever joy we might create. How many of us hear this story’s beginning and nod along, thinking of all the times that we simply wanted to do the right thing, to do what was best, and even that went awry, and our last memory is one of frustration and bewilderment. Couldn’t God leave well enough alone? Why won’t God leave me in peace, if he is unwilling to stop what has happened?

Perhaps the first disciples thought this way as well, and we could well understand their perplexity at discovering the empty tomb, their fear at the sight of the two heavenly messengers. Jesus, the one they believed was the man of God, was dead: killed, executed, murdered at the hands of those who wielded authority and the force of law. Is God angry? How deep is that frown now, since the one called Beloved is dead? What could these heavenly beings be about other than vengeance? Best bow your face to the ground.

That is why it is so important to note what the actual message was—there is a reason why we call it Gospel, good news. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?  Surely you remember! He told you, while still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.” As that first Easter unfolds, this message expands slightly—reassurance is given to those who are afraid, knowledge is given to those who are perplexed and confused, hope is given to those who are despairing. Remember, do not fear, and be ready.

If you wanted, you could summarize this first message of Easter in a single word: invitation. In fact, the whole of God’s work in the world could be summed up in that word. We are invited to remember what God has done; we are invited to walk with the Lord and experience His power; we are invited to work alongside him and rejoice when others are blessed; we are invited to experience life that is abundant and eternal; we are invited to rest, to be served by him who is found in the breaking of the bread; we are invited to draw closer and know God better—to discover that God is not angry, not perplexing, but smiling at us.

This is better than the general sense of happiness that the world tries to capture and carry around with it. This is joy, always out there, always ready to be found, always ready to be given. This is Easter Joy, joy that does not deny the pain and suffering that comes, but joy because we can trust our Lord—he is not angry with us! He does not frown at us! We are clothed in his righteousness, and we are his children, children of the Heavenly Father, not walking under a burdensome frown, but walking in a welcoming invitation. Remember, do not fear, and be ready to draw closer. Amen.

©David H. Brooks

Pr.Dave.Brooks@zoho.com

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Durham, NC USA