Grace Congregational UCC

“The First Word of Easter”
I Corinthians 15: 19-26
Luke 24:1-12

April 8, 2007 - Kim M. Henning

Friday, we attended the funeral.

Today, someone has the audacity to proclaim, “Christ is alive.”

Friday, a heinous crime was committed. We wept.

Today, we hear a startling announcement. “Do not be afraid. Christ is alive.”

Friday, the sky turned a frightening black at noon. We saw the power of hatred.

Today, the surprising announcement is made, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

Good morning. Welcome to Easter.

Today we make our testimony.

Today, the church of Jesus Christ tells the grandest story humanity has ever known. This story is big. This story is huge. Don’t feel bad if you struggle with it, just a bit. Don’t be hard on yourself is you’re not entirely there yet. Listen to God’s Word. Listen to the Spirit of God inside you. Listen to the stories of others who have staked their lives on Jesus Christ. Listen, and let this story grow within you.

We make our testimony. We make our testimony with Albert Schweitzer who said, “If Jesus had not returned from the grave, he would be one more person ground under the wheel of history.”

We make our testimony with the Apostle Paul, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” And again, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”

Today, we make our testimony, and we must be honest that ours is not the only testimony out there and we have to decide which testimony we bet our lives on.

There is a testimony out there that has been made popular by a well-known atheist author who claims that Christianity is a lie. In fact in his three books, he says that all religion is a lie. He says that religious people are irrational, and we are living a fairy-tale world. That is his testimony.

Today we testify with parents and grandparents, with martyrs and the church in heaven: “Christ is alive. Death is conquered. Christ is here.” But beware this is not an easy word. It is not easy for me. It is not easy for anyone.

When Luke tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection, the first word that he puts on the paper (according to the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible) is the word, ‘but.’ Maybe that’s our starting place. And maybe that’s the most important word we Christians ever put on our lips. Someone pressures us in another direction....we say, ‘but’. Someone says vanity of vanities.... we say, ‘but.’ Someone says, ‘why is there so much suffering?’—we say, ‘but.....why is there so much good? Why is there so much love? Why is there so much beauty? Why is there so much generosity?’

But. Did you notice that word when Luke tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection?

Luke is a wonderful story-teller. He’s easy to read. He tells the story of Thursday. On Thursday Jesus somberly gathers his disciples for Passover. He offers the sacrament saying, ‘remember me, remember me.’ Jesus goes to Gethsemane and prays, “Father, if it be your will, remove this cup from me.” Isn’t that a prayer we have each prayed—once or twice? “God, I can’t handle any more.

Then comes Friday. Herod. Caiaphas. Pilate. “I wash my hands.” Then, “Crucify him, crucify him.” And “If you are the Son of God, come down from there.” Friday is when Jesus cries, “It is finished.” And he’s buried

Anne Lamotte says that we live in a Good Friday world. Every day, Friday. Every day, crucifixions. Every day, the innocent are put to death.

Then, as Luke turns the page, continuing the story----he writes down the word “But.” Isn’t that a great resurrection word, “But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb with the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified”

The first word of Easter is ‘but.’ Having told the grief-laden story of Friday----Luke gives his testimony of Easter and no less than six times he uses the word ‘but.’ As Luke tells the story of our Lord’s resurrection, he peppers it with ‘but...but...but....but...but...but.’

As the word of God comes to us through Luke he wants us to know that resurrection is shocking. Luke wants us to know that God’s story conflicts with the widely held story that war is the way to end all violence. Luke wants us to know that God’s story conflicts with the world’s story that we can’t or won’t change our lifestyles for the sake of the poor. Luke wants us to know that God’s story conflicts with the world’s story that global warming is inevitable. All we have to do is begin with a simple, courageous word, ‘but.’

I’d like to close with three quick thoughts. Or should I say, “I’d like to share with you three testimonials.’ The Apostle Paul did not see the resurrection of Jesus Christ but he did have revelations and he did have the stories of others. So there’s this time when Paul writes to the church in Corinth and he tells them that there is nothing sugar-coated about Christ. Paul writes in II Corinthians, “we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Why we felt that we had received the sentence of death but that was to make us rely on God who raises the dead.” That is Paul’s testimony. Suffering. Hardship. Difficulty makes us rely on the living God who raises the dead.’

My second thought is closer to our history----Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards had breast cancer in the past. She and John, lost a son 11 years ago. And now she learned that the cancer has gotten into her bones. And there is scientifically, no cure. She despaired for a moment but now she prays for two things. One is enlightenment. (Help me to see and understand....). And the other thing she prays for is to keep on believing so she may be counted worthy as being saved by Jesus Christ.

My third thought is even closer than that. A beautiful, kind woman of our community recently died. She died quicker than any of us wanted her to die. We, in fact, had hoped for more time, at least a little more time. The doctors were optimistic: a year or more.... The cancer spread rapidly and got into her brain and she fought. But it was her beloved husband who said, “we trust you to the Lord Jesus Christ.” And then he turned to us and said, “we know that His Holy Spirit will give us the strength we need to go on living.” That, was his testimony. That kind of faith did not come at the drop of a dime. It came because they loved much, and prayed much, and trusted God much.

Today, along with others who believe, we speak our testimony: Christ is risen. Christ is risen, indeed.