Does Easter Really Matter?
The Venerable Joan Clark
Mark 16:1-8, John 20:1-9
There is a humorous story about a woman named Carol who was the organist at her church. She was an outstanding musician, but she did something no organist should ever do. She overslept on Easter morning and missed the sunrise service. Obviously, she was embarrassed. Of course, the minister and the church forgave her. They teased her about it a little, but it was done lovingly and in good fun.
However, the next Easter her phone rang at 5:00 in the morning. Jolted awake by the loud ringing, she scrambled to answer it. It was the minister, and he said, “Carol, it’s Easter morning! The Lord is risen! And I suggest you do the same!”
I’m glad that none of you overslept this Easter morning. I’m glad that you are here to celebrate the most important day in the Christian year--the day the followers of Jesus went to his tomb early in the morning and found it empty, for he had risen from the dead. Even though he had told them that he would be crucified, dead and buried and then, on the third day, would be resurrected, it took a while for this unimaginable event to become real to them. This was something way out of their experience. The dead simply do not rise from the grave.
On that first Easter Sunday the small handful of grieving Christians would have been thrilled if it had been a case of mistaken identity when their Master had been pronounced dead. Then they would have rejoiced immediately to see their Lord return to them. Then it would have been just one of those things that sometimes happens. But a resurrection? Nobody they knew had ever been resurrected from the dead. Such things just don’t happen, do they? Notice the confusion that resulted. Mary Magdalene who loved him greatly failed to recognize him. Some of the disciples, when first informed of the empty tomb by the women who had been to the tomb, dismissed it as an idle tale. It is clear that, at first, even Simon Peter, Christ’s most prominent and out-spoken disciple, didn’t know what to believe. But in very short order they all discovered it was true--Christ had risen as he said he would . . . And their emotions were like ours would be. They scarcely could believe it. It was simply too good to be true. But it was true . . . and that is why we are here today. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave.
Does it all really matter? Would you be surprised if I answer with a hearty, “Yes, it really does matter?”
It matters if you have ever truly loved somebody and lost them to death.
Separation is difficult for people who have truly loved someone close to them, particularly the separation of death. It leaves a void that nothing can fill. Easter is important to us for what it says to us about our continuing relationship with those we love. Does it matter if Christ has risen from the grave? It certainly matters if you have lost someone you love to death.
It also matters if you value the gift of life. Life is so precious. No person who is healthy physically and emotionally is eager to die! Life is simply too wonderful to welcome death as a friend.
The story is told of a man who went to his doctor for a complete check-up. He hadn’t been feeling well, so he wanted to find out what the problem was. After the check-up the doctor came in with the results of the examination. “I’m afraid I have some bad news,” the doctor told him. “You’re dying and you don’t have much time.”
“That’s quite a shock, Doc,” the man replied, “but I appreciate your honesty. How much time do I have?”
“10,” the doctor answered.
“10 what?” the man demanded in a desperate voice. “Years, months, weeks?”
The doctor answered, “10, 9, 8, 7. . .”
Well, we can laugh about it . . . And deep in our heart we know that our Redeemer lives . . . but still, God has instilled within each of us the desire to live--here on this earth for as long as we possibly can. We don’t have to apologize for wanting to hold on to life in this world even as we anticipate heaven in the next one. That is the way we were created.
I like the story of some nine-year-old children who were asked what they thought of death and dying.
One of them named Jim said, “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it’s too crowded up there already.”
A girl named Judy said, “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it’s hot all the time . . . like in Florida.” [I thought that was a pretty good answer.]
Marsha commented, “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there too.” Is she saying that some teachers might not make the cut? Surely not.
But a little guy named John spoke for many of us when he said, “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it’s no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.”
And that’s true--at least on this side of the grave. Maybe they have birthday parties in heaven.
Followers of Christ know what’s on the other side. We don’t so much fear death as much as we resist letting go of life. That is the way God created us to be. Life is so beautiful, so rich, so wonderful. We know that beyond this world is another world and we trust God that it will be an even better world than this one, but we were created out of the dust of this world. It has been our home, and we love it as God created us to love it. Only a deeply troubled person wants to die. We all want to live. Still death is one reality in life that confronts us all.
Does it matter that Christ has risen from the dead? It is if you have ever loved or been loved. It is if you value life and want to cling to it forever. It also matters whether Christ is risen from the grave if you want to make any sense out of living. Easter is important not only because of what it says about life beyond the grave, but because of what it says about life on this side of the grave.
If Christ lives, then life has meaning. There is hope even in the most difficult circumstances. Even at the very end of our rope, there is a knot we can hang on to. If Christ defeated death, if our life goes on forever, if the gospel is true, we can live courageously, victoriously. We can overcome our fears by his grace and we can be all he intends for us to be. We need never face the possibility of absolute futility and failure--not if Christ has been raised from the grave. It is that knowledge that has given followers of Jesus Christ power over their circumstances in every era for more than two thousand years.
It’s like a song that Gloria Gaither wrote many years ago while she was expecting a child. She and her husband Bill had been going through some difficult times. He had been seriously sick and their music had drawn some highly critical reviews in the Gospel music industry.
On New Year’s Eve, Gloria sat in a darkened room experiencing a time of torment and fear. “I sat alone in the darkness thinking about the rebellious world and all of our problems--about our baby yet unborn. Who in their right mind would bring a child into a world like this?” she thought to herself.
She was at the height of her fear when something indescribable happened. She said, “I can’t quite explain what happened in that next moment but suddenly I felt released from it all. The panic that had begun to build inside was gently dispelled by a reassuring presence and a soft voice kept saying, ‘Don’t forget the empty tomb, don’t forget the empty tomb.’” She then began to confess her faith in Christ and knew that she could indeed have a baby and face the future with optimism and trust for she had been reminded that it was all worth it “Just Because He Lives.”
And from that experience she began to write these words, “How sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives; but greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain days because He lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives.”
Reaffirming our faith in the resurrection is part of why many of us are here today. We need to be reminded of the power of life over death, of hope over despair, of love over hate, and there is only one place on earth that, that can be found. That is by peering into the empty tomb of the man from Galilee.
Does it matter that Christ was victorious over the grave? It does if you have ever lost someone you loved. It does if you love life and want it to go on forever. It does if you want to make any sense out of life at all. Are we simply part of the animal kingdom--a creature who fills a space on this earth and then dies and is forgotten? What is the meaning of it all, if death be not conquered? But it has been conquered. Jesus Christ has risen from the grave. What amazing good news this Easter Day! Hallelujah. He lives. Amen.