The Rev. David R. Wilt s1

Easter A-April 16, 2017

Acts 10;34-43

Psalm 118:1-2,4-24

Colossians 3:1-4

John 20;1-18

The Rev. David R. Wilt

It would seem appropriate on this largest worship Sunday of the year to begin with a bit of irony.

The two male disciples Peter and John, the one Jesus loved, peeked in the tomb, saw that the tomb was empty and returned to their homes, clueless. Christianity would have ended even before it began except for the fact that Mary hung around and witnessed the risen Lord and went and gave the first sermon in Christianity when she went to Jesus’ followers and pronounced “I have seen the Lord.”

How perfectly ironic, in an institution that has prevented women from holding leadership roles for centuries, the first sermon ever was delivered by a woman. And, not just any woman but a woman whom the church has accused of less than sterling behavior, Mary Magdalene.

Thank you Mary and thank you Jesus for turning our traditional attitudes of hierarchy and patriarchal supremacy upside down one more time.

For those of you who came here today hoping to go away with a clear understanding of what happened on that first Easter morning and all of its ramifications, it may be fitting to tell you that you have just enrolled in the advance course in Christianity. You won’t leave here knowing what heaven looks like. You won’t have necessarily leave here having seen the risen Lord 2

Theologically Easter is about as tough as it gets. We are given lots of hope, and hopefully our faith will have been renewed. But, if you came here this morning expecting answers or even a different story from the one you heard last Easter I fear you will leave here disappointed.

However, don’t go rushing for the doors just yet for there is still plenty we can learn.

If this were the last sermon I were ever to give to you what I would want you to hear is this. Easter is our hope. Easter is our light. Easter is our comfort that Jesus is still with us.

And, if we are followers of Jesus and, if we profess him as our Lord then we have to look back from the mouth of the empty tomb and see what Jesus stood for. As Christians we are quick to learn the phrase and repeat it every chance we get “Jesus died for me.” But, if we are followers of Jesus it is not sufficient to stop there. We are only complete if we not only know who Jesus died for but who Jesus lived for. It is impossible to embrace the empty tomb and not embrace those whom Jesus gave hope and comfort and dignity in his life.

If this were the last sermon I were ever to give to you I might suggest that the tomb is empty because the work of Jesus life and by lineage God’s life is not complete. The questions and mystery and wonderment about Easter are a catalyst to us to do the work that Jesus has given us to do: Feed the hungry, Clothe the naked, Free the captives, House the homeless,Remember the poor, Show hospitality to the stranger in our midst, Tend to the least of God’s creation,

The tomb is empty because God’s work begun in Jesus Christ is far from complete. This is the basic 101 course in Christianity maybe even Christianity for dummies. 3

Easter is a faith story of God’s power and as demonstrated in Jesus Christ and God’s power to overcome, in us, separation, hatred, division, prejudice and greed. Our journey to this Easter day through Lent here at Holy Trinity has been a journey of understanding and listening to others, Muslims, Jews, Bahai, Buddhists, Hindu and Celtic tradition within Christianity. People who aren’t any less loving than we are and, who certainly aren’t any less in need of being loved.

Easter was an act of God’s pure love. and we as Christians need to focus on living into that love in the example of Jesus, and stop, once and for all, the judging and condemnation of others simply because they look differently, believe differently, or were created differently than we are.

Holy Week builds to a crescendo of human sin and inhumanity and intolerance of other human beings, and it peaks on Good Friday when it appears the bad guys have won. But it’s a false victory, erased by the risen Christ. What a wonderful sign to us to persevere against anger and hatred and suppression.

Easter is more than just a day. It is the glorious culmination of a Holy Week. We have Merry Christmas but we have Holy Week because Easter involves us coming to grips with our faith.

It is a second chance; A chance to break down some of the walls that separate us from each other. A chance to put away those things in our lives that separate us from the love of God. A chance to live into the full stature as a child of God. A chance to have the courage to take the stands that Jesus took with less fear and more courage.

If you came here today expecting easy answers and solutions from this resurrection story, please leave here today knowing that God has given us the answer, but also that the 4 answer lies within ourselves and our willingness to let the risen Christ within us blossom and grow.

Let’s go back to that morning.

Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved weren’t looking for a miracle. They had been following Jesus since he had told them to drop everything and follow him. Now they are adrift, and their solution to what should have peaked their interest was to return to their homes.

Mary wanted more. She had questions. She wanted answers. She quizzed the angels. She wept. And, by her perseverance she is introduced to the risen Christ

The Easter experience is exactly what Mary did and then empowered she became the first evangelist, “I have seen the Lord.”

The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed.

May your Easter experience strengthen you to do God’s will and to have the courage to stand where Jesus stood.

Claim your miracle.