Easter Sunrise

Sermon from Matthew 28:1-10 for Easter Sunday

So…

I am glad you have come to honor Jesus or Master! And I am glad you have all brought your burial spices.

So before we enter the place of the tombs, now that it is light, I want you to be aware that though Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did a good job of the ritual washing of Jesus as best they could - considering he had bled before he died from his many wounds - they could not have placed around him enough spices to deal with the smell of decay.

So today, in addition to all the wonderful spices and fragrances you have brought, we will add the Frankincense and Myrrh that his mother Mary  has brought, and the wonderful bit of perfume Mary Madeline has secured for this moment.

Together, we will head into the area of the tombs, and hopefully we will be able to find the one in which they have placed Jesus.

Rumor has it that it is guarded by the Temple police, so we will see what happens.  I am not sure why they would turn us away, but so be it.

So, let’s go. It’s over here just a few more steps.

Um. Well that’s strange. The tomb, well, it seems that it is open!

And what is that they are saying? That it is empty, and that the Temple police have fled?!

Because, according to some, an angel appeared and when they looked into the tomb, the angel said that Jesus was no longer dead, but alive.

That can’t be of course. We saw him die. I mean really! We saw his injuries. We even saw the soldier’s spear rammed into his side. He was dead!

But according to the angel, God has raised him. He who is powerful, even more powerful than the power of death, has raised his Messiah, his son, our Jesus!

It is a miracle! It is the miracle we have hoped and prayed for even as we couldn’t believe it could ever be true.

He is alive! Hallelujah.

And now we must go and tell the story everywhere and to everyone.

Oh, and take those burial spices with you. Ha ha, it seems we won’t need them. Oh this is crazy!

Keep them near to you so you can smell the sweet good news. He is risen indeed!

Amen.