Pastor Ronald Wesemann Gabriel, Mark
16:1-8
He is risen!
Jesus Christ
is risen today! Alleluia!
What a great
message! It was an honor, for me, to have been entrusted, to share, that
message on Easter morning (the first Easter morning); but, when I did, you
would have thought that I had brought word of the world’s end; it is a wonder
that anyone else got the word. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and
Salome, after hearing this good news, let their emotions and their fear
overcome them. Mark tells the story of how they just “fled from the tomb” and
“they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
Let me
introduce myself; I am Gabriel, no, I am not your music director; his parents sort
of named him after me; not that your Gabriel is an angel (you know what I
mean); I am a real angel of the Lord. I was responsible for passing on the Word
of God to Mary (in Nazareth) before she conceived the Lord Jesus and also to Joseph
before Jesus was born. I was there when the Wise Men and Joseph were being
warned of Herod’s treachery after Jesus was born. I was among the angels who
cared for Jesus, out in the wilderness, after he was tempted by Satan and I was
the, so called, young man dressed in a white robe, that Mary Magdalene and Mary
the Mother of James and Salome found sitting in Jesus’ tomb on that first
Easter morning.
My purpose
that day was to simply announce to these women the good news of the
resurrection of Jesus, God’s Son, the Lord and Savior of humanity, but it seems
that I added to the women’s already great fear. I tried to ease their fear; I
made the announcement of Jesus’ resurrection; I pointed to the place where
Jesus had been laid and I gave them instruction to share the good news of
Jesus’ resurrection with the Disciples and I asked them to tell the Disciples
to go to Galilee and meet Jesus at the place where Jesus had told them, before
his arrest, but they were too afraid.
I’ll never fully
understand humanity. Those women bravely stood by Jesus’ cross the day that he was
crucified; they bravely came to Jesus’ tomb, early that first Easter morning,
in order to properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial and yet, they were
overwhelmed by the good news of Jesus resurrection and they ran away scared,
not able to carry out their mission. They ran away!
While, the
Gospel writer of Mark ends his story there, we all know that something more had
to have happened; the other Gospel writers tell the story differently; they
tell us that the Disciples received the message. At least, the Disciples went
to Galilee where Jesus is reported to have appeared to the Disciples time and
time again after his resurrection, teaching them, feeding them and sharing
fellowship with them; Jesus appeared to them in locked rooms, by the sea and on
a hillside. Jesus it is said in Scripture appeared to more than 500 of his
followers after his resurrection.
With these
appearances began a new era for all of humanity. The Way, as it was called by
the early Christians, has been steadily growing and spreading ever since that day,
finding its way all around the world. The job, once held by us angels and by the
prophets of old, has since become the joy and responsibility of all the
faithful followers of Jesus, of you! “He is risen!” is being announced this
morning all around the world, by both clergy and lay people. Alleluia is being
sung and yelled out, in churches, on beaches, in cemeteries, on parking lots,
in recreation centers, in parks and in any number of other places all around
the world.
The events
recounted on (what you call) Maundy Thursday (when Jesus had his Last Supper
and was arrested) and Good Friday (when Jesus was scourged and Crucified), these
events have earned for all humanity the
forgiveness of sins and salvation and this has all been affirmed for you, by
God, through Jesus’ resurrection. The word’s, “He is risen” give us today reason
and want to sing and shout “Alleluia”. So
much joy is given all humanity in the resurrection of Jesus.
I am as
honored today as I was back on that first Easter morning, to be able to be with
you, here in this church, to share with you the good news that Jesus is risen.
Back when Jesus was crucified, the Temple authorities had done their worst; the
Roman army and the Roman Governor had done their worst; even the crowds of people
had done their worst; and certainly Satan had done his worst; death had tried
his best to hold on to Jesus, but the power of God could not be defeated; the
love of God could not be overcome; the Lord our God lifted Jesus up from the
grave and gave to him eternal life; he set Jesus back upon this Earth to meet
with his Disciples, to bless the crowds and to further teach God’s will; and then
God set Jesus’ name above all other names and set Jesus before us as our Lord
and our king.
This is what
we celebrate today, both in Heaven and on Earth.
Rejoice!
Celebrate! Be happy!
It was (after
all) all for you!
Jesus died
for you!
Jesus was
raised so that you may know that he died for you!
Your sins
are forgiven!
Your
salvation is assured!
Now, you are
among those who have been called to take my place; you have been called to share
the good news, so all may be saved!
Be an angel!
Share the
good news of the resurrection, and with joy; my time as God’s messenger has
ended; I obediently pass it on to you; your time as God’s messenger is just
beginning; I pray you will enjoy the honor as much as I did.
