“Jesus is Alive!” Easter, March 23, 2008 7:45, 10:30 Matthew 28:1-10 The Lord is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jesus is alive! that is the good news the women rush to tell, with fear and great joy at the same time. They go to the tomb to check on the grave of Jesus, their dead friend, but they are greeted by an earthquake and an angel who rolls back the stone and sits on it.

The guards are so afraid of the angel and the earthquake that they faint and fall over. The angel comforts the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. Come, see the tomb. Look inside! Go quickly and tell the disciples that Jesus is alive! and you will see him in Galilee.”

They left the tomb with fear, wonder and great joy to tell the disciples, but then on the way Jesus himself, going the opposite direction on the same road, says, “Good morning!” Talk about fear, wonder and joy; this experience must have been amazing!

When can you remember “wonder” in your life? I remember being present for the labor and birth of each of our children, and being in awe of what God was doing in this miracle of birth of our children. What God is doing in relation to the birth and growth of our granddaughter is a cause for wonder for me, and experience of being speechless, with nothing that needs to be or can be said. I am always in wonder and awe when I see those who have lost spouses or children in death, who come to the Lord’s Table, being drawn there by the promise that Christ has won the victory over death and is bringing about new life and hope in them.

Where is God bringing about resurrection new life where you are in your work, at home, at school, among your friends? When I visit someone who is dying and I hear them say that they believe they will be with Jesus eternally, I experience God bringing about new life and hope in me.

The women come to the tomb thinking they would find the stone rolled over the face of the grave, and Jesus would still be dead. When Jesus rose from the dead, no one, not the women or any of the other disciples expected it, even though Jesus told them it would happen. We can understand the women leaving the cemetery with fear, wonder and also great joy.

The Good News of Easter is that Jesus is alive for you and me. We don’t have to be afraid. Why do we give fear and negative thoughts such power in our lives? We don’t need to fear death for it does not have to dominate our lives. Easter turns our world upside down so that life, joy, wonder and hope are more reliable than death, fear and sadness.

• Jesus is alive and meets us on the roads we travel in life to say, “Don’t be afraid!”
• Jesus is alive and carries us from fear to faith.
• Jesus is alive as we receive him in the Word and the Lord’s Supper.
• Jesus is alive in the midst of our despair and sadness, to bring life and healing from death, to bring hope out of despair, to bring joy out of sorrow.

And we are sent out to those places in our world where life seems hopeless. Part of our ministry these days may be to people who are feeling hopeless as a result of the flooding in our community. We are sent to witness to the resurrection and to share Christ’s promise that he is bringing a new heaven and new earth. Where do you see God bringing about resurrection and new life this week?

Jesus is alive! The grave is not secure! Jesus is let loose in the world! The resurrection Good News is the reason for wonder and great joy!