Sermon; Easter Day 2020

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Normally when I say that on Easter Day a resounding, “The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia!” greets me back from the congregation. Not so this year. But I hope that, for you Episcopalians watching, your liturgical muscle memory kicked in and you responded appropriately at home.

I don't need to tell you that this is a most unusual Easter, and hopefully one of which the likes we will never have to celebrate again. But it is still Easter. The tomb is empty. And, as the hymn says, “Christ has won the victory.”

We have come through Holy Week and finally are able to see and proclaim what Jesus had been telling his disciples for a long time, that he would be handed over, beaten, crucified, and raised on the third day. None of this sunk in with the disciples until after the fact. But then we get to today and the tomb is empty, Christ is not there.

In the gospel from Matthew, which we just heard, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb, are met by an angel telling them that Christ has been raised, and that they should go and tell the disciples. They run to proclaim what they have seen, are met by Jesus along the way, and given another message to meet him in Galilee.

In the gospel of Mark, it is Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome who go to the tomb. They meet a “young man” who tells them that Jesus isn't there but he has been raised, and they should go tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee. To which they run away and say nothing to anyone because they are afraid.

In Luke it's Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women who go to the tomb and see two men who tell them Jesus has been raised. Without being told to, they go and tell the eleven, but “these words seemed to them to be an idle tale and they did not believe them.”

And in John it's Mary Magdalene who goes to the tomb, finds it empty, and runs to tell Peter that someone stole the body of Jesus. She then has an encounter with Jesus, whom she at first doesn't recognize, and is given the message to tell the disciples that he will ascend to the Father.

Four stories of resurrection, of which the only two details that are agreed upon is that Mary Magdalene was there and that the tomb was empty.

Today I want to focus on what Luke has to say about the resurrection. And primarily the response of the disciples to the women.

The resurrection story is hard to believe. Those who were with Jesus had a hard time believing it until they had a firsthand experience with the risen Christ. In Luke the women go to the disciples, tell the good news – The tomb is empty! He is risen! – and the boys think it's an idle tale and don't believe the them.

This Easter is a difficult one for us, and for many people around the world because we can't gather for the celebration. We can't go out for Easter brunch. We can't do any of the things we normally do.

Sometimes I think that we use these normal things to tell people about the good news. We have such a great experience on Easter Day – the music, the flowers, the buildings, the people, whatever – that we use that as a launch point for evangelism. We say things like “The service, music, flowers . . . sermon . . . was just wonderful at Saint John's. You should think about coming with me sometime.”

You all do that, right? I'm sure you all tell people how wonderful this place is and invite people to experience the presence of God here.

But today is different. In the midst of COVID19 we are not gathered together. There are no flowers. The choir isn't here. The smell of incense isn't hanging in the air. We are scattered. And we are overwhelmed with uncertainty and maybe we are afraid.

Just like the women.

But the women overcame their fears and went and told the good news to the disciples. The disciples, however, thought it was just an idle tale.

We are like the women. There was no incense. There were no flowers. There was no choir. People are scattered. And yet, Easter still came. This morning the tomb was empty. Jesus was not there.

What that empty tomb meant was that Jesus is alive. It means that domination and violence did not, and do not, win. It means that death has no power over us. It means there is hope in a hopeless time.

We are the women. We must go and tell people about the resurrection. We must give people hope in what seems to be a hopeless time for many.

Some people will dismiss us. Some people will think we are telling idle tales. But now, more than ever, we must tell people of the empty tomb, of the resurrection, of new life, and of hope.

That first Easter wasn't a grand celebration, but it became one. This Easter isn't a grand celebration, but it will become one when we are able to regather.

In the midst of uncertainty and fear, let us tell the story of hope and new life. Let us share the joy of resurrection, even if people believe it to be an idle tale.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Cling to that Good News. Cling to that hope, and share it when you can, even if they believe it to be an idle tale; because it just may be that that is the only good news they hear all day.

On this day, in the midst of everything going on, we must remember that hope wins. We must remember that life wins. We must remember and we must share.

Amen and Alleluia!