Pastor Timo’s sermon,
March 23, 2008
Easter
Sunday 2008 Matthew 28:1-10
Translated by Katja Kupari
The
daughter of a friend of mine celebrated her confirmation, last
summer. Her confirmation pastor had asked the young people being
confirmed what their plans for their future were? – I will have
fun with my friends. – And then? – I will study and get a
career. – Good, and then? – Well, I want to make a lot of money
and travel abroad. – Interesting, and then? – Well, at some
point I want to get married and have children. – Sounds good,
and then? – Well, work and travel. – And then? - Well I don’t
know, I guess you then die one day. – Yes, and then?
Actually
there are two very ultimate questions on Easter; is there life
after death? And does God exist?
For some
people, at least on the surface, the thought of life after death
is not particularly significant. For them it’s important to live
in the here and now, self-actualize, because life is short and
that is why you should live to the fullest. It may be, though,
that for someone with such philosophy a question will suddenly
materialize out of nowhere; and then? Is this really all there
is?
Just like
the issue of life after death is not significant to everyone,
neither is the existence of God of importance. For some the
thought of there not being a God is even a relief. According to
them, people are free as themselves and not responsible to God
of their lives and choices.
But is may
be as horrifying to think that God does not exist. A well-known
scientist and a recipient of Tieto-Finlandia award (the most
prestigious
literary award
in
Finland),
professor of physics Kari Enqvist, said in an interview that he
was startled when he was looking out the window one dark fall
evening and saw his own reflection in the glass. He was hit with
a question; is he just an image, a shell; a machine without a
will that obeys the laws of physics? Somehow he managed to
explain his fright in a ’good way’. There is no room for God in
his view of the world, but he may have had to explain this
fright to himself in ways other than scientific. Because if
there is no God, the questions about the meaning and safety of
life and the universe, right and wrong, life and death are
actually pretty frightening to be faced.
Fear was
also the feeling that Jesus’ disciples experienced after the
crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. To them Jesus’ death was
not only the sudden passage of a friend and a teacher, but also
the dying of their dreams. They had believed that Jesus was the
son of God, Messiah and the one to free the people, but the dark
night of Good Friday wrecked their hopes on Golgotha, the place
of the skull.
On Easter
morning Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus’ tomb
with their scented oils to show their gratitude and love for
Jesus. That morning could have ended with this. The grieving
women arrive and leave the tomb grieving.
But the
world receives a new morning, new hope. An angel heralds: Jesus
is alive. He has risen from the dead!
Christianity is based on God’s message. The one that is written
in the Holy book, the Bible. The women of the Easter gospel hear
Gods message through an Angel:
”He
is not here; he has risen.” (Mt 28:6) This message is the
core of the Bible. The Christ has risen, He has overcome the
darkness of sin and death.
Easter, the
resurrection of Jesus, is the cornerstone of Christianity.
Without Easter there is no Christianity. We might remember Jesus
as the great teacher and the healer of the sick, but we could
not believe in Him as our personal Savior and as Him who atones
for our sins without Easter. Easter records who Jesus is, who
God really is.
The meaning
of Easter today is found the same way than 2,000 years ago;
facing Jesus after resurrection. The disciples got to meet
Jesus, they did not imagine a strange story about Jesus living
after all and spread the word to others. No, the disciples
themselves were defeated, frightened and discouraged until Jesus
suddenly appeared before them and later gave them the Holy
Spirit to turn the frightened disciples into courageous
witnesses of the resurrection to preach the gospel all over the
world.
The Holy
Spirit is still providing faith in Jesus and His resurrection
today. Through Gods word, in prayer and Holy Communion we are
able to face Jesus, we can receive Him, even here today, at our
Finnish church.
On Easter
morning a new window of hope and joy is opened to human kind.
One does not have to look out through that window feeling scared
or anguished. At that window one does not have to face his own
future and death alone and insecure. The Easter sun, Jesus
Christ who resurrected, radiates eternal light through the
window of hope. It lights the way out, into the future, it
brings hope and joy inside, to your life here and now.
Easter answers humans’ ultimate questions. Life continues, even
after death – together with the Christ and all those hallowed.
Easter says; God does exist. And He is not just a creation of
human mind, but God becoming human through Christ, the one to
atone for our sins and the world’s redeemer. With Him I do not
have to run from my responsibilities, look for freedom on my
own. Christ came into the world so that we could be truly free.
Christ resurrected so that you and I could live with mercy and
forgiveness. Christ resurrected so that you and I could live now
and forever.
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