CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!

1 Corinthians 15: 12-22; Mark 16: 1-8

In Old Jerusalem, even today, there is a place said to be the Upper Room. It is the place where Jesus shared his last meal with the ones known as “The Twelve.” They were the traditional choice of the men who were to carry on the tradition of the twelve tribes of Israel, Jacob’s sons-the one’s Jesus had in mind when he was planning to institute the New Israel! If you read about those twelve brothers, not only were they not perfect, they depicted countless sins with their behavior! They were jealous, envious, and crafty, just like their father Jacob! But they were chosen; chosen by God to, through their imperfection, show what God could do with human beings.

So Jesus gathered twelve men to be his apostles not because they were brighter or more worthy, but to re-create the picture of those original twelve tribes. He had extraordinary women who followed and supported him as well, and on Easter their wisdom shone through. But of the apostles: some were quiet, some were loud; some doubted, some believed; some were good evangelists and some were exclusivists.  And one, through puzzling motives, even betrayed him while one denied knowing him three times.

On Friday, the scene moved to a stone quarry with a rock face that looked like a skull from a distance, so it was called “the place of the skull” “Golgotha” in Aramaic, later called “Calvary” when it was translated into Latin. It was a place where work was done, but also a public place where Romans wanting to keep down insurrections (riots) and to make people see what people faced if they flaunted Roman rules, they put their torturous death machine there in a public place. Few people in that day stood around to watch people die in such a brutal fashion unless it was the families of  those who had been wronged. In Jesus’ case, trumped up charges made by religious leaders who were concerned about Jesus’ rising power got him nailed to one of the crosses. The experience was anguishing to watch and tortuous to experience. The one who was called Christ died on the cross at the very time that, across town, the Passover Lamb was slaughtered to pay the price for Jewish sins. But on that dark Friday, the lamb of God took away also the sins of the whole world as he died for the sins of others.

Thankfully women came to tomb very early on Sunday morning, a tomb generously given by Joseph of Arimathea. This was a loving and prescribed Jewish ritual, but what they found had never been found before. The dead body was not there! The stone that had blocked the tomb had been rolled back! No Jew would ever touch a dead body except through respect, and no Romans were interested; his body wasn’t stolen; he had been bodily resurrected from its resting place! And Scripture records that women, who had supported Jesus throughout his life and ministry, were the first ones who witnessed it. And the world has never been the same.

Today you are invited not to a last supper of dread, but to a joyful feast of the people of God. Today let me ask you even as you partake: are you filled with faith; are you haunted by doubt; do you partake with joy or with trepidation? Jesus had people from many different lands end up following him. But for the ones who doubted, he said to put away all their doubts and believe! No matter where you are in your faith journey, today is a day of new beginnings! Christ truly rose from the dead! It is he who invites you to partake of this joyous Communion with Him.

Jeffrey Sumner                                                      April 4, 2010