Easter, 1995	Easter Time	Acts 10:34-43

1 Cor 15:19-26

Lk 24:1-12

Our gospel lesson for this morning tells us that it was early on the first day of the week, following the Passover and the crucifixion of our Lord that Mary Magdelene, Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James, and several other women went to the tomb of Jesus. And, as we have heard, it was there that they discovered that the stone was rolled away, and Jesus' body was gone. And it was also on the first day of the week, early that morning, that they heard the news: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

In many ways we can compare this first Sunday morning following the crucifixion of our Lord with other Sunday mornings that would follow in the life of the Church in the years to come. And, there are a few parallels that we should notice.

First, I believe it is interesting that the first persons to attend this first Sunday morning worship service of the church were those who that day's culture would have considered the weakest and least realiable. Women heard the news. Women saw the angels. Women were told what it meant. Women were given the task of going back and telling the other disciples what had happened. Women, and one of them a former harlot, persons considered by that society to be the least credible, were given this amazing ministry.

When you look at the history of God's intereaction with human beings in the Bible, you will notice that this kind of thing has happened many times. God chooses what is the least and most unlikely and uses it for extremely important ministries. As we look back we see it time and time again. God chose Abraham and Sarah, for instance, two senior citizens, to be the mother and father of the Israelite nation. Who could have believed such a thing could happen? Why didn't God choose a younger couple instead of two persons who were beyond child bearing years? But God chose Abraham and Sarah.

And God chose Jacob, the second born and a mischievious rascal, instead of Esau, to carry on the line. It would have made much more sense if God had chosen Esau, the first born, level headed. But God chose Jacob.

And God chose Moses, a man with a pretty bad stuttering problem, to lead his people out of Egypt. God could have chosen someone who could speak eloquently, someone with leadership style. But, God chose Moses, instead.

And God chose little David, the youngest of Jesse's sons, to be king over Israel. God could have chosen any of David's older and more handsome brothers. But God didn't. God chose David, instead.

And God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus' parents, poor insignificant persons in their community — just a teenager and a carpenter. God could have chosen anyone else — leaders of the community, a king and a queen, perhaps. But God didn't do that. He chose Mary and Joseph, instead.

And Jesus chose a few fishermen, a tax collector, and a few other insignificant members of the Galilean community to be his first disciples. He could have chosen some great scholars. He could have chosen some people with clout. But God didn't. He chose the least of Israel to be his disciples, instead.

And Jesus has chosen us, as well. We should never forget that. We have been chosen to share the message of his resurrection to our friends and neighbors, with those we work with, and with our families. And we may think we're pretty useless as disciples of the Lord. We may wonder, "Who would listen to us, anyway? Wouldn't God do better to choose someone with more experience, or more clout, or more talent? But God didn't. Just as God chose women to be the first to hear the good news of the resurrection and to share it with others, God chooses us.

There is a story about a great evangelist who was preaching at a southern university. Toward the end of his sermon he pleaded for young men and women to place their all on God's altar. They began to come — the president of the student body, football players, beautiful girls, campus leaders — sincerely, honestly giving themselves to Christ. And then Dr. Craig saw a strange thing. Far back toward the rear of the auditorium, he saw a boy start down the aisle toward the front. And that boy was crawling on his hands and knees.

Dr. Craig turned to the president of the university, who said, "It's all right, sir. That boy is one of our students, but he is a hopeless cripple, and the only way he can get around is on his hands and knees." Dr. Craig waited until the boy had made his way to the front, then leaned down to greet him.

The young man looked at the great preacher, and said to him, "Sir, you said God had a place for a man. I know God has a place for these athletes with their muscles of steel; I know God has a place for these campus leaders. But tell me, sir, does God have a place for a wreck like me?" And Dr. Craig told him through his tears, "Son, God has just been waiting for a wreck like you."

Certainly, God has a place for us in the sharing of the good news in our community and in the world!

And there is something else about the first resurrection encounter that we should notice, as well. The women went to the tomb looking for Jesus and they were told that Jesus wasn't there, but had risen from the dead.

This tells me something very important about the Church that we need to constantly remember. It is so easy to forget that neither God nor Jesus reside in the confines of this church. Christians often get into the rut of thinking that you go to church to meet Jesus, forgetting that Jesus is alive and active out in the world. Christ has risen from the dead!

A number of years ago a book was written that talked about how Christians often try to put God in a box. Sometimes we think that God can only work in a prescribed set of ways. Christians may often think that only a certain style of worship, or a certain set of hymns, or only a certain wording in a prayer can affect God. We may also forget that God is out there in the community, alive and active in the lives of persons who may not even know God's name, who may not even know he's working on them. And when we think of God like this, limiting God's power to the church building, we put him into a box. It's our attempt to control God, our attempt to keep God in his place. But, the problem with that is when we do that we're forgetting about the resurrection. Certainly, there were many persons back in Jesus' day who did everything they could to put him into a box. But, he didn't stay in that box. He arose from the dead. And by the power of God's Spirit Christ is alive and working in the world in every unimaginable place.

Certainly, when the women who went to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday morning were told, "He is not here," this was a message for the rest of time: Jesus alive! And he is ministering in the world, today.

Finally, it the gospel lesson for this morning tells us that when the women went back with their amazing story of Christ's resurrection the men just wouldn't believe them. Nevertheless, the women had done as they were told. Whether they were to be believed or not, they were faithful and spread the news.

Certainly, the news of the resurrection is just as amazing and incredible today as it was then. Who would believe us if we were to go forth with such a story? Nevertheless, that is the news we share! And we share that news, not because people are going to believe it, but because the sharing of the Gospel has power. When we share the Gospel with others, God takes over from there.

It happened at the first Easter, as well. In spite of the fact that the men wouldn't believe the news of the resurrection, God began to work on the apostle Simon Peter. Hearing the news, he probably dismissed it, at first. But, as the minutes went by, God's Spirit began to work on him until he could stand it no longer! He had to get up and go to the place where Jesus' body had been laid. And when he got there and saw the evidence, he was amazed and went back to his home a believer.

The news of the resurrection, the message of the Gospel is so wonderful that most persons won't believe it at first. But, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't tell them! For once we have delivered the message, God's Spirit takes over from there and continues to do work that we could never do. That's why it is so important that we be bold to tell others what we know about Easter.

Yesterday I was talking with a teacher who had to teach school on Good Friday. As she was teaching some of the school's students were being dismissed so they could go attend Good Friday services at their churches. Some of the students who weren't being dismissed wondered about this and asked, "What's Good Friday about, anyway?" It was then that the teacher had the opportunity to explain that Good Friday is the day upon which Christians believe Christ was raised from the dead. It was here that these students took the opportunity to discuss the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord in a public school. Who knows how God may use that discussion to save a soul? For even as a person may doubt and even reject the message of the resurrection, God's Spirit will work on and on until the day comes when the unbeliever gives his or her life to Christ.

May we all have the faith to share God's message of joy and love!

Amen.