Women went to the tomb of Jesus. Went to the tomb to see, to witness. They weren't expecting God's miracle of resurrection grace. The women did not expect to witness a transformation. They didn't know that they were about to witness a great dawn and a new day in the story of humanity. They just went to the tomb.
Likewise as I gaze upon the cross of Friday, I go to witness. When the sins of myself and all humanity were bare before all the world to see in the cruel death of a sinless man made obvious my need for a savior. I go to the tomb, to the grave of my sin each and every day and recount my sins and my need for a savior. I am a sinful man and need to see the grave, the tomb where my sin resides dead through the grace of Jesus who became my sin, and put the threat of death and eternal damnation to an end once and for all time upon that cross. Yes! I need to see that tomb, that grave, just like the women needed to see, to witness. I need to be convinced of the death of sin, my sin.
But to be honest… is that what I go to see? Or do I go to mourn what I have done to someone I love?
What do the women witness? What do the guards at the tomb witness? What do I witness?
We all witness an earthquake. The very foundations of the earth quake just like the earth quaking at the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. Just like the earth quaking at the death of Jesus on the Friday of his death. Yes, we witness an earthquake. An earthquake of God calling attention to another momentous event in the history of God's love for his creation and his created.
Heaven meets earth in this earthquake of love, and God sends a mighty angel, a shining angel, a strong angel, a messenger of power, purity, and strength. An angel that rolls away that tomb stone to bare before all the world and all humanity an empty tomb. An angel that shows me, you, and everyone throughout all time, that Jesus has already risen in a body of glory, no longer subject to the natural laws that we all accept in our earthly existence.
The angel strikes all with the fear of God. A fear striking deeply into our hearts leaving all of us in speechless awe. This can't be! This is impossible! This too must be a lie! The guards fall in fear, and the women pull back in amazement. And the angel, as angels from God always do, proclaims a new message to the women.
This angel tenderly and simply gives the news. Jesus is not here. See! I roll this stone away. Look in. Jesus is raised. Come and see. Come and see, look in, see where Jesus once dead and rested on the Sabbath. Jesus is raised.
Witness a new sign of faith. Your sign of faith is not so much a crucifix. No rather it is an empty cross. Your sign of faith isn't any sign at all, but rather now your new sign of faith is the very presence of God and the absence of death. Jesus is not dead. There is hope here in this empty tomb, this empty sign of faith.
There is hope mixed with the nature of an empty tomb on this earth. There is hope in us that this resurrection fact, this tomb, this grave of Jesus, and our own very grave of death, will be no home for Jesus, or for you and me. The grave is not the home of Jesus, and will not, nor ever will be, the home of all believers who live in this new hope of the resurrection.
In this empty tomb of Jesus, God presents to all believers life and immortality. See with your eyes this empty tomb. But how? How can this be real?
How can I, a sinful man aspire to the presence of God? How can I fulfill this destiny of the pure? I am not pure? I am sinful? See my sin! No! I cannot come into the presence of God!
I can't, at least on my own power! I can't forgive the sins I have. Sin is against God. I can't cancel my dark past! I can't rule time!
But... Jesus revealed God. Jesus revealed God in the wrestling of my sin upon the cross. Jesus proved his power over the death of my sin by this very empty tomb, this empty grave that I peer into this glorious new day.
As I peer and stare into this empty tomb of Jesus, I witness the glory of my very own empty grave. A grave beckoning and calling me to the hope that all my sin is forgiven. My death is sure yet it is gone and I'm invited by my Savior to step outside of my grave to live forever in the presence of God. I'm invited into God's presence and made righteous through Jesus' action upon that cross and this empty tomb into which I peer.
Yes! That day long ago, there were two groups of people and both saw an angel. The women tell the truth to the world, and the guards tell lies about the women. The proof of this story is not in scripture. The truth is what brings change in the lives of the disciples of Jesus. He is risen!
The instant effect of the Resurrection was fear. But, Easter inspires a certain kind of fear. We live in an enclosed valley of earth. Easter takes us to new heights. Easter grabs us from our valley of sin and death and tramples on our sinful dust to raise us from our dust to the mountain of an eternal life with God. We pass through, in faith and hope, this graveyard of sinfulness to reach our home with God. We walk behind Jesus out of this tomb, this grave, to live everlasting life with God in Jesus.
Along their way from the tomb; Jesus greets the women. How? Well… this is great! Jesus says "Good morning!" Jesus says "Hail!" Jesus greets the women with a customary greeting between friends. Ordinary words were on the lips of Jesus that take on an eternal meaning for the women, and for you and for me as well. Jesus greets all of us to a new day, a new way, a new life. Howdy! Jesus says to his newly redeemed people. Howdy, to my new day, your new day! Howdy Jesus!!!
Through these women… without the aid of man… Jesus comes… Jesus comes down… born of Mary… born of Spirit. Jesus calls these women and sends them. Sends them to tell, and tell they did. These women tell the world of something new and glorious. He is risen! Jesus is our risen Lord... our risen Word... our risen Savior. The event that these women witness turned their blindness, my blindness, and perhaps your blindness, into a new mode of seeing. A sight that inspires an earthly love of one for another. A sight that inspires courage in the face of death. And and eternal sight of the Resurrection of the great divide in human history.
Thanks be to God for the empty tomb and all the hope that the resurrection brings for me, for you, and for all creation… yesterday… today… tomorrow… and forever!
Yes! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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