Listen here.

Mark 16:1–8

¹ When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.

⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Death swallowed up the Son of God. The grave took Jesus’ lifeless body into its jaws. Jesus was brought so low that His breath was stopped. He was cut off from the land of the living. The full brunt of the God’s wrath against your sin fell upon the perfect, sinless Son of God.

Was that death’s victory? Had hell won?

Absolutely not. The stone is rolled away. Jesus escaped. The grave’s strength is spent. Death could not hold Him. The guards could not keep Him.

Death died when Jesus rose.

But doesn’t death still rule over the battlefield, the cancer center, the hospital, and even the womb? Aren’t we reminded of death in every skinned knee, mosquito bite, and every time we fall asleep? Isn’t death still the master that will take every one of us and our loved ones whenever it wants? Doesn’t death still make our bodies weak, grow stiff and old, and contract diseases? Yes, it still does.

But death has died. The grave cannot hold you. Jesus lives. He has risen out of death and back to us. He came out as a king to meet His people. He is a victorious general returned from war. Jesus burst down the prison walls of death from the inside. Death could not hold Him, and it cannot hold you.

On the last day, the dead will rise. No one will stay in the grave. Death has died.

There will still be a division. The goats will be separated from the sheep, unbelievers from believers. God will not force Himself on you. He will not steal you. If you do not want Him, you can chose to remain in hell. Your body will rise, but you will forever return to the grave, even though the grave is defeated. You will get what is yours. You will be paid the deathly wages of your sin.

But everyone who believes in Jesus, the Risen One, you will rise to eternal life. It doesn’t matter whether you are good or bad, whether you are full of virtue or full of scandal. Through faith, you have eternal life and a place in God’s kingdom. God will happily give you what you did not earn and definitely didn’t deserve. God will freely give what Jesus has won for you. Christ will give you His perfect life.

Now, even when we lower our loved ones into the grave, we do it in mockery of death. Even though they are dead, they live. They are with Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life. Their bodies only await the resurrection and the life of the world to come.

My kids teach me a lot, but about eight months ago, Annalise gave me a lesson I’ll never forget. On August 4^th, she was at the cemetery as we buried Roy Link. I could tell that being there and watching the casket lowered into the ground had got her to thinking. When we arrived home, she said that she was very sad for Sonia. But then she asked the perfect question. “Papa, when is Easter?”

Well, Easter is today. The Resurrection is now. The grave is defeated. Death has died.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.[1]

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] I am thankful to Rev. David Petersen’s sermon on this text as inspiration for this sermon. http://emmanuelpress.us/books/thy-kingdom-come/