The bulletin for tonight’s service can be found here.
Exodus 14:10-15:1 & Matthew 28:1-7.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Picture that scene at the edge of the Red Sea. The people of Israel stand with their backs against the water. Pharaoh’s army is bearing down on them. Chariots thundering. Horses snorting. Spears pointed forward to charge. Fear grips their hearts. They cry to the Lord and turn to Moses in panic: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” (Ex. 14:11).
But Moses says, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14:13-14).
The Lord does exactly what He promises. He fights for them. The angel of the Lord moves behind His people and stands between them and Egypt’s host. The sea parts. The people walk through on dry ground—a wall of water on their right and on their left. God Himself protects them. They pass through the sea.
Only when they are already through do the Egyptians pursue them. But the Lord throws them into confusion, clogs their chariot wheels, and crashes the sea on top of them. Not one of them remains. Then Moses and the people of Israel go on their way singing. “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea” (Ex. 15:1).
Dear saints, this is more than ancient history. It is a picture of your deliverance won by Christ on Good Friday and revealed the morning of the Resurrection.
The women make their way to the tomb. Their hearts are heavy with grief. They have watched their Lord be crucified. They arrive at the tomb expecting only death.
But suddenly an angel causes a great earthquake. He rolls back the stone, and sits on it. The guards tremble and become like dead men. But the angel turns to the women with the same kind of urgent comfort Moses had given to Israel: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen and is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him.” (Mt. 28:5-7).
Just as the people of Israel needed Moses to urge them forward, the women at the tomb also needed the angel to urge them forward. “Do not be afraid… go quickly and tell.” In both instances God had already fought the battle. The victory was already won. When the Lord fights for His people, He also calls them to leave fear behind and step into the new life He has already given.
Jesus, your Lord and Savior, has fought for you. On the cross He battled sin, death, and the devil—enemies much greater than Pharaoh and his whole army. And now, like then, He has triumphed gloriously.
By His death and resurrection, you have been delivered. Through the waters of Holy Baptism, you have passed through the sea on dry ground. Now, the devil and all his hosts have been drowned. In Christ you are already through—free because of His Blood.
Too often we fail to live as though this deliverance has actually happened. We stay stuck in the same old ruts. The accusations of the devil still echo in our ears. The fear of death looms over us. Sin and temptation still pull us back toward slavery. We grumble like the Israelites. We hesitate like the women at the tomb—slow to believe, slow to speak, slow to go. Too often we live as though the sea is still closed, as though the tomb is still sealed, as though Christ has not risen.
Dear saints, Christ calls you forward. He is already through the sea of death. Jesus has fought for you. He has won. In Him you are already through. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen. Live as those who have been delivered.
On this night, Christ burst the bonds of death. We are not stuck. We are not defeated. We have been brought out of slavery into the glorious freedom He has won. Jesus is already through, and He will bring you safely through.
Like Moses and the people of Israel did, we can sing. Like the women who ran from the tomb with fear and great joy, we can go and tell. We can sing all the way into the Promised Land of the resurrection and the life of the world to come.
Right now, Christ comes to you with His true Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. He strengthens you for the journey ahead. One day soon we will sing with all the saints the song of Moses and of the Lamb.
Dear saints, the Lord has fought for you, and He fights for you still. In Christ you are already through. So, go in peace. Go with joy. Go singing. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:7). Amen.
So, “Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” The Scripture readings today have called you – in fact, they have commanded you – to sing to God five times (Ps. 98:1, 4, Is. 12:5, 6).
Now, why does God command us to sing; isn’t speaking good enough? Apparently, no. There is a great passage in everyone’s favorite Old Testament book, Zephaniah 3:17. Listen to this, “The Lordyour God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” It is an absolutely beautiful picture. But the reason I bring this up is that this is the one place in all the Scriptures where God sings, and the reason He sings is His joy over you.
And Jehoshaphat appoints the front line to be – guess who – the Kohathites and the Korahites, the choir. The Lordwould fight for them, so why not have the singers be the first into battle? The army marches out behind the choir and listen to this, it’s from 2 Chron. 20:22, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lordset an ambush against the men of Ammon [and] Moab… who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” Through their singing, God defeated the enemies of His people.
Pastorsamwise 
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