“Thus it is written: That the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance unto forgiveness of sins be preached in His name to all nations.” (Luke 24:47)
How do you know something is true? That’s a big question these days, when truth
seems to have taken on the consistency of warm Jello. Some people think the only way to the truth
is science. Post-covid, that phrase certainly has lost its integrity. The phrase “studies have shown” is somewhat compelling. Even if you never see the data, you assume
that it’s true, because studies have shown it to be true. But that gets kind of nebulous, as well.
After all, studies have shown that eggs are bad for you. Later, studies have shown that eggs weren’t
so bad, after all, and still more studies suggest that eggs might even be good
for you.
Without scientific facts, then what? Some talk about a “leap of faith” and simply
believe that something is true against the facts. It just feels right. Like bungee jumping. Jump off the cliff and hope the rubber band
will hold you. People trust the
government, though governments don’t have a very good track record when it
comes to truth telling. Would you give
over a third of your income and the nurture of your children to a total
stranger just because he says, “Trust me”?
What about something like the resurrection of
the dead? We say we believe in the
resurrection of the body. That’s the
whole point of these seven weeks of Easter.
The body of Jesus is risen. Our
bodies will rise on the Last Day, guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus. But how do we know it’s true? Or, for that matter, how can we know to trust
Jesus rather than Mohammed or the Buddha or the Dhali Lama or our own gut
feelings?
The last chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John all deal with the hard evidence of resurrection, each in his own way. The open, empty tomb. The folded burial cloths. The scarred hands and feet and side. The appearances to eyewitnesses. This is how you build a case in court. You present the evidence. You call eyewitnesses to testify. That’s what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are
doing. Testifying. Laying out the evidence for you, and for the
whole world, that this Jesus is the crucified and risen Messiah of Israel, the
Savior of the world, the Son of God.
He’s to be trusted because He’s risen from
the dead. That’s a matter of history, an
historic fact. Our faith rests on facts
not feelings. Two historic facts - that
Jesus died and on the third day rose from the dead.
A couple weeks ago, a newscasters summarized
Easter this way: “This is the day when Christians believe Jesus rose from the
dead.” Would you agree or disagree with
that statement? Careful… it’s not quite accurate. As my oldest would say, “It’s
not wrong, but it’s not quite right, either.” We don’t believe Jesus rose from
the dead any more than we believe George Washington was the first president of
the United States. We assert it as a
matter of fact. The fact is,
Jesus rose from the dead.
His death being the atoning sacrifice for the
sin of the world, now that’s a matter of faith.
His resurrection being our life and salvation, that’s a matter of
faith. But not the fact that on the
third day, Jesus rose from the dead.
That’s a matter of fact.
In Luke, the fact of Jesus resurrection is
always underscored by a meal. Jesus
appeared to two disciples in Emmaus at a meal.
They were prevented from recognizing Him earlier, even though one of
them, Cleopas, was the brother of Joseph, they recognized Him when He broke the
bread at the dinner table. The two
immediately rush back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. And the disciples tell them that Simon Peter
saw Him. (Jesus seems to be everywhere
at once, which He is, since He fills all things in every way.)
While they’re comparing notes, Jesus appears
in their midst and says, “Peace be with
you.” That’s the Easter greeting. It’s how you speak in the resurrection. Death is defeated. The grave can’t hold us. Sin is forgiven. Peace is restored.
In Luke’s account, the disciples are startled
and afraid and doubting. Who wouldn’t
be? The news is just beginning to sink
in that Jesus is risen, the reports are still somewhat sketchy, and before you
can say “Alleluia!” there He is. Jesus
in the flesh, right there among them.
You almost expect Him to say “Boo!” or something like that.
The disciples think they’re seeing
ghosts. But He shows them the
evidence: His hands and His feet, those
wounds by which we are healed. They mark
Him forever as the Crucified One, the One who layed down His life for the sin
of the world. They also authenticate
Him. This is no substitute Jesus, no
stand in. Consider the evidence: nail holes in His hands and feet; a spear
mark in His side.
Jesus invites them to touch Him. This is no ghost. This is bone of our bones, flesh of our
flesh. That’s why we believe the body
rises from the dead, because Jesus rose bodily from the dead. His tomb is empty. The disciples not only saw Jesus, they
touched Him. Flesh and bone.
Still not convinced? It is pretty unbelievable, you have to
admit. Resurrections don’t happen every
day. Jesus takes a piece of broiled fish
left over from dinner, and He eats it right in front of them. It’s not that He was hungry. He wasn’t looking for a snack. More evidence. Ghosts don’t eat. Eating is a body thing.
And again, Jesus shows Himself in the context
of a meal, just as He does for us in the Lord’s Supper. Table and table, Word and Sacrament, that’s
where the action is. That’s where we can
reliably expect to see Jesus. In the
Sacrament and in the Word.
At the table, while eating with them, He
opens their minds to the Scriptures, the old testatment, so that they can
understand Moses, the prophets, the psalms - the entire old testament. It’s all about Him, about Jesus. Even before the name of Jesus was known and
before the Son took on our humanity, the entire old testament was laying the
groundwork.
That’s the third piece of evidence. The Scriptures. They point to Jesus before Jesus was ever
known. Jesus fulfills all that was ever
written about Him.
The Bible is the record of the Mystery
dwelling among us, the Word that made all things in the beginning, the Promise
to one man named Abraham that created a nation of out nothing slaves. The Word that brought freedom from slavery,
that split the Red Sea, and carved out the only nation in the history of the
world that could be called God’s nation.
Imbedded in that history of Israel, all of
its battles, its ups and downs, successes and failures, strengths and
weaknesses, is this singular message:
That the Christ, God’s anointed One, the Messiah, would suffer and die
and on the third day rise again. Centuries, literally thousands of years before
it all happened, it was written down and handed on, all pointing to that good
Friday Jesus said, “It is finished.”
With minds opened to the Scriptures, the
disciples would change the minds of the nations. “Preach repentance unto the forgiveness to
all the nations. Present the evidence. Preach the Word. And I’ll open their minds and turn them to my
forgiveness. You just tell them. Tellthe world I embraced by my death. You’re my witnesses. Testify.”
I find it remarkable that Jesus entrusted
this amazingly good news to such a band of fearful, doubting disciples. Of all the means the Lord has at His
disposal, He uses the least efficient, weakest, most vulnerable. I take great comfort in that, personally. If
we ran the show, we would have used angels, or done the job ourself. God could broadcast the good news to the
world in a miraculous moment, if He chose.
But He chooses to call witnesses, imperfect people, to testify on His
behalf.
The wisdom is not our own, it’s God’s
wisdom. The truth is God’s truth. The victory is Christ’s victory. The power is the power of the Holy
Spirit. The work of salvation is done,
accomplished once and for all on the cross.
Now the work must be preached to the nations, to every man, woman, and
child.
Jesus is Lord; Jesus is Savior; Jesus is
risen from the dead.
The Twelve started in Jerusalem as far as
they could. Tradition says that John
made it to Asia Minor. Thomas went to
India. Paul, who wasn’t one of the
Twelve, took it all over the Mediterranean world. In our time, the good news came to us, as
much of a gift to us as that first Easter was to the disciples. Someone told you. Someone testified to you about Jesus’ death
and resurrection.
You, in turn, tell others what you’ve been
told. That’s how it works. It’s not the most efficient way to get things
done, but it’s God’s way, so who’s going to argue? You are witnesses, testifying to what you
have seen and heard, bearing witness to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus
and the world’s death and resurrection in Jesus. There are no “professional witnesses” in
God’s church. No hired experts. There are simply disciples - sent into the
world, sprinkled as salt over the earth, scattered as light in the darkness.
Faith isn’t about feelings. It’s about facts. Lay out the facts. You have them at your fingertips. (If you don’t, you haven’t been paying
attention.) You have the cross and the
open, empty tomb. You have the
eyewitness accounts - Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John. You have the Scriptures,
which are able to make people wise to salvation in Christ Jesus. You have the sacramental signs, the visible,
tangible ways that God reveals Himself to be gracious in Jesus - Baptism, the
Supper of Jesus’ Body and Blood, the word of forgiveness. You have the power of the Holy Spirit. Your Baptism assures you of it.
Remember the old Dragnet TV show? Not the new one. The old one, with Detective Joe Friday. Remember his line when people started
rambling on and on. He’d say, “Just the
facts Ma’am. Just the facts.” This dying, messed up world doesn’t need
religious opinions or mantras or methods or programs. Just the facts. Jesus died and on the third day rose from the
dead. Bodily. That’s a fact. It was for you and for your salvation. Trust Him.
In the name of Jesus, Amen
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