A Witness for Christ

Luke 24:1-12 Easter Sunday March 31, 2013 “A Witness for Christ” Year C Something Happened That first Easter Morning Something happened to the women and men who went to the tomb that first Easter morning. And, something happened to Jesus who they had seen die on a cross, so they said. They said the tomb was empty. Two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified. The men told them to remember Jesus' own words about how he would rise again after he had been crucified. Something happened on that day that would change the course of all other events in the world. Something happened on that day – but what was it? Joanna, Mary Magdelene, and Mary mother of James – were the first witnesses of the promises of Christ. Three of those promises – were an empty grave, an empty tomb and empty grave clothes. This morning, I would like us to think about the promises of Easter. There are three of them. Each promise is marked by something empty. An empty cross, and empty tomb and empty burial clothes. It is the very fact that each of these is empty that assures us that God’s promises are real. Because they couldn’t hold Jesus, because he couldn’t be contained by the cross, the tomb, or even his burial clothes, we can be sure of the fullness of God’s promises in our lives. The women in Jesus life have gathered to go to the tomb of Jesus. They want to anoint the body. That’s what you do when you are family – you show love and care to the body by rubbing it in spices. They have been through a hard ordeal, traveling with the teacher, believing and being inspired by his message, watching him beaten and killed for all of the wrong reasons, seeing your family fall apart from the stress, feeling like you have to do something – only to witness the final insult – his body is gone. Bodies don’t just disappear on their own, they don’t just walk away on their own, - something had to have happened. After all they have done to this man – how could they have deprived Jesus of his final resting place? Most of us live and die, but for Jesus - he died and then lived. He was resurrected from the dead, by the power of the promises of God. That those who believe and serve shall never die. Jesus was resurrected but sometimes it takes us a little while in our lives to witness to what happened on that day. The women say 2 men sitting by the empty grave, and hoping they could explain the empty grave – she asked where he was. And he asked why do you continue to look for the living among the dead? that is a very good question, why do you look for the living among the dead? Today, we continue to look for the living among the dead. Even as those who come together to celebrate the resurrection – we still find ways to look for Jesus among the dead. Knowing that we will never find him – but we look anyway. Woodrow Wilson’s butler called him one night to tell him that the tax accountant for the government had died. Sir, I was wondering if it s okay with you if I could take his place. Now mind you this is the middle of the night – butler- tax accountant. President Wilson responds – you know it doesn’t matter to me if you want to take his place – but you should probably ask the funeral director if it is okay. When we seek comfort instead of righteousness – we are looking for life in the midst of death. When we are in constant pursuit of pleasure and forsake joy – we are looking for life in the midst of death. When we seek security and what is best for us, instead of reaching out to help others – we are looking for life in the midst of death. When we are much more willing to listen to what the world says, and forget what god says – we are looking for life in the midst of death. There were people in that disaster and many others – who had the task of looking for the living amongst the dead. Who had to go through that rubble of each fallen building – and look for life in the midst of death. Who had to examine every body for signs of life. And at any sign of life, they had to stick with that person until they were taken to safety. No matter how the faint the sign may be- if they are alive then they have to be nurtured back to health. We have that type of obligation to life. Death can take care of itself – but it is in life that we have an obligation to carry on. In the midst of our circumstances of life, our troubles, our hardaches, our questions, our destiny. Death can give us easy answers. But when we are still alive, and we don’t know what to do, or what comes next, or how things will work themselves out- that’s when we need a resurrection faith. Faith in an empty tomb – faith in a promise of new life, faith in divine intervention in a way that makes no sense, faith that death has been conquered, so that we will have to strength to go on in life. Faith that God will succeed and conquer all. Faith in an empty cross, and empty tomb and empty grave clothes. Faith in the power of resurrection. Recently, Billy Graham responded to someone who shouted out "God is dead! God is dead!" Dr. Graham with tenderness replied, "That's strange because I just talked to Him in prayer a few minutes ago." Yes, the day you believe in the resurrection is the day you change the universe, and most importantly, you can reflect that transforming truth. When we witness to an empty tomb, we witness to a living God. A God that lives with us in our lives. Something happened on that day, Jesus came alive. Joanna, Mary and Mary were among the first witnesses to see the miracle of life. But Luke 24 says that there were others. As we go through the season of Easter, Luke will tell us of the stories of those who witnesses Christ for themselves. There were 500 other witnesses in the book of Luke who were witnesses that Jesus is indeed risen and present to us in our lives. But the most important witness – is you and me. At the Good Friday service, I told a story of a modern day prophet of God – Sadhu Singh. He was born in India as a Hindu, but we became a Christian because Jesus came to him personally and spoke to him. I have come to appreciate his stories of his encounters with God. Sidhu Sangh tells this story of a young girl… A thirteen-year old girl left her village and was travelling to another place. On the road a priest met her. He asked her, `Child, I think you are a Christian. Is it because your father is a Christian that you have become a Christian?' To that she replied, 'No, a Christian Sadhu came to our house and preached. I thought about it again and again. Then from my own experience I knew that Christ was the Saviour. That is why I became a Christian.' The lama burned with anger. He took her and shut her in a dark room, giving her no food or water. The man was amazed to hear her singing with great gladness. After four days he went to see her. What was it that he saw there? He did not see that poor child singing. She was speaking quietly to someone, and with eyes closed. What was she saying? The lama tried to understand. This is what he heard from her: 'O Lord, I thank Thee that I have received the privilege of suffering for Thee. Lord, have mercy on this lama. Open the eyes of his heart to see the light.' Hearing this sincere prayer, the man broke down and cried. He fell at her feet and before very long he accepted her words as he would the words of a Guru. That lama told everyone he saw about the wonderful strength of the girl; and not only that, he desired to receive that wonderful strength himself.—Sadhu Sundar Singh Something happened on that day that Joanna, Mary and Mary came to the grave – to see an empty cross, and empty grave and empty grave clothes. But something is happening today – we have to be witnesses to the presence of Christ all around us. Listen to the words of this prayer Make me a witness, Lord, So faulty I and weak, My trembling word can scarce be heard, So loud my failings speak. Make me a witness, Lord; Subdue my will to Thine That, led by Thee, in meek accord, My lamp may brightly shine. Make me a witness, Lord, That all at home may see A constant daily growth in grace, And glory give to Thee. Make me a witness, Lord, To those I daily meet, That I may be Thy messenger In neighbourhood and street. Make me a witness, Lord, With every talent given; And let my treasure all be stored In deepest vaults of heaven. Make me a witness, Lord, By gift, and prayer, and pen, In native land and far abroad Telling Thy love to men. Make me a witness, Lord, And use me in Thy way; Though sacrifices we applaud, 'Tis better to obey. Make me a witness, Lord; Thou needest even me; How strange that I can aid afford That I may be Thy messenger In neighbourhood and street. Make me a witness, Lord, With every talent given; And let my treasure all be stored In deepest vaults of heaven. Make me a witness, Lord, By gift, and prayer, and pen, In native land and far abroad Telling Thy love to men. Make me a witness, Lord, And use me in Thy way; Though sacrifices we applaud, 'Tis better to obey. Make me a witness, Lord; Thou needest even me; How strange that I can aid afford When captives Thou wouldst free. Make me a witness, Lord; That souls on Thee may call, And glorify Thy name adored, O Jesus, Lord of all!—G. Alexander (Acts 1. 8) Amen The Christian author, pastor and radio Bible teacher, Rev. Dr. Warren Wendell Wiersbe (Born: 1929), once said, "Easter is the Truth that turns a church from a museum into a ministry." Eric S. Ritz, www.Sermons.com (2 Kings 5. 2, 3; Acts 1. 8; 5. 41) Looking for the living amongst the dead. There are times when we have to do that. I think of the recent Haiti disaster. I have a picture here of the cross that survived, when the church was destroyed. (I will pass it around). Things would have certainly been different if they had found a body. If we had found a body. Our obligation to death and to life are very different. Lenin fashioned himself as a savior of the people. He told them that communism would save them. He told them that there was no need for faith. It didn’t do anything but give false hope. He promised his people a better life, he even took the time to teach people a new way of understanding. And then he died. At his death – the question was asked – what do you do with a God who has failed you? They actually did the same thing that the women at the tomb were planning to do with Jesus. Anoint his body with spices, preserve it, give it a nice home, and put it on display as a monument so that people from generation to generation could come and see death. And yet remember to point he was trying to make. Why do we continue to look for the living amongst the dead. The empty tomb is a witness to a God who does not fail, but who has won the ultimate victory. The triumph of life over death. There is no body for us to remember and show respect to, there is no principle for us to be reminded of. There is a life that we are to live. There is a story that we are to tell, there is an event that we are to witness to. There is no body – there are only people. People who choose life over death anyday. When the women went to tell the disciples what they had witnessed. No one believed them. It couldn’t be- God never intercedes like that, no one has ever been resurrected. No one who had died, has ever come back to life. Peter even went to the grave himself – he saw the empty tomb. He saw the proof for himself that the body was gone – it had indeed just walked away. And yet he didn’t believe. It didn’t make sense. He did not see the life in such a tragic event. The world is the same – the world sees proof everyday of a god who won – a living faith. And yet they refuse to believe. It is easier to believe in easter bunnies, and chocolate, and eggs, than it is to believe in life over death. The good news is that Easter is not a day or an event – Easter is life unfolding, and God revealing, each and every day. Jesus came to each an every one of them – to reveal the truth and to show them proof of the resurrection. With each passing day – they understood a little bit better, and they saw a little more clearer. The good news is the Easter is still unfolding, God is revealing, Jesus Christ is alive an still appearing to his disciples, and we still get the chance to choose life over death. There is not body – only people. When we celebrate and sing Hallelujah God wins. When we live as if we believe that Easter is a life changing event – God wins. Otherwise this all is just another idle tale- as his own disciples believed long ago. Let us pray… Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Ways of Christ. Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book Amen. Lee Strobel put it like this… “If we were holding a trial to determine the facts concerning the resurrection, and if we were to call to the witness stand every witness who personally encountered the resurrected Jesus and we cross-examined them for only 15 minutes, and if we went around the clock without a break…we would be listening to first-hand testimony for more than 128 hours…that’s over 5 days worth of testimony…who could possibly walk away unconvinced?” The stories…they are too close. The written history is too strong to deny what they saw and what they experienced. One psychologist even said “over 500 people having the same hallucination would be more of a miracle than resurrection itself!” I recently came across this story, it was told by “Dear Abby” in a response to someone’s question. A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate an automobile. "Bill’ and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation, they found the perfect car. On the eve of his graduation, his father handed him a gift wrapped Bible. Bill was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again. It was the news of his father’s death that brought Bill home again. As he sat one night going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, he come across the Bible his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation - in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. As I thought about this story, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people in this world have done the same thing to God. Literally tossed aside a wonderful promise, because they didn’t understand it, or they didn’t believe that it was possible. In our world, we are taught that; “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.” So many of us have been taken in by “empty promises,” that we are leery of anything or anyone that tells us we can have something for nothing. THE WORLD SIMPLY DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY! But, you know what – God does – God never made a promise that was too good to be true. The truth of the matter is, the world is full of empty promises. We watch TV, and the advertisements tell us that we can be happy, sexy, rich, or famous, if we only purchase a certain product. It doesn’t take long before we have been fooled enough to know that the world’s promises are full of emptiness. But, God is different. Instead of promises full of emptiness, on Easter, he gave us emptiness that is full of promise.