Easter Message, April 20, 2025: "Breaking Out!" Luke 24:1-12
Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
April 23, 2025
“Breaking Out!”
An Easter Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Luke 24:1-12
I am fairly certain that most, if
not all of you, are familiar with the phrase, “if it sounds too good to be true
… what? … it probably is.”
In today’s world, that phrase is typically
invoked when one refers to a scam or a sales pitch that sounds … too good to be
true. “If you give me $1000 now, I will give you $10,000 dollars when I receive
my inheritance!” “This unit has a LIFETIME guarantee!”
I do not know if the phrase was
popular, or even known, in first century Palestine. But certainly, there was a
little “too good to be true” happening in our Gospel reading for this morning.
We have spent a good bit of time
getting to know the disciples and in that time we have come to realize that
they have struggled at times to understand the teaching that Jesus was trying
to impart upon them. But, in their defense, Jesus was introducing them to
things that they had never seen or heard before. He was performing acts of
power that were beyond their comprehension. And even though they had spent
three years walking with him, watching him, listening to him, it still must
have seemed to them to be impossible … be too good to be true.
Since they had made the turn from
Capernaum toward Jerusalem, Jesus had told them what awaited him in the Holy
City. He told them that the Son of Man would be turned over to the hands of
men, condemned and killed. A destiny that terrified them. But Jesus also
assured them that he would rise after three days.
Again, in their defense,
resurrection was not something that occurred on a frequent basis in their
world. (Quite frankly, it is not something that occurs frequently in OUR
world.) So, it is understandable that the concept was difficult for them to
grasp, even though Jesus had told them that it would be so on several
occasions. And even though they had SEEN it happen with their own eyes!
Three of the amazing acts of power
performed by Jesus were those times when he had raised people from the dead.
There was the time that Jesus and the disciples had encountered a funeral
procession. The mourners carried the body of a poor widow’s only son. Jesus had
compassion from the woman and restored her son to life. (Luke 7:11-17) There
was the time when the daughter of the synagogue leader, Jairus, was very ill
and passed away before Jesus could get to her. But Jesus restored her to life
as well. (Luke 8:40-56) And of course, we all know about Lazarus. (John 11)
The disciples were there, they saw
it happen, and yet the predictions of his own resurrection seemed to be too
much to believe. Even the women went to the tomb that morning expecting to find
a dead body. They went carrying the spices and ointments that they had prepared
fully expecting to perform the burial rites upon their beloved teacher. And as
we heard, they found the tomb empty. They heard from the men in dazzling
raiment … the angels … that he was not there. Impossible. Unbelievable. Wait …
amazing! Wonderful!! He is alive … just like he said he would be!!
And as we heard, the Eleven did not
believe the women. They thought that it was idle chatter. The disciples may
have said things like, “They must have been confused. They must have gone to
the wrong tomb. You know how emotional women can be!” (That was the disciples
speaking. Not me!) The word in Greek for “idle tale” was employed by medical
writers to describe the babbling of someone with a fevered or troubled mind.
And who could blame them. Have you
ever tried to decipher the details of a story being related by someone who is
extremely excited? No doubt the women spoke quickly, sometimes bouncing around,
sometimes talking at the same time, sometimes even sounding as if they were
babbling feverishly. But this was no idle tale. This was precisely what Jesus
had told them. He did go to Jerusalem. He WAS handed over into human hands. He
WAS convicted and condemned. He WAS killed. And he DID … he DID … rise just
like he said he would!! Hallelujah!!
We know how the story goes. You knew
the ending even before Peter and I read it for you this morning. You knew that
the women would not need the spices that they had prepared because the tomb was
empty! You knew that the angels would say, “Why are you looking for the living
among the dead?” You already know that Jesus is risen! Alive!
But …
How many Christians today worship a
dead Jesus? How many Christians treat Jesus as if he is an interesting
character in a story book? How many put on their Easter finest and head to
worship on Sunday, but then on Monday behave as if Jesus was no more than some
ancient character that lived and died two thousand years ago? How many act as
if Jesus never came out of that tomb?
Now, I am not trying to rain on your
Easter Parade, but we need to make certain that our ‘Glory Hallelujahs!’ mean
something. We have to make certain that the empty tomb means something. The
empty tomb is just a hole in the ground if we do not hear the call that it
places upon us. The empty tomb tells us, “He is alive! Now … get to work!”
Beloved children of God, faithful
disciples of Jesus Christ, the empty tomb calls us to resurrection living! The
promises that Jesus made came true. Therefore, the Kingdom Life to which he
called us is the Truth … the Way … by which we must live.
The empty tomb is the beginning of
life offered completely to God and to neighbor. The empty tomb changes how we
see the world and how we engage the world.
Resurrection living is more than
BELIEVING that the tomb was empty, and that Jesus is alive. It means that we
EMBODY that truth. It means that our lives are shaped and directed by the
promises of resurrection hope, courage, and generosity. It means that love, and
compassion, and justice are our guiding principles.
The empty tomb says to us, “Remember
what Jesus told you from the very beginning of his ministry: Blessed are the humble.
Blessed are the gentle. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
The message of the empty tomb was
not reserved for those first disciples. It is for us today. The message of the
empty tomb speaks to our hearts and our souls, but it is not a private calling.
It is communal. The good news of the empty tomb is not something to be hoarded.
It is not something to be kept secret or hidden away. It is to be shared.
God broke into our world and sent us
Jesus Christ, pure and perfect love incarnate. The powers that be tried to
control it, to contain it, but God’s Love is greater. God’s Love is more
powerful. God’s Love broke forth from that tomb. God’s Love broke forth into
our world once more.
And now the work is ours. We get to
carry it forward. We get to make certain that the empty tomb means something.
We get to make sure that the promise of the resurrection is fulfilled. We are
the stewards of the Gospel message. We get to offer new life, Kingdom Life. We
get to proclaim it with our own words and our own lives.
Yes, the tomb is empty! Yes, Jesus
Christ is alive!
Love is stronger than hate.
Generosity is more powerful than
greed.
Unity is stronger than division.
We offer joy … not fear.
We serve. We do not subjugate.
However, there may be days when we
look at what is happening in the world around us and think, “Nope … I think
that he might still be in that tomb.” There will certainly days when our hearts
say, “Hosanna. Save us, Son of God. Save us.”
But the empty tomb speaks to our
troubled hearts and says, “He is not here. He is alive … in you! You can do
this. He is with you.”
The Risen Christ calls us forth.
God’s power cannot be defeated. God’s love cannot be contained. Let us break
out of whatever prisons seek to confine us, Children of God! Let us break free
of the chains that try to bind us! And let us get to work!
Amen.
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