Easter 2019Texts: Psalm 118:22-29; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Matthew 28:1-10

Introduction“He is not here; Jesus has risen, just as he said” Matthew 28:6. This the fundamental message of the Christian Church. It gives joy and hope in a world where the power of suffering and death is seen and experienced. This message gives strength to counter fear and senselessness. “It is not an optional statement of faith, but the foundation of the Christian faith and the legitimisation of the Church’s mission (Rainer Schmitt). The 4 Gospel accounts have in the resurrection message of Jesus their centre and source.

A) “He is not here; he has risen!” – Women as first Witnesses.The women who came early on the first day of the week to the grave, after the horrendous happenings of the crucifixion, the death and the burial of their Lord, did not expect anything. They came with spices to embalm the body of Jesus and so pay him their last respect. What else can humans do against the reality of death? The body decomposes quickly and the smell becomes unbearable. That is why one needs spices and oil to create a fragrance to counter it. Maybe also to experience some balm for one’s own soul as well.That is what we also still do today. The body of a deceased is beautifully prepared so that one can still view him before the funeral. One also brings flowers to the grave. A beautiful tombstone is erected as a way to create a place where one can grieve. Within such a framework one can allow one’s own pain and sorrow to surface and to come to terms with the loss.

But since Easter, there is a more powerful message than death that is permeating the room. The women heard at the grave of Jesus: “He is not here; he has risen!” They looked at the place where he was laid and left in a hurry to tell the other disciples. What did the women experience? “They left the grave afraid, yet filled with joy.” They had mixed and opposing feelings; fear and joy. Was there something stronger than death; something they should fear more? Was it possible that Jesus resurrected just as he promised? If so, then death did not have the last say. Then there is hope. Then there is true joy. Then death has been shattered and overcome.

B) “Outlook” (“Ausblick”) Statue by Helmut Droll“He is not here; he has risen!” That is the fundamental message which Helmut Droll wants us to grasp through his work of art. If you look at this bookmark you will see that at the place where Jesus should be, he is no longer there. One only sees in this 2.8 m tall cross made from stainless steel, that is to be found near Bad Kissingen at the edge of a forest, the contours of the resurrected Lord.

This makes us sense the message of Easter: “He is not here; he has risen!” Death has a hole!

The terrible reality of suffering and death are not denied. The dark cross remains visible. The contours of a body has been burned out of the stainless steel. The remaining edges are rough. They remind of the doubting Thomas who wanted to feel the wounds of the resurrected Lord before he would believe.

Pain and sorrow have their place after the death of a beloved person. Also the faith in the resurrection does not make this feeling to disappear suddenly, but gives it another perspective. The paralysing power of death has been shattered. Death does not have the last say, but the resurrected Lord has. Even Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 mentions the reality of death: Christ died, he was buried, but he rose on the third day. In the midst of the experience of death, the message of the resurrection is proclaimed.

The women only gained perspective, when they encountered the risen Lord on the way. The breakthrough only came when they left the grave and were heading back towards life. They heard the message

at the grave, but the resurrected Lord had to reveal himself existentially to them as the living one. That was not something they could have done by their own means. They only could trust the message they heard from the messenger of God; the angel.

C) “He has risen!” Existential Witnesses of the Resurrection.Paul also bears witness to the fact that many saw the resurrected Jesus in person. In 1 Corinthians 15 he mentions: Peter, the disciples, 500 of the brothers at the same time, and later also Paul himself. This makes clear that the resurrection faith is not a theoretical faith, but an existential experience.

Even today it all depends on the personal existence of a human being; your and my life, our joys and sorrow, our doubts and hopes, our fears and our deaths. Into your and my life the message of the resurrection is proclaimed today and breaks through, even shatters our human limitations. “He is not here; he has risen!” And since he has risen, we may take heed of his words: “Do not be afraid!” Do not be afraid of injustice and abuse, of doubt and guilt, of suffering and death. Jesus shattered these destructive forces for us, since he himself went the path of suffering and broke through death. That is why…

See the world through Him

D) “Gaze upon him – See the world through Him.”By gazing upon him, we are empowered to go through him into the world. If we gaze upon him, we see the resurrected Lord in the crucified one and the crucified Lord in the resurrected one. Jesus did not shy away from suffering and death in this world; not his own, nor that of other people. That is his legacy to us: through his life, death and resurrection Jesus showed us that God is the one who accompanies us, who suffers with us, who sacrifices himself for us and who is not only present in death, but even the one who suffers it and leads through death to life.

That is what this work of art wants to proclaim to us and remind us constantly. The statue is radiating the cross from afar in the sunlight. The woods behind it with the moving leaves in the wind brings the Christ figure alive. From the back, the cross is dark, but allows us a view into the valley below. Easter means to see through Christ the world and to go through him into the world, just as one can actually step through the statue.Easter means to live life from the resurrection, as Bonhoeffer formulated it from prison. That is also the source which gave him the strength to compose the

hymn: By gracious pow’rs so wonderfully shelteredand confidently waiting, come what may,we know that God is with us night and morning,and never fails to greet us each new day.

Easter happens when we, like the women, turn from the grave and walk towards life. Christ reveals himself to us as the living one within us through his Holy Spirit and enables us to proclaim him as the resurrected Lord. Through the joy and perspective of Easter we receive a new outlook on life and this empowers us to be a sign of his presence in the world today. Through Easter we receive courage for living life to the full, to take a stand for justice and truth, and to have compassion for a fallen world. The Easter faith is not making us flee the world, but empowers us to oppose forces which destroy life. Through Easter we can defend life and point towards the resurrected Lord. Whoever gazes upon Jesus, the resurrected Lord, will see the wold through him with a new outlook. Praise the Lord for He has risen! He has truly risen. Have a joyous Easter!

Gaze upon Him

Amen. Pastor Reiner Focke 21/04/2019

Psalm 118:22-2922 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

1st Corinthians 15:12-20 The Resurrection of the Dead12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Matthew 20:1-10 Jesus Has Risen28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”