Dear Christian friends:

We have gathered here this early hour as the sun rises to recall the wondrous events which also happened as the sun was rising almost two-thousand years ago. Isn't it just like God to use His rising sun to spotlight the greatest and most important drama of all time? He really wants us to hear and see again this great drama, which he has preserved for us in the four Gospels, even though we have heard it many times already.

So, on the basis of our text, Matthew 28:1-10, which is one of the lessons appointed for this day, let us re-live the great events of that first Easter which took place:


We desperately need to do this. The women who came to the tomb as the sun was rising sorely needed the benefit of these events, as did the disciples who were hiding behind locked doors back in the city.

In our text Matthew doesn't tell us, but Mark and Luke in their accounts of these events tell us that the women were concerned about anointing a body they presumed to be dead and that they worried about who they might get to help them roll away the heavy stone from the door of the tomb. The disciples were in such despair and fear that they hid behind locked doors.

Both the women and the disciples would not have been in such a sad state if they had listened to and had believed Jesus' words and promises. Shortly before he died Jesus "explained to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." (Matthew 16:21) Either they did not listen, or if they listened they did not believe.

We, like these burdened women and these timid unbelieving disciples, are often sad and depressed and in sad situations because we do not really hear his word nor believe it when we do hear it.

Our frantic concerns about our health, wealth, and position in this finite world; our feelings of guilt and discomfort in the presence of God and his messengers; our neglect of prayer and our lack-luster worship, our fear of death and judgment all bear witness to our lack of faith.

Henry Fonda in his award winning performance of Norman Thayer in the movie, "On Golden Pond," perfectly portrayed the fear and terror of all mankind when confronted with its mortality. Norman was eighty years old, but all the fears and terrors of Norman are in each one of us, no matter what age. It is simply more evident when we are eighty.

We often are as blind and pitiful as these misguided women and the anguished disciples of the first Easter. Yet, how loving and patient our gracious God and Father is! In spite of our poor listening habits and our insulting unbelief, he condescends to come to us again and again to assure us of his grace and our great good fortune that we might believe and rejoice and not despair. As He did for those weeping women and those miserable disciples, so He does for us also.

He lets his sun arise on the greatest drama of all time. Let us hear it again:

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 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.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
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.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10)

So, our dear Lord graciously gives all of us another Easter Day today, even a sunrise service and two more besides. He sends his messengers to us this morning to retell the great events of that first Easter morning, so that our fears, doubts and tears may be removed as our faith is re-established and confirmed.

As I am telling you now this very minute, so thousands of his messengers throughout the land and throughout the world are telling his fearful people the glad Easter tidings: "Don't be afraid! Christ is risen. He who died on the cross for the world's sin has been raised to life! Your sins are forgiven. You have peace with God and the hope of eternal life in heaven. Jesus calls you his brothers and sisters, fellow heirs with him! Even now your new and eternal has begun for Scriptures exhort: "Awake, you that sleep, and arise from the dead and Christ will give you light! (Ephesians 5:14)

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Epistle Lesson, Colossians 3:1-4)

Of course by ourselves we are unable to believe this unbelievable News and live the new life; we can only continue in the way of sin and death by ourselves. But by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, who comes to us through the Word and the Sacraments, we can believe, arise from sin and walk in his holy ways. In our text the risen Christ tells the women to go and tell his disciples that they would meet him and see him in Galilee where their faith would be re-kindled and strengthened. (Matthew 28:10)

Well, we can't see and meet the risen Savior in Galilee, but we can see him and meet him here at Mt. Calvary through the Word which is proclaimed here, and through the Sacraments which are rightly administered here. In this humbly way our risen and living Lord regularly comes to us and gives us the Spirit who makes alive and keeps alive.

Actually, for us Christians every Sunday is a new Easter Day. Its the first day of the week, and we remember this great Easter drama which took place as the sun was rising. "This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:24)

Amen.