Dear Christian friends:

This morning I intend to preach an Easter Sermon to you. Are you surprised to have an Easter Sermon in October? Really, if we have true faith we should think about Easter every month. But we perhaps are weak in faith and are surprised about Easter In October. In order to strengthen our faith let us look at our text and see about:

Why is this a good idea? Its a good idea because we are always tempted to doubt or deny the resurrection of the body. Easters tells us that Jesus died and rose again and that we too, must die and rise again. Easter is very important! If Christ did not rise, our faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins.

There was a group of people named Sadducees living during Jesus' time on earth. These people taught that if someone died he couldn't rise again. And they argue here with Jesus, trying to prove that His teaching about the resurrection is foolish and therefore false.

So also many communists and wise men argue today. Also our own reason also doubts that: "If I die and become dust, can I live again? We can't understand how.

Therefore, it is good for us to have an Easter Sermon in October that we may conquer our doubting reason with proof from God's Word. It is also good for us to have Easter in October, because this reminds us that we must die one day too.

We like to forget about dying or hide that as much as we can. We like to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. That's what the Sadducees were interested in. We can tell that by their argument here with Jesus. They did not believe there was life after death, but if there was one they thought it would be like this life where we get married.

They thought people should get married in heaven, if there is a heaven. They thought romance, love, sex and marriage was equal to heaven.

So many people think that today. Jesus says in verse 34, "The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage." "Children of this world" means the unbelievers. They sing much about romance, love, sex and marriage. They sing: "Heaven can wait."

When their is a wedding at church, they all get very excited and come to church. But on Sunday when we preach about Jesus, about sin and forgiveness of sins and give the Lord's Supper they don't care and stay home. They think about eating, romance and marriage only. They don't come to worship God and serve Him. Sex is their God.

We also are tempted to worship sex and make that our God. So we need Easter in October to remind us that sex grows old and dies. Eating, and drinking and marriages will quickly end.

Can you celebrate Easter in October? You can if you are children of God or children of the resurrection as Jesus says in our lesson. Jesus says, "The children of this world marry" (love marriage and sex and only are interested in that) "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (Luke 20:35-36)

The children of this world love marriage and are only interested in that and other worldly things. True, they often like Easter in April and go to church once a year on Easter Sunday. But all the other Sundays they love marriage, home and money only.

But the children of God who are also the children of the resurrection love God and Jesus their Savior who suffered and died on the cross for them and rose again on Easter morning. Every Sunday is Easter for them. Their chief joy is not marriage and sex and homes, but to worship their dear Savior and hope for the day when they will die and rise again and go and stay with their dear God and Savior in heaven.

There they will not be interested in marriage, but like the holy angels they will worship, serve and praise their wonderful God and Jesus the Lamb of God who sits on the throne; saying, “Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:12) If this is our hope for the next world, we will also begin to do it now in church each Sunday.

We know that the first Christians kept Sunday as a worship day because that was the day Jesus arose from the dead. They celebrated Jesus' death and resurrection every Sunday. So should we! If we really believe in Jesus our Savior, then we are the children of God and children of the resurrection. We can joyfully celebrate Easter in October.

Amen.