Earthquakes

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I feel the earth move under my feet / I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down / I feel my heart start to trembling / Whenever you're around.” This opening stanza from Carole King's 1971 rock anthem might well be the words of the soldiers posted at the tomb of our Lord that first day of the week, the day of our Lord's resurrection.

They felt the earth move under their feet as the Lord of Life broke the bonds of death once for all and the tomb that could not hold the Living God was burst open and the Prince of Life who died strode forth in immortal splendor. He is not dead; He has risen!

Of course, this is not the first earthquake in these few days of history. If you recall, the earth shook violently at the moment of Jesus' death on Friday. The world, shrouded in darkness, convulsed at the death of its Lord. The fabric of existence was rent asunder as the Innocent Lamb died for the guilty sheep. And His death undid death and unbarred the gates of heaven, such that even the tombs of the faithful departed were broken open that day and they wandered out of the cemeteries and into the Holy City.

And now, very early on the first day of the week, another earthquake shakes the footings of this world. The soldiers, agents of those who sought the Lord's death, are thrown to the ground and faint away as though dead for fear of the Lord. Again the order of things is disrupted.

The world convulsed at the death of Jesus. The centurion believed, and confessed that “Truly this was the Son of God!” The women wept and the men hung their heads in shame. Peter feared for his soul because he had denied the Lord. Judas hung dead, as dead as the One he had betrayed. The sky was blackened as the Father turned His radiant face away from His only-begotten Son and poured out on Him the punishment for the sin of the world. Our Lord gave up the Ghost, and the world was rocked to its core.

But now, on this first day of the week, the world is rocked again. “There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Angels are a big deal all by themselves, but when the earth shakes at the coming of a heavenly messenger, you best be attentive. Something extraordinary is happening.

And indeed something extraordinary did happen. The angel rolled away the stone, preparing the way for Mary Madgalene and the other women, and then the disciples, to witness that Jesus was no longer in the tomb. The earth quaked and shook because the bonds of death were burst. The curse of death was destroyed. The poison of hell had been consumed, and the ancient serpent had vomited up his innocent Victim. This was an earthquake unlike any other earthquake, because it is not every day that the dead rise, or that the Lord defeats death.

Death is defeated. Sin is put away. Righteousness and peace kiss each other. Our Lord Jesus Christ has died, has been buried, has descended into hell, and He is risen! He has suffered all things needful so that you might not suffer eternal death. He has been forsaken by the Father so that you might never be forsaken by your dear Father in heaven.

And today is the day we celebrate this historical reality. Not this pious myth. Not this sacred legend. Not this firmly-held belief. Not this fervent wish. This real, true, historical fact. If Christ is not raised, then we are sunk. If Christ is not raised, then we are dead ourselves.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead, then your sins remain on you. Your curse is still binding upon you. Your death still awaits you. You are nothing more than a poor deluded fool for believing all this rubbish and going through all these ceremonies and rituals.

But Christ is indeed risen from the dead! He is no longer among the dead, but in the land of the living. He has appeared to Mary and the women, to Peter and the disciples, to more than 500 in Jerusalem, and even to Saul on the Damascus road. He has been transfigured, not for an instant but forever. He has put off mortality and reigns with immortal and incorruptible life for eternity. He has led the captives free from Sheol and has unbarred the way to heaven, so that whence He came thence you might follow. Thomas did not know where the Lord was going, but now He has shown you, and He leads you there Himself.

In the death of Jesus, God's holiness, justice, and mercy are all intertwined. "Righteousness and Peace kiss each other." There we see in one historical event both the God who hates sin and threatens divine retribution to all who break his commandments and the God who is "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" as one and the same God. And in the resurrection of Jesus, we see all that bound up in the flesh which shall never die again. We see the God who drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his hosts in the Red Sea now raising His children to new life in Christ. Now is the Son of Man glorified!

All this comes to pass as the grieving women come to the Garden to face the reality of the death of Jesus. The earth quakes. The angel of the Lord descends and rolls away the stone from our Lord's tomb. The soldiers faint from sheer terror. The Lord of glory marches forth from the grave. Death is dead, and sin is destroyed. All before breakfast. So that when the women arrived, all they found was an empty tomb, folded-up burial cloths, and a bright angel sitting atop the removed stone. Lord, have mercy!

When the women came to the tomb early that morning they were expecting to find a sealed tomb and guards and a corpse. They brought burial spices. They had forgotten what Jesus had told them, that He would be crucified and on the third day raised to life again. Even those unsophisticated, unscientific country bumpkins from Galilee knew that dead men do not rise from the dead, at least ordinarily.

What they found was a stone door rolled away, a bright angel happily perched on top of it. What they heard was incredibly good news: “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” What they saw was an empty, open tomb.

Listen to Matthew’s rendering of it. “So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples.” Fear and great joy. How else can you react to this kind of news? Dead Jesus is risen. That is scary, creepy even. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up if you think about it. And yet there is joy. He was dead and now He is alive again. Could it really be true? Were they hallucinating? Hysterical?

And then they saw Jesus who meets them on the road. “Greetings!” He uses the usual street greeting. “Hi!” As if to say, “What did you expect? I told you I would rise on the third day. Here I am.” They took hold of His feet and worshipped Him. You might worship a hallucination, but you cannot grab his feet. And instantly their fear gives way to unbridled joy. The Word of the Lord is true; His promises have come to pass. Fear not! The Lord is with you!

Do you fear death? Then fear no longer. Christ has conquered.

Do you dread the grave? Then dread no longer. Christ has made the grave a place of sabbath rest.

Do you grieve the death of someone you love? Then grieve in hope and trust in Christ. He is risen, and in Him the dead will rise too.

Are you suffering and despairing in this life? Then rejoice even in your suffering. Christ is risen. His suffering is vindicated, and in Him, your suffering will be vindicated too.

Do you harbor doubt? Then doubt no more. Christ is risen. His words are true; He is the truth and the Way to life with God.

Come, you faithful raise the strain of triumphant gladness. God has brought His Israel into joy from sadness.

Come, rejoice in the Baptism that joins you to Jesus’ death and life.

Come, eat and drink the Body and the Blood that conquered Sin and Death.

Come, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we live.

In the name of Jesus. Amen

Christ is risen! Alleluia!