April 4, 2021 – Easter                                                                        Text:  John 20:1-10

Dear Friends in Christ,

            Well here we are.  Almost a year removed from an Easter most had never experienced.  Locked up in homes.  Afraid to venture out.  Chilled to our soul with the news of the day.  Fear overtook our nation and our world.  What was everybody afraid of?  Certainly the unknown.  But take away all the fluff and experts and press conferences and what do you get.  The fear of death.  People were and still are afraid of dying. 

            Philip Yancey wrote a book, “I Was Just Wondering,” where it imagines a society in which no believes in life after death.  No heaven.  No hell.  No nothing.  The fictional land is called Acirema.  This was written over 20 years ago.

            “Aciremans would put great emphasis on youth.  The idea of growing old and eventually dying would be so traumatic that they would have no hope for the future.  Therefore, preserving youth would become an obsession.  Old age, and anything associated with aging, would be shunned and devalued.  In this way, the rest of society could continue the charade of denying the facts of aging.  Every kind of cosmetic and chemical treatment that can possibly slow down the aging process would be necessary. 

            “Appearances would be all that matter.  Inner beauty, characterized by such things as integrity, compassion, and decorum, would no longer matter.  People who do not look attractive, young, and healthy would face great discrimination.  Scientists would try to figure out how to eliminate death.  People would use all kinds of euphemisms to say that someone has died.  Religion for the Aciremans would consist of philosophies to help them make the most of the here and now.  Eternal rewards wouldn’t exist in their belief system, so Acireman religion would teach that one must be fully gratified and rewarded in this lifetime.  Therefore, Aciremans would be taught to ‘grab all the gusto they can get,’ to build up riches and satisfy their whims and desires as soon as they can.”

            By the way, Acirema, spelled backwards is America.  Fear. Unbelief.  Sadness.  We finish our Lenten theme this morning “The New Normal – Or Is It” and see once again that our times and biblical times are the same.  Fear. Unbelief.  Sadness.  They needed something that first Easter.  It is still a need we have today.  Where is Jesus?

“THE EMPTY TOMB OVERCOMES OUR FEAR”

            The women and disciples were early risers.  Mary Magdalene sees the stone rolled away and tells the disciples, “they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” (v. 2)  Fear.  “We don’t know what this virus can do.  People are dying.  What should we do?”  Without Christ the unknown is there for all of us.

            Dr. James Dobson observed this, “Life itself is a fatal disease.  None of us is going to get out of it alive.  And it happens so quickly too; about the time your face clears up, your mind gets fuzzy.”  There it is the grave . . . in the distance . . . and no amount of posturing can make it go away. 

            It’s a sprint to the tomb and John gets there before Peter.  They both see the linen cloths lying there.  And the face cloth was folded by itself.  “The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed…” (v. 8)  Believed what?  They didn’t believe in Christ victorious over the grave, they believed what Mary Magdalene told them.  They still didn’t understand He must rise from the dead.  Then look at the last verse of our text, “Then the disciples went back to their homes.”  The fear.  The sadness.  The unknown.  Where do they go? – home.  Go back again to last April.  The fear.  The sadness.  The unknown.  Where were you – in your home.

            The disciples eventually came out and realized what had happened.  They remembered the words of Jesus – “On the third day I will rise again.”  We too come out from our shelters and face the reality.  This life is hard.  We can make all the facades we want.  When we visit the empty tomb we come to terms with the tremendous victory won for us.  The empty tomb overcomes our fear.  Fear of death.  Fear of virus.  Fear of governmental control.  Fear of our sins.  Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live.”  Have you been living?

            Mary Magdalene says in verse 18, “I have seen the Lord.”  It’s glorious news.  It is our news.  Have you see the Risen Lord?  I mean have you really seen Him?  Has His presence let you just live life.  Have His words uplifted your sagging spirit?  Has His Holy Meal provided comfort and strength?  Has seeing the Lord changed the way you see everything?  I pray it has.  Living in fear leaves you entombed.  Be reminded again – the tomb is empty . . . empty . . . empty . . . He Has Risen!

            At Christ’s tomb the One who loves us with an everlasting love directs us Heavenward!  And our last earthly dwelling – the grave – is just as temporary as the present.  A victory has been handed to us, my dear brothers and sisters.  Eternal life.  And the sign outside the tomb reads . . . VACANT.  Glory be to Jesus.

                                                                                                                        Amen.