Christ has died, Christ is risen... (Mt 28:1-16)

Easter, 2008

Matthew 28:1-16


My message Easter Sunday began by focusing on the message of the angel: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."

First, we seek him who was crucified. These woman were eyewitnesses of his death and of his burial. Their following Jesus led them to the cross, and their seeking Jesus brought them to the tomb. This is where we have to start too - with the end of our hopes and dreams, of our understanding of how things could or should have been, the end of our living life our own way, with letting go and total surrender.

And yet this leads to the message, "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said... and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him."

This all ties in with the Colossians reading for Easter Sunday:
"Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God..." (3:1-4)

We seek him who was crucified, who is risen, and who is going before us. We seek the things that "are above." This means things that are of God and of the life of the risen Lord Jesus, things that have their life and source from God in heaven and not from a human, worldly or devilish source (cf. James 3:13-18). Paul goes on to say in Colossians 3 that the things that are above look like compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love and peace - which, in fact, are very "earthly," or this worldly, in the sense that they are to be manifested in this real world with real people.

Jesus is indeed alive and going before us. We have life and future and hope in him. In his resurrection he has conquered sin and death and every enemy that seeks to kill, steal and destroy the people God created and loves. As we do our business at the cross and at the tomb, and as we experience new life in relationship with Jesus Christ, we are called out and into his future. He is going before us. He has work for us to do, joining him in his continuing mission. Let us seek him, let us worship him, let us go forth in the name of Christ.