Easter Sunrise

how to spray Heavenly Father we pray that you would Pour Out Among Us a full measure of your promise Holy Spirit to bless not with the speaking in the hearing of your word. I'm in. Christ has risen.

You know many years ago. I would say probably as long ago is 40 or 50 years ago. The Battle of Easter was one of proof. Did we have proof that he had risen from the grave of people wanted to know science was beginning to say no there was no proof that he had risen from the grave. We were in an age where everything had to be proven where science was proving things that had never been proven before and all of the sudden the whole question of the Resurrection came under scrutiny like never before Today, that's not the question. The question isn't did he rise do we have proof know the question of today's culture and what they ask of Easter is what difference does it make? Who really cares? How many feet did they say? That's fine good for you? If you didn't don't talk about it to me. today's culture really doesn't care about Easter. They don't really want to give it much time more attention. It's just something that happens and that those religious few run after. But it really doesn't matter. But to those who were eyewitnesses on that morning, I beg to differ I think it mattered tremendously to those who were watching that morning. especially to one Mary Ameri is one of the central figures in the whole Easter story. She's the one who sees Jesus at the tomb. And with a single word. He reminds her of who he is. At first yes, she's confused and she thinks Emma Gardner. Can you imagine how many of you have ever seen someone at an odd place or an odd time? And for the life of you, you know you recognize him but you have no idea why it is you recognize them at all sudden you realize who they are and what startling about it is. You never expected to see them there. I remember I been years ago teaching it at Trinity Lutheran in Waconia. And one day one of the teachers and I we were out for lunch there were several of us out for lunch and we were in this restaurant and a little girl that came up to her kindergarten teacher with eyes wide open. She came up to her. She said you eat here, too. And the teacher said yes. I didn't think you ate anywhere.

Maybe that was the way Mary was thinking you are here, too. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. But he was there. It risen from the grave. And this risen Christ says to are some words that needs some attention some words that we should take a heart on this Easter morning. Words that to Summer a little confusing and I have to admit that I had to study of myself for a while to figure out what it was. That is the message behind this message the first message delivered by Jesus post-resurrection. These are his first words and he says let's read these together. Jesus said to her do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to the father, but go to my brothers and say to them I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God. Do not cling to me. Is he Jesus knew exactly what was going on in her mind? I mean the first thing she wanted to do was grab hold of him. Wouldn't you you just saw someone rise from the dead you just saw your savior that you thought had died and was crucified and buried and you would never see again and now he stands there and he doesn't just stand there but he has a live and he is resurrected and you're going to grab him. I wonder if she wasn't even down on her knees already at this point. She recognized. I wonder if she hadn't even reached out and he said do not hold on to me. She had work to do yet. I wasn't finished.

Don't hang on to me yet. and then he says I have not yet ascended to the father.

He's showing his divinity here. You saying I am not of this world alone? I have a father who is elsewhere. And I am going to him to my father my Divine father my God.

the one of whom I have spoken so much about The one who at the grave of Lazarus, he looks to his father and he asks his father. He thanks his father that he has been heard that his prayer of Resurrection will be accomplished and he says, I know you always hear me and I'm saying this out loud today not for my benefit. But so that everyone listening here could know that I talk to you and you talk to me and we're together on this and we're going to do this as one The same father that he said to his disciples the father and I are one. If you seen me you've seen the father Thomas said show us the father. Jesus says you're looking at him if you have seen me you've seen the father were so close were inseparable.

That's the relationship I have with the father. He says.

same father Jesus on the cross cried out My God my God, why have you? Forsaken me.

Brunette moment something was different.

Father was not there. Father was silent and absent something I said never ever experienced didn't ever want to experience again.

Didn't want us to experience. But now but now everything is changed. He's risen from the dead and he is going to ascend to his father. Adidas message to Mary and to the disciples doesn't stop there. But go to my brothers. my brothers those who are like me he's also expressing his Humanity. He is a brother with his disciples with those who are following after him. He says go to my brothers. These ones whom I have walked with and talked with him and taught. It doesn't say. Go to that story lot of humanity that's hiding in that Upper Room locked away for fear. The ones who ran away from me who deserted me even that loud mouth Peter the one who denied he even knew me go talk to them.

That's what I would have done. Jesus says go to my brothers. There's no hint of anger or sorrow. He has news for them. esnews for us She he calls us to be brothers and sisters with him. He calls us family. He welcomed us into his family in the water and word of holy baptism when he made us his own he from that point forward says you are mine my brothers and sisters in Christ. You are my family. And in this moment of Resurrection, his first thought is to his father in Heaven his second thought as to his disciples on Earth. He speaks both of his divinity and Humanity when he says go and tell my brothers and listen to this. Go and say to my brother's I am ascending to my father and your father to my God. and your God

Go tell the brothers. I'm going back home. I'm going back to the one who sent me. But he says to him he's not just my father. He's your father's well. I'm going to my father and your father. Did you hear that? He's saying that to us this morning, but he's going to his father in the same father. Who is our father. But this father is not just like any other father. For this father is God.

And he's hiscott. and he's our guy. He's the disciples got he is the god who is able to raise the Dead.

Is the god who created heaven and earth?

Can you imagine how swiftly Mary had to carry this news? You know in John's gospel, they talk about the race between the two disciples Peter and John running for the Tomb in and John feels that he gets a short shrift. And so he makes it very clear that he's runs faster than Peter if he makes it to the tomb first. But I imagine both of them were slow in comparison with the speed of Mary. I matched on this morning. She ran like she had never run before.

This Jesus stood before her and now with great joy, she gets to run and tell the news.

about us what do we do on this Easter morning with the news? We've just seen Jesus risen from the dead the one that we saw hanging on the cross on Good Friday. One that we saw were laid in the Tomb. when guarded by the Romans sealed away He's now a live. And what do we do with the news? Who do we tell where do we go? It should be on our lips everyday. this morning as I was driving to church I I noticed it started to rain and I surely said I I think that the Earth has its days mixed up. This isn't supposed to be a rainy day. But you know, it doesn't matter. There's nothing that can crawl the message of this day. This is Easter. Christ is risen.

Hallelujah

no today there are many of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ around this country. You don't have a place to worship. Has churches have been destroyed in some of this weather that has been down south? We've had a couple of our lcms churches that were flooded out. They're still not back in their buildings. But you know what? I'm this day. Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because Christ has risen.

This past week the the tragic news of the fire at Notre Dame of that great Cathedral.

People stood and watched in silence. They said that as the crowd gathered and they watch the Flames tear through the roof of the cathedral they began to sing. And they said songs could be heard all evening long.

song around the streets in pockets and pools of people It's no less Easter this morning in Paris. Because Christ has risen.

And so now with great haste our Lord says to us go. Go to your brothers and tell them. I am going to my father and to your father to my God and your God. I'm reason I'm alive and so are you and so this message of Easter Joy comes to us today? And we have the responsibility to Bear it into the world.

I want to challenge you to take that message everywhere you go. I want to challenge you for the next week or two to Astound all those people. I asked this every year and I'll ask it again. I want you to say to the person that you're paying for the gas, you know, if you're one of those people like she goes inside and pays for gas. I want you to go inside and say to him Christ has risen.

And if you get that response praise be to God.

you might get okay.

you might get

nothing You might get what? But it doesn't matter see the messages the same if their response doesn't change what has happened. It's not ours to worry about what people will say or what they will do. It's ours to Simply Proclaim that he is risen Christ has risen.

Hallelujah I still remember my first Easter in Texas. As people were walking up to the building we gathered outside we could do that in Texas that we can gather outside and Easter morning and and wait for the doors to be open for the Easter celebration and ask people are walking up to the building. I'm greeting people that I'm saying Christ is risen. He is risen indeed and they say, yep he has

But I'll tell you didn't take long. And on Sunday mornings On Any Sunday morning, we together could say Christ has risen.

Hallelujah, may that be our chant our cry our purpose Our Hope or joy. In this holy season because as we share that with our world, we are really fulfilling what God has called us to do. When he says to us, I have come so that you might bring words of New Hope New Joy and New Life. And it all comes to relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen. And I made a strong love and strange piece of our God.