Rev’d Mark B. Stirdivant, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Yucaipa, California
✝ sdg ✝

Now, finally, you get to hear the end of the story. And really it’s not just the story of Jesus, but it’s your story because you are one who has been joined to Christ. Your story began when Jesus was tempted right after His baptism. It continued with Jesus testing the faith of the foreign woman who had a sick daughter, then with Jesus casting out demons, and feeding the 5000, and so forth. The story reminds us of other stories-the trials and sufferings of Job, and God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Your story crescendos with the scheme to kill Jesus, and comes to a climax on Good Friday when Our God and Lord was nailed to the cross. That was when the devil found an opportune time. That’s when he trapped our Jesus between death and hell. That’s when Satan was sure he had really messed up your life. And that’s when we believed the devil had gotten the best of us, because he pushed Jesus to such a shameful and painful death.

Now it is likely that you have heard this story before-not just because it is familiar, but because it is your story. It’s a deep truth that comes out in little shadows and in bits and pieces in other stories: like Sleeping Beauty, or the Lord of the Rings, or the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or the myth of the Phoenix. But this is the real thing that all those copy-stories borrow from. This, your story, takes you down and down and nearly leaves you without hope. And yet even as this story reaches the very pits of despair, there is no need for you to lose heart. For you know how the story ends-how it always ends.

Now we get to the end of the story. And what a glorious ending it is! For today-even if only for a moment-all the worries and frustrations, the grief and aches, the fears and sorrows, the faults and messes that you and I are in–all of that is pushed aside so that we can bask in the glow of this day, and take in the good feelings, and revel in the Lord’s unending mercy. Be proud about it! Confess the truth boldly! Christ is risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Now you get to hear and sing about Our Lord’s victory. Now your Lenten tide fast brings you to a sumptuous and tasty feast. Now you enter not just into a joy-filled church, but you also enter into the joy of your Lord. Because now we get to the end of the story. And yet the story doesn’t really end. It didn’t really end when the angels said, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” And, to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t really come to an end today. For there will still be agonies and trials. You will still suffer many things because of your baptism into the body of Jesus Christ. The devil will still haunt and attack you. Evil will still befall you. Your body and mind will still afflict you. Your heart will still ache, and you will still grieve. And you will still have the fallen, evil, self-centered desire to dig up your past sins, and live your life as if God and His Holy Sacraments have not changed anything for you.

But don’t let that alarm you, or scare you away. Don’t let that stifle your rejoicing, or cause you to lose faith. For those things that still happen to you don’t mean that the story isn’t true, or that the end wasn’t real, or that the climax was just another disappointing hoax. In fact, the crosses and temptations, the trials and afflictions, those sorrows and hard times-everything that you continue to endure actually verifies your story and validates its glorious end. For why else would the devil, the world and your own sinful flesh torment you-unless they know that it’s all over for them—these enemies of yours?

Rather, remember that the end of this story is really its true beginning. Everything else you’ve gone through, all the rest of the story that you’ve heard and lived-it’s nothing more than preparation for this moment, for this day, for this climax.

Isn’t that really what the angels are telling Mary Magdalene and the other women who come to the tomb? Aren’t they really saying, “It’s not over! It didn’t end the way you thought! In fact, it’s just beginning-for now Jesus is more than you hoped for, more than you desired, more than you thought possible. Look at where they laid Him-He’s not here in this place of death! So now it just begins. Now it gets good. So go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Listen, I’ve now told you.”

And what do the women do? They don’t turn dumbfounded to each other and say, “That’s how it ends; that’s all there is?” No; instead, they run quickly from the tomb-with fear and great joy. To be honest, they have fear mixed together with joy because they don’t know how or when or in what way the story will go next in their lives. But this they do know and believe-no matter what happens next, no matter what they face, no matter how much scorn or ridicule, persecution or martyrdom, doubts or anxieties, crosses or adversity they will have to endure, they know it will turn out for the best-because they know how the story ends. Not just for Jesus, but for themselves. Not just that day, but every day. Not just in this life, but in the life of the world to come.

That’s so much more than simply having a positive attitude on life. That is faith-faith that is able to live against your own flesh, faith that has the courage to meet meanness with love, faith that is able to embrace the worst as though it is the best blessing from God, and faith that lives the Christian life not in fear or resignation but in confidence and hope. For this faith is the faith that says, “Do with me what you will. Throw your worst at me. Heap it all upon me-for I know how this will all end. I know how this story goes. I know how it will all work out.” Faith echoes Job’s words: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

So don’t lose this moment. And don’t let this ending fade away-in your mind, or in your heart. Instead, feed your faith on it. Eat it up. Take it all in. Live from it. Hear it over and over again. Make this story, this Christ, this risen Jesus your food and drink; this is your Easter story: make it your very breathing and heartbeat, your life and living. For this is both all you have and all you’ll ever need. May it never come to an end but last into eternal glory in heaven.

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

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

Readings:
Apr. 1 The Resurrection of Our Lord Easter Sunrise
Ex. 15:1–11 The horse and the rider He has thrown into the sea!
Ps. 118:15–29 The right hand of the LORD does valiantly
1 Cor. 5:6b–8 keep the feast … with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
John 20:1–18 Mary Magdelene went to the tomb early