Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

I would invite you to turn back to page 5 of your bulletin and look again at the Gospel assigned to be read this Easter morning, from Luke 24. In preparation for preaching this morning I noticed something fascinating about those verses. For as many times as I have read these verses – including more than 10 times just this week – I have never before noticed that three times in those twelve verses appear some words in some way, shape or form, that convey that people didn’t understand Easter.

Look at the women, when they went to the tomb very early in the morning. They found the stone rolled away. They did not find the body of Jesus. They stood there and wondered about it until the angels appear to them and reminded them about the words of Jesus Himself.

The women were thrilled with the news! The first thing they did was run back to tell the disciples, but notice the reaction of the disciples. They didn’t believe the women and their words sounded to them like nonsense.

But Peter, always the rugged individualist, always afraid of missing out on something, had to see for himself. He was certain he’d prove the women wrong. Peter ran to the tomb, looked inside and then left, not believing his own eyes, wondering what had happened.

Twelve verses. Three instances of confusion. Though it happened almost two thousand years ago, it might as well have happened this morning because you know as well as I do that there are many people this morning – maybe even some of you here this morning – who are experiencing that same confusion, who are wondering what has happened, who consider the message of Easter nonsense, who are trying to prove us wrong.

In the days and weeks and years ahead for the women and the disciples, there would be many challenges. People would doubt them. People would call them liars. People would accuse them of stealing the body of Jesus and hiding it in order to benefit themselves with their contrived story. People would hunt them down and ultimately kill many of them, so deep their confusion about the Easter message and so intense their desire to silence the message about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You and I face challenges about the Resurrection as well. Fortunately, most of our challenges are not as intense as those faced by the first disciples, but for some of us they might be. There is certainly no doubt that there is much confusion and doubt in our world about the events of the first Easter. While the events of the first Easter might be doubted, one thing cannot be doubted and that is the effect that the Resurrected Jesus has had upon each of us. You and I don’t have to debate HOW the stone was rolled away. You and I don’t have to debate HOW Jesus’ body was resurrected back to life. You and I don’t have to debate the wrong tomb theory or the swooning theory or the stolen body theory. No, the most effective way to bring some clarity to all the confusion about Easter is simply to tell His story using our “I’s.”

I was out to visit our 62-year member, Rudy Melinat, a couple days ago. Just 6 weeks shy of age 94, Rudy still lives in his own home, still has a valid driver’s license, which he was actively using until 2 weeks ago, does his own cooking and loves to share his incredible memories of the bombing missions he flew as a 28-year-old pilot during World War II. As he and I were visiting, at least three times, Rudy said to me, “I’ve lived a blessed life.” His life hasn’t been perfect. He’s had struggles. He’s had griefs in life, including the suicide of a son. Even now he suffers with debilitating sciatica and is pondering back surgery. Yet his personal testimony overarches the pains and the struggles: “I’ve lived a blessed life.” Rudy credits that blessed life to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Those words made me stop and think how blessed my own life has been, thanks to Jesus. I was blessed to have been born into a Christian family. I was – maybe prophetically – given the name “Christopher,” which means “Christ-bearer.” At less that two months of age, my parents did the most important thing for me – they brought me into the family of God through the waters of Holy Baptism. Not only was I born into a Christian family, but I was born into a professional church worker family where from the earliest days of my cognitive understanding I was able to see examples of what serving the Lord and His people looked like. Those examples have made me into the pastor I am today. I don’t take credit for that. My parents don’t take credit for that. Only Jesus and the power bestowed upon us because of His Resurrection can receive the credit for my own blessed life.

Since last Easter, we have gathered right here four times to say goodbye to four dear members of this congregation – Ethel Watkins, Charles Newhouse, Gwen Hancock and Jill Fenske. The youngest was82; the oldest 99. Each of those four people are today celebrating their first Easter in Heaven, their faces among that great crowd gathered around the Throne of the Lamb, Jesus Christ [Revelation 7:9ff], in that eternal act of praise and worship. Each had their own story of earthly blessings. Each, though, took no personal credit for those blessings. Each laid their human achievements at the foot of the Cross and at the entrance to the empty tomb and gave the credit for their blessed lives to Jesus Christ. They told His story using their “I’s.”

The best way to celebrate Easter is not to debate or argue the facts, but rather to tell His story using your “I’s.” Each of you have a story – a story of blessings. No one can argue the blessings we receive from Jesus. No one can argue the strength Jesus give us. No one can argue the guidance Jesus gives us. No one can argue how Jesus has carries us through even tough times. No one can argue the ultimate blessing we each receive when Jesus takes our hands and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Welcome home!”

Our great God, Who clothed Himself with human flesh and blood in Jesus Christ has given us a wonderful story to tell – a story that is not just theoretical, but a story that clothes itself in you and me. No other faith tradition – not Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, tribalism, humanism, agnosticism, atheism, no not one – has such a wonderful message to tell: how a GOD OF LOVE so desired eternal relationship with His people that He would come to earth to accomplish everything for them to establish and guarantee that relationship. No other God suffered and died for His people. No other God rose from the dead. No other God demands nothing from His people. No other God goes on continually pouring blessings into the lives of His people. That’s the story our God has given each of us.

Because there are still so many people in today’s world so similar to the early followers of Jesus Christ, who are confused about Easter, who wonder what has happened, I challenge each of you this Easter Sunday to tell His story using your “I’s.”

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Pastor Christopher Schaar
Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena