Dear friend in Christ, I pray that you are well through this difficult time in our nation. This has been a season of Lent and Holy week unlike any we have experienced. The last three weeks has seen the church reaching out to people with God’s Word in a time of shelter in place precautions through many ways- online follow along at home worship services, email devotions, telephone calls and letters. Especially in times of national tragedy, the word of God cannot be bound and speaks to us in our time of need.
Our sadness at interruption of worship services as a church is indeed great, which I imagine will be felt especially by us on this Easter Sunday. We have a certain share in the sadness of the women who came to anoint the body of Jesus. They must have been in shock at how quickly things changed for Jesus after his entrance into Jerusalem. As we attempt to observe Easter in seclusion from one another, we cannot help but ask- how did things go wrong so quickly, what happened to our life as we know it?
Our Lord’s resurrection changes our outlook, even in this difficult situation. Because Jesus lives, everything that we experience in our lives can be seen through the lens of his forgiveness and love. LCMS President Pastor Matthew Harrison highlighted in his initial message to our church body in response to the Covid 19 crisis that trials and crosses always bring us closer to Jesus. Because Jesus lives, whatever trial we go through will strengthen our faith, bringing us repentance and growing our trust and dependence on our living God.
No matter how trying the situation, our Lord has won salvation for his people. Think back to the deliverance of the people of Israel from Pharaoh. When Israel crossed the Red Sea, they praised God for the deliverance from destruction they experienced at the Lord’s hand. Their God had turned imminent death into life.
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his riderhe has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.” “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Since Jesus has won the victory over the grave, we know that the sting of death has been taken away from us. We are like Israel, delivered from death so that we may live in the promised land Jesus has prepared for us.
In our Lutheran worship the collect prayer summarizes and brings together the messages of the reading and hymns and psalms of a Sunday. Hear now the prayer of the day appointed for Easter Sunday, which brings together both our deliverance from death and our new life in Christ: “Almighty God the Father, through Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s Resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life giving Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
Even though we are not together as a church to worship, we are still united as the body of Christ. In your prayers for those in need during this pandemic and in your caring for the needs of others through this difficult time you are shining with the light of Christ. 1 Peter chapter 2 celebrates who we are because of the foundation of Jesus’ passion on the cross and resurrection- we are His own people: “But you are a chosen race , a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
We as the church long for the time when we shall be in the presence of the Lord in the New Heaven and New Earth. During this time of suffering and loss in our nation we are reminded of our weakness and mortality. We are all only one cough or spread of germs from an illness that has the potential to take any of our lives. As God’s people we know that only Jesus is our strength and shield through pestilence. Listen to these words of Psalm 16:
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
In our humble awareness of our weakness, we are like the thief on the cross trusting completely in Jesus’ power: “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.” Jesus answers the thief and answers us about the inheritance we have: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus will not abandon us.
Take heart dear friend in Christ, Jesus is risen and goes on ahead of us:
Matthew 28:1-10 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
In the introduction to his sermon on Easter Sunday 1871, C.F.W. Walther announced: “On the festival of Easter, every Christian, yes, every human being is jubilant. … Yes, my friends, today we must all employ this proud, defiant, heroic epic against sin, death, and hell. We must only mock sins today, only ridicule death, and just laugh at hell. Today every Christian should consider ridiculous whatever causes the least doubt of the forgiveness of his sins, of his standing in grace, of his righteousness before God, and of his salvation” (Joel R. Baseley, trans., Festive Sounds [Dearborn, MI: Mark V Publications, 2008], 128).
Easter is indeed a time to laugh at death and hell- because it has been defeated by Jesus’ victory on the cross.
You probably have noticed on the news the occasional comment about how even though the virus is causing its damage, but we are going to prevail over it and we are coming together as a global community to defeat it. No virus can stand against the human spirit. It is tough to qualify how accurate these descriptions are of winning a victory over a virus. Clearly though the focus on these sentiments in the news are about what we humans can accomplish if we put our minds to it. How different is our confidence in our Lord’s victory over death. We are not counting on ourselves to bring us through the pandemic, but instead we are seeing that God is the one who saves us. He is the one who saves us not just from a virus, but from sin, death and hell.
Paul Gerhardt wrote the hymn “Awake My Heart with Gladness” near the ends of the Thirty years war (1618-1648). He lost his wife after 13 years of marriage and saw only one of his 5 children survive. The war was catastrophic to both the land and people. Clearly the gladness he writes about did not come from human triumphs. I have included the hymn below. I encourage you to take your time reading through it and feel the deep emotions of security, triumph and joy in Jesus’ Easter victory.
In stanza 1 Reflect on what it means to you to have your heart awake with gladness- as in for your heart to be free of the weight of death so that you can actually live and breath in hope in Jesus. In stanza 2 notice how Satan’s boasting and pride that he had supposedly bound Jesus is turned upside down in defeat. In stanza 3 picture the appearance of Jesus in the glory of the resurrection. Think of how this sight can eclipse any sadness that may come our way. In stanza 4 and 5 notice the courage with which Gerhardt looks at death even to the point of laughing in scorn at death. Think of how our faith helps us to see night as bright as day.
In stanza 6 think of Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to throw some of you in prison that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.” Notice how this stanza helps us to see that we cling to Christ through even the fiercest trials. Take a few moments to appreciate the stark language of the close of stanza 6 He rends death’s iron chain; He breaks through sin and pain; He shatters hell’s dark thrall; I follow Him through all. Stanza 7 helps us to see that the Easter resurrection of Jesus opens the portal to our resurrection.
LSB 467 Awake, My Heart, with Gladness Paul Gerhardt 1607-1676
1
Awake, my heart, with gladness, See what today is done;
Now, after gloom and sadness, Comes forth the glorious sun.
My Savior there was laid Where our bed must be made
When to the realms of light Our spirit wings its flight.
2
The foe in triumph shouted When Christ
lay in the tomb;
But lo, he now is routed, His boast is turned to gloom.
For Christ again is free; In glorious victory
He who is strong to save Has triumphed o’er the grave.
3
This is a sight that gladdens– What peace it doth impart!
Now nothing ever saddens The joy within
my heart.
No gloom shall ever shake, No foe shall ever take
The hope which God’s own Son In love for me hath won.
4
Now hell, its prince, the devil, Of all their pow’r are shorn;
Now I am safe from evil, And sin I laugh
to scorn.
Grim death with all his might Cannot my
soul affright;
It is a pow’rless form, Howe’er it rave
and storm.
5
The world against me rages, Its fury I disdain;
Though bitter war it wages, Its work is all in vain.
My heart from care is free, No trouble
troubles me.
Misfortune now is play, And night is
bright as day.
6
Now I will cling forever To Christ, my
Savior true;
My Lord will leave me never, Whate’er He passes through.
He rends death’s iron chain; He breaks
through sin and pain;
He shatters hell’s dark thrall; I follow Him through all.
7
He brings me to the portal That leads to
bliss untold,
Whereon this rhyme immortal Is found in
script of gold:
“Who there My cross has shared Finds here a crown prepared;
Who there with Me has died Shall here
be glorified.”
This Easter message is written in thanksgiving for the ministry of Pastor Parker Knoll in my life, to Christ Lutheran Church, and most importantly in thanksgiving that Parker now rests from the trials of this world and lives glorified with our Risen Savior Jesus.
I am praying for you and look forward to the time when we can be reunited in worship and then together proclaim-He is risen, He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
