Due to a change in the site hosting audio, we have had to replace the audio player and only audio from 2017-2019 is currently available.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Eyes Open or Shut? (Matthew 27.62 - 28.15)

April 12, 2009 – Easter Sunday
Sermon by: Robert Austell

download (click, then choose "save to disk" for playback on computer or iPod, or play sermon live in this window below)

**Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes - search for "Good Shepherd Sermons or Robert Austell"**

An earthquake, a glowing non-human entity, security guards unconscious as if dead, and a missing body… CSI, X-Files, or the very heart of the Biblical story?

You know, Easter Sunday in the church is an interesting phenomenon. It’s probably the most highly attended Sunday of the year – which thrills me! – and it’s the Sunday we let all the crazy out. I mean lots of people come around Christmastime, too, but that’s sweet baby Jesus, shepherds, and the manger. Even if you throw the Virgin birth into the mix… it’s not quite as fantastic sounding as what you get on Easter.

But here we are and I make no apologies for what we’re going to talk about. In fact, I will go much, much further and say not just that this is one of the fantastic and miraculous stories of the Bible; it is THE fantastic and miraculous story of the Bible. And each of us must confront that story in some way, even if that means dismissing it.

My goal this morning is to be clear about why it’s so important… what’s riding on this fantastic story. You may have come here with eyes shut to God for any number of reasons. My goal is to invite you to take a good hard look with eyes wide open. Yes, we’re letting all the crazy out; but I believe it is a “foolishness” (as the Bible calls it) worth believing and even worth staking one’s life upon.

Easter Morning (Matthew 28:1-10)

You heard the story just a few minutes ago. That Jesus was and is risen from the dead is the central claim of Christianity. Why is that so important?

Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, said this about the Resurrection:

… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)

In plain English, if Jesus died and wasn’t raised, then death beat him. That means at the least that death beats us. That’s all there is – this life, then you’re done. And that’s if you don’t buy the stuff about him being God. If he was God, then that means death beat God – and if God is God by any definition, He’s got to be bigger than death. So you’re really left with a short lifetime of seeking meaning in atheism or considering the claims of Scripture.

I understand the mental leap to believe in something like Resurrection and the miracles of the Bible. But really, they all pale beside the God question, right? If there is a God bigger than something you or I or some ancient fishermen cooked up, then that God is capable of all of this. That’s also what Paul means by “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless.” If God can’t beat death or didn’t after all the build up to it in the Bible; really, of what worth is faith?

What do I mean by “all the build up?” I mean the basic story of the Bible… that God created us in His image; we, like our first parents before us, disobey and fall short of what is right before God; and that is a problem so big no human can fix it. But God, from the moment of that first sin, promised to provide an answer – a “salvation.” And through Scripture, Law, prophets, and a people, God kept that promise through Jesus Christ. Resurrection isn’t just a fancy last miracle from a first century magician. It presumes the whole Biblical story of sin, consequence, atonement, and hope in life with God. That’s why it’s such a big deal and so central to Biblical faith.

Resurrection is also the basis for hope in something more than this life. That’s not just hope in something after this life, but hope for meaning and purpose in this life. I might say that another way, “Are we here for us or for God?” If God has an eternal purpose and plan for us, then there are implications for us here and now – how we live, what our goals are, the choices we make. If there is no Resurrection and no God, then that radically and fundamentally changes what we are doing here – and in an ominous direction.

Guarding Against the Miraculous (Matthew 27:62-66)

Now I want to focus briefly on two reasons we struggle against belief – against faith. The passages just before and just after the Easter story jumped out at me this year in a way they haven’t before.

You heard the story just a few minutes ago. I mentioned that there was a lot of build up to the story, and that build up was common knowledge in Jesus’ day and time. People were looking for God’s Savior, the Messiah. The common belief that the Messiah would be a political king became the pretext for arresting and executing Jesus. And that wasn’t enough. Those who wanted to defeat Jesus and keep him from having influence made sure that the grave was guarded and protected. Recalling Jesus’ promise to rise on the third day, the chief priests and Pharisees petitioned Pilate, the Prefect or administrator of the area, to station guards at the tomb. Pilate responded, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And not only did they secure the grave with a guard, they set a seal on the stone at the grave entrance.

What kind of fear and partial belief must one have to go to such extreme measures to guard against a truth one doesn’t want to hear? Why did they not want to see Jesus risen? Was it fear of loss of power? Was it fear that their lives and beliefs would be turned on their heads?

Sometimes those same questions go through my mind when I meet someone who has just as diligently guarded against belief in God or something like the Resurrection. “Why,” I ask myself, “would someone be so set on disbelief in a God who loves them enough to battle death on their behalf?” And some of the same considerations come to mind. Maybe it is fear of loss of control; maybe it is fear of beliefs and behaviors turned upside down. Or maybe that guarding against belief comes from a distorted view of God at the hands of mistreatment, abuse, or a lie.

The thing is, our disbelief doesn’t have a lot of power. We are no more capable of shutting God down than the Roman guards were of keeping Jesus in the tomb. I mean if Death itself could not contain him, what are our guards going to do? Really, we have only about as much control and power over a real God as a toddler has the power to make you disappear by shutting his or her eyes. Remember that? If children are young enough, they think that if they can’t see you, you cease to exist. Negatively, that’s why a child can get so upset when mommy goes out of the room. Positively, that’s why peek-a-boo is so engaging and fun… they are simply amazed at someone winking in and out of existence!

I recognize that people have good and not-so-good reasons for not wanting to believe in God. But that doesn’t make God go away, nor does it limit the power of the Resurrection. Instead, the most it can do is lead to a kind of shutting our eyes to God, and convincing ourselves that He has disappeared.

Lying to Ourselves (Matthew 28:11-15)

In the passage right after the Resurrection, we return to the chief priests and Pharisees. Realizing that Jesus’ body is indeed gone, they now commit to weaving together a big lie. Bribing soldiers and spreading lies, they spread the story that the disciples stole the body. Matthew notes that the story continues to this day – and indeed, he is right.

And the rationalizing doesn’t have to stop there. You heard the story just a few minutes ago. There was an earthquake, a glowing non-human entity, security guards unconscious as if dead, and a missing body. You can well imagine what we can do with those details to shut our eyes to God. The earthquake made the rock split or move, perhaps even knocking out the guards. The glowing non-human entity was a hallucination of the hysterical women who found the tomb empty. The missing body – well, we already covered that.

Never mind that the authorities couldn’t produce the body. Never mind that the soldiers guarding the tomb had to be bribed to keep silent or perpetuate the lie. Never mind that it would be unthinkable for a few fishermen to overwhelm the soldiers – plus, the fisherman had scattered and were hiding for their lives. And never mind that a living Jesus appeared not just to a few women, but also to the disciples at a different time and place, and to hundreds over the next few weeks, producing multiple corroborating witnesses.

If you aren’t going to believe it, you aren’t going to believe it. It’s not a puzzle to figure out all the earthly explanations, it is a miracle of God. It’s supposed to defy belief… and inspire belief.

Are you looking with eyes wide open or are they scrunched tight, guarding against what it might mean - not just for the world, but for you - if it’s true?

What Could it Mean?

The chief priests and Pharisees were committed to not seeing God at work in Jesus. They guarded diligently against any possibility of God showing up, and then when He did, they started lying to themselves and others to keep their eyes closed.

The women went looking for Jesus. It’s startling to notice how many times in the Easter story that there is language of open eyes, seeing, or looking. Starting in verse 1, the two Mary’s came to LOOK at the grave. The APPEARANCE of the tomb, stone, and angel are described in detail. In verse 5, the angel notes that the women are LOOKING for Jesus’ body. The angel goes on to say, “COME, SEE the place where he was lying.” In verse 7, the angel tells the women to carry a message to the disciples – they will SEE Jesus in Galilee. And they saw Jesus along the way and worshiped him. And then he told them in verse 10 that the disciples would SEE him in Galilee.

Later, Jesus would appear to disciples and other followers. Some would see him immediately and believe. Others, like Thomas, had doubts, but came to believe through earnestly seeking truth. Still others, like those on the road to Emmaus, didn’t see at first, but came to believe as they heard the Scriptures and God opened their eyes.

What is the big deal about Easter and Resurrection? The fundamental meaning of Easter Resurrection is that it testifies to a real and powerful God – one bigger and stronger than death, which would otherwise be the most powerful force we know in a godless universe. And it not only testifies to the existence of God, but to a purposeful and loving God, who has beat death, not just because He can, but for our sake, that we might know Him, love Him, and live with Him.

So yes, I understand that it is, well, miraculous… and thus hard to believe. That’s why it’s called faith. And that’s why real Christians look and sound just a little bit crazy – because they believe in Someone bigger than time and gravity, human imagination, and even death itself. Are there ways in which you have shut your eyes to God or tried to guard against acknowledging Him as God? The invitation of God through Easter Resurrection is to open your eyes, heart, mind, and spirit to what God has done and what God is doing. Will you?

If you will, commit to it between you and God – I’ll pray for that in a moment and your ‘Amen’ will mean “let it be so with me.” If you will commit to opening your eyes to God, I also urge you to tell someone today, whether that is me at the door, someone you came with, or someone you know will “get it.” I started by saying we were letting the crazy out; but in reality, this may be the sanest, wisest thing you’ll ever do. Amen.

Let us pray…




No comments: