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Why Celebrate Easter? Well, the fact of Easter is proof for the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ ultimately proves there is not an 'It' (meaningless nature –‘red in tooth and claw’) but a 'He' (Our triune God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit) at the heart of everything. And if people trust in the risen Jesus, he is God’s answer to individual and global problems, whether caused by ruthless dictators or ‘wolves in sheeps clothing’ in democracies and sin generally. As a 19th century former Bishop of Durham, Bishop Westcott said, that is because:

…a Christian is essentially one who throws himself with absolute trust upon a living Lord, and not simply one who endeavours to obey the commands and follow the example of a dead Teacher. The question at issue is not the observance of a certain number of definite precepts [or rules], but a view of the whole Universe, of all being and of all life, of man and of the world, and of God.

I have three headings this morning, 1.The Facts, 2. The Challenge for Non-Believers, and, 3. The Challenge for Believers. So:

1. The Facts

And I want this morning to consider the facts of Easter according to Mark 16.1-8 (on page 853). So we begin with Mark 16.1-3:

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

Let me give you some context. Jesus had been crucified on the first Good Friday, and was buried that evening. The following day was the Jewish Sabbath when the friends of Jesus had to rest. So first thing on Sunday morning these three women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) visited the tomb for further anointing of the corpse. Archaeological excavation gives us some idea of the sort of tomb it was. Apart from being quarried out of rock, Joseph of Arimathea’s expensive tomb would have been sealed with a disc-like stone which was rolled down a sloping groove to position it across the entrance. Therefore, easy to close, it would take several strong men to roll back. But, when the women got there, they needn’t have worried about rolling the stone back. For (Mark 16. 4-5):

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

Undoubtedly by a young man … dressed in a white robe, Mark means an angel. What do you believe about angels? I believe we cannot dismiss angels as mere pious fancy and old-world superstition, as some do. Charles Cranfield, the Durham New Testament scholar, suggests that we:

very carefully distinguish the angels of the Bible from the far from convincing ‘angels’ of most Christian art!

I’m sure he’s right. For throughout the central part of Jesus’ life and ministry we hear practically nothing of angels. It is at the beginning and at the end of his life that they appear – at his birth and his resurrection. So their presence is at events that really happened in the course of history, but were, nevertheless, supernatural and unique. That is so important. We are talking about activity relating to God the Son, the second person of the divine Trinity, the agent in the creation of this entire universe and the one through whom this entire universe coheres. As Hebrews 1.2-3 says, Jesus Christ is the one:

…through whom also he [God] created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

So the incarnation (or God in Christ coming into this world that first Christmas), and, similarly, the Resurrection (or Christ rising from the dead, after he died a terrible death for our sins in our place that first Good Friday), were certainly events in human history and fully historical, and the events of all human history; but, being eternal as well, in the wisdom of God they involved angels. Also, the presence of angels (or, rather angels being seen) made it clear, on the one hand to the shepherds, and on the other hand to these three women, the infinite mystery and the infinite majesty of what was happening. And particularly that first Easter, the angel’s message made it clear to the women the graciousness and the helpfulness of God’s working. For the angel’s message was (Mark 16.6-7):

Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.

And note, this was the very first announcement that Jesus was alive but to women and not to leading male disciples. For God’s use of women is evidence of the truth of the resurrection. A fabricator of what happened giving women such a major role in transmitting the initial facts of the resurrection was inviting disbelief. For sadly, among the Jews, the testimony of women, especially with regard to a matter of this kind, would not be taken seriously. Luke records (Luke 24.11-12) that even to some of the apostles:

these words [of the women] seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But [Luke adds] Peter rose and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves, and he went home marvelling at what had happened.

So the three women were able to alert Peter, as the angel told them to, who then, together with John (we learn from John’s own Gospel), wanted to see for themselves what was going on. And they saw, as Luke says (and John’s account confirms this) not an Angel but the linen cloths by themselves. That was so significant. For if someone had stolen the body, why take off all the linen cloths? John’s Gospel explains how John himself (an eye-witness) was convinced by the position of these linen cloths that Jesus had risen. For, it seemed, Jesus’ body had simply passed through the grave clothes in much the same way that he later that day appeared in a locked room! And for the women all that was later in the day. At this point very early in the morning, we read finally (Mark 16.8), after they had listened to the Angel’s message, that:

they [the three women] went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

But why did they say nothing to anyone (at least for a period)? Mark tells us the reason (Mark 16.8):

for they were afraid.

Mark seems to underline the women’s fear (Mark 16.5-8):

they were alarmed…[verse 6] Do not be alarmed…[and verse 8] they…fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them.

But why? Surely this was all of a piece with the presence of the angels. So their silence was appropriate, for this was the fear of God. The women were conscious of being part of God’s New Order which was breaking in, and of which the resurrection of Jesus was a foretaste. For Jesus’ resurrection was in no way like the resuscitation of Lazarus. Jesus was not restored to life, only to wait for eventual death. No! This was the final resurrection at the end of history brought forward in time. As Paul writes (1 Corinthians 15.20):

In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Well, that is Mark’s account of the Resurrection and his Gospel finishes here. You have to go to the other Gospels for an account of the appearances of the risen Jesus which absolutely convinced people of the reality and the truly divine nature of the risen Jesus. What is special about Mark’s short account is that he gives no grounds for sentimentalizing Easter. His portrait of the women teaches the utterly serious occasion that it was, with sin, death and Satan defeated, but that was just D-Day not the end of the war. For the believer there is still a fight to be fought but now with Resurrection Power and that makes all the difference. So we must move on to:

2. The Challenge to Non-Believers.

A report of such a challenge is Luke’s account of the apostle Paul evangelising in Athens, still the intellectual capital of the Western World, in Acts 17. You can read that when you get home. There some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers wanted Paul to explain his teaching on 'Jesus and the resurrection' to the Areopagus (the Athenean council or court which, now in Roman times, supervised morals, education and religion). Luke reports that when all was ready Paul started off with an altar inscription, ‘To the unknown god’ he had discovered while sight-seeing. Paul then proclaimed the known true God was (Acts 17.24-27):

i. The Creator of the universe;
ii. The sustainer of life;
iii. The Ruler of nations;
iv. The Father of human beings.

But, then, five, after impressing his audience with his knowledge of Greek literature and condemning idolatry, he said this - that God is the Judge of the world (Acts 17.30-31):

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

So the challenge to non-believers is in Acts 17.30 where we read:

God commands all people everywhere to repent.

Why? Because of the certainty of coming judgment. And there are three vital facts about it there in Acts 17.31:
i. It will be universal: God will judge the world. Everybody is included -the living and the dead.
ii. It will be utterly fair: he will judge …in righteousness. There will be no unfair judgments.
iii. It will be definite: he has fixed a day and judgement will by a man appointed. Although the day has not yet been announced, the identity of the judge has been. For God has committed judgment to his Son, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17.31).

Who this morning in Church (or watching On Line), needs to repent and so thank Jesus for dying for your sin and self-centredness on that first Good Friday, and then take seriously that primitive creed (Romans 10.9):

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

So that is the challenge of Easter for non-believers. That brings us to:

And that is contained in our first reading (Colossians 3.1-7). The very first words in that reading are a challenge, as we heard (Colossians 3.1):

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

That of course, also contains a great Easter message for the Christian believer – namely this; the resurrection of Jesus Christ means that Jesus is not only raised from the dead, but seated at the right hand of God. That was a fundamental fact in the early apostolic preaching. Yes, it is picture language but true. So, with the highest authority over the universe, by his Holy Spirit, Jesus is present supernaturally throughout the universe and so with all of us, if we trust and obey him – to guide, comfort and forgive. And note, Paul is addressing Christians who (he’s just explained in Colossians 2) by faith have shared in Christ’s death. Now he says they share in Christ’s resurrection life and reign too. If so, it should affect their lives and what they do and don’t do. And on that basis Paul starts his ethical or moral teaching which was as necessary in 1st century Colosse as it is today in our 21st century world. And he has two rules or principles.

i. Paul says, get your thinking right (Colossians 3.1):

If then you have been raised with Christ [seek] the things that are above.

ii. Colossians 3.2:

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Your thinking – your world view, your attitude, your ambition, your whole outlook on life should be characterized by your living attachment to our risen and reigning Lord. And you must not be frightened because of the consequences of having Christ’s priorities in your planning and acting and not always going with the crowd. For Colossians 3.3:

you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

So you have double security. For your life is hidden with Christ, who himself is 'in God'. And also you have the wonderful hope of glory (Colossians 3.4):

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Whatever the future, if you trust in Christ, you have a glorious hope when Christ returns. So, first, get you thinking right, but, secondly, get your behaviour right. Here Paul is black and white. There can be no good disagreement. For he uses not a present imperative (in the original) but an aorist. That means there must be a decisive act. There must be saying “No!” when necessary and no “ifs” and “buts”. So, Colossians 3.5-7:

Put to death [or murder] therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Note, the climax of that list; covetousness (which is any wrong desire). It is idolatrous because it, and not God’s will, fills your heart and horizons. Also it is more dangerous because it may assume many respectable forms. So that is the challenge to the believer. As you share by faith in the resurrection life of Jesus Christ, think and behave accordingly. I must conclude, and I want us to do so by praying the collect for Easter Day. So let us pray:

Almighty God, who through you only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: we humbly beseech you that, as by your special grace going before us you put into our minds good desires, so by you continued help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen