Easter Sunday -Year B 03/31/24

Sean C. Kim
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Easter Sunday
31 March 2024

Last Sunday, Fr. Bob Hutcherson in his sermon quoted from the well-known spiritual, “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” And Fr. Bob led us to the cross of Jesus to stand with his mother, Mary, his disciple, John, and others who were gathered to be with Jesus in his last moments. We grieved and mourned his suffering and death.

Today, we find ourselves in a different place – standing at the empty tomb. Today’s Gospel from Mark tells us that there were three women who went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning carrying spices to anoint his body: Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; and Salome. To their shock and surprise, they encounter the empty tomb. Today, on this Easter Sunday morning, we join Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome in their witness of the Resurrection of Jesus.

You may have heard Christianity referred to as a Resurrection faith or Easter faith. What happened that first Easter morning two thousand years ago is the foundation of our Christian faith. It is the reason we are here. It is the reason we worship. It is the reason we pray. It is the reason we love and serve one another. We are people of the Resurrection.

Without the Resurrection, the movement that Jesus began would have ended in failure and shame with his death. It would have receded into obscurity, one of the many reform movements that rose and fell in Judaism. But Resurrection happened. And because of the Resurrection, the disciples who had fled and dispersed when Jesus was arrested and crucified came back together again to carry on Jesus’ mission to proclaim the Good News. The apostles dedicated and sacrificed their lives for the faith and established the early Christian communities. And from these apostolic foundations, the fledgling faith has grown into the world’s largest religion. Today, we are joined by 2.4 billion fellow Christians around the world as we stand together at the empty tomb and celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.

Because of the Resurrection, we need not fear the power of death. As followers of Jesus, we believe that this life is not all there is. The saddest moments of my job as priest are when beloved members of our parish pass away. This past year, we had funerals or memorial services for Tom Rinehart, Maria Iskenderoglu, Ron Wiseley, and, most recently, Dick Herndon. At these services, in the midst of our grief and sorrow, we expressed our conviction, so eloquently expressed in the words of our Prayer Book, that in death, life is changed, not ended.  Life is changed, not ended.

Yesterday, at the Great Vigil of Easter, we renewed our Baptismal Vows. One of the reasons we do that is because Baptism is inseparable from Resurrection. In the words of the Apostle Paul, we are buried with Jesus by baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead, we, too, might rise with him to newness of life (Romans 6:4-5). In the Sacrament of Baptism, our old selves die, and we rise to new life in union with Christ. Hence, our physical death only marks a transition in this new life in Christ, a transition that will lead us to see him face to face and be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.

And while we are still on earth, we experience the new life in Christ every day, every hour. Our life is not the same when Jesus dwells in us, and we in him. As many of you know, my faith background is Presbyterian and Methodist. So, I grew up in the sober Protestant worship and piety of those traditions. But then when I went to college, I encountered the lively and vibrant music of Praise and Worship. And I’m going to show my age here – I was drawn, in particular, to the music of Bill and Gloria Gaither. Some of you may remember them. I mentioned the Gaither music recently to one of our younger parishioners from an evangelical background, and he pointed out that the Gaither music is pretty passé and that contemporary Christian music has gone well beyond it. Well, anyway, my first experience of it was new and refreshing. I love the traditional hymns, but the contemporary Christian music was different and also good. One of the first Gaither songs that I learned – and it’s still one of my favorites – is “Because He Lives.” I’d like to share a part of the song with you.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

There’s a beautiful story associated with the song. Bill Gaither composed the music, and Gloria wrote the lyrics. At the time, they were a struggling young couple. Gloria was pregnant with their first child, Bill was ill, and they were facing economic hardship. In the midst of all the anxiety and stress, Gloria found peace and strength in her faith. This song is her testament.
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Dear sisters and brothers of the Easter faith, we sing today of our salvation and our new life in Jesus Christ Our Lord and Redeemer. He has conquered death and all the forces of evil that rage against us. He does not promise us an easy life, free of suffering and hardship. What he does promise is to be with us wherever we are. Christ’s presence fills us with the hope and strength to face whatever challenge may come our way. In our darkest moments, he will shed his light. In our most turbulent moments, he will grant us his peace. In our weakest moments, he will renew our strength. As Christ’s followers, we share in the victory and power of his Resurrection. Alleluia. Christ is risen.