Romans 6: 3 – 11; Matthew 28: 1 – 10
A homily by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Easter Eve, Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
“Do you believe in the resurrection?”
“Do you believe in the resurrection?”…that was the very first (or maybe the second, I can’t remember) question I was asked by the Vestry last May when I interviewed to become your new Rector….
Now, you’ve got to admit, it pays to be careful around these Vestry types…they just might ask some sneaky questions, trying to flush out a prospective pastor like one would scare a bird out of a bush.
But their question didn’t scare me, not at all.
I said (I hope boldly), “Yes, I do.”
(Then, since they were on a roll, they went on to ask me another question, “Do you believe in the Virgin Birth?” Again, I said, “Yes, I do.”)
After these two questions (and maybe some others, I can’t exactly remember) and answers, we got into a general discussion about the inability of many who are ordained who cannot affirm these central truths of the Christian faith, or at least not without considerable reservation.
As I think about it, being asked if I believe in the resurrection is about like asking if, as an American, I believe in the basic human rights that are guaranteed to us in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
For we Americans, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of which it is a part is the foundational document which defines who we are, what we believe to be important about ordering our common life, and how we will conduct ourselves as citizens of this great country.
For Christians, Holy Scripture is our foundational document. It defines what we believe, it tells us what is important about our life in Christ, and it tells us how we are to conduct ourselves as Christians.
To deny the truths of the Bible in their literal and spiritual senses is to deny the very foundation of our faith.
For Scripture points beyond itself to the reality upon which it is based, the reality of God’s acting in human affairs through the person of Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who came to redeem us from sin, and to deliver us from sin’s result, which is death.
Now, let’s return to the resurrection.
I said a moment ago that the truths of the Bible have literal and spiritual aspects to them. That is so.
So, it is first to the literal truths of the Bible as we read them, those events concerning Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection:
Jesus really died: The truth of the resurrection rests to a large degree on the truth of Jesus’ death. Among the observations we can make about the certainty that Jesus really died and was buried, are the following:
- Jesus’ identity is confirmed by the Sanhedrin, the crowds who called for his death, by Pilate in his retorts to the crowds, by the insults that were hurled at Jesus as he hung on the cross, and by the sign which was affixed to the cross over his head;
- A crucified man did not get off the cross alive;
- Jesus’ execution was public, and was witnessed by a large group of people in a public place; and
- he site of his burial was known, and was guarded by a posted guard.
Jesus really rose again: The truth of the resurrection is dependent upon the reality of Jesus’ death. In fact, the miraculous aspect of the resurrection is deepened by the certainty of the death. We may observe the following with regard to the truth of the resurrection:
- Holy Scripture takes great pains to tell us that Jesus had a real, physical presence with the disciples. Notice how Luke tells us that He asked for something to eat,[1] and how He told the disciples to touch Him, as He said, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.”[2]
- The eyewitnesses include not only the women who came to the tomb, but the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, His mother, and then a crowd of 500 people all at once.[3]
And now, let’s turn to the spiritual truths of Jesus’ death and resurrection….
Spiritually, Jesus’ death retains its importance because His death means that God had put Jesus away, out of God the Father’s presence, as Jesus takes our sins onto Himself…..The Apostles’ Creed affirms this reality when it says, “He (Jesus) descended to the dead.”[4]
Jesus’ resurrection signifies the literal and spiritual victory over death, sin and the powers of evil. As He rose again on Easter Sunday morning, all the forces that were arrayed against Him suffered defeat, for they could not keep Him in the grave. Death was conquered, and He arose, never to die again. And, as He said, at the end of all things, He will return again and His reign will have no end.[5] We are offered hope for the same destiny as a result of accepting it in faith.
Now, many today – both inside and outside the Church – cannot accept the literal reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Their reactions to it are varied, but they might include: 1. the resurrection was merely a fantasy made up by the disciples to cover/deal with their grief at Jesus’ death; 2. It was mass hysteria that caused the purported sightings of Jesus which were reported by the disciples; and 3. Ancient peoples had a far different mindset and world view (now antiquated and surpassed, by the way, of modern knowledge, wisdom and scientific discovery) which affected their perceptions of reality.
“Do you believe in the resurrection?”
That was the question that was posed to me last May, as I said.
And the answer still is, “Yes, I do, both literally (as an actual, historical event) and spiritually.”
“Why?” you might ask….
Here are some of the reasons:
- 1. It is far better for me to allow God to be God, and to recognize that the One through whom the entire world was made can certainly overrule the physical laws of nature and raise Jesus from the dead;
- Allied to this first point is that I must allow Holy Scripture to judge me, not the other way around; and
- Something happened to cause the disciples, that fear-filled little group, to become fearless proclaimers of Jesus’ resurrection (remember, the Romans were “equal opportunity killers”, and to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection was to invite one’s own death – as the records shows, that many of the disciples suffered martyrdom for their faith in Christ).
And then, finally, I’ve seen too much evidence of the risen Jesus’ work in people’s lives…Those who can see Him waiting for them at the hour of death, those who have had their lives completely turned around from destructive, sinful lifestyles when nothing else had worked, those who suffer death for their faith, knowing that the reality of the resurrection is greater than any other reality this life can offer to us.
“Do you believe in the resurrection?”
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[1] Luke 24: 41 - 42
[2] Luke 24: 39. See also Jesus’ instruction to Thomas to touch his hands and his feet (John 20: 27).
[3] I Corinthians 15: 6
[4] Book of Common Prayer (BCP), 1979, p. 96
[5] The Nicene Creed (BCP p. 326) affirms this reality.
