Bible Text: Mark 16:1-8 | Preacher: Rev. Mark Buetow | Series: 2016
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! “Go and tell His disciples-and Peter- that He is going ahead of you into Galilee.” Yeah, those disciples. The ones that ran away when they arrested Jesus. And yes, even THAT disciple, Peter, who flat out denied three times that He even knew Jesus! Tell them that He is not in this tomb. Tell them that He is alive and that He is going to Galilee where He said He would be. You know what this means? This announcement by the guy in a white robe means that God doesn’t have a doghouse anymore. You can’t be in the doghouse with God because there isn’t one! Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose the third day. That’s good news for Jesus’ disciples. Even for Peter. Even for you.
This guy in a white robe is telling you the same thing today. Christ is risen! He was dead. He was crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross. He suffered and bled and died. And now I’m telling you, He is risen. He is not in the grave. Jesus is not in God’s doghouse anymore and neither are you. You can’t be! Not even when you’ve betrayed Him or denied Him or run away from Him. Not even when you’ve done whatever it is you’ve done that makes you think you couldn’t possibly be saved. No matter what sin is yours, the man in the white robe declares, even to you: He is risen! He is not here! Here’s where He said He would be. Not Galilee now. But wherever His Word is. At the font. Upon the altar. In the water, the Word, the body and blood. There He is for you. There He is promising you that you can’t be in trouble with God. That the wrath of God is not upon you. That your sins can’t condemn you. That not even death can hold you. Hear this guy in the white robe tell you that you can’t leave here in despair today. Nothing but Easter joy that are loved, a part of God’s family in Christ.
Now, in a certain sense, the grave is like the doghouse. Death is the result of sin. But Jesus topples that tower. Jesus robs death of its power. His grave is empty. Your grave will be empty. Oh, you’ll sleep in it for a little while but then it has to let you out. Death has to let you go. See? No more doghouse for you. Even Peter is not in trouble with the Lord. Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. There can’t be anything against you before God. That means you have to rise from the dead on the Last Day. Death is so totally ruined by Jesus’ resurrection that ever since, Christians don’t even call it death! They call it “falling asleep.” Because now it doesn’t have permanent power. Death isn’t forever. Jesus rose from the dead. You’ll rise from the dead. It’s as simple as that. So no more doghouse for you. No matter what happens in your life, it simply cannot be the Lord punishing you. Can’t be because Christ is risen. You are baptized. His body and blood is for you. Your sins are forgiven. Nothing is held against you. Death is just a nap. And you now have life everlasting. You along with the disciples and Peter and the women. Because Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.