Questions on Easter Morning (2)

Questions on Easter Morning (2)

Luke 24:1-10

We asked in the Armenian sermon the question that the women asked while they were going to the tomb on Easter morning.

FIRST QUESTION: “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Vs 3)

Let me move to the Gospel of Luke. He mentions the following event:

“While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:4-5)

QUESTION TWO: Why do you look for the living among the dead?

It made me think. Do we look for the living among the dead?

Do you have friends who smoke? When I was in the Middle East, I had many who did. In the US I have less. Now I am not going to talk about smoking or not, that is not my topic. But if you ask smokers why they smoke, you get answers like these:

“It feels good; I can take my stress out.”

“Once a while smoking helps me to relax.”

“It helps me lose weight; when I smoke I do not eat as often.”

“I learned it from my friends; it is like a fashion. I don’t think about it, it feels good.”

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

They know very well that smoking will kill them, but find some kind of excuse; they think they find “living” in “dead”. What a tragedy.

-How about buying things we do not need?

-How about excessive use of credit cards? I want it now. I need it now.

We think we will be happy, find a “life”, but it is killing us. We will come further attached to things. Eventually we will lose our priorities in our lives. Things become more important and source of enjoyment rather life, God, serving…………..

Why do you seek living among dead?

We read in John 10:10

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (More abundantly)

A good example of this is Matthew the tax collector. He gave up his “rich” life to have new life, abundant life with Christ.

How about Paul. He was rich, educated, prestigious family and so on, yet all these were nothing.

Lately we are discussing his letter to Ephesians. He mentions many places he is in prison. But it also mentions he is prisoner of the Lord. Which indicates he has a liberated life from the “deadly, earthly life”; He has an abundant life from God, Which means that nothing can stop him to enjoy the life that God gave him through Jesus Christ.

Why are you seeking the Living among the dead?

Christ is risen. Either you believe it and experience His resurrection in your life, or you cannot believe it, and his resurrection is nothing, fabricated story, fullness and stumbling block.

Let me give another passage.

We read in gospel of John, that Mary Magdalene was disturbed when she did not find Jesus. So she was weeping. Two times she was asked, the same question:

“Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." ¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). (John 20:11-16)

QUESTION THREE: Women and Men why are you crying?

Tears and sorrow made her “blind.” She could not see.

We all go to this time. When too much burden, when too much stress makes us not see clearly.

The question that God is asking us on Easter morning:

Nerses, (please put your name) what is bothering you this morning?

Where are you hurting?

And the continuation of the third question: Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?”

(Please, the gospel writers are genuine writers, they did not hide anything.)

Do you realize that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first of all.

Mary Magdalene has past life. Prostitution, maybe possessed with evil spirit and so on.

That is past.

With resurrection Jesus is declaring that he is giving us something new, and new life, an abundant life. A new future that is not dependent on the past life. A new beginning.

“Made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2: 5-7)

God raised Jesus from death and by Christ we also are raised from our “deadly” bodies to new life.

You think Peter had a wonderful past. Peter, who denied three times. Jesus had special message to him on Easter morning:

The angel says to women:

“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.” (Mark 16:7)

Jesus especially mentions Peter’s name. This continuation what happened on Thursday night, when Peter denied his Lord three times. Jesus reaffirming that the tears that was shed that night are not in vain. He reminds to Peter that although he denied, yet he wept, and God raised his son Jesus Christ, so the tears of sadness and tears of past will turn to tears of JOY and Life, abundant life.

This morning ask the this three questions once more:

FIRST QUESTION: “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

QUESTION TWO: Why do you look for the living among the dead?

QUESTION THREE: Women, Men why are you crying?

Let me end with an interesting quote about power of resurrection from author Ray Stedman:

Resurrection power is also irresistible. It cannot be thwarted or turned aside. It takes absolutely no account of any obstacles thrown in its path, except to use them for further opportunities to advance its cause. When Jesus came bursting from the grave, he paid not the slightest attention to the obstacles man had placed in his way. There was a large stone in front of his tomb; he passed through it. He himself was wrapped in yard after yard of linen cloth; he left the grave clothes undisturbed behind him. There were Roman guards in front of his tomb; he ignored them. He took not the slightest notice of the decrees of Caesar, or the orders of Pilate or the fulminations of the Jewish priests.

Furthermore, resurrection power makes no noise. Other kinds of power that we know usually make some kind of sound: they pound, pulsate, throb, hum, buzz, explode, or roar. But resurrection power is quite silent. Without any display or ostentation it quietly accomplishes its purpose though there is nothing audible or visible to mark it. When a Christian is living by resurrection power he does not advertise it or seek to dazzle others by its display. His effect upon others is quiet and unobserved at first, but soon there are evident changes that mark the inevitable

effect of resurrection power at work: the return of life, vitality, excitement and joy to an individual or situation.¹

Today let us go and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

Maybe some of are not quiet sure what to do with this day. Believe in Jesus, believe in his resurrection. Experience His presence in your life.

Maybe you have questions. Ask it to our Lord. He will answer you.

Let us go and not seek death in living. Let us go and live the life that Jesus promised us.

Amen