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Isaiah 25:8b The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces…

I think we all eagerly anticipate the day when these words Isaiah wrote will be here. And this promise is repeated in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 7:17 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

We long for that time when our tears to be gone.

In his Easter sermon this year, my pastor shared this quote from J.R.R. Tolkien: “The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue.” My initial reaction when I saw those words on the screen was discomfort. Did I read and hear that correctly? How can the terrible things that caused our sadness “come untrue?”

During Lent, Cheryl and I had the earthly lives of six people special to us come to an end, including a little girl who was just over a year old and my niece who was mother to a five-month-old daughter. We grieve with our family and friends over these things and long for the tears to be gone. Will these things “come untrue?”

I know people who have suffered devastating losses in their lives: financial ruin, a marriage that falls apart, friendships ended, houses burned to the ground, life-altering injuries. And I have had my share of sadness as well. Will these “come untrue?”

Perhaps it is an issue of our perspective. We look at things from the only vantage point we know, which is life in this world. But what will it look like when we are with our Lord in His glory, when we enter into His presence for eternity?  That is, after all, what He promised. That is what Jesus accomplished through his birth and life and death and resurrection. That is the goal of our faith, the promised reward. How will the things that caused our sadness look when we see Jesus face to face?

Consider parents being reunited with a child that died in the faith before them. Try to imagine the overwhelming joy of being with the white-robed throng singing praises before the Lamb on His throne. No more death or mourning or crying or pain of any kind. The new heaven and new earth. Upon reflection, I understand why Tolkien said what he did and find myself in agreement with him. I had just never heard it put that way before or expressed in those words. But it is beautiful description of what God promised and fulfilled for us in Christ.

I look forward to always seeing things from that perspective. And I will try to do so more and more while I am on this side of heaven. Consider the added meaning to the following Scripture passages from this perspective.

John 16:33 “ In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Isaiah 25:6–8a On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.

 When I read this passage about “the best of meats and finest of wines,” I tend to think about all the meats I like to eat: ribs, pulled pork, brisket, fried catfish, grilled lobster, a tender juicy ribeye, all kinds of chicken … and the list goes on and on. I am aware that many of the things on my list were not kosher for God’s chosen people to eat, so I am extremely grateful that Jesus freed us from those dietary restrictions of the Old Testament. I love the vision Peter saw in Acts 10.

The meats that are always near the top of my list are some kind BBQ. Today is the annual BBQ at Zion Lutheran Church, Lockett, Texas, the congregation where Cheryl grew up. They have been having this fundraiser for more than 50 years. It is always on the Friday after Easter. While we have attended this event many times over the years, Cheryl and I have been helping out as workers for the last several years,

My Father-in-law, who was the pastor of that congregation for 30 years, was instrumental in starting this event and, to my knowledge, he did not miss a single BBQ until this year. He is now at that Easter banquet Isaiah was describing, because death has been swallowed up for him.

The one who paid for his sin did the same thing for all of you. By His death, Jesus has destroyed the power of death for you (Hebrews 2 :14).

I’ll be remembering that when I feast on BBQ today.

Matthew 27:24–25 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

 I heard these words read again last week at the Good Friday service. The Jewish leaders had whipped the crowd up into a frenzy, and they were all intent on getting rid of Jesus, the one they hailed as “the Son of David” a few days before.

Allow me to share the thoughts that occurred to me as I listened to these words. The first was how ridiculous a scene it was to have Pilate try to wash himself clean of his misdeeds. He did not have the power to wash his sins away, and neither do we.

Another thought I had was how damning the words of the crowd were, not just for themselves, but for their descendants as well. “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” It reminded me of what Luther called “The Close of the Commandments” that actually is between the first two commandments:

Exodus 20:5 …I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…

When parents don’t believe and keep their children from believing, that is damning. Putting the Son of God to death is a damnable offense. They said they were willing to accept the guilt. They would have the blood of an innocent man on their hands.

But the main thought I had last Friday when thinking about these words was that they are in fact a description of the Good News for those who do believe in Jesus. He was taking the guilt of all those present that day, along with the guilt of the entire world, on Himself. That is why He was willing to die and did not put up a fight.

And His blood being on us is exactly what we need, just not in the way the mob meant it. Their statement said they would take the blame for the death of Jesus. But the blood of Jesus being on the faithful means that He has taken our guilt, our punishment and our death on Himself.

1 John 1:7 … the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

That is the only way we can be clean, the only way our sin is washed away. Thanks be to God. He has given us the victory over sin and death and the grave by the blood of Jesus. May His blood be on us and on our children.

Matthew 28:5–7 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Earlier this week, a friend of ours who works on the LWML Board of Directors with Cheryl, Brenda Piester, shared this true story and gave me permission to use it:

I have a set of figurines (think nativity) that are scenes for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Grandkids arrange them and move the people through the scenes as the story is told. Several years ago, Brayden, the son of the man who worked for us, came along on Good Friday since he didn’t have school. He was probably in 5th grade, and I had him help and hang out with me for the day. Since he attended church very little, I read the Easter story to him as he arranged the scene. When finished, I asked if he wanted to tell the story back to me, and he did…all the way to the Easter morning “punch line “– “HOLY C*@P, HE’S GONE!!!” While I was laughing to myself, I assured Brayden that’s not “quite” what the Bible said, but I am sure that those words were probably actually spoken by some people. Yes, He’s gone! He’s risen!

Alleluia!

 The shock and awe of Easter is a powerful thing. Young Brayden put it into words he knew and understood. He conveyed the message the best way he knew how. And it was a powerful proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus.

I think his words can remind us all of just how powerful a message we have to share, not only during this Easter season, but all year long. Jesus is alive. He is Risen. He conquered the sin and death and the grave for everyone. It is a big deal and we should be overwhelmed by this message!

Lord, give us the excitement and enthusiasm of Brayden as we contemplate and share with others the news of Your victory over death. Amen.

LUKE 24:1-11 [NASB]   But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened that while they were wondering about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel;  and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  He is not here, but He has risen!  Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”  And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest.  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.  And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

I want to a simple word to sum up the Easter message. It is a word that runs throughout this passage that probably escaped your notice. In fact this word is so insignificant that it does not even appear in all English translations, although it is present in the Greek. The translation above began with this word, just three letters long: BUT.

That word seems out of place. It doesn’t belong here. Good Friday ends with a death and burial. THE END. It said Jesus breathed His last. THE END. There was a brief eulogy offered by the centurion:  SURELY THIS WAS AN INNOCENT MAN. That was well and good, but a little late. It was over. Jesus breathed His last. THE END. There is a paragraph describing the funeral arrangements, and that should be the final word, telling us not only that He was dead, but that He was dead and buried. Then they all went home. THE END.

BUT…the story goes on. Luke surprisingly continues. It is almost like those annoying commercials that say, “BUT wait! There’s more.” That word does not belong after a death. BUT…he says, and heads must turn and eyes open–“There’s more?” Yes, this is most certainly true. The story continues. A more literal translation of the Greek text would show this word appearing more often than you think:

• BUT they found the stone rolled away.
• BUT when they went in they did not find the body.
• BUT as they were frightened..the two men spoke to them.
• He is not here, BUT has risen.

Peter would later recall these events in this same way, with that surprising unexpected little participle:  They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree;  BUT God raised Him on the third day and made Him manifest (Acts 10:39-40). Paul also used this word in writing to the Corinthians, who feared that their hope in Christ would be snuffed out by death. Paul squashes that fear by writing: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20).

That one word changes the whole story. Try it as you deal with heartaches, disappointments, and death in your life. The story line in life always comes to the same, sad conclusion: THE END. But God in His great mercy brings up that word again:  BUT… Scriptures comfort us with this little word:

Romans 5:8 BUT God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And in that most familiar and comforting of passages, we again find this little word:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, BUT have eternal life.

It is a word that does not belong where it comes in the story, where THE END should be.  You don’t expect to find anything after THE END.

• BUT Jesus said, Father forgive them.
• BUT now is Christ risen.
• BUT the righteous shall go into eternal life.

If you are looking for one word to summarize Easter, there are a lot of likely candidates.  ALLELUIA, RISEN, LIFE, and VICTORY are all good. BUT try on this new word for size, and for surprise, as the message of Easter. Try it on a tombstone. Where the dates appear, there are always two: one for the birth, the beginning, and one for the death, that spells THE END. Can you see one more word engraved there for the faithful, after that second and final date…God’s little unexpected Easter word, made ours by the one who arose on this day…look for it there on the tombstone, after the final date:  BUT…  This is not the end.

Lee Strobel is a Christian author. In one of his books he wrote:

I hope I have more success in explaining Easter than my brother-in-law did a few years ago when he was trying to explain it to his 5-year-old son Sean. They were sitting in church on Easter, and just before the service began, my brother-in-law pointed to the cross and said, “See the cross? The people put Jesus on the cross. The people killed Jesus.” Sean looked around very nervously, then asked cautiously: “These people?”

Out of the mouths of babes come words that put it all in perspective. Easter is all about Jesus – crucified and risen again. But Easter is also all about you! You put Jesus on the cross. You put Him in the tomb. And it was for you that He rose again. That is what brings us together today to rejoice!

Jesus died. He was buried. They all thought it was over. That is why those women were making their way to the tomb – they knew He was dead and wanted to honor his memory by providing a proper burial. They didn’t expect to find Him alive. But that is exactly what they found.

We have a lot of possums on our property. They are an ugly creature, aren’t they? But I read an article a while back that maintains that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. Think about that. They won’t enter a hole if there is just one set of tracks going into it because they know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks, one going in and one coming out, the possum will enter and not be afraid.

Isn’t that a message for Easter? We can enter the grave without fear. We don’t have to fear death because there are tracks coming out of the tomb. Jesus went into the tomb but He came out again on the third day. Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” It is not there because our Lord rose in victory over death for our sake!

Bruce Larson was a well known Presbyterian minister. He once said, “The events of Easter cannot be reduced to a creed or philosophy. We are not asked to believe the doctrine of the resurrection. We are asked to meet this person raised from the dead. In faith, we move from belief in a doctrine to the knowledge of a person. Ultimate truth is a person. We met him. He is alive.”

This is the message that we all need to hear. You meet Jesus. He is alive. Jesus is risen!

For one Easter Sunrise Service, my sermon started with our the youth group performing a skit. Jesus was carrying cross up the aisle while being taunted and jeered by the crowd. When He arrived at the  front, Jesus threw down the cross, looked angrily at the crowd and says, “I don’t have to do this!” and then stomped back down the aisle.

What if it happened that way? That was certainly a temptation, an option Jesus had! What if He decided, “I don’t have to do this?” and just walked away. If that were the case, the phrase He is not here! would take on an entirely different meaning. If Jesus didn’t die, He didn’t rise again, and we should be pitied more than all people (1 Cor. 15:19). If Jesus was not crucified, those women would not have been on their way to the tomb so early on that Sunday morning 2000 years ago. They would not have heard the angels say, He is not here! We would have no reason to celebrate on Easter. But look at the assurance we have from God’s Word.

Luke 24:1-8 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In 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? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

When the angels asked why they were looking for the living among the dead, it was not because Jesus had walked away and refused to die for our sins. He had truly died. He told them it would happen: Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,[and] be crucified…

 That is what happened. He was betrayed by Judas, put on trial before the Jewish Council, before Herod and Pilate. Permission was granted to execute Him, even though it was acknowledged that He had done nothing deserving of death. At the hands of sinful men He was crucified. He died a horrible death, a public execution more brutal than anything we can imagine. It was witnessed by the women and by John, confirmed by the soldier who pierced His side, reaffirmed by Nicodemus and Joseph when they buried him. And He had never done anything deserving of death. He didn’t have to do this. Yet He chose to do this for you, for me, and for all people. He willingly offered Himself, His perfect life, as the payment for the sins of the world. He certainly did not have to die. But He wanted to do so to accomplish your forgiveness.

He did not cast aside the cross and desert us. He carried it and our sins to Calvary and ended the problem. It was what had to happen, as the angels reminded the women: Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

If you don’t know that Christ is alive, your life is as empty as the tomb was on Easter morning. How many people in this world today are looking into their own hearts and lives and the words of the angels become as sad proclamation? How many look into their hearts and must admit: “He is not here!”

But in the lives of believers, we know there is more to it than that. These are not sad words for us. We continue on as the angels did. When the angels said He is not here, they did not stop. They continued and proclaimed He has risen! That is also part of what had to happen. That is our confidence. His victory over death enables us to rise as well. It is all part of the package, all part of the Father’s will for us.

That is what we know. That is what we believe. That is what Jesus did for you. Because He lives, we live also. Alleluia!

All four Gospels tell us of the burial of Jesus. We know that He was laid in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus helped with the burial. They wanted to get Him off the cross and buried before the Sabbath started, which in their way of reckoning time, would be at 6 p.m. on Friday. Look at a detail John included.

John 19:31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

Jesus was already dead, so His legs were not broken. However, the part of the passage I want to point out is that the Jews said the next day was a “special Sabbath.” Every Sabbath was considered a special day of rest, but this Sabbath was during Passover, so it was considered to be even more significant.

They were correct in saying this would be a special Sabbath, but they did not understand just how special it would be. Even as our God rested on the Sabbath after the six days of Creation, so now our God entered a Sabbath rest in the tomb after the work of redemption was complete. Let that sink in for a moment.

The writer of Hebrews wrote a lot about rest in chapter four, where we read:

Hebrews 4:9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;

And Jesus had earlier said:

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

e enter His rest when we come to faith in Jesus. Our trust in Him guarantees us life eternal, which begins here on earth, and continues when we die. We speak of those who have died “resting in peace.” That is when we enter the eternal rest of being in the presence of our Savior. Not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who Jesus is and what He did for us.

May Jesus “resting” in the tomb remind you of the rest you have because of your faith in Him.

I am a long-suffering Texas A&M fan. I like to watch sports, especially football and basketball. My Aggies were part of March Madness this year. They won in the first round and faced #1 Houston in the second round. With less than two minutes left in the game, they were down by 12 points. Cheryl got frustrated and left the room to go watch something else in another part of the house. She was convinced the game was over. But I kept watching. To say it was an incredible comeback is an understatement. They fought back to make it a one score game. Down by 3 points with 1 second on the clock, the Aggies got to throw the ball inbounds from under their own goal. A pass to Andersson Garcia at the top of the key, a beautiful shot, and the game was tied, going to overtime. It was NOT over. Unfortunately, the Aggies lost the game in overtime, but it was a beautiful example of “its not over until its over.”

I share that with you on this Good Friday to help explain something Jesus said from the cross.

John 19:28–30 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

When the Jewish leaders heard “It is finished,” they probably breathed a sigh of relief. They thought, “game over and we won.” Satan and his minions also thought they had won. But that was not the case. Jesus said “It is finished” to announce that He had done what He came to do. He had paid the penalty for sin for all people. He offered His sinless life as the only sacrifice that would appease God’s judgment that stood against us all. The payment was complete. It was finished. But the “game” was not over. Listen to how an Easter hymn describes it.

The Foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of Creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.

But short was their triumph, the Savior arose!
And Death, Hell and Satan He vanquished, His foes;
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high.
He lives, yea, He lives, and will nevermore die.

 Oh, where is thy sting, death?  We fear thee no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our trangressions His blood did atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
(The Lutheran Hymnnal #198 stanzas 2,3,4)

 What Jesus did on Good Friday gave us a new beginning. The payment was finished, which meant it was game over for Satan and those who follow him. Jesus had won, they just didn’t know it yet. But it would be made abundantly clear to them. Jesus descended into hell to announce His victory (1 Peter 3:18ff.), and then burst forth from the tomb on Easter morning.

We know that is part of the story. But we also need to remember on this day the all-encompassing love Jesus has that He was willing to make this sacrifice for us. “For all our trangressions His blood did atone.” It was on the cross that He shed His blood, offered His life for ours, and finished the job. Had He not paid the price, finishing our debt, there would have been no forgiveness, no resurrection, no victory. But Jesus rose, and that is why we have forgiveness and life and salvation. It is also is why we pay special attention to His death on this day, and why we call this Friday “good.”