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Sermon for Easter Vigil
+ Matthew 28:1-8 +
After hearing the five lessons from the Old Testament tonight that told the 4000-year-long tale of human history, of creation, sin, slavery, pain, suffering, persecution, and the promise of a happy ending for those who believe in God’s Messiah; after reading through the four accounts of the Passion History this week that told the tale of the bitter suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, we finally, tonight, arrive at the promised happy ending: Christ is risen from the dead.
We knew it was coming. We’re Christians, after all. We confess with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives!” We’ve been baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. We knew it would end this way, because He promised it would end this way. And we confess before the world that it did end this way on Easter Sunday, in the empty tomb, the stone rolled away, the angels and their happy announcement, “He is not here; for He is risen.”
In the same way, we know that, after this life of earthly toil and temptation, and affliction, and battling the sin around us and within us, after our time here of pain and disappointment and bearing the cross is through, there will be a happy ending for us, too, who hold to the faith of Jesus Christ and persevere in it till the end. We know it, because His resurrection is the guarantee of it. He is, as Paul writes, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Jesus’ life is our life. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. He gives us to feed on His life right here in the Gospel, right here in His true body and blood, even as He gave His life for us into death on Good Friday and took it up again on Easter Sunday. Things will turn out well for Christ’s holy Church. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Rejoice in this blessed communion with Christ, our crucified and risen Savior. Amen.
