For They Were Afraid
What can be said of the first two Sundays of Easter? In a sense, both texts are driven by fear. Many have written saying that Mark is an inadequate text for the Resurrection of Our Lord because there are no resurrection appearances. The women flee the tomb in fear. On Quasimodo Geniti, the Ten are locked away in fear. Personally, I love Mark’s account of the Gospel and find it more than appropriate for Easter Day. Below is my Easter sermon preached March 31, 2024. It began with the traditional Easter greeting where I interrupted the response of the congregation.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is…)
No. No. No. Wait just a minute. That is the proclamation from Luke’s Gospel. You remember that account. It was Easter evening. Two disciples were going on the road to Emmaus. Jesus joined them and walked with them. They didn’t recognize Him and were amazed that this traveler hadn’t known what had happened to the One called the Christ. Everyone had heard the crowd jeering. They saw the beating, the spitting, the nails, the spear. It wasn’t until Jesus broke bread with them that they knew the truth that the traveler was Jesus! They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the others, “The Lord has risen indeed!”
But we don’t have that today. We have Mark. We always have Mark. We don’t have an appearance of Jesus. We have fear. Those are the last words of Mark. “For they were afraid.”
Now you may call me foolish to think this is the most appropriate account to read on such a day. You may think that for the biggest Sunday of the year we need Matthew’s earthquakes and angels or the miraculous catches of fish and the resurrected Jesus standing on the shore or the road to Emmaus. It’s certainly easier to preach. “There’s Jesus standing right there! Behold the risen Christ!” But no. We have fear.
What would have driven those women to fear? Perhaps it was the unexpected word from the tomb. If Jesus truly is risen, what is He going to do when He meets those of us who doubted and denied? Also, there were Roman guards at the tomb, remember? The women may have been fearful of what they might do to save their own necks. Or what of the other Romans? If the word of the centurion from the cross, “Truly this was the Son of God,” is now confirmed as truth because Jesus is risen, what will Caesar do? This is still during the reign of Tiberias but during the early rise of Caligula. Caesar and Rome believed he was the son of god! That was the inscription on the coin that Jesus asked for earlier. Jesus being the true Son of God would disprove that confession. The Romans wouldn’t take too kindly to being wrong. It would lead to more crucifixion, more lions, more burning. “For they were afraid.” How would you feel?
It is absolutely appropriate to have a text ending in fear on the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord. Why are you afraid? What keeps you up at night? You’ve heard the Word that Jesus is risen from the dead. You have all confidence in that confession, but you still fear. Our world is driven by it. So what is it for you?
It could be that you’re here for the first time in a long time and you wonder what if this sermon is going to be all about you and your absence. It isn’t. I’m glad you’ve returned and hope you’ll remain. The body is built up, strengthened, and encouraged when you’re present.
It could be fear over the economy. All of your bills are going up, but your paycheck probably isn’t, and even if it is, it can’t match the rising costs.
Maybe you fear for our children. Your children. Can you imagine never being able to shut off the world around you? Never being able to relax…to walk through the grass without being pulled in this direction or that? And the voices of the world are confusing. The days of being friends with someone of the same sex are long gone. If you hang around them long enough, well, you know what kind of rumors that will lead to. And beyond rumors, they will be encouraged by their peers to join in a relationship. So brave! So heroic!
Maybe you fear because you see our country falling apart all around us. Violence in broad daylight with no repercussion. Bloodshed. Security threats. Crumbling infrastructure. Powers that be standing in open defiance to the One true God. You are aware of what today is, right? Easter? Of course not! It was signed in decree on Good Friday that this day, Easter Sunday, would be the day of transgender visibility. It’s like Pontius Pilate writing the inscription on Good Friday 2000 years ago. “What I have written I have written.” It is as if Nimrod, the mighty man of old, is once again standing in the face of God (Genesis 10:9).
So maybe ultimately you fear because it’s no secret that we’re living in Babylon. It can no longer be denied. We’ve pretended for far too long that this is a Christian nation instead of educating on how to be faithful in a land that is not our own. The golden idols of Nebuchadnezzar are being built up all around us, and in whatever case, the world is becoming more and more hostile saying, “Bow down, or else! Into the fiery furnace you go!” You know Jesus is risen from the dead, but this leads to your fear.
Yet for those so bold to stand up to this nonsense with a confession of the truth, you’re met by the mob. “Conspiracy theorist! You believe in fairy tales!” And notice how subtly the language has changed in the last few years. No longer are Christians called “hateful and intolerant.” When is the last time those have been the words? Now, you’re “Christian nationalists.” You’re like Zealots. The accusation is that Christians will take things by force which is only an excuse for the opposition to use force. “You started it!” they’ll say. This, too, leads to fear even though you know Jesus is risen just as He said.
All of this and so much more draw you right into the lives of the women at the tomb, the Eleven locked behind closed doors, and the earliest Christians—especially the earliest Christians. You don’t get the benefit of beholding the risen Christ. You weren’t on the road to Emmaus or on the boat during the miraculous catch of fish and coming to shore seeing Jesus standing there with breakfast. And the devil knows this. So he slithers in and stirs up fear which leads to uncertainty and doubt which ultimately leads to denial and death apart from our lord. That’s what’s going on here. Very few will say it for fear. The many would rather be together singing and waving hands about giving up their lives and doing “this and that” for Jesus or watching someone dress up as Jesus and come out of a smoky tomb that was built on a stage. But we, dear saints, will sing of the resurrection.
Fear does not define the Church. Love does. Our proclamation of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ does. The enemy surrounded Him. Beat Him to try to get a confession out of Him. Whipped Him to try to get Him to deny. Crucified Him to try to get Him to give up. But all that came out of His mouth was: “Father, forgive them.” “It is finished.” And what came out of His side makes you who you are…the water of Holy Baptism making you His dear children and the blood poured out for you in this Sacrament for the forgiveness of your sins.
Though you may have times of uncertainty, you have the sure Word…the undeniable Word that Jesus is risen just as He said. There is no need to frantically search for Jesus in fear. Have you so soon forgotten? He is right here, just as He said. Behold His body and His blood. Do not fear. For Jesus is risen just as He said and is in preparation of the place where all things will be new…this restored creation where you will be in your risen bodies, glorified. In that day there is no fear, pain, suffering, tears, or death. May that day come very soon, but until that day, I will endure with you and you with me, for those who endure to the end will be saved. Alleluia! Christ is risen! In the name of the Father and of the ƚSon and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus now and forever. Amen.