Hear Us Laugh, O Grave!
Text: Mark 16:1-8
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Hear us laugh! Yes, hear us laugh at you o grave, for the
angel of the Lord rolled away the stone to show the entire world that you are
not as powerful as you might think. Indeed,
o grave, the stone was rolled away to show everyone that your threats of death
are a façade. You have been exposed, o
grave, Christ is risen. Empty talk –
that is all you’ve got, o grave! Did you
hear that, o grave, you’ve got nothin’ because you could not keep Christ
contained.
With that stated, though,
don’t you claim to be all powerful, o grave?
Aren’t you the one who supposedly rules the bloodshed of war? Aren’t you the one who lounges at the hospital
ICU? Aren’t you the one who is a
constant threat against young mothers and babies in the womb? Don’t you lean inward on us when we are sick,
whispering that you are coming for us?
O grave, you may claim all of
this, but we shake our heads at you in disgust.
We chuckle with the laugh of victory at your overinflated self-assessments. We taunt you not once, but we taunt you a
second time, for Christ our Lord and God has risen out of your so-called
power.
Do you not see o grave, Jesus
is not in your lair of death. He is not
with you, but He is with us, His church—He is ALIVE!
On Friday night it seemed that
you were the one that was alive as you consumed the lifeless Son of God into
your deep cavern. This morning, though,
we hear that the Christ has risen, which leads us to conclude that you are the
one that is lifeless and dead, for Christ is alive and well, seated at the
right hand of the Father.
“And what about our deaths,
caskets, and burials,” you may ask?
O grave, do you not know that
by Jesus’ three-day rest in the tomb that He made the burial places of His
baptized, holy? Yes, o grave, do you not
know that those who are baptized into Jesus were baptized with Him in death, so
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we
too might walk in newness of life?
O grave, it would seem that
you don’t even have complete authority in the cemeteries that you apparently
run. It appears that someone has moved
into your domain. It appears that the cemetery
plots of the baptized are under new management.
Let us be very blunt and to
the point, o grave! You will not get
us. You will not keep us in your
clinching jaws. It is true that at the
end of our lives we are put six-feet under, but there in your midst, o grave,
we rest in peace as if we are tucked in for a cozy nap, for our caskets are sanctified.
Indeed, we will rest in your midst until we are called forth to glory.
Speaking of glory? Listen up, o grave, we want to tell you
something wonderful – a mystery. There is a time coming – a time appointed –
that you will hear a trumpet. It will be
a blast of a trumpet! And we who have
died will be up and out of the graves so fast that you won’t know what hit
you. In a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet, we will burst forth from your midst with resurrected
bodies, and we will see our Lord face to face, never to die again. You will eat our dust.
“And what of our sin,” you may
ask, o grave?
It is true that our sin puts
us in a casket. Our sin unites us with
you o grave; however, have you been so quick to forget about Good Friday? Christ said, “It is finished!” And with his suffering and died for us, He
accomplishing forgiveness, life, and salvation.
O grave, we ask again, where
is your victory? Where is your
bite? Where are the fangs of your
jaw?
That is just what we thought -
you have no answer o grave, for all your power is gone. You have no answer this day, o grave, for
Christ is risen.
Yes, Christ is risen, o grave;
therefore, we will not fear you this day.
And there is more, o
grave. Since you have no response to us
– since the news of the empty tomb has dumbfounded you, let us preach to you a
bit more and maybe taunt you a third or fourth time!
Christ is risen, which means
that all of our sins is buried deeply in His wounds.
Christ is risen, which
certifies that our guilt is truly forgiven.
Christ is risen, which means
that death has been swallowed by Life.
Christ is risen, which means
that the devil has lost.
Christ is risen, which means
that we confidently walk in the vocations that the Lord has placed us.
Christ is risen, which means
that we have the assurance of a holy and certain hope to meet the days ahead.
Christ is risen, which means
that we will be seated with Him at the Heavenly banquet.
Christ is risen, which means
that He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.
Christ is risen, which means
that we will have the joyful expectation of new bodies on the Last Day – bodies
free from sin and death.
Christ is risen, which means
that we will rise from the grave as well. As they say, “Ain’t no grave gonna
hold this body down.”
Indeed, Baptized Saints, Jesus
has risen from the grave. He is not in
the grave. He is not possessed by the
grave. The grave could not hold Him down.
The grave is empty.
Baptized Saints, your Redeemer
– Jesus – lives. Do no fear the
grave. You belong to Jesus. Alleluia
The peace of God, which passes
all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the Resurrected
one. Amen.
Note: the idea to personify ‘the grave’
comes from David Peterson’s Easter Sermon in his book, “Thy Kingdom Come.”
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