Easter Homily 2019

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. -- 1 Cor. 15:12-26 (ESV)

Among the many tragedies that were reported this last week, I know you saw the video of the Cathedral of Notre Dame as its beautiful, 850-year-old spire burned to the ground. It was terrible to watch, and people of every walk of life reflected sadness at the loss of this monument. There were many reasons that people were so universally horrified by the event. Some were personally connected to the cathedral, having worshipped or married or studied there. Some were not Christians, but they still felt the awe of the building. While there are many reasons people are upset, I think there is one reason that probably touches a nerve with most. This cathedral has been a symbol of permanence for the people of Paris for over 8 centuries. The building looms over everything in Paris. One news report said that architects would not be able to restore the spire just as it had been because there are no longer trees in France that are large enough to make the beams for the spire. Most people who live there say that you can know what part of Paris you are in by where the cathedral is located on the skyline.

            That sense of permanence resonates with everyone because one of the most deep-seeded desires for every human is to gain some sense of permanence in a world that is constantly changing. After all, one of the primary reasons for building such a structure is an attempt to establish a permanence for the Christian faith in France. We all long for permanence in this life. It’s why we erect statues. It’s why we place tombstones at our loved one’s grave. It’s why even the unreligious have to have some sense of their memories living on in the people they love. It’s why men seek fame and fortune and power and recognition. Deep down inside, we believe that life should go on, even though everything around us tells us it won’t. Cathedrals burn, statues crumble, unattended gravestones are covered with grass, memories fade, and fame is short lived. But we all believe a lie that goes all the way back to Genesis 3. We all believe the lie of Satan that we shall not surely die. My good friend, Dr. Rob Fossett of First Presbyterian church in Greenville, says often that we know that death is coming, we just don’t believe it is coming for us. We see it happening all around us, but yet we hold out hope that we will beat it.

            From the beginning, men and women have believed this lie. Adam and Eve believed it, so they took the fruit. Cain believed that he should not die for his crimes, so he begged for protection. The people of Noah’s day believed that judgment would never come for them. The Egyptian Pharaoh believed that he was more powerful that even the death angel. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon believed that his power came from his own wisdom and strength, and on and on the stories go.

            But, even the people of God believe this lie, too. The Israelites were not above this lie. Abraham and Sarah believed that they could create life apart from the provision of God, so they arranged an unholy union with Sarah’s bondservant, Hagar. Moses believed that he was the one who provided life to the Israelites, so he struck a rock in pride. David believed that his military might would protect his life, so he took a census and angered the Almighty. Solomon believed that wisdom and pleasure would reveal the keys to life, and he confessed that all of that is vanity in the end.

            Even some of those who had heard and initially believed in the resurrection of Jesus began to fall away and believe a lie. Paul writes to this group in 1 Cor. 15:12. Some had come into the Corinthian church and had rejected the idea that there would be a resurrection of the dead. In response, Paul asks, if the dead are not raised, then how was Christ raised? Then, he makes a very striking statement by warning that if Christ has not been raised, then we are still in our sins and we are the most to be pitied. Even today, we have a tendency to speak of salvation as only what Christ did on the cross. But, Paul tells us here that it is Christ’s complete work in his resurrection from the dead that secures our salvation. We also have the tendency, even today, of speaking of the end goal of salvation as being only the salvation of our souls. But, Paul says that if all we have is this life, then we are to be pitied. The goal of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection was not just so you could float away on a spiritual cloud somewhere, but that you might live forever on a renewed earth in a resurrected body. The reason we long for permanence to this life is because, even for all of its flaws, this life is still good. There are still days where we enjoy the smells of a beautiful spring day. There are nights around the dinner table with great food and great friends. There are victories and accomplishments. There is that great feeling after a long hard day in the garden or the field when we feel the satisfaction of our hard work. All of those good days are but a taste of what is to come. And, the resurrection of Jesus proves it all.

            Paul says that Jesus has been raised as the first fruits from the dead. If you’ve farmed, you know what that is. It happens in every garden, when that first tomato or ear of corn is ready. That first fruit of the harvest is an indicator of what is to come. If that first tomato is large and delicious, then you can bet the rest will be. Jesus is the first fruit of a harvest that will come, and Jesus is the perfect, resurrected man who now reigns on high. Because he is perfect, we can know that we too will be made perfect like him.

            Friend, that longing you have for permanence, that longing to escape death, is the testimony of your own soul that something is not the way it should be. You were not made to spend 80 years in this beautiful yet tragic world and then return to the dust. You were made for eternal fellowship with your Creator. We celebrate Easter because that hope is coming. Trust in Christ today as the first fruit of a coming age that will bring perfect and eternal life.

            Brothers and sisters, may we rest this Easter in the life that our savior, Jesus Christ, brings. May we enjoy the new life that he has given us. Because he has brought us life through his Holy Spirit, we are able, right now, in this beautiful yet tragic world to taste a glimpse of the kingdom that is coming. When we share the Lord’s Supper together, we are remembering his death until he comes. In so doing, we are tasting a glimpse of the kingdom. When we serve one another, whether it be around this table or just any given day of the week, we are tasting a glimpse of the kingdom.