May 4, 2003

Mindekirken May 4, 2003
Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Luke 24.36b-48

There was no CNN reporter present when Jesus arose from the dead on Easter day. The angel of the Lord who descended from heaven didn’t have a TV camera attached, as had the precision bombs that fell over Baghdad. No spectator was present to witness the resurrection. The story of the empty grave caused confusion. The rumors that some had seen the resurrected didn’t create a clear picture of what had happened, either. What was the truth?

Was Jesus only skin-dead? He might have come to consciousness in the cool grave in the rock. No, there is a small detail in John 19.34 that indicates that Jesus really had been dead. When they pierced him in his side with the sword, water and blood came out. The observation was noted, but 1800 years would pass before one understood its importance. It was first when the circulation of the blood in the body was discovered that one understood that the heart has to be broken when water and blood comes out separately. Therefore, it’s a sure sign of death when blood and water came out.

Some have believed that the women went to the wrong grave at dawn. It was in reality a grave other than Jesus’ grave they found empty. If that were the case, going to the right tomb and bringing forth the dead body of Jesus would easily have prevented the rumor of the resurrection. But no one found his body. The chief priests tried to claim the opposite; that the disciples stole the body of Jesus while the guards slept. Matt 28.13. The lie might have been well paid for and certainly approved at a high level. Roman soldiers would normally have been sentenced to death for falling asleep on duty. The claim sounds even wilder when we know that all the disciples except for one, died as martyrs. They fled like scared rabbits when Jesus died, and would hardly have given their lives for something they knew was a lie.

Maybe the disciples were hallucinating? Maybe they wanted Jesus to be alive so bad that in the end they believed it? The difficulty with this approach is that it wasn’t only the 11 disciples, but more than 500 at one time, who must have had the same illusion. Most of them were still alive when Paul 20 years later wrote about it in 1 Cor 15.6.

Something really dramatic and decisive must have happened on Easter day. It is interesting that the story about this is quite different in the gospels. In our altar painting we see three women coming to the tomb. Matthew tells about two, but John let us know only about Mary Magdalene. If the story of the resurrection had been fabricated, it would at least have been coordinated in order to look consistent. But eyewitnesses often tell about the same event in different ways. It rather strengthens than weakens the truth of the story when it’s taken down exactly as it was told. The main fact is firm: The grave was empty. Jesus showed himself as the living one. But at first it was not that easy.

It must have been a tough experience to be a disciple on Easter Day. Not only were they scared to death, but also all they had hoped for the three years they had wandered with Jesus was shattered. By the execution of their Master, they came to a crisis that erodes away the basis of their faith. The story of the empty tomb gave them no joy. Even when the first reports of meetings with the resurrected trickled in, fear and confusion prevailed, Luke 24.22.

In today’s text we meet the hard-tried and miserable flock of disciples on the evening of Easter day. Then the dramatic thing happened. Jesus came and showed himself to them. He stood there, living before their eyes. Peace be with you, he said. He didn’t come with reproaches due to their deceit and betrayal. He came with peace. Shalom is the greeting, which includes all the goodwill of God’s salvation. Even so the disciples were scared and afraid. They believed they saw a spirit. In this situation I have a lot of sympathy with the disciples. Not in their wildest fantasy would they have expected this. Last Sunday we heard of Thomas’ doubt. Here it’s admitted that they all doubted. What did Jesus do?

He showed them the marks on his hands and feet. He let them touch him. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have, he said. And then he ate a piece of fish before their eyes. And even so, they could not believe out of joy and wondering. I remember once I went to give a woman the message that her son suddenly had passed away. But the message of the death was so shocking that she totally rejected it. The only thing she managed to come forth with were the words: That was something to think about. Mental defense mechanisms may be very effective. I think the disciples might have experienced something similar. The shock of joy was so overwhelming that they just couldn’t believe that Jesus was alive. They couldn’t believe out of happiness. It was too good to be true. But Jesus let them have time. And then he gave them a lesson that I really would have liked to get myself. He started out with the Law of Moses and continued with the prophets and the psalms, and he explained everything that is written about him in the OT. He let them know that the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ are predicted in the OT.

Seen from the outside, the cross was an execution. But seen from the scriptures the death of Jesus was atonement for sin, an offering. Paul brings this to a great point in 1 Cor 15.3. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. The texts of the OT were well known to the disciples. But now Jesus opened their minds so they were able to see the deeper meaning of it. That must have been an all-time "aha" experience.

When you are outside of Mindekirken, you don’t see anything of the stained glass. But when you come inside, the stained glass windows are wonderful pieces of art, which lead us right into Bible history. It’s like a revelation. When Jesus opened their minds, it must have been like being brought from the outside to the inside of the church. All of a sudden they got to see the texts from the inside. The light from the cross and the empty grave made the old texts clear. The Holy Spirit also enlightens us. What we have of Christian knowledge may become confidence in our hearts. Theory becomes faith when Jesus opens our eyes. Certainly we still may feel like Thomas who doubted. But our own faith and doubt are not really important. The crucial thing is the one we believe in. And even if our faith is weak, that can’t change the fact that Jesus lives.

The disciples didn’t move easily to faith. But even so, Jesus called them to share the good message to others. We are also called. Maybe we feel the struggle between faith and doubt within ourselves. But God is able to use us. The message is always bigger than the messenger is. And he who calls to service is also able to equip.

Glory be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen

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