The Pastor’s Page
May News Letter
We usually think of cemeteries as peaceful resting places, but that is not always the case. Sometimes cemeteries hum with activity at night. Some people go to cemeteries at night to consult with spirits—not spirits of the dead, but 90-proof spirits! My father used to tell a story about his cousin, who dearly missed his departed mother, my Great-Aunt. My cousin missed his mother so much that he once took a case of beer and spent the whole night sitting at her grave talking to her! I would guess that my cousin must have had some unfinished business with his mother. Such burdens are not easily lifted from our shoulders.
God has unfinished business to take care of in every cemetery. That is what Easter reminds us of. A lot of unfinished business lingers in every graveyard—things like broken promises, betrayals, hurt feelings, shattered dreams, countless secrets that perished with the departed. We may visit a cemetery to assuage our guilt, to try to apologize, but forgiveness never comes. Silence stands eternal guard over the graves of our departed family and friends.
The women who went to a cemetery to visit Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning carried a great burden. They had witnessed the horror of the crucifixion and they surely came to Jesus’ tomb to say something. Matthew’s gospel tells us, “. . . as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” [Matt. 28:1]. The Greek word that gets translated as “see”--theoreo—means more than mere looking. It really means they intently studied it. They surely went to the tomb to share some deep and intimate memories of their departed Lord.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t get very close, because Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb. Worried officials had dispatched these soldiers to guard the tomb closely. But, why guard a tomb? What were the officials afraid of? According to Matthew, the Jewish leaders had gone to Pontius Pilate and reported that Jesus had said that after three days he would rise from the dead. The chief priests were worried that Jesus’ disciples might steal the body and start telling everyone that their master had risen from the dead. So Pilate not only assigned guards, but had the stone that covered the tomb sealed with mortar.
Why all the fuss? So what if Jesus did rise from the dead? Was he dangerous? He certainly hadn’t made any moves to raise up an army and fight Rome as many had expected. If he came back to life, would he try to take revenge on those who had executed him? He certainly made no move to resist his arrest or escape his crucifixion. Were the officials perhaps simply afraid of what Jesus might say if he rose from the dead?
Think about that. If our departed family and friends could come back from the dead, would we really welcome that? Would we really be ready to welcome back our family members, much less our enemies? Think about it. When someone dies, so do the wrongs held in secret between us. Should a loved one return from the grave, memories of our failings and shameful ghosts from our past would once again walk the earth.
Certainly Jesus’ disciples also had reasons for not wanting to see him again. They had fled and deserted him, denied him and betrayed him. Would Jesus perhaps say, “Well, how nice to see all of my supposed friends again! What happened to all of you when I was arrested? Peter, do you think you know me now?”
What Matthew tells us next is interesting: “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with great joy . . .” They left with great joy, but fearful as well. Did they really, truly want to see Jesus? What might Jesus say to them? They quickly find out. While they are running from the tomb, Jesus suddenly appears to them and his first words are: “Greetings. Do not be afraid.” After Jesus greets the women, he immediately tells them not to be afraid. And he has a request: “Go and tell my brothers to meet me in Galilee.” Jesus calls his disciples brothers. After all that transpired they were still family! He hadn’t come back to get revenge or to condemn anyone. No, he returned for a glorious reunion. Bygones were bygones. You see, all of the sins and betrayals of the disciples had died with Jesus. He took it all to the grave with him and he left it there, forever. The past was forgotten. Completely.
And the same is true for us. When Jesus died he took all of our sins to the grave with him as well. And yet, like the women at the tomb, we still live our lives in both fear and joy. We rejoice one moment, and tremble in fear the next. Amid freshly dug graves, we mourn, we grieve, and we fear. Despite Jesus’ promises, death still makes us fearful. We walk the earth balanced precipitously between fear and joy. Our lives go on, and so do our sins. Every day we dump more sins and shameful secrets into that very same tomb in Gethsemane that the soldiers tried so hard to make secure. And the Good News is that nothing we bury there ever comes back. Ever.
But Jesus comes back. Every day. And Jesus tells us, as he told the women, “Do not be afraid.” Our sins are forgiven. The past is forgotten. We can leave it all in the tomb. Death has lost its hold on us for Christ is risen! Alleluia!
God has unfinished business to take care of in every cemetery. That is what Easter reminds us of. A lot of unfinished business lingers in every graveyard—things like broken promises, betrayals, hurt feelings, shattered dreams, countless secrets that perished with the departed. We may visit a cemetery to assuage our guilt, to try to apologize, but forgiveness never comes. Silence stands eternal guard over the graves of our departed family and friends.
The women who went to a cemetery to visit Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning carried a great burden. They had witnessed the horror of the crucifixion and they surely came to Jesus’ tomb to say something. Matthew’s gospel tells us, “. . . as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” [Matt. 28:1]. The Greek word that gets translated as “see”--theoreo—means more than mere looking. It really means they intently studied it. They surely went to the tomb to share some deep and intimate memories of their departed Lord.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t get very close, because Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb. Worried officials had dispatched these soldiers to guard the tomb closely. But, why guard a tomb? What were the officials afraid of? According to Matthew, the Jewish leaders had gone to Pontius Pilate and reported that Jesus had said that after three days he would rise from the dead. The chief priests were worried that Jesus’ disciples might steal the body and start telling everyone that their master had risen from the dead. So Pilate not only assigned guards, but had the stone that covered the tomb sealed with mortar.
Why all the fuss? So what if Jesus did rise from the dead? Was he dangerous? He certainly hadn’t made any moves to raise up an army and fight Rome as many had expected. If he came back to life, would he try to take revenge on those who had executed him? He certainly made no move to resist his arrest or escape his crucifixion. Were the officials perhaps simply afraid of what Jesus might say if he rose from the dead?
Think about that. If our departed family and friends could come back from the dead, would we really welcome that? Would we really be ready to welcome back our family members, much less our enemies? Think about it. When someone dies, so do the wrongs held in secret between us. Should a loved one return from the grave, memories of our failings and shameful ghosts from our past would once again walk the earth.
Certainly Jesus’ disciples also had reasons for not wanting to see him again. They had fled and deserted him, denied him and betrayed him. Would Jesus perhaps say, “Well, how nice to see all of my supposed friends again! What happened to all of you when I was arrested? Peter, do you think you know me now?”
What Matthew tells us next is interesting: “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with great joy . . .” They left with great joy, but fearful as well. Did they really, truly want to see Jesus? What might Jesus say to them? They quickly find out. While they are running from the tomb, Jesus suddenly appears to them and his first words are: “Greetings. Do not be afraid.” After Jesus greets the women, he immediately tells them not to be afraid. And he has a request: “Go and tell my brothers to meet me in Galilee.” Jesus calls his disciples brothers. After all that transpired they were still family! He hadn’t come back to get revenge or to condemn anyone. No, he returned for a glorious reunion. Bygones were bygones. You see, all of the sins and betrayals of the disciples had died with Jesus. He took it all to the grave with him and he left it there, forever. The past was forgotten. Completely.
And the same is true for us. When Jesus died he took all of our sins to the grave with him as well. And yet, like the women at the tomb, we still live our lives in both fear and joy. We rejoice one moment, and tremble in fear the next. Amid freshly dug graves, we mourn, we grieve, and we fear. Despite Jesus’ promises, death still makes us fearful. We walk the earth balanced precipitously between fear and joy. Our lives go on, and so do our sins. Every day we dump more sins and shameful secrets into that very same tomb in Gethsemane that the soldiers tried so hard to make secure. And the Good News is that nothing we bury there ever comes back. Ever.
But Jesus comes back. Every day. And Jesus tells us, as he told the women, “Do not be afraid.” Our sins are forgiven. The past is forgotten. We can leave it all in the tomb. Death has lost its hold on us for Christ is risen! Alleluia!
