Easter Day

Sometime after a fellow named Stanley died, his widow, Tillie, was finally able to speak about what a thoughtful, wonderful man her late husband was.

“Stanley thought of everything,” she told her friends. “Just before he died, Stanley called me to his bedside and handed me three envelopes.

“’Tillie,’ he told me, ‘I have put all my last wishes in these three envelopes. After I’m dead, please open them and do exactly as I have instructed. Then, I can rest in peace.’

“What was in the envelopes?” one friend asked.

“The first envelope contained $5,000 with a note, ‘Please use this money to buy a nice casket.’ So I bought a beautiful mahogany casket with such a plush and comfortable lining that I know Stanley is resting very comfortably.

“The second envelope contained $10,000 with a note, ‘Please use this for a nice funeral.’ I arranged a very dignified service for Stanley and had all his favorite foods catered for the reception afterward at his golf club.”

“And the third envelope?” asked her friend.

“The third envelope contained $25,000 with a note, ‘Please use this to buy a nice stone.’”

Holding her hand in the air, Tillie said, “So, do you like my stone?” showing off her new diamond ring.

A stone on a grave means death. Today’s Gospel includes a cemetery visit, a rolled-away gravestone, and an empty tomb. At first glance, it’s pretty frightening.

Speaking of scary stuff, there are two notes of music made for a particular movie which probably have caused more fear and trepidation than any notes ever created for the big screen. These notes have permeated the American psyche. It’s “E” followed by “F.” Do you remember the film? (Ryan plays it.)

Yes, those two notes are from John Williams’ score for Jaws. When Williams was asked why he chose those two notes, he replied, “I was looking for something that would describe the shark to the listener in an unconscious way. The music [needed] to be very, very primal and unstoppable.”

Perhaps after seeing the movie, you were one of many who thought twice before wading into the ocean. (I, for one, definitely prefer the swimming pool.) Williams took two simple notes and struck at the depths of people’s emotions. In fact, I would venture to say that for most of us these two notes translate into two words: (E) NO (F) HOPE! (E) NO (F) HOPE! (E) NO (F) HOPE! (E) NO (F) HOPE!

What are the sounds which evoke hopelessness within you? Perhaps it’s the sound of a certain song that spurs a haunting memory. Maybe it’s the sound of a door slamming shut. Maybe it’s a nurse’s voice calling your name in an emergency room waiting area. Maybe it’s the sound of beeping next to a hospital bed. Or maybe it’s the sound of silence, reminding you of your aloneness.

Whatever your particular sound is, you know when you hear it, for it sounds like a shark is coming after you with all its primal and unstoppable power. And as it gets closer to you, instinctively, you feel like saying, “No hope! No hope! No hope!” The tragedy is that when we allow the shark’s jaws around us, something within us begins to die. Do you ever feel as if you’re dead inside, as if your spirit is locked away inside a musty tomb?

Well, there’s good news! There are two Easter words which ring like the notes of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. These words ring out so bright, so vibrant, so loud, and so strong that they drown out any “E” and “F” notes within you. It matters not whether you have a debilitating disease, a drowning depression, a dooming despair, or a defeating doubt, for if the power of these two words find their way into your soul, your hopelessness will be overcome. What are those two words? He lives!

This is the penetrating meaning of Easter which Peter was commanded to proclaim in the tenth chapter of Acts. Peter was explaining to Cornelius and the others the revealed truth about Christ. Peter, an eyewitness to the resurrection power of Jesus, shared his testimony. And as he was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard him.

Today we celebrate the truth that what has been dead will be made alive in Christ!

During the volcanic eruption of Mount Saint Helens, within certain areas the intense heat melted away the soil, leaving only bare rock coated with a thick mantle of ash. The result was the destruction of all living things in that area of the volcano. Forest Service naturalists wondered how long it would be before life would return to these barren areas.

Then one day a park employee discovered a lush patch of wildflowers and ferns in the midst of the desolation. It took him a few seconds to notice that the patch of vegetation was formed in the shape of an elk. You see, plants had sprouted from the organic material that lay where an elk had died and been buried by ash. From that moment on, whenever the naturalists saw patches of beautiful flowers and grass, they knew that some woodland creature had given its life in order for that beautiful flora to grow.

The resurrection is God’s way of revealing to us that nothing which belongs to God will ever go to waste — not even mortal bodies. It’s God’s way of revealing to us that nothing in life is so dead and hopeless that it cannot be transformed and resurrected.

Perhaps you’re wondering if this is really possible. Maybe you’re trying to crawl your way out of life’s jarring jaws, and you really want to know if it’s possible to experience the grace of resurrection. Perhaps you feel like your life has been one funeral after another, one disappointment after another, one loss after another, and you desperately want to know if it is possible to experience a transformation of all the lifeless, hopeless, and useless parts of your life.

Well, yes, it is possible! It’s possible if you are willing to open your deepest and darkest tombs and pray, “Lord, here is all the junk, the pain, and the despair that is decomposing within me. Take it, transform it, and breathe new life into me!”

This is why we celebrate Easter. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead will raise us from the dead! The same power that gave Jesus life will give us life! The same power that breathed into Jesus’ tomb will breathe into our tombs!

If in your heart for any reason you are weeping by a tomb this day . . . not just the tomb of a family member or a good friend, maybe it’s the tomb of a lifelong dream . . . the tomb of heartbreak or rejection . . . the tomb of fear and frustration . . . if you’re crying beside any tomb this day . . . hear the good news: Jesus is calling your name, just as he called Mary Magdalene’s name that first Easter morning. And he is here with reassurance. For the Gospel is true. Jesus is alive, and because he is alive, you can live, too. Today – and forevermore!