“Resurrection”   

                   Rev. Christopher  Fazel

                         Sermon for April 4, 2010 Easter

                Scripture:   John 20:1-18,  1 Corinthians 15:1-8    

           Easter Sunday sermons are a breed unto themselves.  Easter is widely accepted as the High Holy Day of the Christian calendar, and yet to anyone who thinks about it seriously, the story of Easter Morning presents powerful challenges of credibility.   I myself have wrestled with these challenges much longer than the eighteen years that I have climbed the pulpit with the assignment of saying something faithful, honest and enlightening concerning the events of this day, as recorded some two thousand years ago.   Something apparently happened that profoundly affected certain followers of Jesus.  But what exactly did happen?  Anyone who was there has long since died, and all we have are written reports, of uncertain  

authorship and uncertain dates of composition.  

           To be fair, that is only partially true, because we do have a letter, that all scholars agree is from the hand of Paul who wrote it some twenty years after the events of Easter.  The Bible calls the letter First Corinthians.  Allow me to read to you now these pivotal verses from the Apostle Paul.   (Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

In these few words, Paul gives a detailed account of resurrection appearances of Jesus to named individuals that Paul knew personally, including Peter and James. Then, in a most extraordinary statement, Paul asserts that the resurrected Jesus appeared to him also.  So, there you have it.  Either Paul was lying, or he was delusional (along with many others) or the resurrected Jesus appeared to him.  We must decide for ourselves which of these shall be true for us.

           For what it’s worth, let me offer a few clarifications.  In this letter, Paul specifically mentions that Jesus was buried.  However, Paul makes no reference to an empty tomb or a missing body.   Further, Paul says that Jesus “appeared.”   The Greek word is “ophthe”, which means to behold with the eye as in a vision.  Paul makes no reference to “touching” the risen Christ or any other action that would imply “corporeality” – a flesh body.   Now, to be sure, the gospels do tell of the empty tomb and describe with varying degrees of emphasis a seemingly solid resurrected Jesus.  It is generally agreed, however, that these gospels are later than Paul, and include in their development a period of oral tradition.  And we all know what happens in the game of telephone.  But so what?

           About twenty years ago, one of my most revered seminary professors said to me, “My faith in the resurrection would not be disturbed even if they found the body.”  This statement seems eerily prophetic now that Simcha Jacobovici builds the argument that the tomb of Jesus has been found.  But why would my professor say something like that?  Because he understood the resurrection appearances to be genuine revelations of the spiritual body of the risen Christ -- appearing – not to everyone – but to those who had been awakened by the love and power of the man Jesus. 

           But to what purpose was the risen Christ revealed to those followers long ago on that happy morn?   It is the same reason that the living Christ is revealed to you and me in the quiet hours when our hearts are open and our eyes are clear.  It is the most certain of assurances that death has no power to separate us from the Love of God as shown in the life of Jesus the Christ. 

           When hope seems gone, when darkness threatens to overwhelm, when death boasts as a cruel tyrant – look up.  Lift up your heads, for the light of Christ does shine, and seeks to enter in and sup with thee – today.  Your name is known.  You are loved.  And the Source of Love will not abandon you.  As the resurrected Christ has said, “Lo, I am with thee always.  E’en unto the end of time.”  Thanks be to God.  Let us pray.

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