He Is Risen

In Nomine Iesu!

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Sermon Text: St. Mark 16:1-8

“And he saith unto them, ‘Be not amazed: ye seek + Jesus, the Nazarene, who hath been crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold, the place where they laid Him!’”

Prayer in Pulpit before Sermon:

Almighty God, Who by the death of Thy Son hast overcome sin and death, and by His Resurrection hast restored innocence and everlasting life, to the end that we, being delivered from the power of the devil should live in Thy Kingdom: Grant that with our whole hearts we may confidently believe this, and in such faith ever thank and praise Thee; through the same Thy dear Son, + Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior + Jesus Christ. Amen. 

My dear friends, Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! On the sixth day, Friday, our Lord + Jesus, the Christ, completed His work of redemption for all mankind. He rested from His work of atonement on the seventh day, the Sabbath Day, the day of rest. On the first day of the week, Sunday, He rose again from the dead. Therefore, my dear friends, every Sunday is a remembrance of this day, of Easter Day. Every Sunday is a commemoration of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord + Jesus, the Christ. For He was in the grave for three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—and now on this first day of the week, on Sunday, He is risen from the dead.

Six days it took our Lord God to create the heavens and the earth. He rested on the seventh day. Holy Week is also six days, ending on the sixth day, Good Friday, where our Lord + Jesus finished His work of atoning for that which mankind had destroyed by his sinfulness. On the seventh day, our Lord rested in the grave. He went into the place where all mankind eventually goes. He was dead and was buried. The third day He rose again from the dead. This is now the first day of the week. Every week begins with Sunday. Every calendar begins its week with the resurrection of our Lord + Jesus. He has destroyed death, and opened up the gates of Heaven. The world celebrates and recognizes this whether they are aware of it or not.

Since that first Easter Day, the world rejoices at the resurrection of the Lord, whether they intentionally celebrate it or not. This is what the Lord + Jesus has done. He has fixed that which was broken. Death had power over mankind to keep them in the grave; to send mankind into Hell. But our Lord + Jesus has broken the bonds of death. He has destroyed the power of the devil. Death and the Grave have no power over us anymore. Satan, that lying and deceiving serpent, has no more power over us. He cannot accuse us any longer of any sin. For our Lord + Jesus has paid the price of every sin by His death upon the tree of the holy cross. This is why we rejoice and cling in faith to the cross of our Lord + Jesus, the Christ, for it is the payment for our transgressions. 

This is why we begin each new day, and end every day with the sign of the holy cross. It is a reminder of our Lord’s crucifixion and death. It is a reminder to those of us who have been baptized that we have been crucified with the Lord + Jesus in the waters of Holy Baptism. The sign of the cross is a reminder that in Holy Baptism we have been buried with the Lord + Jesus. His cross is our cross. His payment of our sins finds its reality in our Holy Baptism. This is why we gladly begin and end each day with the sign of the cross, for by it our sins have been paid. We are no longer slaves to sin and death. We are children of eternity. We are children belonging to the eternal realms of Heaven.

For we have been made new creations in the waters of Holy Baptism. The Holy Ghost has re-created us so that we are no longer children of the devil, but we belong to the Triune Lord God. We are His beloved children.

This is what the resurrection of our Lord + Jesus means for us poor, miserable sinners. His crucifixion and death paid the penalty of our sins. His resurrection means that the heavenly Father accepted the perfect sacrifice of His Son upon the tree of the holy cross. His death destroyed death, and His rising to life again destroys the grave. His resurrection from the dead brings life and immortality to light.

The women went to the tomb at the very first light of dawn to anoint our Lord + Jesus with spices. Because of the approaching Sabbath Day, they were robbed of giving their devotion to the body of the Lord + Jesus. So, when the Sabbath was passed, they came very early on the first day of the week to the tomb. They concerned themselves with who was going to roll away the stone, for it was exceeding great in size. But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. The Lord + Jesus was not there. Only an angel was there, inside the tomb, proclaiming unto them that the Lord was risen from the dead.

This was a new day. Certainly, it was the beginning of a new day as dawn became a new day. Certainly, it was the beginning of a new week, too. But this was a new day that was to be the first of many new days. This was the first celebration of the Lord’s Day. This was the first day to be celebrated as the Day of our Lord’s Resurrection. Therefore, my dear friends, this day is not just celebrated as the first day of the week, but it is also celebrated as the eighth day of the week.

The number eight is a symbolic number. Its shape resembles the symbol for eternity. There is no beginning nor end to the number eight. There is no beginning or end to the symbol for eternity. That is why on this eighth day the Church celebrates the birth of eternal life. Our Lord + Jesus by His resurrection from the dead has created a new earth and a new Heaven. He has created an eternal life for all those who believe and are baptized into His Name. 

This is why when we make the sign of the holy cross, we are not just remembering a death. We are not just remembering the cross of our Lord + Jesus, but we are remembering and acknowledging that by our Lord’s death into which we have been baptized, we are a new creation. We have been gifted with eternal life. When we make the sign of the cross, we are proclaiming that we are a new creation; we are children of eternity. Our home is in Heaven. We are citizens now of Heaven. For our Lord + Jesus has destroyed death and the grave, and opened up for all those who cling to Him in faith, and have been baptized, eternal life in Heaven.

Let us, therefore, rejoice this day, my dear friends, let us sing “Hallelujah!” again and again. For our Lord +Jesus is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. He has created for us a new day. He has gifted us with the eighth day, the day which we celebrate as the day of eternal life in Heaven. Every Sunday, every Lord’s Day, is a remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord + Jesus, the Christ. Therefore, every Lord’s Day is a remembrance of the eighth day of creation. The day when our Lord + Jesus created eternal life for all those who believe on Him and are baptized. 

Six days the Lord labored at creation, and rested on the seventh. Six days of Holy Week our Lord prepared for His cross and death, and rested on the Sabbath. On the first day of the week, on the eighth day, our Lord proved that He defeated death and the grave, and has opened up our graves, so that we may live with Him for all eternity. Those we love who have died in the faith, already enjoy their Sabbath rest. We will one day join them in Heaven for our Sabbath rest. But while we are still in this life, we daily make confession of our sins with the sign of the holy cross, remembering daily our Holy Baptism. We continue to gather together in this place to receive the gifts our Lord + Jesus won for us upon the tree of the holy cross. Those gifts which strengthen and renew our faith in Him. For by His Word our faith is sustained and preserved, until He calls us out of this vale of tears to our eternal home in Heaven.

Therefore, let us give thanks to our Lord + Jesus, the Christ. For He has both destroyed death and the grave, and opened up for us the gates of eternal life. We will one day join all the saints who have gone before us into Heaven, and join them in singing the eternal liturgy of the Lamb in His Kingdom which has no end. On that day, there will no longer be any tears or strife. We will enjoy eternal joy and peace. May our Triune Lord God grant this unto us all quickly. Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! In the Name of our Lord + Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Prayer in Pulpit after Sermon:

Almighty God, be pleased to accompany Thy Word with Thy Holy Spirit and grant that Thy Word would increase faith in us; bring into the Way of Truth all such as have erred; turn the hearts of the unrepentant; and for sake of Thy Name grant succor to all heavy hearts and those who are heavy-laden, that they may through the mercy of the Lord + Jesus Christ be relieved and preserved so that they succumb not to the temptation of despair but rather that they gain the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil; through the same + Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with the Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

The Votum:

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ + Jesus. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!