HOLY SATURDAY/EASTER VIGIL Rev. Mark P. Bruesehoff
SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2006 “DISCIPLES: BEFORE AND AFTER” St. John – Ocean City, NJ
HAPPYNEWS.COM – it’s a Web site devoted to upbeat information. Death, disaster and destruction don’t appear on this news service. We can get plenty of that on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and FOX. Instead, HappyNews gives us reports on: a brand-new weather model that predicts hurricanes, an AIDS vaccine that exceeds expectations and the steps being taken to prevent bird flu. This Web site is not “Fair and Balanced,” as FOX News claims to be. It is “Real News. Compelling Stories. Always Positive.” HappyNews.com doesn’t do death, destruction, and shocking Lindsay Lohan weight-loss updates.
Maybe it’s time for some good news, for a change. When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome head to the tomb on Easter morning, they aren’t expecting to be uplifted. They are bringing spices to anoint the stone-cold, dead body of Jesus. A dismal and depressing job. As they walk in the early-morning light they are worried about how they will manage to move the heavy stone away from the entrance to the tomb.
What a surprise, to see the stone already rolled away. They enter the tomb and spot a young man, dressed in white, sitting on the right side. Who is this guy? A guard? A gardener? A grave robber? Not knowing who he is, they are alarmed.
“Do not be alarmed,” says the mystery man; “you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; He is not here.” Now there’s some happy news with a capital “H.” He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
But that’s not all. “Go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going ahead of you to Galilee, there you will see Him, just as He told you.” Jesus is going ahead of them, always ahead of them, and He will be waiting for them in the future. That’s a second piece of truly upbeat information.
Jesus is alive. Jesus is ahead of us. That’s the HappyNews headline for this story of Easter. We can be grateful that the Bible reports the good news of the resurrection for us, because we won’t find this story in any of the other publications of the day. Look at the records of Jewish leaders and the reports of Roman generals, and we won’t find any account of Jesus rising from the dead. As far as the official writings of the time are concerned, there is nothing particularly newsworthy about the first Easter morning. It’s a day like any other: criminals are being crucified, uprisings are being put down, the poor are being ignored, and the iron fist of the Romans is keeping everything under control. For the average resident of Jerusalem, the day of resurrection is the typical grind. It isn’t a big news days!
I have to wonder if the same can be said for today. Is Easter a big news day, or a day like any other? HappyNews.com claims that its goal is to, bring us up-to-the-minute news, geared to lift spirits and inspire lives. Its stories are REQUIRED to be truthful, interesting and positive. And they have to avoid subjects like politics, or anything likely to divide people into winners and losers. The founders of HappyNews are convinced that good news is better than bad news, and they want the world to know it.
Come to think of it, that’s a pretty good message for an Easter sermon, now isn’t it? The Good News is better than the bad news, and we want the world to know it. BEFORE today the news was not so good. AFTER today the news is nothing but good. And we want the world to know it.
The good news is that Jesus is alive, and He is waiting for us in all that the future has to offer. That’s a story too big to be overshadowed by reports of death and disaster, injury and illness, corruption and conflict. When Jesus is raised, He is actually putting death to death. He turns the tables on those who see violence and corruption and disease and destruction as the only way the world can be. When Jesus leaves the empty tomb, it’s a brand new day. He races ahead of us into the future, and He invites us to follow Him in the direction He is going.
At the core of the Christian message is the “Good News” of Jesus. That is to say, our faith is all about GOOD NEWS.
Easter is a call not only to celebrate the good news, but to be the good news. How can we receive mercy, and not give it in return? How can we accept forgiveness, and not forgive? How can we be loved, and not love? How can we be reconciled, and not reconcile? How can we be accepted, and not accept?
The good news of Easter is that Jesus is alive, and He is leading us to a better future. It was true when the women visited the empty tomb, and it is true today. Whether we are facing a time of grief, a period of personal pain or an experience of hopelessness or desperation, we can look to a Lord who is alive and well and inviting us to follow Him.
The Jesus who was crucified knows our deepest personal anguish. The Jesus who was lifeless knows the darkness of death. The Jesus who was raised knows the life-giving power of God. The Jesus who goes ahead of us knows that the future is full of promise and possibility. This news, the good news of Easter, is better than all the reports of death and destruction. And we want the world to know it.
CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED! ALLELUIA!
Jesus is ahead of us! Jesus will lead us forward!
This report is real, compelling and positive. The best Good News of all.
Amen.
Sol Deo Gloria!