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“Christ is risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!”

Today, we look at Easter Sunday – the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What an awesome day! This is what a great day to gather and worship and celebrate the pivotal event in all of history.

When we think about “defeating the odds,” there are positive iterations of that and negative ones.

Negatives like getting struck by lightning; of getting attacked by a shark; of developing an extremely rare type of disease.

But there’s also the positives of winning the lottery, or getting that great promotion, or marrying well above your station.

We’re in our last day of looking at our journey through “Exodus: Let my people go!” series. In that book, there aren’t many greater examples of people defeating the odds: being locked in slavery and oppressed for hundreds of years, and yet against all odds, God saved them. Moses, one who had been wanted for murder, going back and addressing Pharaoh face to face with God’s command and God’s power and being triumphant through God’s word, God’s actions, and God’s plagues; against all odds. Being trapped against the Sea and God dividing it so that the whole nation of Israelites walked over a dry ground while all of Pharaoh’s army drowned; against all odds. Having no water or no food, and God providing water from the Rock and Manna every single day; against all odds. Receiving God’s covenantal promise through His Words on Mount Sinai and being selected as His people, even through their continuous disobedience and rebellion; against all odds. Time and time and time again we see God defeating all odds on behalf of His people out of His mercy and grace.

Our epistle text says, “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting as death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives the victory to our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). God gives the victory over death, against all odds. That is the very reality that encounters us this day; this special day; this pivotal day; this highest, holy day. Death doesn’t have the last word! Defeat doesn’t have the last word! Depression doesn’t have the last word! Disease doesn’t have the last word! Demotion doesn’t have the last word! God has the last word; and that last word on the matter is Life from death; joy from mourning; hope from despair.

Jesus is not in the tomb; He has risen, just as He said. Do not be afraid, no matter how stacked the odds are against you. Today is a day when we look in an empty tomb and instead hear of a risen Christ. We look to victory over death and see, against all odds, everything that we could possibly want or even imagine for eternity: grace, mercy, forgiveness, life – all of it. Against all odds. Odds that said we should be in death; that we should be in despair from our sins; that this was the end; there is no hope there is no future. And against all odds, “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!”

“We thank you, Lord Jesus, for conquering sin, death, and the devil against all odds of the evil one – for us and for our Salvation and for creation to be made new. We praise and thank You for this day above all days, because You are King Above all kings and Lord above all lords. Help us to celebrate this day, not just today, but every day, in Your previous, glorious, victorious, reigning, living Name, Jesus. Amen!”

Scripture

• Exodus 15:1-18
• 1 Corinthians 15:55-58
• Matthew 28:1-20

In our Old Testament lesson we see the results of the Israelites’ ‘golden calf’ rebellion and Moses’ smashing of the first set of tablets from the Lord. – They needed a new start!

In our Passion Sunday Gospel text, we hear the people shouting praises to the Lord, welcoming Him into town. Later that same week, the people will be shouting “crucify Him!” Because of their rebellion they will also need a new start!

We need not even look to some monumental rebellion in our lives to see what we need. Every day we rebel again God, His heart, His laws, His children, His creation – and every rebellion results in the same need – a new start!

That’s what God does; He gives a new start in Jesus. Through His promised coming, His birth, His life, His suffering, His miracles, His teachings, His scoldings, His sermons, His unjust trial, His beatings, His mockings, His death, His resurrection, His appearances, His ascension, and His preparation of our everlasting Home with Him, His promise to come again – all of it is about another chance, away from death and in His Life! It’s about His mercy, His forgiveness, His grace upon grace! It’s about no longer having the Law written in stone to threaten stoning but the opportunity to shout “Hosanna to the Son of David!” because there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)!

And because we are given another chance, we also have the opportunity – the joyful obligation and privilege – to give chances to others, too.

As we have been forgiven, we forgive. As we have been granted Life, we share. As we have been loved, we love.

As we start a difficult and most-Holy week, let us wrestle with both the reason a “second change” needed to be given in Jesus; sin. Our sin. But let us not stay on the reason, but move instead to the Solution, the Savior, the Lord – Jesus! Through Him we have all things. And through Him we live in newness of life; for Him and for others.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Thank You Lord Jesus!

“We praise and thank You, Lord God, heavenly Father, for giving all mankind – for giving us a second chance through Your Son, our Savior Jesus! Through Him we have all we need or could ever want or imagine! Grant us, Lord, to share Your mercy and grace in our hearts and actions joyfully. Focus us this Holy week on Your willing, full, and complete Sacrifice for us, Jesus, and grant that we continue from the depths of Good Friday to the height of Easter Sunday; which changed everything! In Jesus’ most precious Name do we pray. Amen!”

Scripture

• Exodus 34:1-8
• Matthew 21:1-11