He is Risen!

He is Risen!

The Resurrection of the Lord; Easter Sunday – 4/20/2025

John 20:1–18

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Gospel lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. John in the twentieth chapter with special emphasis on verses four through nine which read as follows:

       “Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

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

Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, Mary Magdalene walked in grief to the tomb. Her heart was broken. Her hope, buried. Her world, shattered. The man who had delivered her from darkness, the one who had healed her, taught with truth and authority, loved her in spite of her sin, and forgave her was gone. She came to that solemn place, the tomb of her Lord, to mourn.

      But what she found rattled her. The stone, the large one that sealed the entrance and that was sealed with official mark, the one guarded by Roman legionaries, was rolled away from the entrance.  She ran. She told Peter and John. They ran. They looked. They saw the linen cloths and the empty space where Jesus’ body once lay. But they did not yet understand, so they went home. Mary, however, stayed.

She stood outside the tomb, weeping. She looked again. She saw two angels. They asked her why she was weeping. “They have taken my Lord,” she said, “and I do not know where they have laid Him.” And then, turning, she saw a man she thought is the gardener. He also asked her, “Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” And then came the turning point of the entire affair.

He said her name: “Mary.” And just like that, everything changed for her.

The Risen Christ Comes Personally

Easter is not just about an empty tomb. An empty tomb could be from any number of reasons. Bodies can be stolen and spirited away. People who were thought to be dead could revive and find their way out. But in this case, this singular even in history, the empty tomb is about a living, resurrected Savior.  This was no mere reviving, a recovering of some strength after the exhausting and demanding ordeal of torture and crucifixion. No, it is a resurrection of one who was fully and totally dead. This is not in doubt; the Romans were brutally good at executions and even ran our Lord through with a spear to make sure the job was done. And now this One who was dead is alive again, raised from the dead to never die again.

And the first appearance of the risen Christ is not to a king or a crowd, but to a grieving woman. One person. This is a remarkable demonstration of who Jesus is. He comes personally, that is, to each of us. He draws near. He doesn’t stay distant or wait for us to come to Him, He comes to us, even when we don’t recognize Him at first. This is the whole point of this Christian enterprise, of the Christian Church: Jesus draws near to us bedeviled sinners through His Word and holy sacraments, giving us every fruit of salvation won for us in His saving death. In our grief, in our confusion, in our fear, Jesus is there. Not as distant history or abstract doctrine, but as the living Lord.

The Risen Christ Calls Us by Name

“Mary.” That’s all He said. And with that single word, spoken in the voice she knew so well, the fog lifted. The tears stopped. The light of realization and truth broke through. “Rabboni!” she cried. Teacher. Lord. Master. Savior. Jesus once said, “The sheep hear [My] voice, and [I] call [My] own sheep by name and lead them out.”[2] On Easter morning, we see that promise fulfilled. Jesus knows His people. He knows their names. He knows your name.

He knows you. He knows your life history. Your struggles and failure. Your sorrows and suffering. Your sin. But He comes not in condemnation but compassion. Not judgment but joy. Not wrath but forgiveness.  “I have called you by name,” our Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, “you are Mine.”[3]

This is the importance of Easter. The Resurrection of Jesus isn’t merely a cosmic event or historical turning point. It is  also a personal encounter. Jesus didn’t just rise; He rose for you. To call you by name. To forgive your sins. To give you life and everlasting salvation.

The Risen Christ Sends Good News by His Church

Mary clings to Him, but Jesus says, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and say to them…” Mary came to the tomb grieving. She left it rejoicing. She came seeking a dead body. She left proclaiming the risen Lord. “Go,” Jesus says. Go tell. Go share what you have seen and heard. Easter is never the end of the story of salvation or the work of Christ, in a way, it is only the beginning. Mary became the first witness of the resurrection. The first to have the privilege to proclaim: I have seen the Lord!

But this did not stop there. Christ sent His Apostles into the world. They, in turn, sent pastors after them to preach, establish churches, and proclaim the victory of the Kingdom of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are here today because someone somewhere cared enough about us to bring Christ to us and us to Christ’s Church.

And this even continues today, because the same risen Jesus who called Mary calls us. The same Jesus who appeared in a garden is present now among and for us: in His Word, in His Sacraments, in His Church. He is alive. He is risen. And He is here, calling and having called us by name. We too have seen the Lord.

Conclusion

Dear friends, today is Easter. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! But even more, He is risen for you. He comes to you. He speaks your name. He forgives your sins. He calls you His own.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] John 20:4-8 English Standard Version. All subsequent citations from the Scriptures are from the ESV.

[2] John 10:3 Edits mine.

[3] Isaiah 43:1