The Resurrection of Our Lord – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. Mark 16:1-8 “The Son Has Risen!”
April 5, 2026 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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The Exordium
There is only one way to begin this week of all weeks. It is this week that sets up our hope for the rest of our lives. It is a joy that the world can’t even fathom! It is a joy we can have even when faced with sadness. How is this possible? It is a joy that is heavenly. We took a bite of this joy during the season of Christmas. That is the season where God begins the end of keeping His promises. He enters the world not as God only, but as man. He breathes, eats, sleeps, everything we can do, He does it perfectly. As He does all of these things, the will of God was planning for Him to participate in two more things we deal with. He had to suffer our pain, and He had to die. How could the Father do this to His own Son? How could He watch Him be born as a baby to grow up with the purpose to die?
The answer is, He didn’t even watch. He turned His head from His One and only Son. Is this the reason to have joy this day? Well, let’s hear directly from Jesus’ enemies. But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:49-50). Caiaphas did not say this on his own accord. The Father gives Him this prophecy and the Son dies for the people, and not just the nation, but the world, so that you would not perish. In this One, perfect, and selfless act, sin, the devil, and death are defeated for you. And now you have this Good News confirmed in your hearing. The power of your salvation, the emphasis of your joy, is found with a tomb that has no body! Your sins are forgiven, the Son is risen and in joy you rise and sing together hymn # 348, He Is Arisen! Glorious Word!
He is arisen! Glorious Word! Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
The gates of heaven are open. My Jesus died triumphantly,
And Satan’s arrows broken lie, Destroyed hells direst weapon.
O hear What cheer! Christ victorious Riseth glorious,
Life He giveth— He was dead, but see, he liveth!
The sermon text for today is taken from the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark. We read some verses once more in Jesus’ name:
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
We Pray: Almighty God, who through the resurrection of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life, replenish us, we humbly ask You, with Your heavenly grace, that, dying unto sin always and living unto righteousness, we may at last triumph over death and the grave, in the full image of our risen Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. (The Lutheran Liturgy, companion altar book for The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 114)
The sun has risen once more. A new day has dawned. A new day to celebrate in joy. As dark as Friday is, the “Good” of Good Friday continues today. And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. In knowing this feeling of walking toward a loved one’s tomb, we know how hard it is to find any joy. We can admit, our thoughts were like Jesus’ loved ones. You don’t go to a grave to find someone still alive. On this new day, going to the cemetery has a new meaning. What is expected today though is the finding of a body because this tomb has some literal weight to it. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away (Matthew 27:60b). Knowing this, the women said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” As Jesus says, there is no reason to worry. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.
The shock that we can understand that would have taken place is one we must note. We see the women in sorrow preparing and bringing more spices for Christ’s body. If the disciples were planning to steal away His body or if Jesus had faked His death, then the women would have had no reason to bring more spices to continue preparing a body for its burial. If you have been involved with the planning of a funeral, you don’t do it just because. And who wouldn’t freak out seeing a stone that took grown men to move into place and now see it lying on the ground. This is the definition of a grave being dug up so the logical conclusion would be what Mary went to tell the disciples. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:2). This all is understandable, and carries a problem. All of this was the doubting of God’s Word. The Word spoken by Jesus would happen as they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead (John 20:9).
This is the definition of living in the moment. So many events can happen and even as we joke about how fast time moves, we can’t get lost in the moment. When we are lost in the moment, we can say things we don’t mean and we can do things we don’t mean. If this is all we are concerned about in the moment, we can end up using the darkness of the past day as a cover. Hiding our sins in the darkness will in the end block the understanding of the Word. The cover of darkness is only temporary because when the new day dawns, God works bright and early. The first event to happen today is the proclamation of victory over the devil. A morning light even David saw at the very end of his life when he said, The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth (2 Samuel 23:3-4). What God says goes, even when there is fleeing, denial, and the sorrow of death. In all events, Jesus knows our failures when He says, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (Mark 14:27-28). In all events, Jesus doesn’t fail and today you see His greatest success to save you with His Word true, with His body raised from the dead.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. And this white was a radiant white. St. Luke describes what the angel looked like further when he writes, while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel (Luke 24:4). The color of what Jesus wore on the Mount of Transfiguration, another time He talked about the events of today, was on full display with these angels. God no longer needs to act in humility as He proclaimed from the cross, “it is finished.” Now the exalted light of heaven shines forth. And who better to begin sharing this joy with the world, than the messengers of God. Just like on the day of His birth, angels come to deliver the great message. The message that the world is saved from sin, the devil, and now with this very act, death. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.” The angel states the reality. The man from Nazareth, the name that was used as ridicule will now be confessed by all as it is the name that fulfilled its meaning. God has saved His people. His Word is alive and well.
The angel proclaims, “He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” Even the messengers are excited with this message. They were on call and could have rushed in to save the King, and now something better has happened. The Savior needed no saving, as He defeats the darkness that tried to entrap you. The darkness that causes doubt, fleeing, denial, and sorrow can’t defend itself against what is visibly witnessed by many on this new day. A new day, on the day, where God confirms to you His wondrous work to save you. He points you to your failures being forgiven by the sacrifice on the cross. And now He says I have accepted the payment. You have the same promise the women had as you hear your treasure’s voice again. A voice you know you hear because if He was still dead, then you would still be in your sins. The Son is risen and for further proof, He points you to something else you will see. Jesus is always the crucified One, as he tells His disciples later, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). As these Words brought the disciples joy, this is Jesus speaking to you to bring you joy.
And the joy of the resurrection is truly for all. In the angels closing statements, the world hears how redeemable they are. “But go your way, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Peter is still His. Peter had denied that he ever knew his Savior. He was considered the leader and as he failed with his denial, Jesus restores him, Jesus saves him. Salvation that can only come through the Son and here you are on this great day, hearing Him and seeing Him risen in the Word and sacraments. The very means in which He ties you to this great week of cross and resurrection. The means for you to hear that every time you fail, He restores you again and again. He is faithful even when you at times can be faithless as St. Paul writes, the saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:11-13). And He did not deny Himself as He did what His Word says, He died and rose. Through faith you have died with Him with His death on the cross. The Good Day on which He bore all your sins. And through faith when it is your time, you will rise with Him in glory. Don’t be afraid. He’s not stolen. He is Risen! Alleluia! Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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