Easter – "Dying To Death" – Colossians 3:1-4 – 3/23/08
March 23rd, 2008 | Tags: Colossians, Death, Easter, ResurrectionClick play to listen to the audio version of this sermon.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
To download the mp3 file, right click the image below and "save as."
On Wednesday of this past week, the New York Times reported that Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. said that they planned to finance two groups of university researchers to start all over and design a new generation of computing systems. On the same day, another article reported on the progress that scientists are making in the development of electric powered cars to replace the 23.5 million gas powered cars on the road today. On the same day, the nation marked the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war. And on the same day, flooding across the central part of the country killed at least 13 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
On Tuesday of this past week, a political candidate made an important speech on racial divisions in our country. On the same day the Federal Reserve cut the Federal Funds interest rate by 1/4 of a point to 2.25% in an effort to stabilize a troubled economy. And the price of oil was $106.56 a barrel.
On Thursday the week before, the EPA set new restrictions on industries limiting the amount of pollution forming particles into the air to 75 parts per billion in an effort to reduce air pollution.
On the Monday before that, it was reported that several new studies on global warming all conclude that greenhouse gases must be cut to zero within a matter of decades in order to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.
And somewhere in the midst of all of that and hardly noticed by Mainers was the fact that the first day of Spring arrived.
How strange that today, countless men and women are gathering together in buildings large and small, to listen to the reading of an ancient text which tells the account of a man named Jesus from a town called Nazareth who rose from the dead. What makes this so surprising is that the same men and woman who are daily confronted by such scientific, technological, economical and sociological developments and who are daily and hourly instructed on the important and significant issues of the day, should still have the time and the interest, let alone the stamina to listen to the report of a few women who went to the tomb where the dead body of Jesus has been laid to rest.
And not only is it strange that these many men and women have the time and energy for this, but even stranger is that they claim to actually attain to "eternal life" through this story. And since they claim to attain to eternal life by this story, they interpret and understand the daily headlines with a wider, deeper and significantly different perspective than if they hadn't heard the story. They actually believe that no matter what dangers or threats, changes or chances, advances or losses, calamities or catastrophes that these daily headlines and hourly bulletins report, they are able to endure life and live confidently because of what they have heard in this ancient text on this Easter Sunday.
What is remarkable really, is that those men and women who gather together today to hear this old, old story maintain that it is not just ancient history but that this story is itself, the daily headline that supersedes every headline on every day and in every age. That every speech and every report no matter the title, comes under the banner headline that reads, "Christ is risen!" "He is risen indeed!"
May I take by your response to that headline then to mean that you are be counted among those countless men and women who are affected by this ancient / modern text? If so, say "amen." Are you saying that even some 2,000 years after it took place, the Easter story continues to permeate your daily life with decisive consequences that shape the way that you live from day to day and week to week? If so, say "amen." Are you saying that you believe that had Christ not risen as He said He would, then you would be, of all people, the most pathetic and miserable men and women alive? ("Amen.") Are you saying that because this Jesus has died and risen from the dead that, "you too have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God?" ("Amen.") And are you saying that "since you have been raised with Christ, you seek the things that are above and set your mind on things that are above," even while you live in the here below? ("Amen.") (And by your response to these questions of faith, are you also saying that you don't have to be a Baptist to say "amen" once in awhile during worship?)
Indeed, you should say "amen" to this because Easter has eternal consequences that affect every single man and woman from the first man and woman in the beginning to the last man and woman still alive when Christ comes again and pronounces the final "Amen" on this world.
Human progress is a good thing but human progress may only progress so far. Even after we have mapped the human genome and reengineered our DNA and cleaned up the gene pool, there is still death. Even after we have fixed the economy, gotten rid of the terrorists and solved the problem of greenhouse gases, there is still death. Science and technology may provide explanations and reasons why we die. They may develop ways to delay death and improve the quality of life, but there is still death.
Dying is an unstoppable process that begins the moment that we are born and progresses throughout our life however many days and months and years the Lord has given to us. But death is final. For all of our so-called progress, we must by now realize that most we can do is effect our dying. There is nothing that we can do that has any effect at all on our death. There comes a point when the doctor must say, "we did all that we could do." We have our limits. Once death occurs, we've reached it.
For death, there is only one answer, one cure, one remedy. And that is resurrection. And resurrection of the dead lies completely outside of the possibilities of science and technology, economy and sociology and every human capacity.
Isn't this why we gather to hear the story of Easter? "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead�"
Jesus Christ has not come to advance the economic standard of living or improve the material quality of life—He has come to overcome our death. We do not hear the Easter story rightly if we come away from it with the idea that Jesus Christ has come to overcome our dying. He Himself was overcome by dying. He has not overcome dying but by dying He has overcome death. He is who He says He is. "I am the resurrection and the life."
The bible offers its own explanation for the cause of death, not by addressing things like high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer or viruses. It addresses the remedy for death, not by prescribing vaccines, antibiotics, regular exercise and nine, eight ounce glasses of water a day.
As unscientific and technologically ignorant as it sounds, the Bible says that the cause of death is due to "One man [who] brought sin into this world and death through sin." The sin of the one man whose name was Adam had its consequences. "Death spread to all men because all sin." (Rom.5:12). You can apply all the science and technology you can dream up to the problem of death, but until you deal with sin, all that you can do is treat the symptoms. In the end, there is still death.
Jesus Christ alone has dealt with the cause of death. He has taken the sin of the world upon Himself and nailed it to the cross in His own body. He who knew no sin became sin for us and sin did to Him what sin does to all mankind—death. In Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God died your death because He bore your sin.
Follow me now. If the cause of death is sin and if Christ has taken away your sin, then death has no claim on you. How does the ancient text say it? "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (1Cor.15:20-22).
The text says quite clearly that there are only two places where you may live your life during all dying days—either "in Adam" or "in Christ." "In Adam—all die." "In Christ—all shall be made alive." To live "in Adam" is to regard this Easter story as no more than one headline among many, and not a very plausible one at that. It is to live as though the cross and the angel's announcement to the women have no connection to you personally. Which means that the only way you can live your life without going crazy is to either ignore the inevitable or put your hope in the possibility that you might never actually die.
But to live "in Christ" is to hear this Easter story as though it happened just for you. It's to believe that the women were sent from the tomb just to tell you that Christ is risen from the dead and that you will see Him.
Can you imagine the effect that this ancient text might have upon how you live your dying days if you really believed it? "The liberating thing about Good Friday and Easter is that one's thoughts are swept far beyond ones own personal fate to this ultimate meaning of all life and suffering, and of whatever occurs, such that one is seized by a great hope." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Tegel Prison, 3/25/1943—Easter Sunday). Still from his prison cell a year later, Bonhoeffer wrote to a friend, "If even a few people were really to believe this, allowing this belief to move them in their earthly callings, much would change."
Think of it. People who are not afraid of dying because they know that their death has been overcome by Christ. People who are willing to daily die to self-gratification and personal ambitions for the sake of what is good and right, true and noble because they know that they will get their life back again forever. People who willingly die for the truth, or for the sake of a neighbor or for the sake of the gospel, and gladly because they know that in the end they will be vindicated and Christ will raise them up to eternal life.
We talk about the effect that sin has had on the world and on our life. But to live our dying days from the perspective of resurrection, now that is the effect that Easter is to have upon the world and our life.
So go ahead and seek the things above. Give your life away. You'll get it back again. Go ahead and set your minds on things above. Lay down your life for your neighbor, and do it gladly. Christ will raise you up again.
God has put death to death by the death of and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. God lives and Christ is in God so Christ lives. And you are in Christ so you live. "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Tags: Colossians, Death, Easter, ResurrectionRelated Entries:
» Worship Schedule» Sermon Index – Lutheran – LCMS
» Sermon – Easter 7 – "One With Jesus" – John 17:20-26 – 5/20/07
» Sermon – Easter – "The Meaning of the Resurrection Of Jesus Christ" – Mark 16:1-8 – 4/12/09
» Sermon – Easter 2 – "His Presence Is Our Peace" – John 20:12-29 – 4/15/07
» Sermon – 3rd Easter – "Our Hope In Christ" – Luke 24:13-35 – 4/6/08
