Christ has risen! He is risen indeed! Christ has risen! He is risen indeed! Christ has risen! He is risen indeed! If you won’t remember anything else of this sermon, please remember this one thing: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

How do we know that? Well it was early Sunday morning, when the sun had just risen, that the women who were serving Jesus during his life, went to the tomb to anoint his body. For Jesus was crucified just before the Sabbath day, and during Sabbath they couldn’t do anything with the body of deceased. And so they waited and first thing in the morning these faithful heartbroken women went to the tomb. Not knowing what they’ll find.

Even as they’re walking to the tomb, they had been saying: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” We can see that they weren’t acting very rationally. But who would in their situation. Their master just been killed, their hopes and dreams were shattered. All is left is mourning, sadness and hopelessness. The last thing they can do is at least to anoint his body.

How many times, did we walk in the shoes of these women? With our hearts filled with sadness, grief, and hopelessness. Not knowing what the next day will bring. Not knowing who will help us, or take care of us.

These women once had a plan. Jesus was the one, the Messiah. He has healed them, he has given them hope and new life. And now he’s gone. Their faith was gone. He let them down. He died.

How many times were we let down or betrayed? How many times did we say, Lord God where are you right now when I need you? I am at the end of my rope. Can you relate to this situation? I believe we all can.

And yet it is in this situation, that we realize one very important thing. Despite of the horrible circumstances, and feelings, these women are going forward. They are going to the tomb. Even though they didn’t know who will roll away the stone for them they were going? Is that a coincidence? Or were they led by God’s Spirit so that hearts might be comforted, so that their lives might be changed forever, so that through them a greatest news of all can be revealed?

Now knowing and yet still going, that’s what I call living by faith. That’s what I call living out the events of Easter morning. For none of us know what is ahead of us, whether it’s living in difficult economic times when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, living in society with struggling families and lack of civility often time we’re hurting and we just simply want to quit.

But if Mary Magdalene was here today she’d say to us, never quit but trust in the Lord, for Christ has risen. He is risen in deed. And that means that the stone, that is weighing you down, that keeps you away from your God will be rolled away. You all know what that stone is in your life. Christ says, this stone will be rolled away as you start your journey to an empty tomb. For what you find there is a living, loving, breathing and caring God.

God that conquered your worst fears, your worst enemy the devil himself, God who through death conquered the death itself. For Christ has risen! He is risen indeed!

Women came to the tomb and the stone was rolled away, before they even knew it God took care of things. And now they’re starting to realize. Now they see that something huge is happening beyond their comprehension, and they’re alarmed. Yes that’s what happens when Christ enters our lives. Sometimes we’re alarmed, for things aren’t the way we’re expecting them anymore.

Women were expecting a dead body of Jesus behind a big stone that they wouldn’t be able to roll away. And because they started this Easter Journey they found an empty tomb with stone long time gone and an angel of God telling them: “Do not be alarmed, or do not be afraid.” You’re looking for Jesus but he’s not here for he has risen! He has risen indeed!

This could have been the moment for a great celebration, for rejoicing in the risen Lord. But that’s not what we see here. And we can’t blame the poor women. They just found out that everything Jesus was talking about was true, that he truly was the Son of God, that even death has no power over him. Wouldn’t you be alarmed? Even the words of an angel saying, do not be afraid, didn’t have much weight in that moment. But that didn’t matter. For what happened next was as crucial as the discovery of an empty tomb itself.

The angel said to the women: “But 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.” You were probably wandering where were the disciples, right? Well they were hiding. They were scared for their lives… brave men, right?

Oh yeah they were brave, until Jesus’ arrest. Especially Peter. When Jesus said that one of them will deny him it was Peter who said: Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you. And then not once but three times before the rooster crowed Peter denied Jesus. “ I don’t know him” were his words. (pause)

Have you spoken those words before? Can you see Peter in you? We all can. We all have betrayed Christ. We all have denied his calling, his teaching, his love and forgiveness. We have hurt him when we mistreated him in our friends, in our families, even in strangers. We have rejected his invitation how many times? I don’t know him… are my friends our words.

And as we realize the reality of our sinfulness, our human capacity to betray what’s dear to us, we hear these crucial, hope and life giving words: “Go, tell the disciples AND PETER…” If you’d ask Dana Hanson a Christian artist what are the two most important words in the Bible? She’d say: AND PETER! Can you see the Ester morning message wrapped up in these two words? Can you see the risen Christ in these two words?

Despite of Peter’s denial and betrayal he was still loved and accepted by Jesus. Despite his flaws and downfalls, Christ cared for him so much that he emphasized to the women: Go tell disciples, who all run away, but especially tell Peter, for he must be hurting the most.

Do you see that hurting Peter in yourself? Is there hurt and guilt in your life? Are you afraid what Christ would say to you for you have walked away from him? Well Christ says: I love you unconditionally and there is nothing in this world and beyond that can separate you from my love.

These are the words of our risen Lord Jesus Christ to you. For God loves you sooo much that he was willing to sacrifice his only Son so that you might have a new beginning and a new life in Him. For Christ has risen! He is risen in deed!

As the women were send forth to share this amazing news with the disciples let us go forth as well and share the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ with people around us. For Christ has risen! He is risen in deed. And that’s a news worth sharing.

Amen