Text Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 10:34-43; Colossians 3:1-4
Theme Safety First
Subject The Resurrection of Our Lord
Occasion Easter
– 3/23/08 –
Grace to you and peace from our living Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
Somebody from the fire department came every
September to our elementary school
Amid all the information and
visuals
The
message was clear and memorable – it lives today
Heat rises:
stay low;
When on fire, drop and roll
Safety First
When you turn the lights out,
Make sure there’s a way out
Safety First
If we do Safety First,
we
won’t need to worry about staying low or drop & roll
Safety
First was a way to anticipate the worse-case-scenario to avoid it
So my brother Steve and I made lots of plans with Safety
First in mind
In case of fire at night
We knew
the path we’d take
where
we’d go
who
we’d tell
Before
our prayers
We
made sure the path was clear
Reminded
each other of where to go and who to tell
Safety
First
Then
we would pray
Now I lay me
down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to
keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to
take
Safety
First
- - - - - - -
Seems there was a lot to worry about those days when
Jesus of Nazareth was executed
Safety
First
A lot of people had safety on their minds even
before the death and burial of Jesus
The
disciples had cut-‘n-run from
Stay low; drop and roll
Safety First
Then
Peter
Hanging
out around the charcoal fire waiting for news about Jesus
Two
servant girls suppose he’s with Jesus
As
cool as John Wayne, he answers,
“Don’t know what
you’re talking about; I don’t know the guy”
Stay low; drop and roll
Safety
First
But
then a 3rd time his accent trips him up
"Certainly you are … one of them, for your accent betrays you." (26:73)
His
accent betrays him?
Make
sure there’s a way out
Safety
First
He curses, swears, does anything to not sound like Jesus
Safety First
- - - - - - -
Come
then the religious authorities
"Sir, (the) impostor said …
'After three days I will rise again.' (So)
command the tomb to be made secure until the 3rd day; otherwise his
disciples may … steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from
the dead,'… Pilate said … "… go, make it as secure as you can." So … the guard … made the tomb secure by
sealing the stone. (27:63-66)
Oh,
for sure, make the tomb secure – seal it
Safety
First
Anything to preserve Pax Romana
Safety
First
Security is captivating
Name
a threat to our security
Bring
to mind that basic principle
Safety
First
Marketers know all about it
Our
identity and credit rating
Child
safety
Retirement
Safety
First
k-ching
Governments have known for centuries that war can
stimulate an economy
But
there has to be an enemy
Communism,
drugs, an evil empire, weapons of mass destruction
“Set the war
machines in motion
Put people to work
Unify the nation”
Safety
First
The politicians know our national security is a
crucial campaign issue
Each
one names the threats: crime,
immigration, the war
Each
one tells us their path is the safest path
Safety
First
But the angel says to the women
“Don’t
be afraid” (28:5)
What
about Safety First?
Earthquake
Stone
rolled away leaving an open grave
An
angel with a face of lightning
Soldiers
laying there like dead men
Don’t
be afraid?
Excuse me
Nothing
safe about this
Doesn’t
matter who your god is,
earthquake:
trouble
open,
empty grave: trouble
heavenly
being: trouble
dead
people on the ground in the garden: trouble
All of this disturbs what we’ve come to know
There
is nothing safe about it
Nothing
Unless
Unless God might be doing
something new
According
to Matthew’s report
the
last time an angel said “Do not be afraid” was back in chapter 1
An angel told Joseph in a dream so he
would take Mary as his wife
Otherwise
it is Jesus who is saying “Do not be afraid”
“Don’t be afraid – consider the
sparrows: they’re fine
“Don’t be afraid – it’s just me
walking on the water
“Don’t be afraid – I’m God’s son”
Yes, the grave was empty
It was earth-shaking and it still is
God did
something extraordinarily new
God is always doing something new
Because
God is always at work, the status quo
is always in danger
God’s
people dream dreams and see visions
God
doesn’t seal graves,
God
opens them
Finally
we’ll have to decide to what our faith in God is leading us
Safety
First or trusting Do not be afraid
Walter Brueggemann observed recently
"the rulers of this age keep a close eye on any
proclamation that may disturb present arrangements." (The Word Militant, p.1)
We need not hide behind Safety First
Oh,
it has its place and I encourage you to apply it
But for people in mission
For people Gathered to Grow and Sent to Shine
Safety First is always for the
other
We who believe Christ is risen are
going to disturb present arrangements
We now bring the rumblings of the resurrection to
life until he comes
Listen
to the daily news with an ear for the other
Christ
died and rose for each one
Look
for the eyes of the strangers you meet on your way
Christ
died and rose for each one
Visualize
soldiers and the families from whom they are separated
Christ
died and rose for each one
Don’t
be afraid
Our safety is where it has always been
Christ
is risen! Alleluia