On April 9th, Bishop Paul's delivered his Easter Sunday Sermon at Durham Cathedral.
Dawn Liturgy with Baptism & Confirmation, 5am Durham Cathedral
HE IS RISEN
‘He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.’
The world changed. Death changed – it has been defeated. The whole way in which we see the world is transformed. The resurrection tells us that Jesus’ really was who he said he was. It is God’s proof that the Cross, the death of Jesus, really had brought about the forgiveness of sins for us all. God is truly the victor. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, then all the other disciples, could never see the world in the same way again. Everything now flows from this reality – the tomb is empty, Jesus is risen, and life now flows entirely from this.
It took some grasping. It is hardly surprising that those first two women were both awestruck, fearful and filled with joy. This was not what they had anticipated when they went to the tomb.
It is of course just like God to reveal his risen Son first to women whose testimony would not count in a Jewish court of law. Just as Jesus had been doing throughout his ministry women are raised up to be the equals they were always intended to be in creation.
These 2 Mary’s are given the privilege of meeting the risen Jesus first. They discover that this is no apparition or hallucination. They take hold of Jesus feet. They can feel the physicality of the risen Lord. They can see the place where the nail had pierced those feet.
Rightly their response is to worship. To give Jesus the honour and praise for giving up his life to death. They worship the one who is now seen to be Lord of all, for all eternity.
Then they do as Jesus commands them. They go and tell the disciples the news. How can they do anything else? This is staggering news. This is wonderful. Jesus is alive. All the hopes that they all thought had been dashed and ended are now restored, and magnified beyond their imaginings. They have to go and tell, and do so quickly. Their news is heard. The men struggle to hear what they are being told. But soon they know for themselves, from John of the empty tomb and from Peter of seeing the Lord himself. Later that day they will all see him. They will hear the experience of Cleopas and his wife on the way to Emmaus. Over the next weeks further appearances will confirm for them not simply that Jesus is alive but that they have a calling to follow. They are to be both worshippers and witnesses to the truth. They are to make this news of Jesus as Saviour and Lord known to the world.
In his message Jesus makes it clear to them all that he has established a whole new family. On the Cross he had invited his mother and the beloved disciple to form a new family bond. Here he calls the disciples brothers. This is the new household of God; the family that embraces all who follow Jesus.
RESPONDING TODAY
So how is Matthew, and indeed how are the other gospel writers, inviting us to respond to this ourselves?
We are to hear the testimony ourselves. The tomb was empty; the risen Jesus appeared to the first disciples; their lives were changed – and ever since Jesus has been changing lives; a whole new ‘family’ is created. Then recognising for ourselves that Jesus is alive we too respond with awe, with joy. We too worship the risen Lord. We too discover that we are brothers and sisters in the family of God. We too go and tell the world that Jesus is risen. We make it known that death is not the end or the final enemy but rather death is defeated and there is eternal life open to us all. We make it known that forgiveness of all our sins is available through the Cross of Jesus. We join in being part of the family of God. We value our human families – whatever shape they are. We love them and care for them. But we also recognise that a greater family has been created. The family of all those baptised into Christ Jesus. The great intergenerational family of God.
We live our lives as followers of the living one. Everything about our lives – everything, nothing left out, is shaped by the reality of the risen Jesus. Our morality is shaped by it. Our values are created by it. Our priorities are driven by the reality that Jesus is risen from the dead. All creation is redeemed by him. All things are made for him. So our lives are entirely given over to him. Here we discover true freedom and life to the full.
Sisters and brothers:- Do not be afraid … Jesus has been raised … he is the Lord.