Title: RUMORS TO “KILL” EASTER

Focus: Jesus’ resurrection raises opposition. Don’t be alarmed.

Function: To move the people to tell the story of Christ’s resurrection without apprehension when there is opposition.

Text: Matthew 28:11-15

On this Easter Sunday, the Twin Cities welcome some very special guests—about 3000 committed atheists from all over America. They have joined us because at this particular time hotel accommodations and schedules were all very favorable and workable for them. I join the citizens of Minneapolis and St. Paul and welcome them with open arms.

The Star Tribune may be surprised about such a welcome from Christians in this region. Last week, the newspaper alerted us to the coming of our distinguished guests, and the newspaper article implied that their presence in our midst on this Easter Sunday is probably an affront to Evangelical Christians—as if we should take offence at 3000 atheists having a conference on Easter Sunday in our city. Don’t take the bait, folks! Don’t be alarmed! In stead, let’s welcome the opportunity to tell the story of the Christian faith one more time to those who need to hear it. Rumors to “kill” Easter will always be with the Church. But these rumors cannot extinguish the testimony of the church, which declares with confidence: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.”

In our scientific age, what do you with things that you cannot explain scientifically or logically? Well, many people may develop a wait and see attitude; they refrain from making judgments. Such people refer to themselves as “agnostics.” For example, they do not know whether Jesus actually walked out of that tomb. And since they cannot know for certain (that is, prove scientifically and logically that Jesus was raised from the dead), they remain non-committal to the mystery of the resurrection; they call themselves “agnostics.”

Others, such as atheists, have a strong need to debunk or expose rationally or scientifically the impossibility of a dead man such as Jesus, walking out of a tomb. Such atheists claim to adhere to true logic and science; they see mystery and miracles as a threat to their belief system, which claims that there is no god and which has no room for miracles and mystery. And thus they are driven to “kill” the resurrection story of Jesus.

The Pharisees and chief priests, to be sure, were not atheists in the true sense of the word. But they are acting in a similar fashion. They try to “kill” the resurrection story by spreading a rumor.

Driven by doubt and fear, the Pharisees and chief priests had requested from the Roman governor a number of soldiers to guard the body and tomb of Jesus. They went to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that while (Jesus) was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:63-64).

On this resurrection Sunday, however, we find these Roman soldiers explaining to the Pharisees and chief priests what happened. The soldiers tell them the truth: that an earthquake rocked the tomb; that an angel from heaven scared the willies out of them, and that the angel had rolled the tombstone back and sat on the stone, like a guard.

The Pharisees and chief priests cannot stomach such truth, because it undermines their belief system and feeds into their fear of Jesus as a threat. So, they bribe the guards with a lot of money to “kill” the resurrection story: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’” They also assured the soldiers that they would “handle” their governor should he hear a report that his soldiers had fled from the tomb of Jesus.

There is an old, Dutch saying that goes something like this: Even though a lie may run wildly and quickly, the truth will catch up with it. The fact is that these last 2000 years the truth has outrun the lie. The lie or rumor mill continues its endless attacks against the resurrection story. But rumor attacks are useless. Somehow, the story of Jesus’ resurrection prevails.

So, we shall not despair when agnostics and atheists speak; we shall not fear their words, or be offended by their presence in our midst. Rather, we shall take the opportunity to say it once more: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again!” Worship Christ, the Risen King!

(Let’s sing it)