Returning from the tomb [the women] told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

Luke 24: 9-11

“An idle tale.”

That’s what the apostles thought when they first heard the news that Jesus was risen. They did not believe it. And I wonder – would we react any differently? 

Imagine what it would be like if this miracle happened today. Imagine the world waking up to the news – that a well-known faith-teacher and miracle-worker, who died on Friday, was now alive again, according to his followers. 

Imagine those first witnesses sharing this joyous news on social media. And imagine the world’s reaction: The skepticism that would soon follow. The “fact-checking” that would take place. The arguments. Oh, the arguments. The demand for proof. The news channels interviewing so-called “experts.” And on and on. 

Maybe it’s good that the first Easter happened when it did! 

But, then again, isn’t that basically what happened on that first Easter? The resurrection of Jesus, it seems, has always been met with skepticism. 

What Can Be Believed?

It is sometimes hard to know what to believe, isn’t it? And that is especially true in our day and age. We see a video online and wonder if it really happened. We read a story shared by a friend on Facebook and wonder whether it’s actually true. Or we hear a statistic, offered by a so-called expert, which seems to directly contradict what we just heard from another so-called expert. And it often seems easier to simply believe neither.

It is hard to know what to believe these days; and it’s tempting not to believe any of it.

And then we come to this wonderful day – when we gather to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord, and the loving, living presence of Jesus among us. And even here, shaped by our world, there can still be a quiet little voice within us that wonders: Is it really true? And if so, where is Jesus now? Where’s the proof?

We live in a time when all of us are taught to question, and to doubt, and to suspend belief until we have proof. And so, I think it is natural, even today, to be a little bit skeptical. Just like those first apostles. 

No Idle Tale!

But here we are, two thousand years later, gathering with countless Christians around the globe, to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Why? Because the news of Jesus’ resurrection was no idle tale. It happened, and it changed the course of the apostles’ lives forever. And ours too. 

We are here because Jesus really was raised from the dead. We are here because doubt and skepticism did not win the day. We are here because the truth won the day. And the truth was, and is, that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. 

Easter happened. It is real. It is true. And it changes everything. That is why we are here today. Because Jesus is alive and well. 

Here is how the Christian poet, Christian Wiman, describes this, in a paragraph so powerful that I have posted on my bulletin board:

If every Bible is lost, if every church crumbles to dust, if the last believer in the last prayer opens her eyes and lets it all finally go, Christ will appear on this earth as calmly and casually as he appeared to the disciples walking to Emmaus after his death, who did not recognize this man to whom they had pledged their very lives; this man whom they had seen beaten, crucified, abandoned by God; this man who, after walking the dusty road with them, after sharing an ordinary meal and discussing the scriptures, had to vanish once more in order to make them see.

In other words, Easter is true. It is no idle tale. And it does not depend on our faith for it to be true. It simply is. 

Jesus Christ is alive. Every Bible could be lost, every church destroyed, and even every Christian could give up on him, and he would still be alive. And he will still return one day, to bring the kingdom of heaven into its promised fullness. Jesus Christ is alive. And nothing will ever change that. 

Easter Changes Everything

And, of course, if Jesus Christ is alive, then that changes everything. In all sorts of ways, nothing is the same because Jesus is alive. 

The resurrection of Jesus gives us a glimpse into eternity. And once we have glimpsed eternity, everything in this life and in this world looks different. Because everything is different. 

Death is no longer the end. The powers that rebel against God, then and now, no longer win. And we don’t have to worry about all that. So we are free to live and love in a bold new way. That is the power and gift of Easter. 

The First Easter

Think again of those first apostles. Go back to that first Easter, where they are hiding behind locked doors, in the upper room. What happened? How did they go from scared and confused, to courageous and faithful? Easter happened! And it changed everything. 

Those apostles were radically changed by Jesus’ resurrection. They left that locked room, and shouted the good news of Easter from the rooftops, even when it endangered their lives. They went on to live fearlessly, filled with joy and hope. Nothing in this world could take away their joy, once they embraced the resurrection. 

They began to see that anything is possible in the light of Easter. Those first apostles now trusted the one who promised them eternal life. And their lives show us what can happen when we put aside our doubt, and embrace the good news at the heart of this day, that Christ really and truly is risen. 

Those first apostles show us that embracing Easter can take away all our fear. Because we now know that no matter how bad things may look in this life, our living God can always bring good out of it. 

Those first apostles teach us what it means to trust the God who raised Jesus from the dead. To realize that in that first Easter, God has changed the very course of this world, forever. And this changed the way those first apostles lived their lives. 

Easter Across the Centuries

But let’s not stop with the apostles. Think of how many people in these last 2,000 years have placed their faith and trust in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. And think of what difference Easter made to their lives. 

We all know people whose faith has inspired us; who have faced challenges in this life that would be impossible without trusting in the miracle of Easter. We all know people whose hope and joy and love simply cannot be conquered. Because they know the God of hope and of joy and of love. They know the God of Easter. And they have embraced the good news at the heart of this day. 

Easter’s New Rules

Embracing Easter changes us in a way that nothing else can. But why? Because Easter means that the rules have changed, the rules that we thought this world had to live by have been changed by the miracle at the heart of this day. 

Let me share with you three of the most important rules that have changed because of Easter. And why embracing Easter changes us, too. 

First, and most obviously, Easter means that God has changed the most basic rule of all – that everyone dies – and that means that there is truly nothing to fear in this life. The empty tomb takes away our fear, because we are now assured of heaven. The greatest enemy has been defeated, and the greatest fear no longer has any power over us. 

God’s newly-revised Easter rules also mean that nothing can now separate us from the love of God: Not doubt. Not sin. Not even denying Jesus. The apostles doubted. They sinned. They denied knowing Jesus.So what did Jesus do? He appeared to them and dispelled their doubts and forgave their sins. These are the new rules. Doubt, denial, sin. These don’t separate us from God’s love. Jesus simply won’t let them. Nothing can now separate us from the love of God. And that means that embracing Easter means having our hearts filled with God’s love, no matter what we have done in this life. 

And the third newly-revised Easter rule? There is now no situation in life that is completely hopeless. Those first apostles thought they had found a completely hopeless situation. Their leader was dead and buried in a tomb. Their hope was, literally, dead and buried. But Easter showed them that you can’t kill hope when you have faith. You can’t bury hope when you trust in the rule-changer.

Hope will always be alive, because Jesus will always be alive. And all things can now work together for the good for those who love him. 

There is no tomb that can hide God’s love. There is no tomb that can bury our hope. No earthly power that can bury our hope. Nothing in this world can do that. Easter means nothing if it does not mean that. 

And so, today, we can rejoice. No matter what is happening in our life or in our world. We can and must rejoice. Because Christ is risen. And this is no idle tale. 

Christ Truly Is Risen!

Easter changes the rules forever. We no longer need to fear death. We no longer need to fear tomorrow. And we no longer need to ever give up hope.

In the newly-revised rules of Easter, resurrection takes the place of death; faith takes the place of doubt; courage takes the place of fear; hope takes the place of despair; and a love stronger than death conquers all.

There is no need to doubt or despair, ever again. The Resurrection is true. It is no idle tale. And it changes the rules forever. 

Believe it, rejoice in it, and let your life be changed forever by this miracle. For Christ truly is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!