Sermon Audio

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away.”

Dear saints of God assembled here: Hallelujah! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!] The sight that the women who went to the tomb saw is the sign to you that He is risen, and that His resurrection is victory over sin, death, and the devil, and over all dead religions.

First, over sin, the payment was made. As we have heard, time and time again, the wages of sin is death (cf. Romans 6:23), a death from which, for this mortal and corruptible flesh, there is no return. Sin is the device by which man is separated from God. Sin drives a wedge between man and God. And as you are no doubt aware, you are imbued in and with sin, dear listener; therefore, sin is what separates you from God, and there is nothing you can do to rectify this—you cannot overcome sin and join yourself to God. Sin is unholy; God is holy—and the two cannot be together; He would not have it that way.

Yet, He did just that! For the Son of God took on our mortal substance, enfleshed in the womb of Mary by the Holy Ghost—He joined Himself to you! For 33 years, the Son of God lived as the perfect, sinless, holy man that Adam wanted no part of, and of which we could not be part. He lived among the sin-stained for those 33 years, was even baptized in that same sin-filthy water as they were. But it was on a particularly Good Friday that this perfectly holy and sinless man became the most vile sinner creation has ever known. His sin, though not His, was so vile, that even the Father could not bear to look upon Him; so He cried out, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which translated, means, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (cf. Mark 15:34) The sin was not His, but yours; He took it all into His perfect, holy flesh—every last little bit of it—and knowing that all things were accomplished, said, “It is finished!” “And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” (cf. John 19:30) He died with it, destroying it.

His death is victory over sin.

...And also the devil. It was predicted long ago that the serpent would bruise the Promised Seed’s heel, but that the Seed would crush the serpent’s head. Now, to our eyes, the cross upon which the Promised Seed died looks nothing like victory. Yet, in that moment, the suffering and agony that the Seed bore in our place amounted to nothing more than a bruised heel compared to the crushed head of the serpent. Of this, the author of the letter to the Hebrews declares, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil...” (Hebrews 2:14) Satan’s dominion is ended, though by all appearances, we may think otherwise—he still prowls around like a roaring lion (cf. 1 Peter 5:8), but He is powerless to destroy.

Contrary to appearances, His death is victory over the devil.

As for death, that one is simple. The grave could not contain One who is divine. And so, on the third day, the Son of God and Son of Man, Emmanuel—God-with-us—stepped out of the grave. Death could not hold Him, even as St. Paul declares:

Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father...Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:4, 9-10)

His resurrection is victory over death.

Dear listeners, His victory over sin, death, and the devil is not merely His, however. The one thing that differentiates Christianity from all other religions is that what God does, He does for you. Therefore, His victory is for you. In fact, His victory is your victory. His death and resurrection are your death and resurrection. He died for your sin and gives you the benefits of His perfect life and His innocent suffering and death; O happy exchange!

Dear listeners, this is yours, you who believe and are baptized (cf. Mark 16:16), for the words “for you” require hearts to believe. “The death that He died,” St. Paul wrote, “He died to sin once for all;” therefore, His death is your death. No longer need you fear dying for sin; baptized into the death of Christ, His death for sin is your death to sin. For you who are baptized, the death you face now is simply the end of your mortal existence and serves as the gateway to your immortal existence (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:53); the gateway to life eternal and the eternal, holy presence of God and His Son

Furthermore, just as you have been baptized into His death, you are also baptized into His resurrection; once again, proclaimed from the pen of St. Paul, who wrote, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Romans 6:4-5) Yes, these mortal bodies will taste death, should the Christ not return in our lifetime, but that means they will also taste of the glorious resurrection from the dead, finally entering that life eternal and the eternal, holy presence of God and His Son.

Christ’s death and resurrection are your death and resurrection. His victory over sin, death, and the devil is your victory over sin, death, and the devil. These no longer have dominion over Him, therefore, being baptized into His name, into His death and resurrection, being joined to Him, these no longer have dominion over you!

This is what is proclaimed in the words, “Hallelujah! Christ is risen; He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!” This is what is declared to you in the stone being rolled away from the mouth of the tomb.

The stone-less entrance is your invitation to see that Christ is not among the dead. And if He is not among the dead, then He is among the living. And if He is not among the dead, neither are you, dear Baptized; like Him, you are among the living. You have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer you who live, but Christ lives in you; the life which you now live in the flesh you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you. (cf. Galatians 2:20) You are here in the presence of the living God, and His resurrected and ascended Son; this is a picture of the life that is yours now, though not yet. That is to say, this is the land of the Living—alive in Christ. (cf. Romans 6:11)

Furthermore, Christ’s death and resurrection are victory over dead religions, as signified by the formerly stoned-up entrance to His grave. Recall that it was the chief priests and Pharisees who clamored to Pilate to have the tomb sealed. Pilate agreed to it: “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” (cf. Matthew 27:62-65) No might of man, however, could keep the Son of God in the grave; Christ burst forth from His three-day prison, despite the works of man.

His resurrection is victory over dead religions, and even this is for you.

You see, the works of man avail nothing—and all dead religions are religions of works, without true faith. These do not and cannot hinder the Christ from His work or to save man from his sin. Christ conquers all, and He is the only One who conquers; He is the Mighty Conqueror (cf. Revelation 19:11-16). “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus declared, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Therefore, He went to the cross and grave; He suffered, died, and was buried. By this, you are forgiven for all of your sins.

But, that’s not the end of the story. “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away.” Hallelujah! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!] The victory is yours, dear Baptized!