"JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN ‑HE  IS  RISEN  INDEED!"   How much time did you take to get your Physical Body ready for this morning’s worship service and for your Easter Celebration today?  After all, it is  Easter Sunday and everyone looks  so  nice!  Have you ever stopped   to figure out the amount of time  it has taken for  you to  prepare  for  this  day  properly?   For  some of our guests, it may have involved  a  long  trip on the road.  For some parents and grandparents it has meant long hours looking for just the  RIGHT  EASTER  CLOTHES FOR THEIR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN to  wear.  It has meant getting the Easter dinner  and  all  its  trimmings ready.  I imagine a conservative estimate  might  be  that it has taken AT LEAST 4 hours for each of  us  that are worshiping here this morning TO GET OUR PHYSICAL BODIES READY FOR OUR EASTER CELEBRATION TODAY!
       My how times have  changed!   It  wasn't that way on the FIRST EASTER SUNDAY however.  No, there were no Easter lilies and decorations  which  we  consider  necessary  to  properly celebrate Easter.  There were no special Easter Breakfasts or Dinners on that first  Easter  Sunday!   There was no special music or Easter songs such  as  "JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN TODAY" or "I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!" On the  contrary,  things  were  pretty  depressing  and dreary, and the mood was like you have just  lost  your best friend! 
       The followers of  Jesus  had just seen their best friend die and now they had work  to  do on that First  Easter Sunday Morning, but it  wasn't very pleasant or joyful  work!  They needed to finish embalming the BODY of their dear  leader Jesus Christ‑ who had  died  on  the cross just 3 days  earlier on Friday.  We call  it GOOD FRIDAY TODAY‑ but Jesus' disciples and the women who  were  at  the  foot of the cross didn't think it was VERY GOOD.  Jesus was dead and now it was  time for His followers to give him a decent and proper burial  and to pay their last respects to Jesus!
       The spices were gathered and a time early in the morning just as the sun was rising was agreed upon to go to the tomb.   In the early hours, before  the  sun  was  up, they left for  Jesus' grave.  They walked quietly and somberly to visit the  grave of their leader Jesus Christ! 
       A guard had been  placed  to  protect  the grave because  there had been some rumors and gossip about Jesus rising from the grave and the Roman government did not want Jesus’ disciples to steal His body and then claim that Jesus had risen from the grave.
       As the women  walked up to the grave they were stunned to find  an open tomb  and  no  guards were seen anywhere!  The  question they asked themselves  "WHERE IS JESUS?  WHERE IS HIS BODY?"  Suddenly 2  men appeared (angels)  and  answered  their question with the  Good News of Easter and  for  eternity;  "WHY DO YOU LOOK FOR  THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?  HE IS NOT HERE‑ HE HAS RISEN!"
       Let us stop for a moment as we gather here to worship on  this Easter Sunday  Morning  and  ask  ourselves a question!   "HOW WOULD YOUR WORLD AND MY  WORLD BE DIFFERENT  IF THE WOMEN  HAD GONE TO THE TOMB AND  FOUND THE GUARDS AT THEIR POST, THE STONE IN PLACE  AND  JESUS  STILL  IN  THE  TOMB‑ DEFEATED BY DEATH?"
       St. Paul sums it up for  us in 1 Corinthians 15: 17 when  he says, "IF CHRIST HAD  NOT  BEEN  RAISED FROM THE DEAD‑ OUR  FAITH IS IN VAIN AND WE ARE ALL LOST IN OUR SINS."  If Christ  is not raised from  the  dead,  we  are  all  condemned to  eternal death in hell!  If Christ  is not raised, we might as  well give up all hope,  because  we  are LOST AND HELPLESS IN SIN IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY!
       But the Good News of  the  Gospel  for  us today is that  "CHRIST  HAS  RISEN  FROM  THE  DEAD!”   It  is  a  FACT‑  not  speculation, a wish or  a  dream.   CHRIST HAS RISEN FROM THE  DEAD!  “CHRIST IS RISEN- HE IS RISEN INDEED- HALLELUJAH!  As Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Salome  and the others  whose  names  are  unknown to us discovered on  that first Easter Morning the  answer to our question and the  source of our EASTER JOY‑ WHERE  IS JESUS?  HE IS NOT HERE IN  THE TOMB‑ HE IS RISEN!"
       To help us understand the meaning of our Savior’s Suffering, Death and Resurrection, our Lenten series has focused upon the theme “THE BODY OF CHRIST!  Feet, Hands, Mouth, Ears, Eyes, Heart and Blood.   “THE BODY OF CHRIST” is a source of blessing for all with whom Jesus comes into contact with in God’s Word and in our Christian faith!
       With His FEET, Jesus walked from one village to another, so that His HANDS could touch and heal people and their lives.  Jesus’ MOUTH continually announced the forgiveness of sins and proclaimed the love of a gracious Heavenly Father.  The EARS of Jesus listened to the cries for mercy from others and His EYES were open to see their misery.  Most importantly, The HEART of Jesus , full of compassion and love, again and again prompted Him to use the power of God to heal and to comfort them with the forgiveness of their sins, even to the point of RISING FROM THE GRAVE.  Jesus Christ used the full capacity of His Body to bring God’s Love and God’s Kingdom into this World!
       What does this  Good  News  mean  for us  today on this  Easter Sunday morning? Have you  taken  the  time  to  reflect   upon   the  true  meaning  of  celebration of Easter for your life?
       THE BODY OF CHRIST HAS RISEN- THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT WE CELEBRATE TODAY AND EVERYDAY!  It isn’t a spirit sort of body.  The RISEN BODY OF CHRIST was changed to a glorious, eternal body when He rose from the dead, defeating the power of sin, death and the Devil once and for all. And because Jesus Christ lives, we shall live also!  And through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have been raised with Christ and we  too shall have better eternal bodies prepared for the eternal joy of heaven!
       SINCE WE HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST- EASTER ISN’T JUST A HISTORICAL EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE ABOUT 2000 YEARS AGO.  EASTER IS A WAY FOR LIVING FOR TODAY!
       I read a story about a young soldier who lost his legs in a war.  Something died within this young man when he found out he would never walk again.  He lay in his hospital bed staring blankly at the ceiling.  He refused to talk to anyone who tried to help him.  He refused to cooperate with doctors and nurses who wanted to try to comfort and strengthen him.
       One day another patient in the hospital strolled in and sat down on a chair near the bed.  He pulled a harmonica from his pocket and began to play softly.  The patient looked at him for a second and then went back to staring absently at the ceiling.  That was all for that day.  The next day the harmonica player came and visited him again and continued to do the same thing for the next few days without saying anything to the patient.  One day, the harmonica player said, “DOES MY HARMONICA PLAYING ANNOY YOU?”  The patient said, “No, I guess I like it and look forward to hearing it each day.”  They talked a little more each day!
       One day the harmonica player was in a particularly happy and jovial mood and while playing the harmonica began to do a tap dance.  The soldier looked on but was not impressed and turned away.  The harmonica player said with a friendly smile, “HEY, WHY DON’T YOU SMILE ONCE IN A WHILE AND LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALIVE!”  But the legless soldier said, “I MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION I AM IN.  CAN’T YOU SEE I DON’T HAVE ANY LEGS AND CAN’T WALK OR MOVE?”
       “Okay,” answered his happy friend, “it seems to me you are dead.  But you’re not as dead as a man who was crucified 2000 years ago and He came out of it all right.”
       “It’s easy for you to talk and preach to me about Jesus, but if you were in my situation, you’d be playing and dancing a different tune.”
       Hearing this,  the harmonica player/dancer stood up and said, “I know that a 2000 year old resurrection is pretty far in the past.  So maybe an up to date example will help you believe it can be done and work out all right!”  The harmonica player then pulled up his trouser legs and the young man in the bed looked and saw 2 ARTIFICIAL LEGS on the man.  The tap-dancing man with the harmonica wasn’t just telling a story.  He had experienced it himself.  He once lay where that young soldier lay without any legs.  He himself had experienced and known the power of a resurrection!  He had learned to live life abundantly even without his legs lost in a battle.  Needless to say the young soldier’s resurrection to life began that day and he soon began to get up and live once again!
       EASTER ISN’T ABOUT DYING.  It is the power of Faith in a world filled with LOST HOPE AND SEEMINGLY HOPELESS SITUATIONS!  It is knowing that no situation in life is beyond God’s love and redeeming power.  Easter is confidence that God will never forget us or forsake us or give up on us!        Where is the RISEN BODY OF CHRIST NOW?  Where is the RISEN BODY OF CHRIST TODAY?  We know that it is no longer physically walking the dusty roads of Palestine and preaching and healing, for He was crucified and buried.  We also know from God’s Word that the Body of Christ is no longer in the tomb either, for the angels announced to the women that Jesus Christ was risen, and Jesus appeared to them and to many disciples.  One answer to the question, “Where is the Body of Christ now” is, “IT IS IN HEAVEN” and that is true!
       But there is another answer to the same question and this answer is also true and is GOOD NEWS for each of us!  THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST IS RIGHT HERE!  The RISEN BODY OF CHRIST is within the walls of this building, gathered together for worship, seated in these chairs, being prepared to go out into the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World!  THE GOOD NEWS IS WE ARE THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST in our world today!
       We are the FEET of Christ when we walk into hospital rooms to bring the presence of God to people in need of healing and care.  When we walk into the homes of members, homes of the elderly and shut in and into nursing homes to bring the presence of Jesus Christ to the loneliness- WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST!
       We are the HANDS of Christ when we pray for people and touch them with love and care and Christian concern.  We are the MOUTH of Christ when we speak of God’s love, gentleness and mercy to the brokenhearted and to the grieving, when we announce forgiveness to those who feel the guilt of their sins!  We are the EARS of Christ when we hear the cries of the sad and weary and listen  patiently to people who need to express their pain and exhaustion and hear them with Christ’s love and attitude.  We are the EYES of Christ when we see people in need and respond in Christian love and Care.
       We are the HEART of Christ as the love of God moves us to contribute generously to ministry of the Gospel here at EPIPHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH with our time, treasures and talents, with generous sums of money, hours of service and using our abilities to the glory of God!  It is the very Heart of Christ that compels us to respond in this way!- WE ARE THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST!
       Where do we get the strength and power to do all of this and to be the BODY OF CHRIST?  We draw strength from God’s Word, the good news of forgiveness which gives life to our Body in Christ.  We draw strength from the Sacraments of Holy Baptism which gives NEW BIRTH into the BODY of CHRIST and from Holy Communion which sustains us with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior and the Head of the Church!
       As Members of the Body of Christ we can take care of one another.  That is one of the reasons why we gather together for worship and for times of Christian fellowship.  Only when we are all here- is the BODY OF CHRIST COMPLETE.  When we are ALL here together in Christ’s name- WE DRAW STRENGTH FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM OUR SHARED CHRISTIAN FAITH!
       Where is the RISEN BODY OF CHRIST  in your life?   By God's Grace we can say  that Jesus is by our side and  in our hearts.   We can say with boldness and joy: I believe that  Jesus Christ has paid for my sins  on the Cross of Calvary.  I  believe that because Jesus Christ rose  from the dead‑ I will receive eternal life  in  heaven  because  of  God's  gift of  faith in Jesus Christ as my  Savior.   I believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of my Life and of My Body and of the Body of Christ here on earth being prepared for eternal life in heaven so that OUR BODY IS COMPLETE IN THE RISEN BODY OF CHRIST!
         To quote a recent newsletter article "JESUS CHRIST HAS RISEN‑ HE SURE HAS! What better news to “ SHARE” with other people so that they can become members of the body of Christ!  JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN- HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Copyright © 2008 by Pastor Mark Cattau.  All rights reserved.

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