He is risen!

The Da Vinci Code is a book that has flown off the shelves in recent years with worldwide sales topping 80 million copies. It is a book that it is hard to put down, it is a thriller that at the end of each chapter leaves you with a cliff-hanger – you have to read on. In my opinion, one thing the book lacks is any real character development.

The Bible is also book that flies off the shelves. It is estimated that 100 million are sold annually.

The Times said in 1996:

"Forget modern British novelists and TV tie-ins, the Bible is the best-selling book every year. If sales of the Bible were included in best-seller lists, it would be a rare week when anything else would achieve a look in. It is wonderful, weird ... that in this godless age... this one book should go on selling, every month."

The passage from Luke’s gospel, from the international bestselling book of all time, is just as much of a page turner as the Da Vinci Code. And yet, unlike the Da Vinci Code, the Bible is all about character development and character development based upon truth.

Definition of Character - the distinctive marks of a person.

What are the distinctive marks of Jesus in this passage from Luke?

1. He is risen!

The women have spent a lot of money on perfume to dress the corpse of Jesus. Not something they would have done if they had expected to find the tomb empty. As they approach the tomb there is no talk of them being witnesses to the resurrection – they have no idea that such a thing is possible.

Out of respect and practicality the women approach the tomb. These women, like many of the women we know, where practical, reliable and there when needed – with Jesus as he died, when he was laid to rest and now here to show due respect to his corpse.

As they approach they say they find the stone rolled away. Then they get the shock of their lives – they did not find a body; then two men in dazzling white appear. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.

Let us hold the story right there for the first bit of Jesus’ character development “He is not here, but has risen” This is a clear declaration. There is no surmise or conjecture simply “He… has risen”

Those three words are the most important three words in the world. Jesus is alive and all he said would happen has happened. He has risen!

Now this is not a happy ending in any of the Gospels…it is a startling new beginning. As Tom Wright says “Easter morning isn’t a slow, gentle wake up after a difficult operation. It’s the electric shock that brings someone back to life in a whole new way.” He continues, “That’s why the Easter stories tumble out in bits and pieces, with breathless chasings to and fro and garbled reports – and then, stories like nothing else before or since.”

This is an experience that does not fit a known category. You can imagine them saying “I know this sounds crazy, but this truly happened.”

And I stand before you now because of this truth, this new creation; you are here and are alongside 2.1 billion people worldwide who mark this new creation…because what started with Jesus that Easter morning was for the whole world.

We are invited to get on board with this new creation.

How does this take you, what do you think? The surprise of this new creation…new every morning?

Take heart… the women needed time to recall all that Jesus had told them.  Then they remembered his words and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.

Who should hear the good news of his resurrection? The eleven disciples – including Peter, the very people who had deserted him at his time of death and repeatedly denied knowing him.

2. Here is the second distinctive mark of Jesus’ character, He forgives!

How wonderful it is for us to know that Jesus trusted the disciples with the faith, the new creation, even though he knew they were very human – less than perfect. He renewed their calling to faith in Him just as he renews ours again and again and again. He forgives!

And finally the third distinctive mark of Jesus character is in the words “remember how he told you”.

Jesus knew what would happen to himself. However, even for the women going to the tomb with perfume to dress his corpse, (those women who had been with him day-in-day-out) it was so hard for them to understand…until they saw it with their own eyes. Peter too had to stoop and look in to believe. Again this is good for us to hear as we can all struggle with doubts about who Jesus truly is. In the tough times remember everything Jesus said would happen did happen. 3. He is faithful!

He is Risen

He forgives

He is faithful

Imagine if we released the energy and surprise of the resurrection throughout the world in which we life? If the truth that he is risen, forgives and is faithful were taken to heart by all people…

Only God can make this happen…and just as it was for those few individuals that first Easter Day…so it is with us…we can be changed forever by this new creation…new every morning… that’s the way this good news is spread one person at a time, one person to another…

So let it start afresh with us as we pray, as we share this Eucharist, as we go back to our homes, as we go to work, as we share with family and friends, as we look out for our neighbours, as we live lives in the light of this resurrection!

The Da Vinci Code is a good read. The story of Jesus is alive and will never end, it is constantly retold in our lives. It is contained in the pages of the Bible and comes alive when we open ourselves to be being part of its life giving truth.

Amen