(Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Winfred B. Vergara at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 2197 Jackson Avenue, Seaford, New York. March 23, 2008)

This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

One morning while getting ready to go to the office, I received a strange phone call. A sweet voice from the other line asked, “Is this Dustin Hoffman?” Obviously, it was a wrong number and so I replied jokingly, “I’m sorry, I’m not Dustin Hoffman; I’m Dustin furniture.” Two Sundays ago, when we were in California and preaching in the Ascension Church in Vallejo, the reading was about the raising of Lazarus. I told them about my experience in one church when I read the gospel and wanting to be more dramatic, I shouted the words of Jesus, “Lazarus, come out!” From the basement of the church, came a louder voice saying, “I’m coming out!” It was the janitor---and his name happened to be Lazarus!

Life has a lot of surprises. In the movie, Forrest Gump, the young Forrest talked about his mother who taught him that “Life is like a box of chocolates; you’ll never know what’s inside until you open it.” May you open more surprises in your life?

In the resurrection story, the biggest surprise to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary was the empty tomb. As the world slept after an exhausting and tumultuous week of his passion, crucifixion death and burial, the body of Jesus rose from the dead and was transformed into an eternal and spiritual body.  There are three things that the Easter story addresses

First, the Easter Story addresses our fears.
The angel that met Mary Magdalene and Mary Salome said to them, “Do not be afraid.”

In the 1970’s, a story is told of a man dreamt that he was riding on an airplane and was seated beside an earthquake. The earthquake told him that he was going to Guatemala to kill 100 people. The following day, there was a huge earthquake in Guatemala and the newspapers reported, “300 people died in an earthquake.” The man dreamt again that night and see the same earthquake so he confronted him, “Mr. Earthquake, you are a liar. You told me that you were going to kill only people. Why is it that 300 people were killed?” The earthquake said, “ I am not a liar for I really killed only 100 people---the other 200 died out of fear.”

The Easter story addresses our fears, our fears of pain, of danger, of suffering, of the unknown---even our fear of death. The rising to life again of Jesus was not simply resuscitation like that of Lazarus. There have been many reported incidences of some people who were clinically dead and then were brought back to life. But they died again. Lazarus rose from the dead but many years later he also died.

The resurrected Jesus was not a zombie rising from the dead and walking like Frankenstein. The resurrection was a transformation of the mortal body into immortality; a physical body into a spiritual body. The resurrection was not a temporary resuscitation to life---but a transformation into an eternal and spiritual life.

Second, Easter addresses our hopes.
St. Paul said, if there is not resurrection from the dead, we, Christians are of all people, most to be pitied. But the truth is, there is a resurrection from the dead. The angel again said to the women, “Go quickly and tell his disciples, He has been raised from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee and there you will see him.”

In the other gospels, Jesus indeed showed himself to the eleven apostles, to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus and to as many as five hundred disciples at the same time.

The resurrection of Jesus gives us hope that we can live life to the full while we are on earth, and then beyond it, we will be with God forever. Our resurrected body will no longer bound by time and space. It will become a third dimension body----able to transcend the boundaries and limitations of the physical.

Thirdly and finally, the Easter Story addresses our sense of purpose or meaning.
At the death of Jesus, the apostles were under severe depression. They were feeling the guilt and shame. Judas betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver and then committed suicide. Peter denied him three times. All the apostles, except John, were nowhere to be found at Golgotha, the scene of the crucifixion. Now they who were living were filled with guilt and shame. Peter, James and John went back fishing. All seemed to have been lost. All seemed unable to move forward.

But at the resurrection of Jesus, their zeal was renewed; their sense of meaning was revived; their mission and vision revitalized. Now they were willing to preach the kingdom of God without fear. Now they were eager to witness to the truth of Jesus, to confront kings and governors, to stake their lives for the claim that they were disciples of the Way, the Truth and the Life---who is Jesus.

St. Paul, a post-resurrection apostle, said “it’s no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me.” They were no longer living for themselves alone but for Jesus who died and rose again.” They began to live a purpose-drive life.

Are you one who fears for your life? Are you one who worries about the future? Are you one who feels there is no deeper purpose or meaning to your life? Are you one who feel who do not have a sense of mission?

Conclusion
Let me conclude my message with this little story about a pencil. The Pencil Maker took aside a pencil and said: “Before I let you out into the world, I have five things to tell you. First, you can do things only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand; second, you will experience sharpening and sometimes this is painful but that is to make you a good pencil; third, with your eraser, you can correct your mistakes; fourth, the best part of you is what’s inside; and fifth, wherever you are and whatever you do, you must make a mark and write with passion, love and commitment. If you remember these things, you may become be the best pencil you can ever be.” Then the Pencil Maker put the pencil into a box and shipped it out into the world. 

Today, on this Easter Sunday, I pray that you and I will become a great pencil in the hand of God. Surrender your life to Jesus. For Jesus alone can indeed meet you deepest needs; Jesus alone can heal your spirit; Jesus alone can mend your broken heart; Jesus alone can wipe the tears from your eyes. Indeed, Jesus alone can give you a new vision, a new mission, a new sense of purpose or meaning. Indeed, if you allow yourself to be held in Jesus’ hand, you make become the best pencil creating great marks in the world. Amen.