The disciples were perplexed about Easter. Easter was a problem for them. In fact, mark tells us that the disciples never did quite understand what Jesus was trying to tell them - until after Easter. Their whole walk with Jesus was one of perplexity. They didn't understand him. Until after Easter. In that, they had good company. They stood with the whole rest of the world. Until after Easter. They had followed after Jesus, expecting a king - someone to sit on the throne of David. Someone to rescue Israel from Rome; someone to deliver them from oppression. But instead the Romans crucified Him, and it looked like the same old story - the one who makes the rules wins the games. The Romans were making all the rules. But they thought that maybe Jesus could change things. But they were wrong. It was like Albert Schweitzer said: "Jesus pushed on the great wheel of history, bending all of his power to finally get it moving, to push it on, and bring in, finally, God's kingdom. And he did move it. But he, himself, was caught on it, impaled upon its spokes, and was crushed beneath it."

Those who strive to make a difference, always get crucified. Life goes on, nothing seems to change much - the rules never change. And so the disciples were perplexed.

So they decided to let things be. They'd had enough. They'd already gotten in enough trouble with the Romans and the church authorities. They were all set to go back to their fishing. But god would not let things be. The disciples came to the tomb early that morning to pay their last respects to Jesus. But Jesus wasn't there. The disciples were perplexed, and fearful. God had come in the night - into their night - and changed the rules.

You'd think they'd be overjoyed, wouldn't you? But they weren't! They were perplexed - and fearful. They were so used to the old game, the old rules. It's easier to do what you've always done; to play by rules that are familiar - even if you always lose. At least you know what's going on. But Mary had sung, "He has thrown down the mighty from their seats, and exalted those of low degree." (Luke 1:52) Jesus had said, "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven." (Luke 6:20) Just when we think we understand the rules, God goes and changes them, and upsets everything! Just when it looks like the game is ended, God begins it all over again - with new rules! Just when we'd gotten used to Good Friday, suddenly there is Easter Sunday! And it perplexes us. It frightens us. We don't know how to act now!

"Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, the angels said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."' And they remembered His words." Luke 24:5-8

How do we act in the light of Easter? How do we live in the clear dawn of the resurrection? How do we respond, now that Jesus is raised from the dead? First of all, we have to remember his promise; we have to realize that we're in a whole new ball game. The rules have changed. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our god and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." It's a new ball game. Someone new is making up the rules for this old world. Paul says, "It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know this - that when He appears, we shall be like Him." 1 John 3:2

We know how things look now - and they don't look too good! But that isn't what SHALL be. And the message of Easter is that what SHALL be has broken into what IS! The future has broken into the present! Heaven has been brought down to earth. And things will not be what they always were. Now we've got to decide whether we're going to live in the past, in the age and kingdom that is passing away, or in the future kingdom that God is bringing into the world through Jesus' resurrection.

Easter is about risk - about change. It is also about people who shut themselves off to new possibilities: "Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. But their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them." Luke 24:9-11

Don't you want to scream at them: "Get with it, apostles! Get with the new program!"

A lot of people - even Christians - still think that the world has the last word, that Jesus remains in the grave, or has gone to heaven, and has lost interest in really doing anything. "Right now, we live in a dog-eat-dog world. You've got to look out for number one. You've got to protect yourself. You've got to take care of yourself, or no one else will. The Satan is in charge, and the devil take the hindmost!" We hear about Easter, but it seems to us like an idle tale, told by a bunch of gossipy old women who don't have anything better to do than tell stories. It's not in tune with real life. But what we have done, in reality, is we've sold out to a world that is passing away, to a Satan who has already been defeated.

Jesus Christ IS risen! Hi IS alive! There IS an empty tomb! God HAS stepped into human history, and brought His kingdom into our midst. And now, like Joshua of old, he challenges us to choose whom we will serve. To which kingdom will you belong? Where will you live the rest of your life? In the old, dying kingdom, where everything leads so predictably to death? I guess that's the attraction of it - it IS predictable - as predictable as death and taxes! And living in it isn't too risky - everyone in that kingdom is busy building walls to protect themselves, to keep everyone else out and keep themselves undisturbed. The new kingdom - God's kingdom - is more risky. Life is messy and full of potholes. But it's also full of possibilities. Stepping into tomorrow is always risky, even though we know that God holds all our tomorrows in the palm of his hand. But we don't know what he has planned there. So it is risky. Hope is risky! But to not live in hope is to live in despair!

That is what Easter Sunday is all about. We are living in God's tomorrow. He is beginning it today. He is already bringing in his kingdom - first of all, in our hearts, as we believe him - as we believe in his love, in Jesus' death for our forgiveness, and in His resurrection and the possibility of new life it brings. He is also beginning his new kingdom among us - here in this fellowship, in this group that he calls his body. We are the sign in this world of his presence - his real presence, his resurrected presence in the world.

Because he lives, all that is possible.

Yes, we still foul up and we fail, because we are, in too many ways, more of the old kingdom than of the new. We still cling to the world that is passing away, just like Mary, according to John's Gospel, wanted to cling to Jesus. But because he lives, we also belong to the resurrection, to the kingdom where Jesus reigns. We can belong there, if we so choose. It exists. It is a reality. We know it, because of the resurrection.

Let Jesus rule in your heart. If you've never asked him before, ask him now. Your life doesn't have to be "business as usual." The bullies of this world don't have to run your life. "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world." You can have real hope. You can live a life full of promise - even if you're eighty or ninety years old - because what is that in the face of eternity? This is just the beginning of life for you - a life that gets better and better as it extends on into eternity!

Because he lives, you can also live - really live! Because he lives, you can experience his presence, even now, even here, among us. Because he lives, and is present here, among us, in this - his body - his kingdom has already begun - his kingdom come and his will is being done. It's like the song says:

Just because He lives!"

As you receive the bread and wine, the body and blood of your Lord today, know that He is truly present - not only in, with, and under the elements - but in, with, and under your life. Because he lives, he can live in you. Because he lives, his kingdom can come in, with and under your life. Because he lives - you, too, can live!