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This Week's Sermon THE RESURRECTION of OUR LORD 23 March 2008 "God Hasn't Quit" Matthew 28:1-10 LSB Series A Pastor Philip G. Meyer Soli Deo Gloria!

Many of you can remember when a sports victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat. Perhaps some of you remember the Indiana State basketball game about a month ago where ISU was down over twenty points, came back to tie, then fell down another twenty-some points. Defeat seemed certain. How could they rally from such a large deficit with the clock winding down? But it happened. They tied it up in the last seconds of regulation and the game went to overtime where they won. Victory was snatched from defeat. It was an improbable win. It was a comeback that no one had ever seen in Hulman Center before. The players didn't quit even though none would have blamed them if they did.

Such feats in the sports world pale in comparison to what happened in Jerusalem during Holy Week. What started out on a promising note ended badly. Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts and praises of the city. They hailed him as their King, the Messiah, strewing his pathway with palm branches and their garments. Victory seemed certain. How could anyone stop it? But it all began unraveling on Thursday as Jesus was arrested following his betrayal by one of his own disciples. No one defended Jesus. Even his own disciples fled from the scene and hid themselves. First Jesus was led to the Jewish religious authorities where he was beaten, humiliated, and mocked. Then he was shuttled off to Pilate where similar treatment happened. Next a murderer was chosen to live instead of Jesus and he was led out to be crucified. Maybe, just maybe, he would come down from the cross and strike all his enemies dead, but even Jesus seemed to breathe defeat from the cross when he shouted, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, ESV) This Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God, lay dead and buried in a borrowed tomb. This One who would redeem the world lay dead. The halls of hell resounded with shouts of victory. To all the world, even to hell itself, it seemed as though God had quit. God had been undone in Jesus' death and so, too, the salvation of the entire world.

But, of course, we aren't here today to lick our wounds over Jesus' death! We are here to celebrate his victory over sin, death, and hell! Wounded and scarred Jesus burst the bonds of death. God snatched his victory from the seeming jaws of defeat. God hadn't quit! Everything went according to plan. It happened as God intended and foretold down through the ages. God's plan involved his only-begotten Son becoming a true man and being subject to all the temptations that had ruined every other human being. Jesus would play the game, if you will, according to the rules of God's justice. There would be no cheating, no shortcuts, only complete obedience. And that obedience took him into the very depths of suffering, humiliation, and death.

But death and the grave could not hold him because he emerged victorious, just as he had said to his disciples many times. Look at the wonderful painting by Peter Paul Rubens on your bulletin cover this morning. There you see a robust, muscular Jesus bursting forth from the tomb. He claims his victory over sin, death, and hell and shows himself alive to the world. His mighty resurrection from the dead proves that "God Hasn't Quit" on the salvation of the world.

In the very darkest hour on Golgotha it seemed that God's victory was far, far away. Satan had succeeded in killing the Son of God, but it was a fatal[!] mistake for him. As Jesus went into death, he took all the sin of the world with him. The sin of the world-your sin and mine!-was taken with him into the tomb. There your sins stay because Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by dying in your place. His death is your death. Sin, death, and hell have no claim on you ever again. To prove that all of this is so, God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Jesus' resurrection vindicates his entire earthly ministry. That word vindicate is closely related to victory. It means that righteousness has triumphed over sin, life has conquered death, and the result of the sin of our first parents is forever undone by what Jesus has accomplished.

But consider how all the world believed that God had quit, that God had failed in the most titanic struggle ever. When it came down to your eternal destiny, it seemed that God had been outplayed, out maneuvered, outfoxed by his enemies, and ending up in a hopeless situation, he just quit, refusing to come down from the cross, the Father refusing to intervene at all on his Son's behalf.

But "God Hasn't Quit!" In the death of Jesus God was reconciling the world to himself. Nobody at this time, virtually no human being understood God's plan or could see its end, even though Jesus himself had told his disciples plainly that this is the way it would happen. They did not see victory, but only defeat, a defeat of unimagined proportions. Perhaps the depth of that sadness can be gauged by the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that very evening when the risen Christ appeared to them. In their disappointment and grief their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus as they said:

"But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened." (Luke 24:21, ESV)

"O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" (Luke 24:25-26, ESV)

Matthew begins the account of the resurrection by saying, "Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week . . ." Jesus completed all his work of redeeming the world on Friday and then took his Sabbath rest in the tomb. It recapitulates the dawn of the first Creation when God finished creating the heavens and the earth in six days and then took his rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath. But now Jesus bursts forth from the tomb on the first day of the week, the dawn of his new creation! It is the day of his victory when he shows the world that sin, death, and hell are undone. Christ offered himself as the sacrifice for all sin and all the world misunderstood because all the world believes that one must do something to save itself. Yet, that is certain and eternal defeat! But Christ is not defeated in his work. He triumphs! He brings victory out of what seems to be certain defeat.

"God Hasn't Quit," he's won! You know this! You've heard this message of his resurrection countless times. Indeed, every time the Church gathers for the Divine Service on the first day of the week, she celebrates his victory. She remembers that he rose from the dead on this day, this day of the new creation, this day of victory that will culminate in the final victory on the last day.

"God Hasn't Quit" on you, even though you may think so. Life often seems dark and dreadful for Christians. Being with Jesus in Holy Baptism brings you into his death. You were baptized into his death, writes the Apostle Paul [Romans 6]. You were buried with him. Being baptized doesn't give you immunity from the defeats of this life. Quite the contrary, being baptized into Christ means that you'll have more of them than those who aren't baptized. You'll have the troubles that are common to all people because of sin, and then you'll have still more troubles because you belong to Jesus. That's one of the reasons the disciples ran in fear when Jesus was arrested. They were afraid that they would get what he got. And indeed, you often do. Your life seems to be one defeat after another.

But you are also baptized into Christ's resurrection. His victory over sin, death, and hell are also your victory. It certainly seems improbable as you live out your earthly life and the troubles of your life seem to increase, especially those of the body. You will be raised again on the last day. Jesus has promised it. The very night before Jesus died he said to his disciples:

"Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:19, ESV)

First of all, it lies there at the foot of the cross. Hear the Apostle Paul in writing to the Romans:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1, ESV)

There is joy today because of Christ's victory over sin, death, and hell. It is your victory. It is your joy to know that death and the grave are not the end of you any more than they were the end of Jesus. Christ lives! You shall live! When the circumstances of your life seem their darkest, when all the world seems to conspire against you so that you see only total defeat, remember that "God Hasn't Quit" on you because of Christ. His resurrection proves that he hasn't left you alone in eternal defeat. The greatest victory has already taken place! One more victory remains for you, the resurrection of your body on the last day.

ISU fans saw a very improbable victory that night in Hulman Center. Defeat seemed certain but a great victory was won. An ever greater victory has already taken place in Jesus' death and resurrection. Nobody believed it would happen, but Christ himself had guaranteed it. And God did it! He didn't quit then and he won't quit on you who have been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection! Rejoice, for the angel's announcement still speaks to you whatever the circumstances of your life:

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." (Matthew 28:5-7, ESV)

He is arisen! Glorious Word!
Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
The gates of heav'n are open.
My Jesus did triumphant die,
And Satan's arrows broken lie,
Destroyed hell's fiercest weapon.
O hear what cheer!
Christ victorious,
Rising glorious,
Life is giving.
He was dead but now is living!

Text (st. 1): Public domain. LSB 488
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.