Pastors Dan Eddy and Robert Schipul

Matthew 27:62-66 and Romans 6:3-11

“Buried to Bring to Life”

4-23-11

(Pastor Schipul)

THE GOSPEL READING…………………………Matthew 27:62-66 ESV

P: The Holy Gospel according to the Apostle, St. Matthew, the 27^th Chapter:

C: Glory to You, O Lord.

The events on the day before Easter.

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise to You, O Christ.

(Pastor Dan)

I. Introduction – Buried to bring back to life

You could bury magician Harry Houdini in anything, and he’d come back.

Seal him in a coffin…he’s get out. Lock him in a safe…he’s somehow free himself. Sew him into a sack…he would reappear. Chain him and throw him into a river…he’d survive.

Harry Houdini could get out, come back, reappear, and free himself from virtually anything.

Well, almost anything. On October 31, 1926, Houdini died of an acute appendicitis. He said to his wife, “If there is any way back, I will find it. If there is any way out, I will find you and I will make contact with you on the anniversary of my death.”

So Bess, his widow, kept a light burning by his picture every night. After ten years of wishing, and waiting, and hoping, she turned out that light and said, “I do not believe that Houdini can come back to me or to anyone.”

(Pastor Schipul)

II. Law: The power of death with no hope

Nothing preoccupies us as much as death, both our own and that of others. The traffic slows down in the turnpike and it comes from rubbernecking at an accident in the opposite direction because someone may have died. We observe a tidal wave sweeping across the Japanese shoreline covering human beings as it goes.

When a person survives a tragic accident or is found alive after such a devastating flood, we’re amazed. No one comes back from the dead!

When we confront our relationship with God as sinners who have missed the mark of perfection by a mile, death becomes more than just dying. It becomes permanent. A separation from God. The grave is so final. Life is gone…wiped out and so is our relationship with God. He is not by our side but on the other side of an eternal chasm. There is no hope because we are left to our own strength, and we have and will fail.

(Pastor Dan)

II. Gospel: The power of coming back to life – the certain hope

And that’s probably the way most of Jesus’ followers felt the day after His death. No hope…only failure. Like Houdini’s widow who eventually didn’t believe he was coming back, so the Women and Jesus’ Disciples did not believe that He was coming back. Like Houdini, Jesus had predicted that He would reappear. Christ’s prediction was even bolder. He’d rise in the flesh.

But the reality of this night: the tomb was sealed. Jesus was labeled as an imposter – deceiver. And about dozen well-trained Roman guards were going to make sure Jesus’ body remained buried. No Houdini tricks were going to happen with Christ.

Yet we know Jesus did something more spectacular than any magician’s tricks. From His buried body…Jesus unwrapped death’s linen, unsealed the coffin, unlocked the tomb, and banished the chains of death. He did more than survive. He came back to life in the flesh so you could someday.

That’s the point of our Epistle reading from Romans 6. Specifically look at verse 5:

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

I mean unless in the meantime Christ comes back to End time…we are all going to die. Even little Robbie. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death. We don’t like to think of that. But as daunting as that may sound…here in these texts is a promise that Houdini could never keep but Jesus does…because He has the power to.

His past action some 2000 years ago from the Cross still has power today. Baptism is the proof of that. That’s what Paul was saying here.

Just as sins were executed with Christ on the cross so your sins were executed at your baptism with the promise they have been forgiven.

The day of your baptism, in a way, is your Easter Vigil. You have the promise today while we wait for the End that you, too, will come back from your grave. For if you are united or buried with Christ in His death at your baptism then you will be united with Christ as you rise from your grave at the End, like Christ did on that first Easter.

(Pastor Schipul)

IV. Sanctification – living the power of Christ – a life of growing and maturing

What a joy to be here tonight. Here we celebrate the rising of the Son of God.

Robbie has been buried with Christ, with the Promise that as Christ was raised from the dead, Robbie can walk in a new life all his life here on Earth!

No longer in fear of death but able to live and celebrate life. Christ’s death and resurrection does make all the difference in the world.

As we grow and mature we begin to appreciate what Christ has done for us. We begin to see the link between God’s love for us through Christ and our love for others. We begin to see (more often than not) that God uses His redeemed to share His love.

I don’t believe that God can’t love without us being involved but I do believe the understanding of His love and Christ’s sacrifice is more understandable when

someone receives our love.

Rob and Monica, you have been chosen to bring Robbie here to receive that blessing. To be buried with Christ and raised again to new life. That sets him apart with the name: “Child of God,” and sends him out on his life’s adventure to love others because he is loved by you and His Heavenly Father, who tonight says: Robbie, you belong to me…I have called you by name!

(Pastor Dan)

V. Conclusion: Baptism – proof of Easter – Seal has been broken – Sealed to life

Easter is the proof of the power of Baptism. Without it we are like Houdini’s widow, we speculate and wish and hope in vain.

Satan wants us to be sealed off from Christ. Tonight for Robert Justin Schipul, Jr. the seal on his grave has been broken. His sins were buried and he was brought to everlasting life. The fraud of death has been exposed.

The deceiver is not Jesus but sin, Satan, and the power of death. Jesus broke the seal of death….and seals us with His love for everlasting life. Amen.