[Sermon from sunrise service at Avenue United Methodist Church on April 20, 2025]

This morning, you intentionally decided to get up, get dressed, and come to church. We don’t usually hold 6:15 a.m. worship services. Why did you come this morning? You may not even typically wake up on a Sunday at this time of day. I once heard that the son of a preacher asked him, “Dad, why can’t we have sunrise service on Wednesday evening?”

Many of us came this morning because it is our Easter tradition. Some of us came because we want to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Others of you have come with reverent hearts, much like Mary Magdalene and the other women did when they went to the tomb on that first Sunrise Service.

The Gospel of John tells us that “early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.” We know from the other Gospel accounts that she and some other women went to finish the burial process that was started on Friday before sunset. The Sabbath began at sunset that night, delaying the women from completing the task.

When Mary got to the tomb, she saw that the stone had been rolled away. The other Gospel accounts describe an earthquake shaking the countryside, soldiers passing out, and the stone rolling away. Matthew tells us that at Jesus’ resurrection, people who had previously died came back to life and went into Jerusalem and “appeared to many people.” Creation was declaring and groaning for resurrection and redemption that is possible through Jesus. That first sunrise service was impressive.

I want to examine a couple of things about how we are called to live as Easter People in 2025.

FEAR IS TURNED TO HOPE

In the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appears to the women, sitting on the stone that was previously in front of the tomb. The angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just has he said.”[1]

The world of the women and the disciples had fallen entirely apart a few days before. Once, they followed Jesus and were amazed by his teachings, his miracles, and his compassion for others. They had to be wide-eyed at the procession into Jerusalem on the previous Sunday. Just three days ago, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, arrested, beaten, hung on the cross, and laid in the tomb. The hope that Jesus embodied seemed to die with him.

The disciple’s world had been turned upside down. The angel told them to not be afraid. Why? Because Jesus was alive. Through the resurrection, Jesus will make right all the wrongs; Jesus will heal all that hurts; Jesus will turn fear into hope.

SORROWS ARE TURNED TO JOY

In the Gospel of John, Mary encountered the resurrected Jesus but did not recognize him until he called her by name. At that point, Mary recognized the voice of her Shepherd, her leader, her rabbi, her friend, and her Lord. It was a sound that Mary had to have heard hundreds of times before. In that moment, I imagine that all Mary’s sorrow was turned to joy. Jesus was not dead. He was not missing. His body had not been stolen. Jesus was alive and standing before her. After receiving instructions, Mary went to tell the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

Do we recognize the voice of our Savior and Lord? Do we recognize the voice of our Savior? There are many sorrows in this world; there are many trials, and yet, in the midst of them, Jesus calls us by name. Jesus knows us. Jesus loves us. Jesus calls to us. He wants to turn our sorrow into joy- because He is alive and at work in our lives. The resurrection turns our sorrow into joy because Jesus is alive!

EASTER IS THE START OF OUR WORK

Jesus told Mary to tell the other disciples that he was alive and to wait for him in Galilee. Later on that first Resurrection Sunday, the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them:

“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”[2]

Upon seeing the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus equipped them for ministry with the Holy Spirit and commissioned them to forgive the sins of others. Now, we know that this ministry didn’t fully go into effect until Forty Days later, at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples in the Upper Room. They went and proclaimed the resurrection, and 3000 people put their faith in Jesus.

As Easter People who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we have a calling! We are called to proclaim the hope of the resurrection that takes away our fear. We are called to proclaim that sorrow has been turned to joy. We are called to preach that Jesus is not dead, but is alive.

As we prepare to go about our day and celebrate Easter, remember that our celebration is not contained to just a day. We are Easter People every day! Let us not live in fear, but in the hope of Christ. Let us be people of joy because of what God has done for us. Let us join in the redemptive work that God is doing and point other people to God’s love and grace. Christ is Risen!

[1] Matthew 28:5-6, NIV.

[2] John 20:23, NIV.