+ 3rd Sunday of Easter – May 4th, 2025 +

Series C: Acts 9:1-22; Revelation 5:1-14; John 21:1-19

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church

Milton, WA

“Death and Resurrection Story”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Ever noticed how some of the classic stories have similar themes or central events that hold the whole story together? Like how Spock died after entering a chamber full of radiation to save the Enterprise, only to come back to life again. Or how Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are both brought back from the death of poison or a curse by a beloved kiss. Or how Aslan lays down his life in sacrifice on the Stone Table, only to arise the next day and crack that same Stone Table, defeat the Witch, save Narnia. We watch or read these stories and think…well, that’s a good story and all. Too good to be true. Everyone knows that dead people stay dead and death and resurrection stories are just that, stories, and happy endings only happen in fairy tales.

But what if there was a story that sounded too good to be true, only it really happened. What if there was a true story of death and resurrection, that wasn’t made on screen or in a fantasy world, but in real history? Well, there is, and it’s the story we hear and the theme that is echoed throughout all of our Scripture readings this morning. The true story of death and resurrection in Jesus who died and rose for you.

From Paul’s conversion in Acts to John’s Revelation to Jesus’ appearances with his disciples after his resurrection, it’s Jesus’ death and resurrection that is at the center of each of these true death and resurrection stories.

In Acts 9, we’re given the account of Paul’s conversion. And while outwardly he appears to be alive, “breathing threats and murder” before the high priest…in reality he is dead in his trespasses and sin. As Paul will later describe our sinful condition in Romans, his mouth and heart were an open grave spewing forth curses against Christ and his followers. Saul, as he was known before this, was a dead man walking.

But then Saul gets blindsided and knocked off his horse by the resurrected Lord. A light from heaven blinds him – a reminder that he’s blind in sin as well as sight, and helpless apart from the holy one of Israel. And Jesus speaks to him. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

As the story goes on he’s led to Damascus where he waits three days. Three days of blindness and death…but then resurrection. Faith given and created by Jesus who died and rose for the dead in their trespasses sinners like Saul and you and me. Jesus sends Ananias to be his servant and bring his death and resurrection to raise Saul from the death of his sin. “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.

What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus was a miracle. Jesus turned Saul into St. Paul — an enemy of the Gospel into a bold preacher of the Gospel. Jesus performs the same miracle upon you in Baptism. We are all “Sauls” according to our sinful nature. Dead in sin and unbelief, and rebels against God. But Jesus’ death and resurrection was poured out upon you in the waters of Holy Baptism. The font is your Damascus road. You were dead and now you’re resurrected.

Death and resurrection is at the center of the reading from John’s Revelation today as well. In Revelation 5, John weeps because no one is found to open the scroll – who can possibly hold all the world, its history and events in their hands? Is there anyone? There is. John is shown the Lamb. The Lamb. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Lamb who is slain and yet victorious. The crucified and resurrected Lamb who ransoms us by his blood. It’s not just the church on earth that praises Jesus the Lamb for his death and resurrection. The airwaves in heaven are filled with the songs of death and resurrection. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

When Jesus appears before his disciples again in John 21, once again Jesus’ death and resurrection surrounds the events. There’s Jesus’ own appearance before his disciples…yet another confirmation that he who is crucified is also now risen from the dead. Jesus reveals what his death and resurrection mean for his disciples, then and now. He reveals how his death and resurrection shape our own callings in life.

For the disciples this was a reminder that everything they had – from the tunics and cloaks wrapped around their bodies, to the fish in their nets (all 153 of them!) came from Jesus. On their own they have nothing…they’re as good as dead in body and soul. And so are we. On our own, what do we have? Nothing. We’re as blind as Saul. As empty-netted and lost in denial as Peter. We’re as empty-handed as the fishermen disciples.

And this is exactly where our Lord wants us as his disciples. Every artist has their favorite medium to work with. Some prefer paint. Others prefer wood or clay or metal. When it comes to his saving work and gracious rescue, God’s favorite medium for the artistry of his grace is dead and broken and lost things. Death and resurrection is Jesus’ specialty. Jesus dies and rises. Then, as we see in Acts with Saul and John in Revelation, and the disciples in John 21, Jesus brings his death and resurrection to us. Death and resurrection isn’t just the story of Jesus’ life. It’s the story of your life too.

When the pastor poured that water over you in your baptism, you died. Your sin was put to death, drown, and sunk to the bottom of Christ’s tomb. But you also were raised out of those waters, brought up from the deep, given new life, and resurrected in Jesus’ resurrection. And so, now every day of life follows that same pattern. We die to sin. We live in God’s gifts of repentance and forgiveness of sins, knowing that here in our brokenness and death and lostness is where Jesus does his best work: raising us from the dead, giving us new life, reconciling us to him and to one another by his dying and rising.

Your life in Jesus is also one of dying and rising. It happened in your baptism. It happens daily. And it’ll happen again when our Lord returns. For we already know the end of the story. Jesus rose from the dead, and in him, so will you. Your faith isn’t fiction or fantasy. Your faith is founded on this fact: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

For unlike all the other world religions and so-called saviors out there, we have a God who knows his way out of the grave. We have the God who died and rose to bring us a truly happy ending in the true story of his death and resurrection for you.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.