We are, once again, experiencing a great deal of turmoil in the world: the horrific war in Ukraine, the terrorist attack in the New York subway, frequent shootings right down the street in Philadelphia.  So much turmoil, death and destruction.  This turmoil offers us an insight into the turmoil in Israel in the time of Jesus, as the Jewish people struggled to survive under the oppressive rule of the Romans and the common Jew suffered from the misuse of power by many of their own leaders.  And, we need simply to look at human history and find that it is filled with turmoil.  Tragically, most of this turmoil is the result of human greed and selfishness, the worst of human nature in action.

It was into this world that the Son of God became the son of Mary.  Although, as we heard in this evening’s first reading, God saw that it was very good when he created us, shortly thereafter, we turned against God and then against each other. We’re all familiar with that from the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the story of Cain slaying Abel.  In this evening’s second reading, we hear of God working to free his people from their turmoil caused by their oppression at the hands of the Egyptians.  In this evening’s reading from the New Testament, we hear St. Paul assure us that, in Jesus, we are freed from all turmoil caused by our slavery to sin.  And, in tonight’s Gospel, we hear the beginning of the accounts surrounding Jesus’ resurrection, through which our risen Lord frees us all, at last, from the turmoil of this life as he offers us the promise of heavenly peace.  When Jesus was born, Luke’s Gospel reports that an angel and a multitude of heavenly host sang in glorious praise as they announced this great event to the shepherds grazing their flocks nearby.  And then, when he rose from the dead, we hear in this evening’s Gospel account, also from Luke, that angels in dazzling garments appeared to the women in front of his tomb.  And, these heavenly interventions were truly fitting as the world witnessed first the coming of God in the form of man and then his overcoming death in the Resurrection!  Indeed, over these past three days, we have celebrated something most unusual – in fact, absolutely unique in the history of humanity.  God, the almighty, the creator of the universe and all that is in it, the maker of light and darkness, life and death, has died in his human form.  As we recite in the Nicene Creed every Sunday, “for our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried.”  Every Good Friday, silence envelopes the earth as it contemplates this moment of great turmoil as we put to death the one who gave us life!  Over these past two days, no sacraments are celebrated.  The holy water fonts are bare.  We contemplate the absence of God-made-man, for Jesus has died.

But, his death is not in vain!  Nor did Jesus, who worked so hard while he was alive among us – teaching and healing – rest in death.  As we proclaim in the Apostles’ Creed, after he was buried, “he descended into hell.”  We all know that this “hell” does not speak of the place where those who had rejected God are banished for all eternity, but rather that place where the faithful who had died before him awaited the opening of the gates of heaven, closed as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve.  Even in death, our Lord was at work!  He has overcome death and the prince of death and now has gone to raise those who were “dwelling in darkness and the shadow of death.”

In the reading from the prophet Ezekiel, we hear the Lord God promise, “I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land.”  Although those who heard this prophecy might have thought that they were being called back to Jerusalem, it was in reality a foretelling of their being called to the new and heavenly Jerusalem. 

“On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”  Thus, the Apostles’ Creed continues. Yes, our Lord has arisen, not to live again in this world, but rather to return to his glorious seat in heaven!  And, he has taken with him all those who had served him faithfully here on earth, as he served his heavenly Father while he was on earth. 

Like the women who went to the tomb, we too, find ourselves puzzling over all of these events, just as we find ourselves puzzling over all of the turmoil in our world.  But, we can rejoice for we know that Jesus is, indeed, raised from the dead.  Sin and death have no more power over him.  Nor do they have power over us!  In the next fifty days, we can live afresh through the appearances of Jesus, the discoveries of the early disciples, and the mission work of Paul and the other Apostles.  As Jesus appeared to them, let him appear to us – where each of us is at this very moment.  Let the Lord call us – like he called Peter, Philip, James, John and Paul in his time and Stepfenie, Harry, Emma and Andrew are being called this evening – to preach the Good News to the people we encounter in our daily lives.

Let us rejoice, for our Lord has risen and in him we have the power to live through the turmoil of this world as we await the time we are called to everlasting peace with him in heaven!