It Was Night and Then It Was Not

Easter April 5, 2026

Texts for this sermon are Matthew 28:1-10, John 17:1-2, John 1:1-4, 1 John 1:1-2,4-5

That Dark Night

In addressing the problem of evil, the great scholar N. T. Wright says this about what God does in the crucifixion:

YHWH in person, on the cross, where evil of the world does all that it can and where 
the Creator of the world does what God can. Jesus [God incarnate] suffers the full consequences of evil: evil from the political, social, cultural, personal, moral, religious and spiritual angles all rolled into one; evil in the downward spiral hurtling toward the pit of destruction and despair. As he does so precisely as the act of redemption, of taking that downward fall and exhausting it, so that there may be new creation, new covenant, forgiveness, freedom and hope. Evil and the Justice of God, p. 92.

And it was night.
And night again.
And again.

And then it was day That Day

That New Day

Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Mag′dalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.  And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, “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 Jesus 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. Lo, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.                      

The earth shook and the noon-day sky turned to night when Jesus gave up his Spirit. So it is that the earth shook and the dawn broke upon a New day when Jesus rose from the grave.

Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You have given him power over all living flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You Have given him. 

In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This One was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through This One, and apart from This Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In This One was life, and the life was the Light of humankind. 

What was in the Beginning, which we have examined with our ears, which we have seen with our eyes, which we beheld and the hands of us touched: the Word of Life!—and the Eternal Life was revealed, and…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son Jesus the Christ. These things we write, so that your joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from God and announce to you, that God is Light, and in God there is no darkness at all.

Living into that New Day

May this unfathomable work God has done: God’s intent to redeem, restore the harmony of God’s glorious creation and God’s great and personal love for us, grip us, move us from a cerebral-like acknowledgement to a vivid acclamation of joy and a way of life radiant with love.

Linda Quanstrom, Pastor

Cornelius UMC

Cornelius OR