1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.  2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb  3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said.  “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”  8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.  They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
- Mark 16:1-8, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, dear friends:

"I am."  These are only two little words, but together they make up a phrase that is packed with meaning.  Let’s break it down.  The pronoun "I" tells us that this statement comes from within.  Whoever is talking is divulging important information about him/herself.  The speaker person wants to communicate something personal.

"Am" is another small, seemingly insignificant word, but it is also very important.  The verb relates concrete information about the speaker, something that is true in the present.  Not I was in the past, not I might be in the future, but I am…right here, right now.

This morning we are talking about some things that are very personal to us.  And the events of Easter morning are just as true, just as relevant for Christians today, as they were two thousand years ago.  As we look into the tomb where Jesus was laid, the place of his final victory over sin and death and hell, let us take a moment to reflect on two important "I AM…" statements of Easter.  The first came from Jesus himself.  The second comes from Jesus’ followers.

"I am" statements are really nothing new to Jesus.  In John’s gospel, Jesus used seven different "I am" statements to describe himself.  Shortly after Jesus fed the 5,000, he told the crowds: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).

Later, Jesus referred to himself as "the Gate for the sheep" as well as "the Good Shepherd" (John 10:7,11).

At the tomb of his dead friend Lazarus, Jesus told Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25,26).

In the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday, Jesus told his disciples the night before he died: "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5).

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus did not hesitate to reveal himself.  Through his teachings and his miracles, Jesus declared himself to be the Son of God.  Some people refused to believe in him.  Others, even his own disciples, didn’t fully understand.  But on Easter morning, Jesus proved beyond a shadow of a doubt who he really was.  He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to because in this case actions spoke louder than words.

On Good Friday afternoon, Joseph and Nicodemus hastily wrapped Jesus’ body and laid it in Joseph’s tomb before the Passover.  Very early on Sunday morning, after the Passover, a group of women made their way to the tomb to give Jesus a proper burial. On the way, they realized that they had a problem.  How were they going to get into the tomb?  Who would roll the stone away from the entrance?

Their questions became irrelevant when they reached the tomb because Jesus himself had already given them an answer.  When they saw the open tomb, Jesus was telling the women: "I am…no ordinary man.  When the women looked into the empty tomb, Jesus told them: "I am…victorious over sin and death and hell."  When they saw the burial cloths folded neatly in the tomb, Jesus was telling them: "I am…the Lord, and you will see me again." When they heard the good news of the young man dressed in white, Jesus told them: "I am…the Supreme Commander of legions of angels who do my bidding.

On Easter morning Jesus did not say a single word, but his actions spoke volumes.  It was nothing less than a miracle.  The women had come to the tomb to pay their final respects.  They left the tomb with renewed hope.  The same hope is ours.  On this Easter morning, Jesus sends a message to us.  He proclaims: "I am the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.  I am Lord over life and death.  I am your Savior from sin.  I am coming back to take you to be with me forever."

The Easter Gospel is personal.  Jesus died for you.  The Easter Gospel is rock solid certain.  Jesus rose for you.  The good news of Easter leads Jesus’ followers to respond.

By now you have probably seen some of the ads connected with our Synod’s Outreach 2000 Easter campaign.  Over the past few weeks in the Milwaukee area, you may have seen the ads on yard signs and billboards, you may have heard the commercials on the radio, you may have even seen some of the ads on TV.  The phrase that is repeated over and over in these advertisements is "I am."

The ads were designed to be positive, not preachy.  As Christians, we want other people to know that "I am just like you.  I have problems in my life.  I have to deal with stress.  I make mistakes."  We don’t need really commercials to remind us, do we?  We are Christians, but we are far from perfect.  There is nothing inside of us that makes us especially worthy of God’s grace.  There is nothing that we can do to make us worthy of God’s forgiveness. No matter who we are, everyone in this sanctuary, everyone in the world, must complete this sentence the same way: "I am…a sinner."

So what is the difference?  What separates the believer from the unbeliever?  Nothing but trust in God’s promises, nothing but faith that God himself has created in our hearts.  Only by God’s grace do we have the hope of life after death.  Only by God’s grace can we appreciate the full meaning of Easter for our lives.

Because Jesus tells us, "Surely I am with you always… (Matthew 28:20), the believer can say, "I am…never alone."  Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins on Good Friday, the child of God can say, "I am…forgiven."  Because our Lord rose triumphant from the grave on Easter morning, the Christian can say with all confidence: "I am…saved through Jesus Christ."  Because Jesus ascended into the clouds forty days after Easter, the saints on earth can say: "I am going to heaven."

Some people are deathly afraid of cemeteries.  They will do anything they can to avoid them.  Perhaps they don’t want to think about death or their own mortality.  But for Christians, the tomb of Jesus is one grave that we will want to visit again and again.  On this glorious Easter morning, let’s give the empty tomb of Jesus the final word.  Without making a single sound, that empty grave proclaims to the world: "Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!"  Amen.