In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Today, let's talk about someone who's going to "Rock Your World"! You know that phrase-"rock my world" don't you? You hear it a lot these days-even though it seems to have been coined as a phrase in the '60's and '70's, when there were various versions of it, and varied meanings. But generally, it means something-or someone is going to do something so wild, so crazy, so unexpected, so mind-boggling, that it's going to completely and totally change, not just your life, not just today-but your whole world-everything you knew and thought you knew; everything you used to believe as fact; everything you intend to do with the rest of your life. And have there ever been such "world-rocking" people and events in history?

     Last August, as I was driving alone to Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the General Retreat of the Society of the Holy Trinity, I got quite bored along I-70 around St. Louis, with the usual channels I listen to on satellite radio-you know, the Sinatra station, the Jimmy Buffett station, the Blue Collar Comedy station-so I hit the search button, and came upon a few fellows saying, "from the day I first met him, he changed my life. When he touched you, you weren't ever the same. He had that kind of power and charisma-and we all feel he's not gone, but still with us-every day." And whom do you think they were talking about-as someone who had rocked their world-and continues to rock their world? Elvis. It was Elvis' birthday, and these were guys who'd played in his band, and who were commemorating him on the "All Elvis Station".

     And then there's the mania about a particular potential presidential nominee-who has been described, surprisingly, as something like the savior of the world-having been depicted in a sculpture by a senior undergrad at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago-as the Messiah in the Son of God's robe and with a neon halo around his head. Now, while I'm not suggesting anything political about this person, or his candidacy, I was shocked to read that the sculptor of this messiah statue wrote, "this sculpture is in response to what I've been witnessing and hearing--this idea that this candidate is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins." And indeed, the speeches from this potential candidate do carry religious undertones, as in every speech, there's talk of change, transformation, and hope-always, the promise of hope, that things will be different, healed, changed and yes, saved! Can a president, any president, "rock our world", and make life in 21st century America, infinitely better? Some seem to think so.

     But beyond Elvis, and Obama-beyond the misguided folks who think their world has been rocked, by 9/11, by the love of our life, by our favorite musical group, by the great philosopher we read in college, by the Star Wars saga, can anyone really "rock our world"? Does anyone really have that kind of power and influence? Has anything really ever happened that shifted the world on its axis, "turned the page" in human history? And, do we truly want something, or someone to have that kind of impact on us?

     The one and only someone, who rocked, not just your world, or my world, but the universe throughout time and eternity, was Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, and who then ascended into heaven. Isn't it curious that St. Matthew tells us, "after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it." It's interesting to note, Matthew is the only evangelist who records this, so it suggests that Matthew was really trying to tell us something here-and what is he telling us but, in so many words-the resurrection of Jesus, would rock the world! Yes, and the resurrection of Jesus did rock the world, not figuratively, not as a turn of phrase, but when the angel of the Lord moved the stone and it was revealed to the world that Christ was risen, the world shook-the earth moved, and from that point on, human life, human history, our lives, would never be the same! And why was the resurrection of our Lord so earth-shattering? Why would this rock our world?

     Martin Luther wrote, "this article, of the resurrection of our Lord, has suffered and still suffers the most opposition and is the most difficult to believe.because nothing so contradicts experience as this one does. For our eyes see that all the world is swept away by death and dies. Emperors and kings, high and low, young and old, and in a word, all the children of men, one after the other, are laid in the grave and buried. Wild animals devour one, the sword devours another.and so on. Hence it is difficult to believe that man, who dies and perishes, is to live again-that his body, widely scattered, reduced to dust and ashes in fire, water and soil, are to be gathered again-and that his soul is again to live in the same body in which it lived before, and that he is to have the same eyes, ears, hands, and feet, except that the body, together with its members, is to have a different manner of existence. That", says Luther, "is difficult to believe." And we might say that resurrection, is nearly impossible to believe. As with Lazarus who had been dead and in the tomb for several days, and Mary and Martha feared that with his corruption in death, there would be a stench-so also Jesus was in the tomb for several days! There was no embalming to protect and defend the dead body for days or weeks. In that heat, and that climate, the body deteriorated quickly, and everyone knew it. Death was a real and immediate part of life-and no one in their right mind denied the reality of death. As surely as you lived, you also died. It had been that way since the beginning, and no one escaped death. Even Lazarus whom Jesus restored to life, still died a natural, earthly death in old age. Jesus, alone, died, but was raised to live forever. Jesus alone, was the resurrected one-who was raised to be the first fruits of those who had fallen asleep, so that real hope and real life was offered, not just to the Son of God, but to all God's children who believed. And that turned human life around.because now, in Jesus, death was not the last word. Now, in Jesus, humans could have the hope and promise of resurrection unto eternal life-so that our reality was no longer, "in the midst of life, we die, but in the midst of death, we live!" And you think this reality didn't rock the world?! You think this didn't create an earth-shattering stir, in the world in Jesus' time? You think this new reality, won't rock your world when, after death, your cold, stiff, lifeless body, receive the breath of life again, and your soul and body are reunited, and you are raised, to live again? I have no doubt that at the moment of death, most of us will peer into that gathering darkness with a bit of fear and trepidation. That's human nature. That's the natural human response to the unknown. Might we die and be dead forever? Might death be the end for us? The darkness of death will be all-consuming. Consciousness will end. Our world, at that moment, will seem to be the finality of non-existence. And Jesus will rock that world, when he speaks the word and says, "Awake, O Sleeper and rise from death, and I will give you light!" Can you imagine what that will be like, when we will be raised from death, to new life in Him? To come from a formless void, to be returned to our familiar bodies, to be taken to heaven, to be in the very presence of God Almighty? That-will be a life-changing experience, so to speak. Life-changing then, but equally life-changing now-as the earth-quaking resurrection of Jesus, is not just for then, but for now-to change our lives, now-with the reality of resurrection and new life. And how is the resurrection of Jesus, and the joy of Easter to rock our world, and transform our world, now?

     Well, there are many, many ways that our lives are to be different, because Jesus lives. But in our gospel account, two things happen to the women who have experienced the fact of the resurrection. First, the angel says, "come and see the place where he lay". First, the angel of the Lord wants the women to experience for themselves the fact that Jesus is risen, that he is no longer there, dead, in the tomb. But second, he commands them, "go quickly and tell the others that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you, and there you will see him." You see, in spite of all the resurrection means to you and to me, above all else, it means we are to move from "come and see", to "go and tell". In fact, Peter says in our second lesson, "we are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. That they put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear.and He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead." We have witnessed the crucifixion and death of Jesus, but now, we have also witnessed his resurrection on the third day-and we are being sent, by the angel, and by Jesus, to go, tell-to proclaim that Jesus is Lord of death and life-that in Him, in Jesus, is eternal life and salvation for all who believe. The earthquake of the resurrection is intended to shake us up, and to wake us up, and to bring us to our senses, so that we not only come and see-that we not only come on Easter Sunday and enjoy the feast of Christ's risen presence for ourselves-we are to be so rocked by Jesus' resurrection, that we go and tell-that we share the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, with those who are afraid, and living in fear of death. That we go and proclaim the light of Christ's resurrection with those who are living in darkness and the shadow of death. That we go and tell, our family members, and our friends and our neighbors-that Jesus will rock their world, and turn their lives around, and give them the hope and assurance of resurrection-so that life will be different for them; so that their lives will be transformed by the risen presence of Jesus, just as our lives are different, transformed, changed, by Jesus, alive, in our lives. When Jesus finally met the women that first Easter morning, he said to them, "do not be afraid-go and tell my brothers." And he says the same thing to us, this Easter morning. Now that we have seen Him, risen from death, now that our lives have been rocked by His resurrection-Jesus says to you and to me, "Do not be afraid; go and tell others, that they too, can see me, risen from death!" That's why we have come this morning-to see, Jesus Christ, the resurrected one-and now that we have seen Him, He says, "Go and tell!" Go and tell the good news-that Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.