Easter Vigil

Ex. 3:13-14; Ex 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Jonah 1:17-2:10; 1 Samuel 17

Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10

The Rev'd Margaret Dyer-Chamberlain

April 4, 2026

https://vimeo.com/1180210671

Good evening, St. Aidan’s.

“Do not be afraid.”

These four words stand out to me, in this evening’s Gospel text from Matthew. We hear these words twice in this short reading – once from the angel of the Lord and once from the risen Jesus. “Do not be afraid.”

It probably isn’t any wonder that I’m focused on these words, because we are living in frightening, troubled, confusing times. Things are happening that are inexplicable – perhaps they don’t seem as heartbreaking as the aftermath of the death of Christ recounted in this Gospel text, or as dramatic as the great earthquake and appearance of an angel of the Lord, but pain is pain and heartbreak is heartbreak. The confusion and uncertainty surrounding us in our time – it throws us off. Many of us feel that the civil rights that have been so hard won in our country – and in many parts of the world – have eroded. Many of us feel personally attacked. Many of us feel like our life’s work in advancing social justice policy and practice is being undone. The harsh realities of our time hit us in ways that we can’t always fully anticipate or plan for. And so – fear can be one of our first reactions – it’s a human reaction, after all.

And yet, in story after story in our faith – and in the stories we heard from our gifted St. Aidan’s storytellers this evening – we are reminded – do not be afraid. Because God is with us, dedicated to us, in all of our fears and brokenness and challenges. God was right there with the Israelites at the Red Sea, with Jonah in the belly of the great fish, with the shepherd David battling mighty Goliath.

In our Gospel text, God is fully present too. God sends an angel to be with Mary Magdalen and Mary and the disciples and to tell them that Christ has been raised from the dead – to explain to them that resurrection is real. It’s not that all of the uncertainties of Jesus’ followers are answered in that moment – I have to believe that confusion might still have been a part of their reaction. I can imagine that at least of few asking themselves “That angel? What was up with that?” But they decide that they will believe Jesus has been raised from the dead, they meet Jesus again, and they worship him. They trust in their risen Christ. And then they go forth, to spread the good word in Galilee, as Jesus asks them to do.

The writer Kyndall Rothaus wrote of our Easter season scripture texts that “The God in these texts does not provide answers or solutions to life’s quandries or offer much in the way of relief from its trials. But, this God shows up, speaks names, reveals scars, takes walks, breaks bread, guards sheep. Resurrection, it turns out, is not the end of suffering, but the return of presence – divinity choosing to stay with us in every shadowed valley and fearful moment along our way.”

This really speaks to me because we are – all of us - on a journey of life that is full of twists and turns. Shadowed valleys and fearful moments. Moments that yearn for resurrection. Moments in which we need God’s presence. Moments in which we need that reminder – do not be afraid.

There’s another part of our Gospel reading that caught my attention too. It’s the part about Mary Magdelene and Mary and the disciples leaving the tomb of Jesus “with fear and great joy.” Now, I’ve talked about the fear, but what about the joy? I think we’re invited, in this Gospel text, to ponder what this mix of emotions – fear and joy – is like for us, and what it was like for Jesus’ followers. It’s hard to imagine a deeper fear than they were experiencing – their beloved teacher had just been killed by the Empire. How did they find themselves able to be open to great joy?

We might be tempted to explain their joy as coming from the dramatic encounter with the angel – that’s pretty amazing after all, and who wouldn’t want to believe such a vision? But I think there’s more to it than that, because these were people who had been patiently following Jesus for quite some time. They had deep belief in his ministry. They were convinced that he was guiding them to new life – to a different way of life – to a foundation that was all about loving God and loving neighbor.

And so, I think they were open – in a very real way - to the resurrection joy that was present in front of them. They were vigilant and ready, and so they were able to fully notice what the spirit was telling them. They were open to the presence of God. They saw the joy in Jesus’ resurrection.

This causes me to ponder how we also can be open to God’s presence and to joy. Amidst whatever is going on in our lives and in our world. To me, joy sometimes feels like God’s grace breaking through the clouds of my life – a little glimmer of love or lightness or hope. A little smile in my day. It’s often unexpected, and I don’t really know where it comes from. I’m a world champion worrier, and so for me fear is always the thing threatening to gain the upper hand. It’s been helpful for me to think about the people at the tomb and how they just didn’t let that fear loop take over. They chose to embrace resurrection joy instead.

I’m sure it was a journey for Jesus’ followers to get to that point, and it’s a journey for us too. It’s a patient journey, this journey of faith. Our Gospel story keeps bringing me back to thinking about how we might ground ourselves in noticing how God is showing up for us. How God is present in our lives. Perhaps there are times when we need to listen intently for God’s voice. Perhaps there are times when we need to act boldly, other times when it’s all about prayer. Perhaps there are times when we need to rest and simply let God hold us. Perhaps there are times that we see the face of God in a newborn baby’s face, or in the kindness of a stranger, or in the love of family and friends, or in worship, or in the beauty of God’s creation.

In all of these times – and in others we can think of - I pray for us that we feel God’s presence and experience glimmers of resurrection joy. I pray for us that we share our stories and experiences of God’s love with one another, in community. And I pray for us that we share the good news of Jesus throughout our fractured, hurting world.

“Do not be afraid” the angel said. Jesus has been raised from the dead.

Alleluia and Amen.