Easter 2C, 2025

Text: Rev 1:4-18

Title: Powerless?

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

Our nation, our world seems to be locked in a huge power struggle.  
The President against the judiciary.

The Republicans against the Democrats.

The states against the Federal government.

Then there’s Russia against Ukraine, the Palestinians against the Israelis, just to name a few.

All of these power struggles can make you feel powerless, helpless, left to the whims of those more powerful, more influential than you.

Decisions are made in Washington or Springfield that affect you and your life and it doesn’t seem like you have much of a say in the matter.  You can protest, you can voice your opinion on social media, you can even exercise your right to vote, but does that actually change things?  Does that actually have an effect on those with the power?  Or do they just keep on doing what they want regardless?

It’s certainly not just in the realm of politics that you feel powerless.

What about at work, when your bosses make decisions that have a major impact on your life, and you don’t have any input?

What about in your family, when you loved ones do and say things that hurt you and you can’t get them to change their minds and their behavior?

What about your own health, when you feel powerless against disease and old age and your own body turns against you?

Ultimately, it’s death itself and the threat of death that makes us feel the most powerless.  No matter what you try and how you live your life, one day you will die, and you are powerless to stop it.

This is nothing new, of course.

Generation after generation has faced these feelings of powerlessness.

Think of the disciples.  What did they do on Easter Sunday evening?  Where did they find themselves and why?

They were hiding in fear in the Upper Room. They felt powerless.  Jesus has been arrested, tried, and crucified, and they couldn’t stop it.  The Jewish leaders and the Roman officials had all the power, and they were powerless.

One of those men who were hiding in the Upper Room that night was St. John.  He wrote the Revelation that Jesus gave to him to the seven churches in Asia.  This book was written to that next generation of Christians.

Much of what the disciples had been afraid of on Easter evening was now happening.  Christians were being arrested, thrown in jail, even killed for their faith.  The Jewish leaders and the Roman officials were still against them.

There’s a good chance that by the time John writes these words, all the other apostles have been put to death for Jesus’ sake.

John himself has suffered, and he is writing these words from exile on the island of Patmos.

But to John on that Lord’s day, to the apostles on the first day of the week, to you, gathered here on the Lord’s day, the first day of the week, Jesus comes.

Jesus comes in the midst of your fear and says to you, “Fear not,” and “Peace be with you,” as He spoke to John and the apostles so long ago.

This Jesus, who still bears the marks of crucifixion, this Jesus, who shed His blood to set us free from our sins, is truly alive.

Locked doors couldn’t keep Him out.

Exile in a foreign land couldn’t keep Him out.

Not the Jewish leaders, not the Roman officials, not even Caesar Himself could keep Jesus from being with His people.

The case is still the same today.  That is the good news for you today.

No matter how bad things get, no matter what any earthly authorities do or say to you, no matter what is going wrong in your life today, nothing can keep Jesus from standing here with you.

That’s the message that John had for the churches of his day.  Jesus was standing there among the lampstands, and those lampstands stood for the churches.

The churches are a source of light to a dark world around them.

There’s a reason why we have candles in church. We don’t need them.  The lightbulbs work just fine, thanks.  The candles point to these verses and others which teach us about the light of Christ.

Jesus is the light of the world.  He is the light who continues to shine in darkness, even brighter than the sun.  Jesus is the light who cannot be extinguished, even by death itself.  He endured three hours of darkness on the cross. He endured three days of darkness in the tomb.  And yet, He brings the light back on Easter, never to be extinguished again.

The light from our paschal candle points to Jesus’ resurrection.  It was lit at the Easter Vigil as we proclaimed Jesus’ victory over death and darkness.  It will remain lit until the day of Jesus Ascension. 

That candle is lit whenever we have a baptism, to show us that our new life in Christ comes from His resurrection victory, and that we are joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection at our baptism. 

That candle is lit at every funeral to show that even when we die, we continue to live with Christ, and that He will raise our bodies, too, to be like His body when He returns.

The candles on the altar are always lit from the inside out.  The light starts with Jesus, who gives us His body and blood at this altar, and then flow out into the world.

Jesus is the light of the world and so are you. Just as the darkness could not overcome His light, so darkness cannot overcome the light that you bear.

You are not powerless.  You are not helpless.

Through His resurrection victory, Jesus has conquered all your enemies.  Through Jesus’ presence with you, you share in that victory, too.

Not even death, the final enemy, has any power over you, because you will live with Christ forever.

So walk out of this place with your head held high, with boldness and confidence.  You are not helpless.  You are not powerless.  You bear something more powerful than any weapons of this world.  You bear the light, the gospel of Christ, which will have ultimate victory over all the forces of darkness.

Yes, it may look like you are powerless.  Yes, it may look like you are defeated now and then. But this Revelation that Jesus Christ gave to John is not just for those seven churches in Asia.  This revelation is for you, too.

As we read, sing, and meditation on these words in the coming weeks, receive from Christ His power and strength to stand firm against all enemies, because He has already defeated them, even death itself.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!