THE GOOD NEWS EASTER SERMON 2008
Scripture: Acts 10:34-43, John 20:1-18
What an exciting day to be a preacher! It’s also somewhat intimidating to be the person whose responsibility it is to lead you in worship on the most holy day of our church year, a day when usually attendance is better than other Sundays. Yes we are very pleased to have each and every one of you here this morning to share this worship with us. One of the reasons preachers want so much to preach their very best on this day is the hope that one of you will hear something that gives you the inspiration and/or insight that will bring you closer to God, that will make a difference in your life. So the pressure’s on!
Yes, today is Easter and I want to shout, “Jesus Lives” and talk about what that means for us. Many of you believe that the stories about resurrection of Jesus are historically and literally true; others of us understand them more as metaphors, yet pointing to a very real truth. During Lent some of us have been studying “The Last Week” by Borg and Crossan, a look at the Gospel of Mark’s account of Jesus activities from Palm Sunday to Easter. If any of you want to explore the truth of metaphors and parables in the Bible, this book is a wonderful resource. Many people like to focus on the empty tomb and what happened to the crucified body and how to explain that to non-believers. But just as Barbara Brown Taylor has said, “The resurrection is the one and only event in Jesus’ life that was entirely between him and God. There were no witnesses whatsoever. No one on earth can say what happened inside that tomb because no one was there. They all arrived after the fact.” For our purposes this morning, it doesn’t matter whether you have a literal belief or a metaphorical understanding of the resurrection, the question for us is what do these stories mean.
The land where Jesus was born and where he did his ministry was a colony of the Roman Empire, a classic example of what is called a domination system, a place of political oppression, economic exploitation, and even religious legitimation—the emperor was called God’s son. This society was established and maintained by violence, Pontius Pilate and the Roman Imperial soldiers. Last Sunday our congregation had two parades into Jerusalem: from the East came Jesus on the donkey, followed by the disciples and the crowds, largely the peasants and outcasts, the rural poor. From the West came Pilate and the soldiers, showing off the power, glory and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession showed an alternative vision, a messenger of peace and justice for all. Jesus had a tremendous passion for the kingdom of God. In fact his very first sermon, which took place after his baptism by John and the 40 days of temptation in the desert with Satan, spoke about this kingdom, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mk.1:15) For Jesus the kingdom of God was a life of abundance for all, a society that was the way God intended everyone to live—individually, socially, politically, and religiously—a domination free society.[1]
In the three short years of Jesus’ ministry, he kept showing us over and over again that God is calling us to a life of love, compassion, forgiveness and confrontation of the injustice in the world around us. This passion of Jesus for the kingdom of God led him to stand up for the poor, the outcasts, the women, the children, all those on the bottom rung of society’s hierarchy. As we can imagine this stance made him many enemies, especially the religious and political leaders, those in power in Jerusalem. For Jesus “kingdom of God” was both political and religious. In the society of that first century, kingdom was a common word used in referring to the kingdoms of Herod and his sons, the kingdom of Rome. Jesus used the kingdom word to suggest that there could be a very different kingdom than the one the people of Jerusalem had known. So as Jesus’ passion for God’s kingdom revealed itself more and more, his opposition, his enemies increased. We need look no further than Good Friday to see how powerful the forces are against the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ last week proceeded from the joyous shouts of praise on Palm Sunday, to his betrayal by Judas, his arrest, his appearance before the authorities, his denial by Peter and others, the crowds (many of the same people who were praising him on Sunday) shouting, “Crucify him”, his being hung on the cross—the official instrument of death for those who showed rebellion against the domination system—his dying and being buried in the tomb. On the day after the Sabbath, early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene (in other gospels accompanied by other women, but in John’s gospel she is alone) goes to the tomb and finds the stone removed from the entrance and immediately runs to tell Peter and the other disciple, who come and witness the empty tomb and returned to their homes. As Mary remains there weeping, she looks into the tomb and sees the angels and then she turns and sees a man she mistakes for the gardener. This man asks why she is weeping and then calls her by name, and Mary recognizes him as Jesus, the first of many appearances that were reported by Jesus’ followers. Mary goes and tells the others, “I have seen the Lord.”
What does it mean when we proclaim along with Mary Magdalene that, “Jesus lives”? I believe the meaning is that his spirit, his presence as his disciples knew in him before his crucifixion, continues to be known. Through all the many different appearance stories, this presence of Jesus was real and Jesus’ presence continues to be real today although in a radically new way. He is no longer a figure of flesh and blood, confined to time and space. We read in the Bible how he could enter locked rooms and accompany his disciples without being recognized. We are also told that he will abide with his followers, “to the end of the age”. Jesus is not to be found among the dead, in the tombs, but among the living, amongst you and me. Some of us both then and now feel his presence so strongly at times that it might be described as a vision. I can remember the time when I was coming out of a long dark night of the soul, I did without a doubt feel his arms around me, comforting me as the tears flowed down my face. Not all believers have this experience and I think of Jesus’ statement in the Gospel of John, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Jesus’ resurrection as well as his ascension is not something subject to empirical evidence, scientific proof. For most Christians the tangible evidence of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives today is not the empty tomb but the presence of the Spirit in our lives. We do not have Jesus’ physical hands and feet in front of us. We can’t put our fingers in the nail marks. Although he may not appear physically to us to prepare breakfast, we can see his presence in soup kitchens, in the hands and feet of those like Peter Cram, Sam and Corbin Griest who just returned from building yet another house for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. We can see him in the patient and affirming presence of Christine and Lee Marcroft as they regularly make themselves available to the GLBT community in places like PFlag meetings and screenings of that wonderful movie, The Bible Tells Us So. We see Christ in the dedication and gifts of Jane Waters and the choir as they faithfully practice to bring us the beauty of music to our worship. We see him in the children and the Sunday school teachers as they gather to learn more about the kingdom of God. Have you noticed Jesus’ presence in Margaret Seymour as she leads us in Bible study; and what about in the members of that Lenten book study that gave us new insights and understandings about the passion of Jesus? I see that Jesus lives each time one of you reaches out to extend hospitality to a new person worshiping with us. Jesus is right there with Jim Carpenter and the other Deacons as they not only organize and prepare what’s needed for worship, but also minister to me. When the trustees and others gather on a Saturday morning to make repairs, paint and beautify the sanctuary, Jesus is there! I see Jesus in the faces of those in Candlelight vigils and marches and rallies for peace. Wherever a child, woman or man is reaching out in compassion and concern to one another, Jesus lives. When we gather together to pray or pray alone, Jesus is with us. Sometimes it’s hard to feel him and that’s where our faith comes in. For me one of the most important places and times I feel that Jesus lives is when we break bread together in our Holy Communion, but he is equally present when you take the new mother or the sick elder a meal to eat. I could go on for another few hours and mention all of you in this church and the wonderful way you show me the presence of Jesus. Jesus promised to leave with us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us after is physical departure. And that Holy Spirit is alive and well in Deering Community Church.
The Good News of Easter is that Jesus lives and the Spirit, love, and passion that he showed to us is available to all. For those of you here today that are not regular members of our congregation, I invite you to let that spirit of Christ in you lead you to be part of this or some other community where you can witness to this love. Jesus taught that the love of God as shown to us by him is available to anyone. At this church most of us believe that just as Jesus is our gate to God, there are other gates to God that are equally creditable, as true for others as our ways are true for us. At the same time we invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable.[2]
So for me the Good News of Easter is that Jesus lives, and Jesus is Lord and the powers of the world are not. Amen!! The miracle of Easter is not in the tomb but in our encounter with the living Lord. Because of that encounter, I believe that it’s up to me to follow the Way, the path of Jesus, to care about what he was passionate about, thus working to bring about a world of justice in which everyone has enough for their daily living, where peace and justice reigns. I invite all of you to join me on this path. Let us say together, Christ is risen! Jesus lives! Amen and Amen.
[1] David Wheatcroft, “Easter is the Celebration of the Justice and Compassion of God.” www.tcpc.org
[2] See Progressive Christianity’s website for more information: www.tcpc.org
What an exciting day to be a preacher! It’s also somewhat intimidating to be the person whose responsibility it is to lead you in worship on the most holy day of our church year, a day when usually attendance is better than other Sundays. Yes we are very pleased to have each and every one of you here this morning to share this worship with us. One of the reasons preachers want so much to preach their very best on this day is the hope that one of you will hear something that gives you the inspiration and/or insight that will bring you closer to God, that will make a difference in your life. So the pressure’s on!
Yes, today is Easter and I want to shout, “Jesus Lives” and talk about what that means for us. Many of you believe that the stories about resurrection of Jesus are historically and literally true; others of us understand them more as metaphors, yet pointing to a very real truth. During Lent some of us have been studying “The Last Week” by Borg and Crossan, a look at the Gospel of Mark’s account of Jesus activities from Palm Sunday to Easter. If any of you want to explore the truth of metaphors and parables in the Bible, this book is a wonderful resource. Many people like to focus on the empty tomb and what happened to the crucified body and how to explain that to non-believers. But just as Barbara Brown Taylor has said, “The resurrection is the one and only event in Jesus’ life that was entirely between him and God. There were no witnesses whatsoever. No one on earth can say what happened inside that tomb because no one was there. They all arrived after the fact.” For our purposes this morning, it doesn’t matter whether you have a literal belief or a metaphorical understanding of the resurrection, the question for us is what do these stories mean.
The land where Jesus was born and where he did his ministry was a colony of the Roman Empire, a classic example of what is called a domination system, a place of political oppression, economic exploitation, and even religious legitimation—the emperor was called God’s son. This society was established and maintained by violence, Pontius Pilate and the Roman Imperial soldiers. Last Sunday our congregation had two parades into Jerusalem: from the East came Jesus on the donkey, followed by the disciples and the crowds, largely the peasants and outcasts, the rural poor. From the West came Pilate and the soldiers, showing off the power, glory and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession showed an alternative vision, a messenger of peace and justice for all. Jesus had a tremendous passion for the kingdom of God. In fact his very first sermon, which took place after his baptism by John and the 40 days of temptation in the desert with Satan, spoke about this kingdom, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mk.1:15) For Jesus the kingdom of God was a life of abundance for all, a society that was the way God intended everyone to live—individually, socially, politically, and religiously—a domination free society.[1]
In the three short years of Jesus’ ministry, he kept showing us over and over again that God is calling us to a life of love, compassion, forgiveness and confrontation of the injustice in the world around us. This passion of Jesus for the kingdom of God led him to stand up for the poor, the outcasts, the women, the children, all those on the bottom rung of society’s hierarchy. As we can imagine this stance made him many enemies, especially the religious and political leaders, those in power in Jerusalem. For Jesus “kingdom of God” was both political and religious. In the society of that first century, kingdom was a common word used in referring to the kingdoms of Herod and his sons, the kingdom of Rome. Jesus used the kingdom word to suggest that there could be a very different kingdom than the one the people of Jerusalem had known. So as Jesus’ passion for God’s kingdom revealed itself more and more, his opposition, his enemies increased. We need look no further than Good Friday to see how powerful the forces are against the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ last week proceeded from the joyous shouts of praise on Palm Sunday, to his betrayal by Judas, his arrest, his appearance before the authorities, his denial by Peter and others, the crowds (many of the same people who were praising him on Sunday) shouting, “Crucify him”, his being hung on the cross—the official instrument of death for those who showed rebellion against the domination system—his dying and being buried in the tomb. On the day after the Sabbath, early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene (in other gospels accompanied by other women, but in John’s gospel she is alone) goes to the tomb and finds the stone removed from the entrance and immediately runs to tell Peter and the other disciple, who come and witness the empty tomb and returned to their homes. As Mary remains there weeping, she looks into the tomb and sees the angels and then she turns and sees a man she mistakes for the gardener. This man asks why she is weeping and then calls her by name, and Mary recognizes him as Jesus, the first of many appearances that were reported by Jesus’ followers. Mary goes and tells the others, “I have seen the Lord.”
What does it mean when we proclaim along with Mary Magdalene that, “Jesus lives”? I believe the meaning is that his spirit, his presence as his disciples knew in him before his crucifixion, continues to be known. Through all the many different appearance stories, this presence of Jesus was real and Jesus’ presence continues to be real today although in a radically new way. He is no longer a figure of flesh and blood, confined to time and space. We read in the Bible how he could enter locked rooms and accompany his disciples without being recognized. We are also told that he will abide with his followers, “to the end of the age”. Jesus is not to be found among the dead, in the tombs, but among the living, amongst you and me. Some of us both then and now feel his presence so strongly at times that it might be described as a vision. I can remember the time when I was coming out of a long dark night of the soul, I did without a doubt feel his arms around me, comforting me as the tears flowed down my face. Not all believers have this experience and I think of Jesus’ statement in the Gospel of John, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Jesus’ resurrection as well as his ascension is not something subject to empirical evidence, scientific proof. For most Christians the tangible evidence of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives today is not the empty tomb but the presence of the Spirit in our lives. We do not have Jesus’ physical hands and feet in front of us. We can’t put our fingers in the nail marks. Although he may not appear physically to us to prepare breakfast, we can see his presence in soup kitchens, in the hands and feet of those like Peter Cram, Sam and Corbin Griest who just returned from building yet another house for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. We can see him in the patient and affirming presence of Christine and Lee Marcroft as they regularly make themselves available to the GLBT community in places like PFlag meetings and screenings of that wonderful movie, The Bible Tells Us So. We see Christ in the dedication and gifts of Jane Waters and the choir as they faithfully practice to bring us the beauty of music to our worship. We see him in the children and the Sunday school teachers as they gather to learn more about the kingdom of God. Have you noticed Jesus’ presence in Margaret Seymour as she leads us in Bible study; and what about in the members of that Lenten book study that gave us new insights and understandings about the passion of Jesus? I see that Jesus lives each time one of you reaches out to extend hospitality to a new person worshiping with us. Jesus is right there with Jim Carpenter and the other Deacons as they not only organize and prepare what’s needed for worship, but also minister to me. When the trustees and others gather on a Saturday morning to make repairs, paint and beautify the sanctuary, Jesus is there! I see Jesus in the faces of those in Candlelight vigils and marches and rallies for peace. Wherever a child, woman or man is reaching out in compassion and concern to one another, Jesus lives. When we gather together to pray or pray alone, Jesus is with us. Sometimes it’s hard to feel him and that’s where our faith comes in. For me one of the most important places and times I feel that Jesus lives is when we break bread together in our Holy Communion, but he is equally present when you take the new mother or the sick elder a meal to eat. I could go on for another few hours and mention all of you in this church and the wonderful way you show me the presence of Jesus. Jesus promised to leave with us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us after is physical departure. And that Holy Spirit is alive and well in Deering Community Church.
The Good News of Easter is that Jesus lives and the Spirit, love, and passion that he showed to us is available to all. For those of you here today that are not regular members of our congregation, I invite you to let that spirit of Christ in you lead you to be part of this or some other community where you can witness to this love. Jesus taught that the love of God as shown to us by him is available to anyone. At this church most of us believe that just as Jesus is our gate to God, there are other gates to God that are equally creditable, as true for others as our ways are true for us. At the same time we invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable.[2]
So for me the Good News of Easter is that Jesus lives, and Jesus is Lord and the powers of the world are not. Amen!! The miracle of Easter is not in the tomb but in our encounter with the living Lord. Because of that encounter, I believe that it’s up to me to follow the Way, the path of Jesus, to care about what he was passionate about, thus working to bring about a world of justice in which everyone has enough for their daily living, where peace and justice reigns. I invite all of you to join me on this path. Let us say together, Christ is risen! Jesus lives! Amen and Amen.
[1] David Wheatcroft, “Easter is the Celebration of the Justice and Compassion of God.” www.tcpc.org
[2] See Progressive Christianity’s website for more information: www.tcpc.org
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 12:06 PM
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