Easter Sermon (Readings John 20 v.1-18 and Acts 10 v.23b - 48)
(If you do not have a bible to hand, then you can google the verses and read them online; if possible, read the whole of Acts 10)
The resurrection of Jesus emerges from the crucifixion and is not separate from it or from anything that has preceded it in the scriptures.
The resurrection is not a conjuring trick, or an illusion or a "cleverly devised myth" as Peter says in the book of 2 Peter in the New Testament:-
"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty"
(The Second Letter of Peter: Chapter 1 verse 16)
That word 'majesty', according to Cassell's Dictionary means a quality which inspires awe or reverence and Peter is stating here that he has been an eye witness of the greatness and glory of God. His words have additional impact because he is aware that his own death will come soon and therefore wants to make every effort to testify whilst he still can.
Many others had the chance to be 'eyewitnesses', because right from the start of the Gospels, the kingship of Jesus is affirmed. In Matthew Chapter 2, the wise men from the East travel to Jerusalem and ask:
"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star at it's rising and have come to pay him homage." Matthew 2 v.2
When they find Jesus in Bethlehem, they kneel down and pay him homage and offer gifts fit for a king: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The whole purpose of their journey was not to see a baby, as such, but to search for this king.
When we fast forward to the events of Gethsemane and the arrest of Jesus, we find the Roman soldiers mocking him as King; the crown of thorns and the purple robe were placed on him after Jesus had been scourged; and yet this too is part of the Easter story because Jesus is a King who shares in the sufferings of mankind. He does not use his divinity, as he so easily could, to protect himself from the hunger, thirst, pain, insults or injustice.
On the cross too, his majesty is recognized by the thief who sees that "this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong" and pleads with him, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
The masterstroke, however, is wrought by Pilate who orders that a sign should be placed above Jesus and this sign reads:
Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews
Pilate causes this sign to be written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek - all the most important languages of the known world. Hebrew was the language of the Jews and all the Jewish pilgrims flocking to Jerusalem for the Passover would have seen it. Latin was the language of Rome, of military might and Greek was the language of culture. This trinity of language, therefore would have reached the widest possible audience.
The chief priests are deeply unhappy about this, of course: they want Pilate to rewrite the sign to say that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews ie to show that he was an impostor, a fraud, but Pilate cuts them dead:
"What I have written, I have written," he says. (John 19 v22)
Now this failure to recognize his kingship, means that the chief priests, the scribes and the elders cannot possibly see beyond the crucifixion. They mock him, "He saved others", they said, "but he cannot save himself.... let him come down from the cross now and we will believe in him."
This is an extraordinary thing to say, because the priests, the scribes and the elders have shut their eyes to the many miracles that Jesus has performed during his 3 years of public ministry; they have rejected the witness of the man born blind, healed by Jesus in John 9; they have refused to believe the witness of Lazurus raised from the dead and yet at the cross they claim they will believe if he saves himself. (Matthew 27 v.41 -43).
On the cross Jesus was doing so much more than they could conceive: not saving himself, but overcoming death and this is the first message of the Resurrection, because when we allow God to work in us he is doing so much more than we can imagine; but God's work cannot take place fully until we recognize his sovereignity and his authority. (For the words 'author' and 'authority' are linked: he is the author of our being, and therefore the authority comes from being our Creator).
In the book of Romans, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy and the words of Moses:
"'The word is very near you
It is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe'
If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
The Resurrection gives us the sharp contrast between belief and unbelief, between the perception of those who are seeking him and those who are not. The Resurrection takes away all middle ground.
Secondly, the life and death of Jesus acknowledge suffering, acknowledge the gift of myrrh that he received first as an infant and then again in death when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrap the body of Jesus in linen cloths with myrhh and aloes, the burial spices, according to Jewish burial customs. Myrhh comes from an Arabic word meaning 'bitter' and it symbolizes suffering. Even in death, however, his kingship is celebrated, for Nicodemus buys a king's ransom of spices for the burial ritual.
Then the day of Resurrection dawns and the linen cloths fall away, remaining in the tomb. The cloth that had been on Jesus' head has been rolled up and placed separately. Jesus has risen, but the trappings of death remain in their rightful place, in the tomb.
The bitterness of death is replaced by the joy of eternal life; the resurrection is therefore a time of healing and restoration: fear is cast out and the peace of Christ offered instead, when Jesus comforts his trembling disciples and breathes new life into them. Doubt is cast out when Thomas comes face to face with the risen Christ and calls out "My Lord and my God!". Loneliness is cast out as their fellowship is restored; and past failings are forgiven when Peter and Jesus talk together on the shores of Lake Tiberias.
Psalm 126 encapsulates this transformation:
May those who sow in tears
Reap with shouts of joy
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing
Shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
The sheaves are the harvest reaped after a period of suffering; the Christian author Jennifer Rees Larcombe founded a charity called Beauty from Ashes (taken from verses in Isaiah 61.)
(All great endeavours involve struggle: only last night the BBC were documenting the enormous difficulties Handel had to overcome in order to gain recognition for his "Messiah", one of the most famous oratorios ever written!)
Perhaps the most important message of the Resurrection, however, is that it is always in the here and now. The reading from the book of Acts 10 shows how the disciples 'lived' the resurrection: when Peter was with Jesus during his public ministry he listened often to his voice; after the Resurrection, through the Holy Spirit, God's voice continues to be loud and clear, giving Peter specific instruction, in this instance, on sharing the gospel message with Cornelius, a centurion living in Caesarea. Prior to Peter's visit, God's words have also reached Cornelius himself, paving the way for Peter's message and again giving absolutely specific directions on the actions that Cornelius needs to take. There can be no doubt in Cornelius' mind that he has been called by name and that it is the living God who has spoken through the apostle's words. The Holy Spirit falls upon the assembled household and all are baptized.
As it was for Peter and Cornelius, so it is with us. Every detail of our life is known, because he is the author of our being, the one who knows us even before we are conceived.
Psalm 139 testifies to the detail:
"Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar
You search out my path and my lying down
And are acquainted with all my ways.
This means that we can pray in detail too, because the author is listening.
Earthly families often have photos of their loved ones in their home and particularly photos of their children. We are God's children and God has a 'photo' of each one of us.
April 20th 2014
Sunday, 20 April 2014
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