Reflections on “Easter Possibilities: Believing and Living” John 20: 19-31; I Peter 1: 3-9

The sermon went better than I would have expected given the struggle I had to develop the sermon this week.  This is the first of several sermons I will preach on Easter possibilities.  

 “Easter Possibilities:  Believing and Living” April 16, 2023; SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; John 20: 19-31; I Peter 1: 3-9

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Introduction: 

We read a familiar story this morning. 

the disciples behind locked doors out of fear and the resurrected Christ appearing to the disciples.   Fascinating scene.

then the Thomas part of the story:  he misses the first appearance of the resurrected Christ and upon hearing about it demands that he see the wounds himself.

then, the resurrected Christ appears again and calls on Thomas to believe.

Thomas cries out, “My Lord and my God” - a full-fledged profession of faith in the resurrected Christ.

A story about the disciples trying to figure out what to do in the aftermath of Christ’s resurrection.

A story we often read the week after Easter because we are doing the same thing - trying to figure out what to do in the aftermath of Christ’s resurrection.

Move 1:  the question of the day seems to be:  how does Easter change your life?

a.  Sermon series:  Easter possibilities.

1.  Let your imagination run wild.  

2.  what does it mean that you follow the resurrected Christ?

that we worship a God of resurrection.

that the Holy Spirit moves among us guiding, directing, and calling us to be resurrection people.

what Easter possibilities do you see for your life?

3.  do not be limited by the preaching!

4.  We will try to point to Easter possibilities, but Imagine your own Easter possibilities.

5.  pastors’ Class began a study of the Apostles’ Creed today. 

fittingly, the topic of the first week was the opening words of the creed - “I believe.”

Albert Curry Winn quotes John Mackay, former president of Princeton Seminary:  some people try to be Christian believers in the balcony, but where it matters is when we hit the road (A Christian Primer, 87).

6.  do not just imagine Easter possibilities, but imagine how those possibilities are lived out in your daily lives.

7.  how does following a God of resurrection change how you live each day?

Easter possibilities!

b.  Letter we read from Peter this morning reveals that the early church struggles like we do to imagine Easter possibilities.

1.  Life among pagans meant life among the very tolerant.

2. Anything goes - did not like what was perceived as any demand to believe.

3.  Early church trying to claim their faith in the one God of resurrection. 

4. Full of possibilities, that possibilities tied to how the God of resurrection is at work in the world.

b.  The early church tied its faith to baptism.

1.  As we read in this first letter of Peter’s, God had given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

2.   New birth - baptism.

3. Their hope in the God of resurrection, 

our hope in the God of resurrection is tied to our baptism in which we are united with Christ in his death and his resurrection through our baptism.

3.  During the season of Easter, we will have “thanksgiving for baptism” as part of our worship service.

4. A weekly reminder of the new life to which we are invited.

As you imagine your Easter possibilities, you might start at the baptismal font, laying claim to how you are united with Christ in his death and resurrection and how that changes your life.

Move 2:  Easter possibility of believing!

a.   in the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, the title character notes that “everyone needs a little proof.” 

Owen then goes on to quote the local pastor, who told him “Faith itself is a miracle,” said Pastor Merrill. “The first miracle that I believe in is my own faith itself.”

1.  Believing is both what we are called to do and a gift of the resurrected Christ.

2. We see this in the story from the Gospel of John.

2.  the disciples are scared and behind locked doors.  Maybe too scared to believe.

But the resurrected Christ appears to them to give them the power to believe.

3.  Thomas demands to see the wounds, but then the story never mentions Thomas touching the wounds.

4.  somehow the presence of the resurrected Christ brings with it the gift of believing.

3. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.”

4.  We note that the Holy Spirit is given to them, to us. 

5. Believing is not something we do on our own, but a gift given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

b.  Albert Winn likens believing to trusting.

1.  To believe is to step out in trust.

2. to trust that God is the God of resurrection.

3. To trust that the God of resurrection is ever before us.

4. to trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us.

Easter possibilities - we can believe in the god of resurrection because God is still among us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Move 3:  Living like Jesus.

a.  Jesus tells the disciples and tells us:  “As the Father has sent me, so I have sent you!”

1.  We are sent to live like Jesus.

2.   I am reminded of a story told by Donald Miller in his book Blue Like Jazz: 

“I have never liked jazz music because Jazz music doesn’t resolve.  But I was outside Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone.  I stood there for fifteen minutes and he never opened his eyes.  After that, I loved jazz music.  Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.  It is as if they are showing you the way.” (Thomas Steagald, Feasting on the Word, Year !, Vol. 2, 389).

3. Jesus has shown us the way through his life of love and service.

4.  Now, he calls us to a life of love and service.

5.  WE could have been instructed by that just by seeing how Jesus lived his life.

6.  But now, we know the resurrected Christ, and the possibilities are endless.

b. As I say that, I am reminded of a comment by the great preacher and story tell Fred Craddock:

Craddock notes -  “to drink the cup in one swallow is far easier than to sip the cup for 40 years.”  (Ted Wardlaw, 10/6/16 in sermon to Grace Presbytery).

1.  Easter is not just about one moment of believing in the resurrection, but a life of living into the Easter possibilities of following the God of resurrection.

2.  what Easter possibilities do you see for your life?

conclusion:  Christ is risen.  He is risen, indeed.  

It still matters every day of our lives.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Reflections on “Death and Resurrection” Matthew 28: 1-10 Easter Sunday

 

Easter morning worship with a brass quintet, timpani, handbells, choir anthem, terrific hymns, and the biggest crowd since COVID.  The stage was set for a wonderful celebration of resurrection.  I think I managed to stay out of the way in my sermon and let the news of resurrection capture the moment.  In my sermon notes, I had an ending to the sermon that was different than what I ended up preaching.  I got to the conclusion at the 8:30 service and decided to focus on the image of the angel sitting on the stone, instead of what was written.  I think the ad lib ending worked better than what I had written!  

Two future areas of sermon preparation I would like to explore:  1.  the whole sermon built around the image of the angel sitting on the stone.  2.  I had a member respond to my greeting, "Christ is risen!" with "Good for him!"  I think that would be a fun sermon theme to pursue.  

Announcement from the tomb:  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive at the tomb.

There is an earthquake as an angel comes and rolls the stone back.

He sits on the stone, looks at them, and announces:

Jesus is not here.  he has been raised.”

Christ is risen.  He is Risen indeed.

“Death and Resurrection” April 9, 2023 ; SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; Matthew 28: 1-10; Jeremiah   Lenten 2023 series

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And 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. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Introduction:   Easter morning worship!

Brass blaring!

Choir anthem that transports us to the heavens.

Organ playing full bore as we sing powerful hymns.

Lilies adorning the sanctuary.

A glorious message to proclaim

Christ is Risen! (he is Risen indeed)

Move 1: About three years into serving my first call, which means I had attended about 30+ Easter worship services like this one today,

I was staining in the sanctuary alone practicing my Easter sermon - no doubt a great one in the works - 

and it hit me:   there has to be a death to have a resurrection.

For some reason, it had never occurred to me before - but there is no resurrection in the Easter story if there is no crucifixion.

a. Peter Gomes, who was a professor at Harvard Divinity and minister at Harvard’s Memorial Church before his death, noted:  “There are many routes to Easter, but none of them escapes the shadow of the cross, that point where our time and God’s eternity converge; and at the center point where time and eternity meet is the Christ who makes it all possible.” (in sermon An Opportune Time,)

1.  I say that not as a downer on Easter morning, but to remind us that Easter is not #christ is Risen, and now move on to the next happy thought.

2.  Our glorious worship today embraces both the death of Christ and his resurrection.

b.  Maybe you come here to escape your grief for a few minutes;

or forget about that issue in your life;

or step away from your medical struggles or the struggle of a loved one

or to be with family on a  special day as you try not to think about that broken relationship or loved one who is  not with you

or to leave the distractions of our world with all its injustices and battles and divisions behind.

1.  maybe that’s what all of us are doing here to some extent.

2.  We secretly hope that the worship and brass and shouts of “Christ is risen” may provide distraction and escape.

3. at least for a little while.

c.  I hope our worship and fellowship are a refreshing moment for you in your life.

1.  But we also have some really good news for you, for me, and for all the world.

1.   Resurrection is more than a momentary escape.

2.  Death has been defeated.

4. God has transformed the world and changed its trajectory forever.

Death is no longer the final destination - resurrection and new life are there for all of us.

5.  I pass a church on my drive home every day.  They have one of those signs with a message posted on it.

Sign changes depending on the season and sometimes depending on who has come in the night and rearranged the letter.

This week, they changed the sign for Easter:  it reads,  “Easter is the most wonderful day of the year for Christians.”  

(Pause)

5.  they are selling Resurrection short.

6.  Easter is the most wonderful day of the year for all the world because the God of resurrection has transformed the world forever.

Move 2:  When Mary Magdalene and her friend Mary arrive at the tomb they are told the incredible news - Jesus is not here; for he has been raised.

  a.   A glorious, miraculous event.

1. This morning, we read the Gospel of Matthew’s description of this incredible event and hear about an earthquake.

2. none of the other gospels mention this, but I think it is Matthew’s clue for us that something extraordinary has happened.

3.  God has acted in the face of Christ’s death and changed how we understand death.

4. Death is no longer the final answer, but the God of resurrection is.

b.  Maybe Mary and Mary should not be surprised.

1. Maybe you and I should not be surprised.

2.  Remember the passage we read from the prophet Jeremiah who spoke to God’s people generations before?

1.  Remember what their life was like: 

  2.  “The temple is destroyed.

the king is stumbling blindly toward his doom, 

he priests’ sacrificial fires [have been put out], 

and the land promised to the descendants of Abraham is no more.” (Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol. 2, Thomas Mann, 355

3. If we were to list all our struggles and challenges in our lives and the world around us, we might find ourselves feeling like the Israelites in Jeremiah’s time. 

4.  and in the face of all those challenges, Jeremiah proclaims:   God has loved with an everlasting love; 

God will continue to build Israel and give it a future.

5.  The God creation, who created out of love; 

the God of Exodus, who led the Israelites out of slavery into the Promised Land;

the God who will continue to build Israel;

the God who loves with everlasting love has now acted again to resurrect Christ from the dead.

6.  God’s love knows no bounds.

Move 3:  the God of resurrection turned death into life, which speaks not only about that day long ago but to how we live our lives today.

a.   Notice that when the two Marys discover Christ has been raised, they do not stop in that moment.

1. the angel sends them to tell the other disciples.

2.  They are all to go to Galilee.

3.  They will be met by the Risen Christ.

4. Resurrection changed the way they live their lives in that moment and in the future.

b.   Resurrection changes the way we live our lives in the moment and into the future.

1.  As Reformed theological Karl Barth noted – “If you have heard the Easter message, you can no longer run around with a tragic face and lead the humorless existence of a man who has no hope.  One thing still holds, and only this one thing is really serious, Jesus is the victor. “  

 

2. . Here is the great thing about resurrection. 

1. God does not need us to explain it.

2. God’s power to resurrect does not depend on our ability to give details about what happened between crucifixion and resurrection.

3.  Maybe we do like Matthew and just say there was an earthquake!

c. We do not have to be able to explain it, but it changes how we live our lives.  

1.  As Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us: extraordinary the Easter claim is that God has raised Jesus from the dead ("Dust to Dust" The Christian Century, 3/27/02, p. 32).   Now we have to stand up and bear witness to a different reality. It is not our task to explain something that defies conventional wisdom and reality." ( Journal of Preachers, "Preaching the Easter Texts: Can I Get a Witness," Easter, 2014, p.3) 

2.  We no longer need to be held hostage by

our own failings;

or our fear of death;

or our fear of what the future might bring.

2. the hope and the promise of what the God of resurrection is doing and will do in the future frees us from that which holds us back.

3. We go into the world and boldly live, knowing that the God of resurrection is still at work.

Conclusion:  Matthew leaves us with an image I have never paid much attention to in previous years.  

did you notice that after the angel moves the stone away from the tomb, he sits on it.  I was captivated by that image this week.  I could see the angel sitting there, or maybe reclining on his elbow.

He looks one way and sees the way of death.

He looks the other way and sees resurrection.  Jesus calling us to live life as people of the resurrection.