March 23 Easter

Matthew 28:1-10—“He has risen from the dead”
“we’re gonna live forever” Oasis (sung during worship this Easter)
Since Easter is about Jesus conquering death, it seems like an apt fit for a song that defiantly claims life everlasting. With this song, Oasis pointedly acknowledges fear and pain and unbelief, but instead of crying into the void in despair because of it, they proclaim that they choose to embrace life, to live fully and to live forever. This song actually represents quite a turning point in pop music history for that reason, because Oasis exploded out of England in 1994 with this song, and a whole lot of British swagger, right at the moment that the angst and cynicism of grunge, which had thus far dominated the decade, flamed out with Kurt Cobain's death. It was a bracingly different attitude, and, at least for me and everyone else my age, the beginning of a new generation. Gen X ended where Oasis began.

Think of it, what would it mean if you knew you were going to live forever? Life after death gives your actions in this world greater impact, for they will follow you into eternity. It also means that life is stronger than death. To live forever means that death is not the final reality. I think this is why optimism always trumps or at least outlasts pessimism. Think of all the kingdoms come and gone, all the death and famine and war and pestilence, yet here we are dressed and in church, life continues.

For my generation, it was the fear of nuclear destruction, MAD, that was the ultimately reality, inevitable, then came the fall of the Soviet Union and the rebirth of hope. There are always enemies to life. Now we live with the fear of terrorists, political extremists fueled by fanatical religious beliefs waging war against civilians. But life will win. Why? Some elemental life force? Like the coming of spring after the killing chill of winter. Like the birth of a baby after the death of a patriarch. The emergence of the mammals after the destruction of the dinosaurs? No, it’s because of the God that created this world continues to love this world despite our continual fascination with the ways of death. God loves us and he is a God of life, not of death. He is at work to defeat death and pain and destruction and sin.

How does God over come the forces of death? Through sending Jesus. Jesus in his death and resurrection broke the power of sin and death forevermore.
Let’s begin with the crucifixion. The cross killed Jesus. He was dead, as dead as could be. Mocked, Beaten, Tortured, forced to carry his own instrument of death, where he was nailed to the cross beam and hung up to die a slow agonizing death. This was done by professionals. Then he was taken down, wrapped in a shroud and hurried placed in a tomb carved from the rock, the coup de grace being a huge stone rolled over the front to seal out the stench and protect the corpse from grave robbers, then sealed and even guarded by Roman soldiers to insure the disciples would not steal the body.

Then, three days later… Matthew 28:1-10.
Vv 1-2 Two women go to mourn at the tomb. The text gives no indication that they expected Jesus to be gone or alive. They had been there when he died. For them, Jesus was dead and that was it. Women were stronger than the male disciples. They had stayed at the foot of the cross throughout it all. Thought women would not have been taken seriously by the male religious leaders or soldiers.

Vv 3-4 There is a violent earthquake-an angel of the Lord came down from heaven—nothing theoretical, not a warm religious feeling, an inner knowing. This was God intervening into a very real world with a very real angel. An angel that strode to the tomb, rolled back the heavy stone, sat on it. His appearance was so glorious, so powerfully good, clean, pure and strong, the professional soldiers, trained for war, literally fainted away from fear.

V 5 Yet the women did not faint. They were afraid, but for them, somehow, this angel was more than merely terrifying. The unveiling of heaven will be frightening for all, and all will see it. It will be a terrifying assurance of the truth of the bible, of what Jesus taught, no longer a theory to be accepted or not. And sinners will faint from fear and remorse, terrified at the prospect of judgment. The followers of Jesus will be terrified but the terror will be temper by joy. Yet for these women, I wonder if the angel reminded them of Jesus?

V 5-7 The angel gave his message. This was his purpose. Angel is Greek for “messenger.” He is not here. He has risen just as he said. Come and see where they lay him. Then go and tell his disciples that he is going ahead of them to Galilee. There they will see him.

V 8 the women believed and ran to obey—filled with fear and joy.
V 9 suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings—Literally, “Xairete” which means “Joy”. He repeats the message of the angel. Why? Perhaps, he could not wait to be with them again. Perhaps the very love that enabled him to endure the cross, caused him to break the well thought out procedure which included the angel and Jesus just had to talk to the women himself. If the women felt joy over seeing Jesus again, imagine Jesus’ joy at being with his followers again.

This story is not offered as proof of the resurrection. It is the story of the believers first encounter with the risen Jesus. This story is not intended to prove the resurrection. It’s a story told and retold by believers about the joy and terror they experienced at seeing and embracing the risen Christ. That witness has continued down through the ages, for you see Jesus is risen. We proclaim that in pulpits and homes and street corners in every country around the world by people who have met the risen Christ as well. This is not a clever story the early disciples used to convince others of some colossal religious hoax. No, the first disciples, women included, believed that Jesus was dead. They had to meet him before they believed he was alive and that continues to this day. Jesus is alive. He has risen from the grave and lives forevermore. He has broken the power of death not just the death that held him in the grave but the death that continues to hold us and our world in its iron grip. The good news of Jesus’ resurrection is that he has broken that power of death on all of us. Will you believe it? You can believe that death has the final word. Or you can join with the followers of Jesus and try the faith out for yourself. What do you have to lose?
Christ is risen,
James

Sermon Notes (4/8): The Gospel Unleashed

A Series of Fortunate Events
(Act III, scene i)

The Gospel Unleashed

Acts 8:4-8

The power of the resurrection is only realized in contrast to what it sets us free from.

Twenty years ago, as an acting student at Cornish, living in this neighborhood, my life as a Christian crashed and burned. I did things in this very neighborhood that I am ashamed of. Often as I walk through this neighborhood I pass by certain addresses and remember what I was up to then. The accuser is right there at my elbow condemning me. “Great pastor you are. Remember what you did? How can you stand up on Sunday and talk about the goodness of God and encourage people to stop sinning and follow God when you yourself did such and such. What if one of the people who knew you then, could hear you now. What a hypocrite.”

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ I am able to say to those thoughts, “Yes I did those very things. And look at me now. God has taken a sinner, redeemed that sinner, trained that sinner, prepared that sinner, and now he is a saint leading a church in that very neighborhood. Talk about victory over defeat. Life conquering death.

I don’t walk the streets of this neighborhood looking down on those I meet. I walk about these streets with hope for everyone I meet. Because of what God has done in my life. And if God can turn this sinner into a saint, He can do the same for you.

For just as every saint has a past, every sinner has a future.

Grace and peace,

James Kearny
Pastor