HALLELUJAH

WITNESSES

Easter Sunday - 8:00am
Mark 16:1-8
Acts 10:34-43

(prayer)

Jesus’ execution was on a Friday. According to the gospel of Mark, he died in the middle of the afternoon: sometime after three o’clock (“the ninth hour”).

The traditions of Jesus’ people honoured the final day of the week as a time of family, worship and rest. The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday evening.

So, a high ranking follower of Jesus (a member of the Sanhedrin Council named Joseph from Arimathea) negotiated for custody of the body and took it from the cross and laid it in a near-by rock tomb – one account says it was (in fact) Joseph’s own tomb.

By most gospel accounts, the hour was late enough that there was not time before sundown (and the start of the Sabbath) to prepare the body for burial with the appropriate spices and ointments. That would have to wait. They best they could do was to keep the body safe until after the Sabbath. The story goes that they rolled a large stone in front of the entrance to the tomb for extra security.

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Saturday (the Sabbath) must have been an agonizingly long day for the women of Jesus’ group who were entrusted with the task of preparing the body for burial. Mark’s gospel names them as Mary Magdalene, Salome and (another) Mary, the mother of James and Joses.

Shortly after Sunrise on the Sunday morning, these three women brought the spices to the tomb where they had seen Joseph of Arimathea place the body of Jesus.

They wondered about the stone. Would they be able to move it enough to get inside?

But that question was moot because, when they got there, the stone was no longer in front of the tomb and Jesus’ body was gone.

:(

What happened next was nothing short of amazing:

There was someone in the tomb, described as a young man dressed in white.

He said, “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here he has been raised. Go tell Peter and the rest of Jesus’ disciples to return home to Galilee – they will see Jesus there.”

This was certainly and amazing experience for the women, but it was equally terrifying. They just ran away. And, according to Mark’s gospel, they did not follow the young man’s directive – they were too afraid to say anything to anyone.

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You know...that’s not an unusual situation. When we are witnesses to something amazingly unexpected, we are not able to accept it at first glance. We need a bit more evidence, or even just some time to let the news sink in before we can begin to believe what we’ve seen.

//

All of the gospel writers tell the story of the first visitors to the empty tomb – the accounts vary the details a bit, but the basics are held in common:

1. No one expects to find anything other than Jesus’ lifeless body;

2. The tomb is (in fact) found empty.

3. And even when the possibility of resurrection is raised, it’s very hard to believe.

Can something that amazing be accepted only on the word of a stranger?

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The truth is that (in every gospel of the New Testament) the message of a resurrection is seen as nothing more than an idle tale until the risen Jesus is experienced directly by someone who knew him well.

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You might assume that an angel dressed in white sitting in an empty tomb might seem trustworthy...but (as it turns out) not as much as someone you have ‘come to trust’ through years of sharing this life together.

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By the time Peter spoke in Cornelius’ house, he had seen things for himself. So he spoke as an eyewitness to what he knew to be true. ‘Jesus is risen. He is the Christ.’ And the word was spreading from one trusted friend to another.

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No of us has seen the raised body of Jesus in the way Peter and Mary did. But we are here because that story has been passed on to us by trusted friends throughout the ages.

Something about this story resonates with us – and so we hold to the promise that

We are not alone, that

We live in God’s world.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

#179VU “Hallelujah, Give Thanks”

 

REJOICING
Easter Sunday - 10:30am
John 20:1-18
Isaiah 25:6-9

(prayer)

One of the most frightening words in the world is ... “Change”. Shakespeare’s Hamlet contemplated suicide but he was too afraid of what changes might be in store for him. He concluded that uncertain change “makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of.”

Sadly this is all too true. People endure abuse and disrespect and a lack of dignity because the fear of making a change is too strong.

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Jesus was killed because there were those clinging to power who were afraid of losing their status quo.

To the religious authorities, Jesus’ radical welcome and love and forgiveness was seen as a challenge to the dogmas of guilt and fear.

And to the political authorities of the empire, any voice that empowers people to think well of themselves is bound to be the spark of revolution - not necessarily a violent revolution (those can be quashed by a superior military), but if one’s allegiance is to God in heaven and not to Caesar on Earth, the heart is already in transition and a changed heart is more of a threat than sticks or stones.

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Simon, while Jesus was being tried for treason, was so afraid to be associated with the one who had nicknamed him Cephas (Rock, Peter), that he denied even knowing him. “I had to don’t you see, or else they’d come for me” (cf. Jesus Christ Superstar).

But, as it turns out, the authorities had figured that dealing with Jesus would be enough. That is the best evidence that the Jesus’ movement was non-violent.

When the Roman’s were faced with the potential of violent revolution, they would wipe out the rebels. In the case of a non-violent desire for change, cutting off the head of the organization was usually enough.

No Jesus. No more problem.

And the behavior of Jesus’ followers in the days after the crucifixion bore that out. They were in hiding – they were not mounting a counter-attack.

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Jesus’ friends’ hearts had been changed and then their hearts were broken. Until...

“I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!!”

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The shroud that was cast over the people was pulled away with those words.

“I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!!”

• Despair became joy.

• Grief became hope.

• Depression became dancing.

• Shouts of tearful pain became shout of rejoicing!

Sure, it took some of them a little more ‘hands-on’ convincing, but the truth of Mary’s words soon were taken deep into the heart and soul of the company of Jesus’ followers.

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We carry that legacy and we are the modern embodiment of the hope that a changed heart is not so easily set aside.

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Rejoice for all that gives you happiness and hope and a promise for a world that is not so firmly set in its way that it can’t be:

• more inclusive,

• more welcoming,

• more respectful,

• more compassionate

Remember Jesus’ words:
'I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' (John 13:34-35)

Now if we can give rise to ‘that’ this Easter-and-beyond, it would truly be cause for rejoicing!

Amen?

AMEN!



***offering***