Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon John 14:1-14 Believe in Me
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
May 22, 2011
This past week the biggest story in America was the breakup of Arnold Schwarzengger and Maria Shriver. A movie actor, former Governor of California and the beautiful niece of President John Kennedy. They were probably the closest thing America has to royalty. Their family is crumbling before our eyes. We are told that Maria and their four children are devastated by the news that Shwarzengger had fathered a child with the housekeeper over a decade ago. They had believed in their father and husband. Now that trust has been broken, and without trust relationships cannot continue without God's help. This is why God warns us about adultery and why Jesus told us to not even hold lust in our hearts. Let's keep the Shwarzenggers in our prayers as they attempt to work all of this out.
Today we will look at our need to believe in Jesus with a similar high level of trust so that we may have a close relationship with God. Let's pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
NRS John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
The word “belief” had changed its meaning in modern English. Today “belief” means that you affirm that a particular statement is true. We say that believe that “Jesus Christ rose from the dead”. In other words we affirm that the statement “Jesus Christ rose from the dead” is true. When belief is defined in this way our faith becomes a matter of believing that certain statements about Jesus are true.
But the old meaning of the word “belief” is that we belief in someone. As children we believe in our parents. As spouses we believe in our husbands and wives. And as Christian we believe in Jesus Christ. We trust Jesus. We entrust Jesus with our whole lives. This is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus and with God. In Hebrew the word for “believe” is based on the word for foster parent or nurse; to believe in something as much as a infant believes in the mother giving it milk. To believe in someone means that you trust that that person will be there for you no matter what happens. When belief means this, then our faith consists of trusting Jesus with our lives.
This level of trust in takes years to establish, but it can be destroyed in a matter of moments. Arnold Schwarzenegger has just discovered that his adultery and lies have caused him to lose the trust his family had for him. His wife and children can no longer believe in him. It will take years of hard work for the trust to be restored, if it ever is.
You couldn't blame the disciples for feeling that Jesus had violated their trust. They had entrusted their lives to Jesus for years. They had expected the coming of the Kingdom of God, instead their leader was about to be arrested and probably executed. Already one disciple had given up on Jesus completely. Judas Iscariot no longer believed in Jesus and went to the authorities to betray him. In a few hours Peter will deny that he ever knew Jesus. On the night of his arrest belief in Jesus, trusting Jesus with your whole life, was a very difficult thing to do.
Jesus knew what was happening so he said this to his closest disciples, "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)
This statement concerned the disciples deeply and they were filled with questions. The first question came from Peter, "Lord, where are you going?" (John 13:36). Jesus didn't tell Peter where he was going. All Jesus would say is that Peter and the others would follow him later. This didn't satisfy Peter and so he asked another question, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? (John 13:37)
Jesus tried to reassure Peter by reminding him that he had taught them that they could always believe in the trustworthiness of God, and now they should believe in him. He said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; Believe also in me. (John 14:1). Jesus told Peter that he was going to be with the Father to prepare a place where they would all live, and most importantly, that he would return to take all of them to be with him to this new place. Then Jesus told them that they already knew the way to the place where he was going.
This prompted Thomas to ask a question, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" (John 14:5) Jesus responded to Thomas by saying that believe in him was the way. Only by believing in Jesus, trusting in Jesus with our whole lives, can we discover the way to truth and eternal life.
But the disciples were still skeptical. Jesus was just about to be arrested and executed. How could they continue to believe in Jesus, trusting him with their lives? If only God would give them some kind of sign. If only God would appear in the room and reassure them. Philip wanted to believe in Jesus, so he asked him, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." (John 14:8)
That is when Jesus expressed astonishment. They had all been together for so long. The disciples had watched all the signs he had performed, changing water into wine, multiplying loaves and fishes, healing a blind man, even raising Lazarus from the dead. Yet they still did not know who Jesus really was. They were still looking for something more. So Jesus told them to wait until he returns. And he told then that he would send the Holy Spirit to comfort them through this time of waiting. Then, on his return he would reveal to everyone exactly who he was.
But the disciples were still not convinced. Why wait for Jesus to return? Why doesn't Jesus do one last great spectacular sign, maybe overthrow the Roman Empire, and show the whole world who he really was. Judas, not the one who had left to betray him but another, asked, "Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 14:22) Jesus then turned the tables on them. He was not the one to convince the world of who he was; they were. The disciples were to show the world their belief in Jesus by doing what he had already told them to do. If they continued to love him, believe in him and trust him with their whole lives then they would obey his teachings and commands and this would be the sign the world needs to know that what Jesus had said was true. If the disciples continued to believe in Jesus they would know that his returning to the father was a necessary thing. And Jesus assured them that if they continued to believe in him the father would send his Spirit to comfort them and remind them of all the things Jesus has said and done for them.
Jesus knew that on the on the night of his arrest it would be very hard for the disciples to believe in him. But he also knew that there was one last sign that would fully glorify God and would convince the disciples that what he was saying was true. So Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for three days hence when on that first Easter morning they would see a sign and be convinced to believe in Jesus, trusting in him with their whole lives.
As we sit here in Pocomoke today we also have questions for Jesus. Jesus, when are you coming back? Jesus, what are you doing about the problems the world faces? Jesus wants us to wait for they day when he will return when he will take us to the Father to the place that has been prepared for us. The Holy Spirit is with us now to comfort us and remind us of what Jesus taught and did while we wait for his return. We are to believe in Jesus, trust him with our whole lives, and do what Jesus told us to do while we wait.
Of course waiting is difficult to do. We would prefer that God would end our waiting with a spectacular miracle that would convince the world that Jesus is truly the God. There were some people expecting that to happen yesterday. But we are still here waiting for Jesus to come and to take us to the place he has prepared for us where we will be with the Father in heaven. While we wait we have to believe in Jesus, not just believe things about Jesus, but trust Jesus with our whole lives.
I leave you today with these words of Jesus that should comfort us as we wait. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sermon John 10:1-10 A Statement On Presbyterian Ordination Standards
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
Sermon John 10:1-10 A Statement On Presbyterian Ordination Standards
May 15, 2011
Last week I opened an internet news service on my computer and saw this headline. It said, “Gay is now OK for Presbyterian Clergy”. ( http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gay-is-now-ok-for-presbyterian-clergy/ ) Is this true? We need to talk about what the Presbyterian Church did this past week. But first we have to pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
John 10:1-10 10“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
In the fourth Gospel John repeatedly uses a literary device. He starts with a miracle of Jesus, then tells about a conflict over the meaning of the sign, and finishes with a teaching from Jesus. Here we have a miracle, the healing of a blind man. This is followed with a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on the subject of sin. The Pharisees contended that physical deformities, such as blindness, was caused by sin. A man who is blind from birth must have parents who sinned. Jesus replied to them is characteristic cryptic fashion, he told a riddle: who is both the shepherd of the sheep and the gate for the sheep? This confused the Pharisees, but opened them to received Jesus' teaching. And Jesus told them that he had come not to condemn sinners but that sinners might be forgiven and receive abundant life.
We have similar discussions today about sin and abundant life. The Presbyterian Church has been in a discussion about the way we select leaders and the reality of sin in our lives. In the Presbyterian Church the process by which we selected our leaders is called ordination. All of the deacons and elders of our church have been ordained. I have been ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. It is important for all who are ordained as leaders of the church to be followers, disciples of Jesus Christ. This means that church leaders must have life styles that reflect Christ's teachings and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These are the historic standards that have guided sessions and presbyteries in selecting leaders since the church started.
In the 1970s we decided that ordination standards were needed to guide presbyteries and sessions in the ordination process. It happened in this way. A candidate for the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament was being examined by Pittsburgh Presbytery. His name was Will Kenyon. Although women had been ordained as deacons, elders and pastors in our denomination for many years, Mr. Kenyon told the presbytery that for theological reasons he could not ordain women. The presbytery decided that this scruple would not disqualify Mr. Kenyon from serving as a pastor. But the national church disagreed and spoke through the General Assembly that all churches should have women elders. As a result of this decision the General Assembly began to develop specific ordination standards for all churches and presbyteries in the United States.
Meanwhile a church on Long Island faced another dilemma. A person in their congregation was clearly gifted for ministry and they wanted to ordain him as an elder, but he was a practicing homosexual. The church didn't know what to do. So they asked the General Assembly to form a committee to explore the subject. The decision of the General Assembly was that homosexual behavior was clearly sinful, but if a homosexual repented of this sin and abstained from this behavior then they could serve as leaders of the church.
This policy governed the church until 1996 when changes in American culture caused the church to want more specific standards for ordination. Over the last twenty years homosexuality had become increasingly accepted in American culture. And this caused a split in the church on the issue of ordination standards. Some wanted looser standards so that homosexual members of the church could share their gifts. Others wanted tighter standards to prevent presbyteries and sessions from ordaining homosexuals. The Presbyterian Church USA wrote the following language
into the Book of Order, its constitution.
“Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self - acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.” (G 60106b)
Since the mid-nineties the church has been in a conversation about sin and ordination. Should we honor homosexuals with gifts of ministry with ordination? Should we withhold ordination from people leading sinful lifestyles? The one thing we can all agree on is that we are now tired of the constant debate.
Last summer the General Assembly adopted new standards for ordination and changed the language in the Book of Order. These changes have been approved by a majority of presbyteries and will become effective next month. Here is what it says:
“Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”
To understand what the church has done we have to look at both the actual meaning and the effective meaning of these words. The actual meaning of this new ordination standard is that it has actually become more stringent. Presbyteries and sessions can no longer just apply a simple rule to determine who to ordain or not ordain. Now we must look at the entire lifestyle of a candidate to see if there is evidence that this person is truly a follower of Jesus Christ. This is a much more difficult task, but it will engage the church is a broad discussion of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
But the effective meaning of this new standard is that the church has now removed the specific language prohibiting practicing homosexuals from serving in ordained ministries. And this may open the door to homosexual ordinations How all of this works out is still to be determined as presbyteries and session deal with individual candidates for ordination.
So, has the church said that it is OK for Presbyterian clergy to engage in homosexual behavior. Of course not, although some do think that this is exactly what the church has done. What we have done is to substitute an historic principle that all leaders must “joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life” for a specific rule that prevented practicing homosexuals from serving in leadership roles.
There are four principles that I think can guide the church as we move into a somewhat uncertain future. First, we need to remain faithful to our communities. This is not the time to get angry with the church and leave. This applies to both individual members and churches. We need everyone engaged in a conversation on what it means to joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is all aspects of our lives. We need together to study scripture and engage in theological discussions about what discipleship means developing our own biblical standards for leadership in our churches.
The second principle is that we should find graceful ways of finding leaders for our church. We need to speak the truth in love. Remember that the church is a hospital for sinners. Our reason for being is to help people be transformed from sinners to disciples. So we have to provide opportunities for the the Holy Spirit to transform people into disciples of Jesus Christ through nurture in God's word and by engaging in the ministries of the church. And sinners who are becoming disciples need to be nurtured for leadership positions.
The third principle is that we need to hold each other accountable. It's not enough to simply apply some arbitrary rule from the General Assembly. Rather we must be involved in each others lives so that we can nip sin in the bud before it can develop into an evil lifestyle. We can encourage each other as we all become disciples of Jesus. We can nurture each other's faith, grow in God's love, and develop leadership skills.
And the fourth principle is that we must always remember that each of us is a forgiven sinner. Be careful when calling someone else a sinner, because you are one too. If we were truly honest none of us is really qualified for ordained office. None of us is holy enough or pure enough to lead the church. But we are forgiven sinners and by the grace of God through Jesus Christ we have been given that wonderful opportunity of serving the church.
So as we move into a new era for the Presbyterian Church USA let's remember that Jesus came not to condemn sinners, but that all of us may live life abundantly. So lets use this as opportunity to grow as disciples, leave sin behind, and experience the abundant life Christ is offering us.
“You sent your Son Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. We praise you that he calls his faithful servants to lead your holy people in love; to proclaim your Word and to celebrate the sacraments of the new covenant.” (Book of Common Worship p. 137) Amen.
Sermon adapted from Charles Wiley III http://www.vimeo.com/23560820
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
Sermon John 10:1-10 A Statement On Presbyterian Ordination Standards
May 15, 2011
Last week I opened an internet news service on my computer and saw this headline. It said, “Gay is now OK for Presbyterian Clergy”. ( http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gay-is-now-ok-for-presbyterian-clergy/ ) Is this true? We need to talk about what the Presbyterian Church did this past week. But first we have to pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
John 10:1-10 10“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
In the fourth Gospel John repeatedly uses a literary device. He starts with a miracle of Jesus, then tells about a conflict over the meaning of the sign, and finishes with a teaching from Jesus. Here we have a miracle, the healing of a blind man. This is followed with a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on the subject of sin. The Pharisees contended that physical deformities, such as blindness, was caused by sin. A man who is blind from birth must have parents who sinned. Jesus replied to them is characteristic cryptic fashion, he told a riddle: who is both the shepherd of the sheep and the gate for the sheep? This confused the Pharisees, but opened them to received Jesus' teaching. And Jesus told them that he had come not to condemn sinners but that sinners might be forgiven and receive abundant life.
We have similar discussions today about sin and abundant life. The Presbyterian Church has been in a discussion about the way we select leaders and the reality of sin in our lives. In the Presbyterian Church the process by which we selected our leaders is called ordination. All of the deacons and elders of our church have been ordained. I have been ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. It is important for all who are ordained as leaders of the church to be followers, disciples of Jesus Christ. This means that church leaders must have life styles that reflect Christ's teachings and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These are the historic standards that have guided sessions and presbyteries in selecting leaders since the church started.
In the 1970s we decided that ordination standards were needed to guide presbyteries and sessions in the ordination process. It happened in this way. A candidate for the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament was being examined by Pittsburgh Presbytery. His name was Will Kenyon. Although women had been ordained as deacons, elders and pastors in our denomination for many years, Mr. Kenyon told the presbytery that for theological reasons he could not ordain women. The presbytery decided that this scruple would not disqualify Mr. Kenyon from serving as a pastor. But the national church disagreed and spoke through the General Assembly that all churches should have women elders. As a result of this decision the General Assembly began to develop specific ordination standards for all churches and presbyteries in the United States.
Meanwhile a church on Long Island faced another dilemma. A person in their congregation was clearly gifted for ministry and they wanted to ordain him as an elder, but he was a practicing homosexual. The church didn't know what to do. So they asked the General Assembly to form a committee to explore the subject. The decision of the General Assembly was that homosexual behavior was clearly sinful, but if a homosexual repented of this sin and abstained from this behavior then they could serve as leaders of the church.
This policy governed the church until 1996 when changes in American culture caused the church to want more specific standards for ordination. Over the last twenty years homosexuality had become increasingly accepted in American culture. And this caused a split in the church on the issue of ordination standards. Some wanted looser standards so that homosexual members of the church could share their gifts. Others wanted tighter standards to prevent presbyteries and sessions from ordaining homosexuals. The Presbyterian Church USA wrote the following language
into the Book of Order, its constitution.
“Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self - acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.” (G 60106b)
Since the mid-nineties the church has been in a conversation about sin and ordination. Should we honor homosexuals with gifts of ministry with ordination? Should we withhold ordination from people leading sinful lifestyles? The one thing we can all agree on is that we are now tired of the constant debate.
Last summer the General Assembly adopted new standards for ordination and changed the language in the Book of Order. These changes have been approved by a majority of presbyteries and will become effective next month. Here is what it says:
“Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”
To understand what the church has done we have to look at both the actual meaning and the effective meaning of these words. The actual meaning of this new ordination standard is that it has actually become more stringent. Presbyteries and sessions can no longer just apply a simple rule to determine who to ordain or not ordain. Now we must look at the entire lifestyle of a candidate to see if there is evidence that this person is truly a follower of Jesus Christ. This is a much more difficult task, but it will engage the church is a broad discussion of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
But the effective meaning of this new standard is that the church has now removed the specific language prohibiting practicing homosexuals from serving in ordained ministries. And this may open the door to homosexual ordinations How all of this works out is still to be determined as presbyteries and session deal with individual candidates for ordination.
So, has the church said that it is OK for Presbyterian clergy to engage in homosexual behavior. Of course not, although some do think that this is exactly what the church has done. What we have done is to substitute an historic principle that all leaders must “joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life” for a specific rule that prevented practicing homosexuals from serving in leadership roles.
There are four principles that I think can guide the church as we move into a somewhat uncertain future. First, we need to remain faithful to our communities. This is not the time to get angry with the church and leave. This applies to both individual members and churches. We need everyone engaged in a conversation on what it means to joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is all aspects of our lives. We need together to study scripture and engage in theological discussions about what discipleship means developing our own biblical standards for leadership in our churches.
The second principle is that we should find graceful ways of finding leaders for our church. We need to speak the truth in love. Remember that the church is a hospital for sinners. Our reason for being is to help people be transformed from sinners to disciples. So we have to provide opportunities for the the Holy Spirit to transform people into disciples of Jesus Christ through nurture in God's word and by engaging in the ministries of the church. And sinners who are becoming disciples need to be nurtured for leadership positions.
The third principle is that we need to hold each other accountable. It's not enough to simply apply some arbitrary rule from the General Assembly. Rather we must be involved in each others lives so that we can nip sin in the bud before it can develop into an evil lifestyle. We can encourage each other as we all become disciples of Jesus. We can nurture each other's faith, grow in God's love, and develop leadership skills.
And the fourth principle is that we must always remember that each of us is a forgiven sinner. Be careful when calling someone else a sinner, because you are one too. If we were truly honest none of us is really qualified for ordained office. None of us is holy enough or pure enough to lead the church. But we are forgiven sinners and by the grace of God through Jesus Christ we have been given that wonderful opportunity of serving the church.
So as we move into a new era for the Presbyterian Church USA let's remember that Jesus came not to condemn sinners, but that all of us may live life abundantly. So lets use this as opportunity to grow as disciples, leave sin behind, and experience the abundant life Christ is offering us.
“You sent your Son Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. We praise you that he calls his faithful servants to lead your holy people in love; to proclaim your Word and to celebrate the sacraments of the new covenant.” (Book of Common Worship p. 137) Amen.
Sermon adapted from Charles Wiley III http://www.vimeo.com/23560820
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sermon Luke 24:13-35 - Opened Their Minds
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Luke 24:13-35 - Opened Their Minds
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
May 8, 2011
Two weeks ago we saw that the primary emotion on the Easter was fear, fear of death and of an empty tomb, fear of the unknown and of all the monsters our imaginations can gather. We saw that God does not want us to be afraid, and so God sends messengers to tell us to fear not because in the resurrection of Jesus Christ death is no longer something to fear.
But as that early first Easter morning gave way to Easter afternoon and evening the fear they had been experiencing gave way to a profound sadness at losing such a great teacher and prophet as Jesus. Today we will drop in on two companions of Jesus returning to Galilee on that Easter afternoon. They are discussing the events of the past week. Let’s listen in to what they are saying:
Luke 24:13-34 13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
Cleopas and I were walking back home. We hoped to at least arrive at Emmaus before sunset and stay at the inn. As we slowly walked we talked about and all that had happened in the preceding week and during our time with Jesus.
We first met Jesus in Galilee. Everyone was talking about how Jesus had the power to heal. And how he had commissioned twelve of his disciples to go out and cast out demons. Two of these disciples came to our village and stayed in our house. They told us about Jesus and the next day we watched as they cured a young boy with a demonic spirit. When they left our village Cleopas and I wanted to follow them and meet this Jesus. We followed them and heard that Jesus was in Bethsaida; so went there. A large crowd had assembled and Jesus brought them to a hillside where he began to teach about the kingdom of God. A great many people were healed that day. We began to get hungry and started to worry about dinner; we were so far from home. And the whole crowd seemed to be as hungry as we. We could see that Jesus and his disciples had only about five loves of bread a couple of fish. Jesus blessed the bread and broke it and the disciples distributed it to everyone. Surprisingly there was enough for everyone and each disciple had a whole basket full of bread left over.
So Cleopas and I decided to keep following Jesus. One day we saw him alone and asked if we could be followers. He warned us that there would be hardships doing this, after all he frequently had no place to sleep at night as he traveled. One person in our group wanted to leave to bury his father, but Jesus told him that his work for the kingdom of God was more important.
Shortly after this Cleopas and I were commission in a group of seventy. He and I were to go to towns where Jesus was about to travel to prepare the people for his coming. He didn’t give us any money; rather we were to rely on the generosity of the people we would meet. Whenever a town welcomed us we told them about the kingdom of God. But if any town refused us we simply shook off the dust of our shoes and warned them that the kingdom of God had come near.
A week ago Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. As usual Cleopas and I went ahead to make sure everything was ready. Our job was to find a young donkey for Jesus to ride. We found the colt, but its owner thought we were stealing it. But we told him that the Lord needed it and we brought it to Jesus. Some people were lining the road with branches and the cloaks. And I saw Jesus crying when he saw the Jerusalem.
Last Thursday we all had a cedar supper for Passover. Peter and John took care of the arrangements. During supper Jesus told us that this would be his last supper with us until the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. We were wondering what this meant when Jesus took some bread, broke it, and said: Luke 22:19 "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Later, during the supper he did the same thing with a cup of wine and gave it to us saying: Luke 22:20 "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Then Jesus surprised all of us by saying that someone was going to betray him to the authorities.
Cleopas and I went with Jesus that evening to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told us to pray and he went off by himself. I tried to pray, but I fell asleep. Jesus woke us up and was very angry when all of sudden a crowd showed up with one of the twelve, Judas. I was with Peter ready to fight when Peter raised his sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. But Jesus told us to stand back, healed the ear, and was led away by the temple police and elders. Cleopas and I ran as fast as we could back into the city and got lost in the crowd.
The next day we saw on old friend, Simon who had just arrived from Cyrene. We told him how Jesus had been arrested the night before and rumors in the city that he would be crucified. Just then we saw a group of soldiers leading prisoners to the city gate. Jesus was carrying a cross beam. Simon ran out and carried it for him. Cleopas and I were scared to death so we hid in the city.
Three days have passed. Today is the first day of the week. Jerusalem is getting back to normal. Visitors are going back home. Farmers are returning to their fields. Merchants are opening their stores. We were walking, just before sun rise, and saw a group of women from Galilee. They told us that they were going to Jesus’ tomb to prepare the body with spices as was their custom. A few moments later we saw them running. They were out of breath, but were trying to tell us something. They said the tomb was empty and that they had seen Jesus.
So Cleopas and I decided that it was time for us to go home our village in Galilee. Jerusalem was no place for foreigners whose leader had been crucified and now his body missing. So we set out on foot and hoped to arrive in Emmaus before sunset. The fear we had felt in Jerusalem had given way to sadness. While we were walking we suddenly noticed a stranger was walking with us. He asked about the things we had been talking about. Cleopas got angry with the stranger for not knowing what had been happening in Jerusalem those last few days. When Cleopas calmed down I told the stranger about Jesus the prophet and miracle worker. We told him how Jesus had been executed by the religious leaders and Roman authorities. We told him how we had hoped the Jesus would redeem us from slavery to Rome. And we told him how three days later some women had found his tomb to be empty and heard a angel say that Jesus was still alive!
That’s when the stranger got angry with us. He told us we were foolish and ignorant of what the prophets of Israel has said. He talked about the Hebrew Scripture and how it predicted that the Messiah would suffer before entering into glory.
Eventually we arrived at the Inn of Emmaus. The stranger wanted to keep going, but Cleopas and I persuaded him to stay with us. We wanted the conversation to continue, and the three of us entered the inn. Then the stranger took the bread blessed and broke it and gave it to us. We then realized that the risen Jesus was there with us, and suddenly Jesus vanished.
Although it was dark out and the road was very dangerous we decided to return to Jerusalem immediately to tell the others we had seen and heard. We arrived very late that night in Jerusalem and found the eleven. We told them about seeing Jesus who opened our minds to the scriptures and revealed himself to us in the bread and wine. After some discussion we all decided to meet every Sunday beginning next week to ask the risen Jesus in prayer to be with us as we remember the stories of Jesus, interpret scripture in the light of the resurrection, and in the breaking of bread. Amen.
Sermon Luke 24:13-35 - Opened Their Minds
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
May 8, 2011
Two weeks ago we saw that the primary emotion on the Easter was fear, fear of death and of an empty tomb, fear of the unknown and of all the monsters our imaginations can gather. We saw that God does not want us to be afraid, and so God sends messengers to tell us to fear not because in the resurrection of Jesus Christ death is no longer something to fear.
But as that early first Easter morning gave way to Easter afternoon and evening the fear they had been experiencing gave way to a profound sadness at losing such a great teacher and prophet as Jesus. Today we will drop in on two companions of Jesus returning to Galilee on that Easter afternoon. They are discussing the events of the past week. Let’s listen in to what they are saying:
Luke 24:13-34 13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"
Cleopas and I were walking back home. We hoped to at least arrive at Emmaus before sunset and stay at the inn. As we slowly walked we talked about and all that had happened in the preceding week and during our time with Jesus.
We first met Jesus in Galilee. Everyone was talking about how Jesus had the power to heal. And how he had commissioned twelve of his disciples to go out and cast out demons. Two of these disciples came to our village and stayed in our house. They told us about Jesus and the next day we watched as they cured a young boy with a demonic spirit. When they left our village Cleopas and I wanted to follow them and meet this Jesus. We followed them and heard that Jesus was in Bethsaida; so went there. A large crowd had assembled and Jesus brought them to a hillside where he began to teach about the kingdom of God. A great many people were healed that day. We began to get hungry and started to worry about dinner; we were so far from home. And the whole crowd seemed to be as hungry as we. We could see that Jesus and his disciples had only about five loves of bread a couple of fish. Jesus blessed the bread and broke it and the disciples distributed it to everyone. Surprisingly there was enough for everyone and each disciple had a whole basket full of bread left over.
So Cleopas and I decided to keep following Jesus. One day we saw him alone and asked if we could be followers. He warned us that there would be hardships doing this, after all he frequently had no place to sleep at night as he traveled. One person in our group wanted to leave to bury his father, but Jesus told him that his work for the kingdom of God was more important.
Shortly after this Cleopas and I were commission in a group of seventy. He and I were to go to towns where Jesus was about to travel to prepare the people for his coming. He didn’t give us any money; rather we were to rely on the generosity of the people we would meet. Whenever a town welcomed us we told them about the kingdom of God. But if any town refused us we simply shook off the dust of our shoes and warned them that the kingdom of God had come near.
A week ago Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. As usual Cleopas and I went ahead to make sure everything was ready. Our job was to find a young donkey for Jesus to ride. We found the colt, but its owner thought we were stealing it. But we told him that the Lord needed it and we brought it to Jesus. Some people were lining the road with branches and the cloaks. And I saw Jesus crying when he saw the Jerusalem.
Last Thursday we all had a cedar supper for Passover. Peter and John took care of the arrangements. During supper Jesus told us that this would be his last supper with us until the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. We were wondering what this meant when Jesus took some bread, broke it, and said: Luke 22:19 "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Later, during the supper he did the same thing with a cup of wine and gave it to us saying: Luke 22:20 "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Then Jesus surprised all of us by saying that someone was going to betray him to the authorities.
Cleopas and I went with Jesus that evening to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told us to pray and he went off by himself. I tried to pray, but I fell asleep. Jesus woke us up and was very angry when all of sudden a crowd showed up with one of the twelve, Judas. I was with Peter ready to fight when Peter raised his sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. But Jesus told us to stand back, healed the ear, and was led away by the temple police and elders. Cleopas and I ran as fast as we could back into the city and got lost in the crowd.
The next day we saw on old friend, Simon who had just arrived from Cyrene. We told him how Jesus had been arrested the night before and rumors in the city that he would be crucified. Just then we saw a group of soldiers leading prisoners to the city gate. Jesus was carrying a cross beam. Simon ran out and carried it for him. Cleopas and I were scared to death so we hid in the city.
Three days have passed. Today is the first day of the week. Jerusalem is getting back to normal. Visitors are going back home. Farmers are returning to their fields. Merchants are opening their stores. We were walking, just before sun rise, and saw a group of women from Galilee. They told us that they were going to Jesus’ tomb to prepare the body with spices as was their custom. A few moments later we saw them running. They were out of breath, but were trying to tell us something. They said the tomb was empty and that they had seen Jesus.
So Cleopas and I decided that it was time for us to go home our village in Galilee. Jerusalem was no place for foreigners whose leader had been crucified and now his body missing. So we set out on foot and hoped to arrive in Emmaus before sunset. The fear we had felt in Jerusalem had given way to sadness. While we were walking we suddenly noticed a stranger was walking with us. He asked about the things we had been talking about. Cleopas got angry with the stranger for not knowing what had been happening in Jerusalem those last few days. When Cleopas calmed down I told the stranger about Jesus the prophet and miracle worker. We told him how Jesus had been executed by the religious leaders and Roman authorities. We told him how we had hoped the Jesus would redeem us from slavery to Rome. And we told him how three days later some women had found his tomb to be empty and heard a angel say that Jesus was still alive!
That’s when the stranger got angry with us. He told us we were foolish and ignorant of what the prophets of Israel has said. He talked about the Hebrew Scripture and how it predicted that the Messiah would suffer before entering into glory.
Eventually we arrived at the Inn of Emmaus. The stranger wanted to keep going, but Cleopas and I persuaded him to stay with us. We wanted the conversation to continue, and the three of us entered the inn. Then the stranger took the bread blessed and broke it and gave it to us. We then realized that the risen Jesus was there with us, and suddenly Jesus vanished.
Although it was dark out and the road was very dangerous we decided to return to Jerusalem immediately to tell the others we had seen and heard. We arrived very late that night in Jerusalem and found the eleven. We told them about seeing Jesus who opened our minds to the scriptures and revealed himself to us in the bread and wine. After some discussion we all decided to meet every Sunday beginning next week to ask the risen Jesus in prayer to be with us as we remember the stories of Jesus, interpret scripture in the light of the resurrection, and in the breaking of bread. Amen.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sermon - Matthew 28: 1-10 - What Happened?
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon - Matt. 28: 1-10 - What Happened?
April 24, 2010
In ancient times priests would look to the heavens for wisdom. They wanted to know when the farmers should being planting. So the priests would watch the sun rise and the sun set each day. When they saw that the daytime and nighttime were equal they knew that the Sun had spoken and the planting should begin soon. But they had to wait for the moon to confirm this. So they waited for the first full moon after the equinox. Once the moon had spoken the people would be gathered and the priest would tell them that it was time to plant.
The ancient Hebrews knew the sun and the moon do not decide when the planting should begin. God, the creator of the sun and moon decides when this should occur and God used the sun and moon to tell us when to plant. So the Hebrews held the great feast of Passover on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
On the night before his death Jesus celebrated this passover meal with his disciples on the first full moon after the vernal equinox and the church has traditionally celebrated Jesus' resurrection from dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
On March 21st we experienced the arrival of Spring with the equinox as the length of day and night were the same. Last Monday, we saw a full moon. Today is Sunday, the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. So we are at the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is time for the farmers to plant. And this must be Easter. Let's pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
Matthew 28:1-10 RS Matthew 28:1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And 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. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then 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." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
It was the first day of the week, a work day. A couple of women got up early as the sun was rising. They wanted to get to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. So they made their way hurriedly and arrived just in time to see something that scared them to death. Fear was the emotion everyone was experiencing on that first Easter morning.
We all experience fear. Maybe you are afraid that you won't have enough money to pay for both groceries and gasoline. Maybe you are afraid that your company may downsize and you will be out of a job. Maybe you are afraid that the pain you are feeling may be sign of deeper problems. Maybe your are afraid that your loved one will leave you all alone.
Fear is a part of our lives. It is our early warning system that something, something bad is about to happen. God has given the us the gift of fear to protect us. When in danger fear causes us to either flee or freeze. Of course with any gift from God it can be twisted around by the devil. Sometimes we flee from what we are suppose to do. We flee from our responsibilities to our families. We flee from the ethical behavior we learned as children. We flee from God. Sometimes we freeze when we shouldn't. A child has an important question about life and we freeze up fearing to talk about important issues. We freeze when the boss offers us a promotion fearing losing the comfort of our existing jobs. We freeze went God is offering us new lives. Fear is always around us.
For a long time I was afraid of riding a bicycle. I fell off once when I was a kid and I was too frightened to get back on. Years later as an adult I decided to try to tackle this fear. So I bought a bicycle and started riding it. It wasn't until I fell off a few times and got back up that my fear finally dissipated.
The Israelites were afraid to enter the promised land. There was a report of giants in Canaan. They said, “28 Where are we headed? Our kindred have made our hearts melt by reporting, 'The people are stronger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified up to heaven! We actually saw there the offspring of the Anakim!'" (Deuteronomy 1:28). The Israelites experienced great fear that froze them in the wilderness. But, God does not want us to be afraid. That's why he keeps sending messages with the angels who say, “Fear Not”. Moses told the people who feared entering the promised land,
Deuteronomy 1:29-33 29 I said to you, "Have no dread or fear of them. 30 The LORD your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place.
Fear is what keeps us in slavery to sin. Why else would we remain enslaved? Slavery can only be maintained in the slaves fear their masters. And if we fear the devil more than we fear God then we will remain as slaves to sin forever. But if we no longer fear the devil then we are free to leave sin behind and embrace the promised blessings of God.
On that first Easter morning fear was everywhere. The Jewish leaders in the temple feared the Roman reaction to the Kingdom of Heaven talk that had swept across Jerusalem that Passover. Pilate feared that there might be a revolution in the streets for which Rome would hold him accountable. The guards at the tomb were afraid of the earthquake that rolled away the stone. And a couple of women were afraid at what they saw inside the tomb, or more specifically what they didn't see. The tomb was empty. Jesus' body was not there. Immediately they were fill with fear. They feared the unknown. They feared the Roman reaction. There feared for their families in a possible civil war.
God was so concerned about their fears that he immediately dispatched an angel with an important message, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised.” Of course this didn't work. The women were even more afraid. Their fear caused them to flee. They ran as fast as they could to get back to the safety of the others. So God sent another messenger to comfort them. A more familiar messenger. Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid”. So it is Jesus who comes to remove our fears so that we are no longer paralyzed by fear into slavery to sin. Jesus is the messenger from God who comforts us in our fears and helps us to leave our fears behind and enter into the promised blessings of God.
Our most fundamental fear, of course, is our fear of death. We are afraid of death more than anything else. We grieve when a loved one dies because of our fear that this will be the last time we will ever see them again. We fear death because is seem that a giant The End to our lives. We fear the unknown and wait for what may or may not happen after we die.
This fear of death is what keeps us in slavery. The Israelites could not freely worship their God because the Egyptian army would kill them. The people of Jesus' day were unwilling to stand up to the Romans for the same reason. And we remain slaves sin because we fear our own deaths.
But the message God sent to those women through Jesus was that death was to be feared no longer. Death was not the end. The Egyptians or the Romans could kill you, but not end your life. And Jesus demonstrated this fact in his resurrection from the dead.
In Jesus Christ we see that death is no longer the last page of our life story. We live on in life after death. Our slave masters can threaten us with death, they can kill us on a cross, but the promised blessing of Jesus Christ is eternal life for all who believe. The apostle Paul spoke of this promise in this way, “5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) And Peter said, “ 3 Blessed 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, (1 Peter 1:3).
So hope replaces our fear. As Christians we no longer fear death. Death has no sting. Rather, we are a people of hope who believe in the promised blessing of Easter that even though we may die and return back to the dust of the ground from which we came, we will one day be resurrected to new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ.
So I urge you this Easter morning to fear not. Rather, be filled with hope that in Jesus Christ death is not the final chapter, but the beginning of a glorious future in a resurrected body, in a new creation, in the Kingdom of God.
“Brightness of God’s glory and exact image of God’s person, whom death could not conquer nor the tomb imprison, as you have shared our frailty in human flesh, help us to share your immortality in the Spirit. Let no shadow of the grave terrify us, and no fear of darkness turn our hearts from you. Reveal yourself to us this day and all our days, as the first and the last, the Living One, our immortal Savior and Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Worship p 324)
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon - Matt. 28: 1-10 - What Happened?
April 24, 2010
In ancient times priests would look to the heavens for wisdom. They wanted to know when the farmers should being planting. So the priests would watch the sun rise and the sun set each day. When they saw that the daytime and nighttime were equal they knew that the Sun had spoken and the planting should begin soon. But they had to wait for the moon to confirm this. So they waited for the first full moon after the equinox. Once the moon had spoken the people would be gathered and the priest would tell them that it was time to plant.
The ancient Hebrews knew the sun and the moon do not decide when the planting should begin. God, the creator of the sun and moon decides when this should occur and God used the sun and moon to tell us when to plant. So the Hebrews held the great feast of Passover on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
On the night before his death Jesus celebrated this passover meal with his disciples on the first full moon after the vernal equinox and the church has traditionally celebrated Jesus' resurrection from dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
On March 21st we experienced the arrival of Spring with the equinox as the length of day and night were the same. Last Monday, we saw a full moon. Today is Sunday, the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. So we are at the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is time for the farmers to plant. And this must be Easter. Let's pray.
“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
Matthew 28:1-10 RS Matthew 28:1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And 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. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then 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." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
It was the first day of the week, a work day. A couple of women got up early as the sun was rising. They wanted to get to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. So they made their way hurriedly and arrived just in time to see something that scared them to death. Fear was the emotion everyone was experiencing on that first Easter morning.
We all experience fear. Maybe you are afraid that you won't have enough money to pay for both groceries and gasoline. Maybe you are afraid that your company may downsize and you will be out of a job. Maybe you are afraid that the pain you are feeling may be sign of deeper problems. Maybe your are afraid that your loved one will leave you all alone.
Fear is a part of our lives. It is our early warning system that something, something bad is about to happen. God has given the us the gift of fear to protect us. When in danger fear causes us to either flee or freeze. Of course with any gift from God it can be twisted around by the devil. Sometimes we flee from what we are suppose to do. We flee from our responsibilities to our families. We flee from the ethical behavior we learned as children. We flee from God. Sometimes we freeze when we shouldn't. A child has an important question about life and we freeze up fearing to talk about important issues. We freeze when the boss offers us a promotion fearing losing the comfort of our existing jobs. We freeze went God is offering us new lives. Fear is always around us.
For a long time I was afraid of riding a bicycle. I fell off once when I was a kid and I was too frightened to get back on. Years later as an adult I decided to try to tackle this fear. So I bought a bicycle and started riding it. It wasn't until I fell off a few times and got back up that my fear finally dissipated.
The Israelites were afraid to enter the promised land. There was a report of giants in Canaan. They said, “28 Where are we headed? Our kindred have made our hearts melt by reporting, 'The people are stronger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified up to heaven! We actually saw there the offspring of the Anakim!'" (Deuteronomy 1:28). The Israelites experienced great fear that froze them in the wilderness. But, God does not want us to be afraid. That's why he keeps sending messages with the angels who say, “Fear Not”. Moses told the people who feared entering the promised land,
Deuteronomy 1:29-33 29 I said to you, "Have no dread or fear of them. 30 The LORD your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place.
Fear is what keeps us in slavery to sin. Why else would we remain enslaved? Slavery can only be maintained in the slaves fear their masters. And if we fear the devil more than we fear God then we will remain as slaves to sin forever. But if we no longer fear the devil then we are free to leave sin behind and embrace the promised blessings of God.
On that first Easter morning fear was everywhere. The Jewish leaders in the temple feared the Roman reaction to the Kingdom of Heaven talk that had swept across Jerusalem that Passover. Pilate feared that there might be a revolution in the streets for which Rome would hold him accountable. The guards at the tomb were afraid of the earthquake that rolled away the stone. And a couple of women were afraid at what they saw inside the tomb, or more specifically what they didn't see. The tomb was empty. Jesus' body was not there. Immediately they were fill with fear. They feared the unknown. They feared the Roman reaction. There feared for their families in a possible civil war.
God was so concerned about their fears that he immediately dispatched an angel with an important message, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised.” Of course this didn't work. The women were even more afraid. Their fear caused them to flee. They ran as fast as they could to get back to the safety of the others. So God sent another messenger to comfort them. A more familiar messenger. Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid”. So it is Jesus who comes to remove our fears so that we are no longer paralyzed by fear into slavery to sin. Jesus is the messenger from God who comforts us in our fears and helps us to leave our fears behind and enter into the promised blessings of God.
Our most fundamental fear, of course, is our fear of death. We are afraid of death more than anything else. We grieve when a loved one dies because of our fear that this will be the last time we will ever see them again. We fear death because is seem that a giant The End to our lives. We fear the unknown and wait for what may or may not happen after we die.
This fear of death is what keeps us in slavery. The Israelites could not freely worship their God because the Egyptian army would kill them. The people of Jesus' day were unwilling to stand up to the Romans for the same reason. And we remain slaves sin because we fear our own deaths.
But the message God sent to those women through Jesus was that death was to be feared no longer. Death was not the end. The Egyptians or the Romans could kill you, but not end your life. And Jesus demonstrated this fact in his resurrection from the dead.
In Jesus Christ we see that death is no longer the last page of our life story. We live on in life after death. Our slave masters can threaten us with death, they can kill us on a cross, but the promised blessing of Jesus Christ is eternal life for all who believe. The apostle Paul spoke of this promise in this way, “5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) And Peter said, “ 3 Blessed 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, (1 Peter 1:3).
So hope replaces our fear. As Christians we no longer fear death. Death has no sting. Rather, we are a people of hope who believe in the promised blessing of Easter that even though we may die and return back to the dust of the ground from which we came, we will one day be resurrected to new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ.
So I urge you this Easter morning to fear not. Rather, be filled with hope that in Jesus Christ death is not the final chapter, but the beginning of a glorious future in a resurrected body, in a new creation, in the Kingdom of God.
“Brightness of God’s glory and exact image of God’s person, whom death could not conquer nor the tomb imprison, as you have shared our frailty in human flesh, help us to share your immortality in the Spirit. Let no shadow of the grave terrify us, and no fear of darkness turn our hearts from you. Reveal yourself to us this day and all our days, as the first and the last, the Living One, our immortal Savior and Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Worship p 324)
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