Bible Study – Revelation 7.9-17
Q1 In comparison with other parts of the Bible, what are the special difficulties about reading Revelation?
Q2 At the time that Revelation was written, what do we know about the situation of the writer and the people he was writing to?
Q3 How many people will benefit from salvation in Jesus? How can we reconcile what we read in verses 5 to 8 with what we read in verse 9?
Q4 What do you think is signified by the white robes worn by the people in John’s vision?
Q5 Bearing mind your answer to question 2, for what purpose do you think John was given this vision?
Q6 Verse 14 explains who the people in white robes are and where they came from? How clear are you about the meaning of this verse? Does it raise any questions for you?
Q7 Looking at verses 15 to 17, how does this picture of the condition of the saved relate to OT passages like Isaiah 25.6-9 and Luke 6.20-22?
Q8 Have a look at Revelation 21.1-6 and 22.1-5. What is the ultimate goal that the Bible is pointing towards?
Q9 How do these glimpses of the work our Father is engaged in relate to our daily lives? How are we motivated by them?
Q10 Does this passage make you want to make any changes or do anything differently?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sermon - Revelation 7.9-17
Revelation 7.9-17
• As a small boy I always wondered what was going on inside my Dad’s workshop. Occasionally he’d let me in and show me the piece of furniture he was working on and a drawing of what it would be like when it was finished. Then I understood.
• Today’s reading from Rev is a bit like that. The Apostle is given a glimpse inside Heaven so he can better understand the masterpiece his heavenly Father is working on.
• John needs this so he can write to encourage the faith of the communities of Christians who are being persecuted by the Roman Emperor (Nero or Domitian).
What John sees
• He sees a great multitude of people, so many that they could not be counted, all standing before the Lamb of God, joyfully praising and worshipping Him.
• He sees that this vast crowd of people are all wearing white robes, indicating that they are pure, clean, whole and accepted by God.
What John learns
• In conversation with one of the elders, John learns who the people in white robes are and where they come from.
• He discovers that they have all come through a great tribulation or ordeal and that their robes have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb.
• He discovers that all those who have suffered will find their suffering reversed, in fulfillment of Jesus’s promises in the Beattitudes (see Luke 6.20-22) and numerous OT prophecies (eg Isaiah 25.6-9).
• Verses 15-17 give a beautiful picture of the victory of God’s justice, of wrongs put right, of perfect fellowship between human beings in which human values and God’s values coincide.
Not just in heaven
• In case we think this salvation is just about life after death, as a kind of compensation for a lousy life on earth, Revelation goes on (chapters 21 and 22) to show that God’s ultimate goal is not heaven but a new creation, from which death and evil have been banished.
• In the end the kingdom of heaven will be fully established ON EARTH, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. All who belong to Jesus will be part of that and their number will be greater than any number we can imagine…
Implications for us
We need to understand the reason John was given this vision and what it means for us. In his book Surprised by Hope (SPCK 2007) Tom Wright reminds us of the slogan of Christian Aid, ‘We believe in life before death’. He points out the danger of believing salvation is only about life after death which might imply that there is no real point putting things right in the present world. Wright argues that:
For the first Christians, the ultimate ‘salvation’ was all about God’s new world; and the point of what Jesus and the apostles were doing when they were healing people, or being rescued from shipwreck, or whatever, was that this was a proper anticipation of that ultimate ‘salvation’, that healing transformation of space, time and matter. (p.211)
I began by saying how exciting it was when my Dad let me peak inside his workshop and showed me what he was working on.
• Do you know what was even more exciting? It was the times when he would actually let me join in with his work – usually just by holding things and passing them to him
• but occasionally he’d hand me the screwdriver or the glue or the sandpaper and say ‘now its your turn, son – have a go!’
• HOW EXCITING WAS THAT? It didn’t matter if I couldn’t do the task perfectly yet – my Dad was there to help and guide me and repair anything I did that went wrong.
• The thrill for me was to be joining in with him, doing real work, work that mattered…
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT if we could bring that same thrill to our lives as Christians?
• When we are given a glimpse inside heaven (as in Rev 7.9ff), we see the masterpiece our Father is making, the work He and his Son and his Holy Spirit are engaged in…
• We see that our Father’s work is about defeating evil, rescuing people from its grip, healing people, setting people free from poverty and despair, showing them tenderness and unselfish love. Its about God bringing more people than we could possibly count inside the safety of his tent (v15).
• It’s also about bringing justice, not in the sense of punishment (retributive justice) but in the sense of making things RIGHT, making things the way they were always meant to be (restorative justice).
• It’s a big thrill for me to see what my Father’s work is all about.
• But how much greater the thrill if HIS work could be MY work… if I could join in with his work.
• And of course it IS my work and I CAN join in. Jesus said “it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14.10) and then he went on to say “all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these” (John 14.12).
• Jesus goes on to say things like “I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15.15) and “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last” (John 15.16).
One more quote from Tom Wright :
The work of salvation in its fullest sense is (1) about whole human beings, not merely souls; (2) about the present, not simply the future; and (3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us. If we can get this straight, we will rediscover the historic basis for the full-orbed mission of the church. (p.213)
• When I preach a message like this my heart starts beating faster, but how well are we doing about putting it into practice, at doing our Father’s work in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit, here and now?
• Not too badly perhaps, but I think there’s a lot we can learn from other parts of God’s church who are more actively engaged in this work on a daily basis. That’s why I’ve invited Danilo along this morning.
• Let’s allow ourselves to be challenged by what he’s got to say and take this with us into our weekend away as Ann Morisy leads us in an exploration of how this church can be a place of hopeful possibility, in an age of uncertainty.
• As a small boy I always wondered what was going on inside my Dad’s workshop. Occasionally he’d let me in and show me the piece of furniture he was working on and a drawing of what it would be like when it was finished. Then I understood.
• Today’s reading from Rev is a bit like that. The Apostle is given a glimpse inside Heaven so he can better understand the masterpiece his heavenly Father is working on.
• John needs this so he can write to encourage the faith of the communities of Christians who are being persecuted by the Roman Emperor (Nero or Domitian).
What John sees
• He sees a great multitude of people, so many that they could not be counted, all standing before the Lamb of God, joyfully praising and worshipping Him.
• He sees that this vast crowd of people are all wearing white robes, indicating that they are pure, clean, whole and accepted by God.
What John learns
• In conversation with one of the elders, John learns who the people in white robes are and where they come from.
• He discovers that they have all come through a great tribulation or ordeal and that their robes have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb.
• He discovers that all those who have suffered will find their suffering reversed, in fulfillment of Jesus’s promises in the Beattitudes (see Luke 6.20-22) and numerous OT prophecies (eg Isaiah 25.6-9).
• Verses 15-17 give a beautiful picture of the victory of God’s justice, of wrongs put right, of perfect fellowship between human beings in which human values and God’s values coincide.
Not just in heaven
• In case we think this salvation is just about life after death, as a kind of compensation for a lousy life on earth, Revelation goes on (chapters 21 and 22) to show that God’s ultimate goal is not heaven but a new creation, from which death and evil have been banished.
• In the end the kingdom of heaven will be fully established ON EARTH, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. All who belong to Jesus will be part of that and their number will be greater than any number we can imagine…
Implications for us
We need to understand the reason John was given this vision and what it means for us. In his book Surprised by Hope (SPCK 2007) Tom Wright reminds us of the slogan of Christian Aid, ‘We believe in life before death’. He points out the danger of believing salvation is only about life after death which might imply that there is no real point putting things right in the present world. Wright argues that:
For the first Christians, the ultimate ‘salvation’ was all about God’s new world; and the point of what Jesus and the apostles were doing when they were healing people, or being rescued from shipwreck, or whatever, was that this was a proper anticipation of that ultimate ‘salvation’, that healing transformation of space, time and matter. (p.211)
I began by saying how exciting it was when my Dad let me peak inside his workshop and showed me what he was working on.
• Do you know what was even more exciting? It was the times when he would actually let me join in with his work – usually just by holding things and passing them to him
• but occasionally he’d hand me the screwdriver or the glue or the sandpaper and say ‘now its your turn, son – have a go!’
• HOW EXCITING WAS THAT? It didn’t matter if I couldn’t do the task perfectly yet – my Dad was there to help and guide me and repair anything I did that went wrong.
• The thrill for me was to be joining in with him, doing real work, work that mattered…
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT if we could bring that same thrill to our lives as Christians?
• When we are given a glimpse inside heaven (as in Rev 7.9ff), we see the masterpiece our Father is making, the work He and his Son and his Holy Spirit are engaged in…
• We see that our Father’s work is about defeating evil, rescuing people from its grip, healing people, setting people free from poverty and despair, showing them tenderness and unselfish love. Its about God bringing more people than we could possibly count inside the safety of his tent (v15).
• It’s also about bringing justice, not in the sense of punishment (retributive justice) but in the sense of making things RIGHT, making things the way they were always meant to be (restorative justice).
• It’s a big thrill for me to see what my Father’s work is all about.
• But how much greater the thrill if HIS work could be MY work… if I could join in with his work.
• And of course it IS my work and I CAN join in. Jesus said “it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14.10) and then he went on to say “all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these” (John 14.12).
• Jesus goes on to say things like “I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15.15) and “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last” (John 15.16).
One more quote from Tom Wright :
The work of salvation in its fullest sense is (1) about whole human beings, not merely souls; (2) about the present, not simply the future; and (3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us. If we can get this straight, we will rediscover the historic basis for the full-orbed mission of the church. (p.213)
• When I preach a message like this my heart starts beating faster, but how well are we doing about putting it into practice, at doing our Father’s work in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit, here and now?
• Not too badly perhaps, but I think there’s a lot we can learn from other parts of God’s church who are more actively engaged in this work on a daily basis. That’s why I’ve invited Danilo along this morning.
• Let’s allow ourselves to be challenged by what he’s got to say and take this with us into our weekend away as Ann Morisy leads us in an exploration of how this church can be a place of hopeful possibility, in an age of uncertainty.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Which Jesus do we follow? Not this one!
shamelessly stolen from Robin Parry's 'Theological Scribbles' blog.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bible Study - Acts 10
Bible Study – Acts 10
Directed by God’s Spirit, the Christian community breaks out of its Jewish roots to become multi-cultural. The centurion Cornelius becomes the first recorded Gentile to be baptised into the fellowship.
v. 1-8: Cornelius has a vision instructing him to make contact with Peter
v. 9-20: Peter’s vision
v. 24 ff. Cornelius and Peter meet; Peter tells the gospel to Cornelius, his relatives and his close friends and witnesses the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles, evidenced by their speaking in tongues. The story climaxes in v47-48, with Peter’s exclamation “Surely no-one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
Q1 What do we learn about Cornelius in verses 1 and 2? Would this man have been considered a friend or an enemy by the Jewish Christian disciples?
Q2 Which is more important, to believe the right things about God or to live the way God wants us to live? In what ways was Cornelius’s life pleasing to God?
Q3 What should our attitude be towards people who are living ‘godpleasing’ lives but who are not Christians? Should we try to convert them?
Q4 The two men had different reactions to their visions. Discuss the different experiences we can have/have had to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Q5 How is God’s power demonstrated in this chapter?
Q6 In what ways does God demonstrate that he believes in Peter?
Q7 Trace Peter’s gradual understanding of God’s will. What does this tell us about leadership?
Q8 What do you make of the gospel story as retold by Peter in verses 34 to 43? How does it compare to the way the gospel is usually told?
Q9 Jesus’ commission “Go make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19) (Acts 1:8) shaped the missionary endeavours of the church. Discuss the similarities and differences with the challenge faced by the church today.
Q10 The early church had to break out from its old culture in order to grow as the Spirit directed. What “old cultures” might hold back and inhibit our current church?
Directed by God’s Spirit, the Christian community breaks out of its Jewish roots to become multi-cultural. The centurion Cornelius becomes the first recorded Gentile to be baptised into the fellowship.
v. 1-8: Cornelius has a vision instructing him to make contact with Peter
v. 9-20: Peter’s vision
v. 24 ff. Cornelius and Peter meet; Peter tells the gospel to Cornelius, his relatives and his close friends and witnesses the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles, evidenced by their speaking in tongues. The story climaxes in v47-48, with Peter’s exclamation “Surely no-one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
Q1 What do we learn about Cornelius in verses 1 and 2? Would this man have been considered a friend or an enemy by the Jewish Christian disciples?
Q2 Which is more important, to believe the right things about God or to live the way God wants us to live? In what ways was Cornelius’s life pleasing to God?
Q3 What should our attitude be towards people who are living ‘godpleasing’ lives but who are not Christians? Should we try to convert them?
Q4 The two men had different reactions to their visions. Discuss the different experiences we can have/have had to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Q5 How is God’s power demonstrated in this chapter?
Q6 In what ways does God demonstrate that he believes in Peter?
Q7 Trace Peter’s gradual understanding of God’s will. What does this tell us about leadership?
Q8 What do you make of the gospel story as retold by Peter in verses 34 to 43? How does it compare to the way the gospel is usually told?
Q9 Jesus’ commission “Go make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19) (Acts 1:8) shaped the missionary endeavours of the church. Discuss the similarities and differences with the challenge faced by the church today.
Q10 The early church had to break out from its old culture in order to grow as the Spirit directed. What “old cultures” might hold back and inhibit our current church?
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sermon - Acts 10
Acts 10
Sunday Nite series 18.4.2010
We’ve been learning about how the gospel began to spread beyond Jerusalem in the early days of the Church after Pentecost. Two of the key players were Stephen (Ch7) and Philip (Ch8). But tonight we learn how the Church’s first real breakthrough amongst the Gentiles (non-Jews) came not through either of these, not even through Saul/Paul, but through Peter, the leader amongst the original 12.
This is a very rich chapter and I only have time to pick out a few of the significant points.
1. Cornelius is out there
Look at verses 1 and 2. Christians have been told to love their enemies. Here is a man who would certainly be defined as an enemy – a military officer in the occupying army. And a gentile – that division was probably deeper than we can appreciate.
But look at the kind of man Cornelius is, the kind of lives that he and his family are living (v2). They are doing many of the things you would hope and expect Christians to be doing, but they are not yet Christians. They still need to hear about and respond to Jesus. They need Peter. AND as we shall see, Peter needs them. And we notice that it is while Cornelius is engaged in his regular practice of prayer that God’s messenger comes to him.
Just a thought. I wonder how many Corneliuses are ‘out there’ in our society, our circle of contacts. Who are they waiting for to take the good news to them? Me? You?
2. God believes in Peter
We already know from his preaching and his actions that Peter believes in God, but it is equally important to see that God believes in Peter. Notice how God’s angel tells Cornelius to send for Peter, even before God has told Peter how he wants to use him. God knows Peter inside out, he knows his fears and prejudices, all the baggage he carries as a Jew as well as a believer in Jesus.
Yet in spite of all this, God believes that Peter can cross that threshold, see his enemy differently, treat his enemy with love instead of fear or hatred. God entrusts the task to Peter and believes that Peter is up to it.
3. Peter obeys, even when it hurts
Now as we look at verses 9-23 and try to get into how challenging this situation is for Peter. This is turn-your-world-upside-down time, forget-everything-you’ve-heard-about-gentiles-before time.
Notice also how, guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter is able to be flexible beyond his worst nightmare. He is able to accept the impossible, to step right out of his comfort zone and to follow where God is leading.
4. The Gospel according to Peter
In verses 24-33 these two very different men who have been brought together by God catch up on each other’s stories. Then Peter tells the good news in his own words.
• V34-35 God does not show favouritism but accepts those from every nation who fear him and do what is right (NB who might that definition include today?)
• V36 This message of peace with God for all has been sent through the people of Israel, specifically through Jesus
• V37-39 summarise Jesus’s life as a Spirit-filled war against evil, in which Jesus continually sets people free from sickness and evil
• V39-40 shows that the crucifixion and resurrection are the culmination of this war and how the apparent victory of evil over good is turned on its head by God
• V41-43 confirms the testimony both of the prophets of old and the eyewitness apostles that salvation through Jesus is for everyone, not just for a select few.
The gospel Peter preached is the gospel the Church is called to preach today and we need to check our version against his!
5. The Spirit’s work, the Church’s baptism
The truth and power of what Peter is saying is confirmed by the amazing events of verses 44-46. To the amazement of Peter and his companions, God shows his clear acceptance of all who heard the message by pouring out the Holy Spirit on them before Peter has even finished speaking and without any preconditions. This needs to be noticed by any who think you have to go through certain steps, defined by the Church, in order to become a Christian. God’s grace will not be limited in these ways and is poured out by him far more widely and generously than we expect.
Peter responds to what has happened in the right way – even though all his preconceptions have been proved wrong. He doesn’t go defensive and shore up the barriers, he gives the sacrament of baptism as an outward sign of what God has done spiritually in these people. He responds graciously to God’s grace in the life of his enemy.
6. Reviewing our Mission Priorities
In the light of this revolutionary story of how the doors were blown off the early church to allow everyone to come in, by the grace of God, in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit, we must allow our own understanding of the gospel and of our mission to be challenged.
Sunday Nite series 18.4.2010
We’ve been learning about how the gospel began to spread beyond Jerusalem in the early days of the Church after Pentecost. Two of the key players were Stephen (Ch7) and Philip (Ch8). But tonight we learn how the Church’s first real breakthrough amongst the Gentiles (non-Jews) came not through either of these, not even through Saul/Paul, but through Peter, the leader amongst the original 12.
This is a very rich chapter and I only have time to pick out a few of the significant points.
1. Cornelius is out there
Look at verses 1 and 2. Christians have been told to love their enemies. Here is a man who would certainly be defined as an enemy – a military officer in the occupying army. And a gentile – that division was probably deeper than we can appreciate.
But look at the kind of man Cornelius is, the kind of lives that he and his family are living (v2). They are doing many of the things you would hope and expect Christians to be doing, but they are not yet Christians. They still need to hear about and respond to Jesus. They need Peter. AND as we shall see, Peter needs them. And we notice that it is while Cornelius is engaged in his regular practice of prayer that God’s messenger comes to him.
Just a thought. I wonder how many Corneliuses are ‘out there’ in our society, our circle of contacts. Who are they waiting for to take the good news to them? Me? You?
2. God believes in Peter
We already know from his preaching and his actions that Peter believes in God, but it is equally important to see that God believes in Peter. Notice how God’s angel tells Cornelius to send for Peter, even before God has told Peter how he wants to use him. God knows Peter inside out, he knows his fears and prejudices, all the baggage he carries as a Jew as well as a believer in Jesus.
Yet in spite of all this, God believes that Peter can cross that threshold, see his enemy differently, treat his enemy with love instead of fear or hatred. God entrusts the task to Peter and believes that Peter is up to it.
3. Peter obeys, even when it hurts
Now as we look at verses 9-23 and try to get into how challenging this situation is for Peter. This is turn-your-world-upside-down time, forget-everything-you’ve-heard-about-gentiles-before time.
Notice also how, guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter is able to be flexible beyond his worst nightmare. He is able to accept the impossible, to step right out of his comfort zone and to follow where God is leading.
4. The Gospel according to Peter
In verses 24-33 these two very different men who have been brought together by God catch up on each other’s stories. Then Peter tells the good news in his own words.
• V34-35 God does not show favouritism but accepts those from every nation who fear him and do what is right (NB who might that definition include today?)
• V36 This message of peace with God for all has been sent through the people of Israel, specifically through Jesus
• V37-39 summarise Jesus’s life as a Spirit-filled war against evil, in which Jesus continually sets people free from sickness and evil
• V39-40 shows that the crucifixion and resurrection are the culmination of this war and how the apparent victory of evil over good is turned on its head by God
• V41-43 confirms the testimony both of the prophets of old and the eyewitness apostles that salvation through Jesus is for everyone, not just for a select few.
The gospel Peter preached is the gospel the Church is called to preach today and we need to check our version against his!
5. The Spirit’s work, the Church’s baptism
The truth and power of what Peter is saying is confirmed by the amazing events of verses 44-46. To the amazement of Peter and his companions, God shows his clear acceptance of all who heard the message by pouring out the Holy Spirit on them before Peter has even finished speaking and without any preconditions. This needs to be noticed by any who think you have to go through certain steps, defined by the Church, in order to become a Christian. God’s grace will not be limited in these ways and is poured out by him far more widely and generously than we expect.
Peter responds to what has happened in the right way – even though all his preconceptions have been proved wrong. He doesn’t go defensive and shore up the barriers, he gives the sacrament of baptism as an outward sign of what God has done spiritually in these people. He responds graciously to God’s grace in the life of his enemy.
6. Reviewing our Mission Priorities
In the light of this revolutionary story of how the doors were blown off the early church to allow everyone to come in, by the grace of God, in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Spirit, we must allow our own understanding of the gospel and of our mission to be challenged.
Sermon - John 21.1-19 - Fishing in the dark
John 21.1-19
18th April 2010 Easter 3
Background
• Initial resurrection appearances had led to JOY and BEWILDERMENT. The disciples knew something extraordinary had happened but weren’t sure just what it meant and what had changed.
• Peter’s intense shame at his 3X denial of Jesus
• The origins of most of the disciples in the fishing community beside the Sea of Galilee.
The disciples are now back in the original place where Jesus first called them to follow him.
Fishing in the Dark (v1-5)
Seven of the disciples are back where the story began. Simon Peter, unofficial leader, says “I am going fishing” and the others follow.
Surprising? Jesus has RISEN! Shouldn’t they be out preaching, healing, building churches and founding mission societies? Why go fishing?
• To state the obvious, they had to eat and feed their families
• Let’s not ‘judge’ the disciples with hindsight – the resurrection was very new, radical and shocking – they just couldn’t get their heads round it straightaway (like us with 9/11 or global warming?)
• Understandably, they went back to a familiar activity which they were competent at.
But they were unsuccessful. Verse 3 tells us they fished all night but caught nothing.
Having failed Jesus in his hour of need, Peter and Co now can’t even get this right. Perhaps God’s blessing is no longer with them?
QUESTION Do you ever feel like you are ‘fishing in the dark’? Do you have times when even familiar activities are a struggle, when its as if you are banging your head against a wall? When you know the resurrection of Jesus is highly significant, but it doesn’t seem to be helping? You’re not alone.
Being Led and Fed by Jesus (v6-14)
Fittingly, the turning point in the story comes at DAWN. The imagesry of light and darkness is very significant in John’s gospel and now, as the sun rises, it is the risen Son who stands on the shore and calls out to the tired and dispirited disciples.
• He directs them to a large catch of fish (as he had done before, Lk 5)
• Typically, John is quick in insight and Peter is quick in action – diving straight in when he recognizes Jesus
• Jesus already has the barbecue going and provides bread and fish for breakfast (reminding of feedings of 5000 & 4000) with some of the fish they have caught
• He is recognizable but different
Something needs to change in the disciples and Jesus feeding them is the first step needed.
We, John’s readers, remember that Jesus predicted they would catch people instead of fish.
The Call to Serve and Follow (v15-19)
After breakfast, Jesus sets about the business of harnessing the power of the resurrection and enabling this group to become effective in discipleship and mission.
He concentrates on Peter, who is a natural leader and has influence in the group. Also because Peter’s denial is hanging over them like a cloud and needs to be reversed/healed/forgiven.
‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’
Jesus addresses him by his old name.
‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’
Peter no longer boasts of his loyalty and bravery. He has been broken and humbled by his denials.
‘Feed my lambs.’
The question is repeated and then asked a third time, ‘do you love me?’
Peter is upset by the repetition, which seems to be intended to match the number of denials.
3 denials. 3 questions about his love. 3 commands. Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.
In Christ, in the power of the resurrection, Peter must discover a new way of leadership – through serving, protecting and feeding others. Ultimately, Jesus predicts, he will have to face crucifixion – which apparently came true about 30 years later.
In Peter’s suffering, he too would glorify God and would answer the call to follow Jesus in the deepest sense.
Conclusion
The disciples were confused by Jesus’s death and resurrection but he came back to reassure them, to feed them and to lead them. It is the job of those who love the Lord and have been fed and changed by him to feed and love and serve others.
Peter and the first disciples had a special role and not everyone is called to lead and serve in the ways they did. But, in another sense all Christians are leaders, because we are all people of influence.
Think about it. What positions of influence do you have in your family, the community, in society, in the queue at Mercadona or the hospital waiting room?
Whatever influence we have must not be exercised through power and domination but through humble, gentle and nurturing words and actions and through sacrificing our own self-interest and comfort.
We are called to follow in the footsteps of Christ and live in the power of his resurrection.
A final question. Did Peter rise to the challenge?
Listen to these words he wrote about 30 years later, not long before his execution by Nero in Rome:-
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who will also share in the glory to be revealed:
be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
(1Peter 5.1-3)
Jesus fed Peter, led him and said ‘Follow me.”
Peter stopped fishing in the dark and followed Jesus. So must we. In this way, the power of the resurrection will be harnessed for the salvation of the world.
18th April 2010 Easter 3
Background
• Initial resurrection appearances had led to JOY and BEWILDERMENT. The disciples knew something extraordinary had happened but weren’t sure just what it meant and what had changed.
• Peter’s intense shame at his 3X denial of Jesus
• The origins of most of the disciples in the fishing community beside the Sea of Galilee.
The disciples are now back in the original place where Jesus first called them to follow him.
Fishing in the Dark (v1-5)
Seven of the disciples are back where the story began. Simon Peter, unofficial leader, says “I am going fishing” and the others follow.
Surprising? Jesus has RISEN! Shouldn’t they be out preaching, healing, building churches and founding mission societies? Why go fishing?
• To state the obvious, they had to eat and feed their families
• Let’s not ‘judge’ the disciples with hindsight – the resurrection was very new, radical and shocking – they just couldn’t get their heads round it straightaway (like us with 9/11 or global warming?)
• Understandably, they went back to a familiar activity which they were competent at.
But they were unsuccessful. Verse 3 tells us they fished all night but caught nothing.
Having failed Jesus in his hour of need, Peter and Co now can’t even get this right. Perhaps God’s blessing is no longer with them?
QUESTION Do you ever feel like you are ‘fishing in the dark’? Do you have times when even familiar activities are a struggle, when its as if you are banging your head against a wall? When you know the resurrection of Jesus is highly significant, but it doesn’t seem to be helping? You’re not alone.
Being Led and Fed by Jesus (v6-14)
Fittingly, the turning point in the story comes at DAWN. The imagesry of light and darkness is very significant in John’s gospel and now, as the sun rises, it is the risen Son who stands on the shore and calls out to the tired and dispirited disciples.
• He directs them to a large catch of fish (as he had done before, Lk 5)
• Typically, John is quick in insight and Peter is quick in action – diving straight in when he recognizes Jesus
• Jesus already has the barbecue going and provides bread and fish for breakfast (reminding of feedings of 5000 & 4000) with some of the fish they have caught
• He is recognizable but different
Something needs to change in the disciples and Jesus feeding them is the first step needed.
We, John’s readers, remember that Jesus predicted they would catch people instead of fish.
The Call to Serve and Follow (v15-19)
After breakfast, Jesus sets about the business of harnessing the power of the resurrection and enabling this group to become effective in discipleship and mission.
He concentrates on Peter, who is a natural leader and has influence in the group. Also because Peter’s denial is hanging over them like a cloud and needs to be reversed/healed/forgiven.
‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’
Jesus addresses him by his old name.
‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’
Peter no longer boasts of his loyalty and bravery. He has been broken and humbled by his denials.
‘Feed my lambs.’
The question is repeated and then asked a third time, ‘do you love me?’
Peter is upset by the repetition, which seems to be intended to match the number of denials.
3 denials. 3 questions about his love. 3 commands. Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.
In Christ, in the power of the resurrection, Peter must discover a new way of leadership – through serving, protecting and feeding others. Ultimately, Jesus predicts, he will have to face crucifixion – which apparently came true about 30 years later.
In Peter’s suffering, he too would glorify God and would answer the call to follow Jesus in the deepest sense.
Conclusion
The disciples were confused by Jesus’s death and resurrection but he came back to reassure them, to feed them and to lead them. It is the job of those who love the Lord and have been fed and changed by him to feed and love and serve others.
Peter and the first disciples had a special role and not everyone is called to lead and serve in the ways they did. But, in another sense all Christians are leaders, because we are all people of influence.
Think about it. What positions of influence do you have in your family, the community, in society, in the queue at Mercadona or the hospital waiting room?
Whatever influence we have must not be exercised through power and domination but through humble, gentle and nurturing words and actions and through sacrificing our own self-interest and comfort.
We are called to follow in the footsteps of Christ and live in the power of his resurrection.
A final question. Did Peter rise to the challenge?
Listen to these words he wrote about 30 years later, not long before his execution by Nero in Rome:-
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who will also share in the glory to be revealed:
be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
(1Peter 5.1-3)
Jesus fed Peter, led him and said ‘Follow me.”
Peter stopped fishing in the dark and followed Jesus. So must we. In this way, the power of the resurrection will be harnessed for the salvation of the world.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sermon - John 20.19-31
John 20.19-31
11th April 2010, Easter 2
Context
It is the evening of the first Easter day. Mary Magdalene has seen and spoken with the risen Jesus. Peter and John have seen the empty tomb and John has ‘seen and believed’.
Later in the day, the mood of the disciples is a combination of FAITH and FEAR (see v19).
JESUS does not leave them to go through the night until he has personally revealed himself to them, reassured them and given them his peace and a new sense of purpose.
Peace
The PRINCE OF PEACE gives PEACE. He doesn’t just hope for peace like most people do today, he gives peace. In fact it would be true to say that his whole purpose is to make true peace and wholeness and reconciliation – with God and with each other, possible for ALL people.
“Peace be with you!” is the key phrase in our reading (verses 19, 21 and 26).
The disciples have a personal encounter with the Prince of Peace and as well as peace he brings them three things and the promise of a fourth.
Proof
He brings them proof of the resurrection, as they – 10 of the original 12 men and perhaps some of the women too – are meeting together in a mixture of faith and fear.
He stands among them:-
• His execution and burial could not hold him
• Locked doors were no barrier to him
• Neither physical doors nor the doors of closed hearts and minds can shut Jesus out.
He shows them his wounds and, convinced that it is him, the disciples are glad.
He repeats “Peace be with you!” This is not just a friendly greeting; it is a statement of fact = “Peace is now yours!” It is of course because of the wounds he shows them, that they now have peace. As Isaiah 53.5 famously prophesies:
By his wounds we are healed.
The wounds of Christ are the proof of his resurrection, his victory over sin and death which brings us peace.
Purpose and Pattern
Then in verse 21 Jesus talks about the kind of peace he has given them and the purpose of it. He has given them peace for a reason and it is not just so that they can lie back on the sun loungers sipping cocktails… Jesus tells them:-
Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.
This is John’s version of the Great Commission. What does it mean for Jesus to send the disciples as the Father has sent Jesus?
• Like Jesus, the truth is revealed to them and through them
• Like Jesus, they are given authority to heal, to forgive and to reconcile
This is their PURPOSE. St Paul makes the same point in 2 Corinthians 5.18-19:-
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
The fact that the disciples’ mission is the same as the mission of Jesus means that as well as a clear purpose, they also have a clear PATTERN to follow:-
• A pattern of living in obedience to God’s rules and values
• A pattern of touching untouchables, healing the sick, fighting against evil
• A pattern of unselfishness, laying down their lives for their neighbours, including those they see as their enemies
As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends Peter and James and John … and you and me and us. We have a purpose and we have a pattern to follow.
What else do we need? What are we waiting for?
Power is promised
Verse 22 tells us that Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘receive the Holy Spirit…
I don’t think they actually received the Holy Spirit at this moment – the book of Acts tells us they had to wait until Pentecost. What we seem to have here is an ACTED PARABLE, just like the footwashing before the Last Supper prophesies sins being washed away.
Along with the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit comes (in verse 23) a clarification of their mission as one of forgiveness and reconciliation:-
If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.
This verse is not a licence for any Church to decide to forgive or to withhold forgiveness from anybody. It is actually a warning to the apostles and their successors (us) about the consequences of their preaching or failing to preach:-
My paraphrase of verse 23 is If you pass on to people the forgiveness of God, they will be freed from the power their sin has over them. If you fail to do so, they’ll still remain slaves to their sin.
People need to hear and receive the grace and forgiveness of God and it is through the disciples, the followers of Jesus that they are going to hear and receive it.
Surely, if we take the Lord’s Prayer seriously, it also has to be about giving people our forgiveness for the ways that they have wronged us. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us is what we pray daily, weekly.
The point is not that we have the RIGHT to withhold forgiveness, it is that we have the RESPONSIBILITY to give it.
• The greatest need in our world today is for reconciliation between people and each other and between people and God
• As far as I can see the New Testament never teaches that God needs to be reconciled to us.
• God’s problem is not primarily with SINNERS but with SIN.
• When God looks at us he doesn’t just see PERPETRATORS of evil who need to be PUNISHED, he sees PRISONERS of evil who need to be SET FREE (this includes those who ‘do’ as well as those who are ‘done to’).
God has forgiven us all and has achieved this freedom for us all in Christ and it is our key responsibility to show it to and share it with all people.
Conclusion
So how are we doing at St George’s?
• How is our faith/fear balance?
• What locked doors do we still have? Well Jesus can cope with locked doors. He can unlock them or he can walk right through them!
• What do we do when we are confused and afraid (or bothered and bewildered)?
• Do we still meet together to pray and wait for God to reveal himself or do we wander off like ‘doubting’ Thomas?
• Are we still looking for proof?
• Are we clear about our purpose, our mission, the pattern we have to follow?
• Have we received the power?
• Do we know his peace and are we sharing it freely, bringing forgiveness and reconciliation?
Our purpose at St George’s is to grow together in all these ways. This is what we are trying to achieve in all our courses, programmes and events like our coming weekend away. This is what you are part of and what God may be calling you to join in with, wholeheartedly.
11th April 2010, Easter 2
Context
It is the evening of the first Easter day. Mary Magdalene has seen and spoken with the risen Jesus. Peter and John have seen the empty tomb and John has ‘seen and believed’.
Later in the day, the mood of the disciples is a combination of FAITH and FEAR (see v19).
JESUS does not leave them to go through the night until he has personally revealed himself to them, reassured them and given them his peace and a new sense of purpose.
Peace
The PRINCE OF PEACE gives PEACE. He doesn’t just hope for peace like most people do today, he gives peace. In fact it would be true to say that his whole purpose is to make true peace and wholeness and reconciliation – with God and with each other, possible for ALL people.
“Peace be with you!” is the key phrase in our reading (verses 19, 21 and 26).
The disciples have a personal encounter with the Prince of Peace and as well as peace he brings them three things and the promise of a fourth.
Proof
He brings them proof of the resurrection, as they – 10 of the original 12 men and perhaps some of the women too – are meeting together in a mixture of faith and fear.
He stands among them:-
• His execution and burial could not hold him
• Locked doors were no barrier to him
• Neither physical doors nor the doors of closed hearts and minds can shut Jesus out.
He shows them his wounds and, convinced that it is him, the disciples are glad.
He repeats “Peace be with you!” This is not just a friendly greeting; it is a statement of fact = “Peace is now yours!” It is of course because of the wounds he shows them, that they now have peace. As Isaiah 53.5 famously prophesies:
By his wounds we are healed.
The wounds of Christ are the proof of his resurrection, his victory over sin and death which brings us peace.
Purpose and Pattern
Then in verse 21 Jesus talks about the kind of peace he has given them and the purpose of it. He has given them peace for a reason and it is not just so that they can lie back on the sun loungers sipping cocktails… Jesus tells them:-
Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.
This is John’s version of the Great Commission. What does it mean for Jesus to send the disciples as the Father has sent Jesus?
• Like Jesus, the truth is revealed to them and through them
• Like Jesus, they are given authority to heal, to forgive and to reconcile
This is their PURPOSE. St Paul makes the same point in 2 Corinthians 5.18-19:-
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
The fact that the disciples’ mission is the same as the mission of Jesus means that as well as a clear purpose, they also have a clear PATTERN to follow:-
• A pattern of living in obedience to God’s rules and values
• A pattern of touching untouchables, healing the sick, fighting against evil
• A pattern of unselfishness, laying down their lives for their neighbours, including those they see as their enemies
As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends Peter and James and John … and you and me and us. We have a purpose and we have a pattern to follow.
What else do we need? What are we waiting for?
Power is promised
Verse 22 tells us that Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘receive the Holy Spirit…
I don’t think they actually received the Holy Spirit at this moment – the book of Acts tells us they had to wait until Pentecost. What we seem to have here is an ACTED PARABLE, just like the footwashing before the Last Supper prophesies sins being washed away.
Along with the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit comes (in verse 23) a clarification of their mission as one of forgiveness and reconciliation:-
If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.
This verse is not a licence for any Church to decide to forgive or to withhold forgiveness from anybody. It is actually a warning to the apostles and their successors (us) about the consequences of their preaching or failing to preach:-
My paraphrase of verse 23 is If you pass on to people the forgiveness of God, they will be freed from the power their sin has over them. If you fail to do so, they’ll still remain slaves to their sin.
People need to hear and receive the grace and forgiveness of God and it is through the disciples, the followers of Jesus that they are going to hear and receive it.
Surely, if we take the Lord’s Prayer seriously, it also has to be about giving people our forgiveness for the ways that they have wronged us. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us is what we pray daily, weekly.
The point is not that we have the RIGHT to withhold forgiveness, it is that we have the RESPONSIBILITY to give it.
• The greatest need in our world today is for reconciliation between people and each other and between people and God
• As far as I can see the New Testament never teaches that God needs to be reconciled to us.
• God’s problem is not primarily with SINNERS but with SIN.
• When God looks at us he doesn’t just see PERPETRATORS of evil who need to be PUNISHED, he sees PRISONERS of evil who need to be SET FREE (this includes those who ‘do’ as well as those who are ‘done to’).
God has forgiven us all and has achieved this freedom for us all in Christ and it is our key responsibility to show it to and share it with all people.
Conclusion
So how are we doing at St George’s?
• How is our faith/fear balance?
• What locked doors do we still have? Well Jesus can cope with locked doors. He can unlock them or he can walk right through them!
• What do we do when we are confused and afraid (or bothered and bewildered)?
• Do we still meet together to pray and wait for God to reveal himself or do we wander off like ‘doubting’ Thomas?
• Are we still looking for proof?
• Are we clear about our purpose, our mission, the pattern we have to follow?
• Have we received the power?
• Do we know his peace and are we sharing it freely, bringing forgiveness and reconciliation?
Our purpose at St George’s is to grow together in all these ways. This is what we are trying to achieve in all our courses, programmes and events like our coming weekend away. This is what you are part of and what God may be calling you to join in with, wholeheartedly.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Evening Sermon - Acts 9.1-22
Acts 9.1-22
I wonder how many of us here tonight can remember a time in our life when we were pursuing a priority, a cause or a goal – with great energy, determination and singlemindedness – even though in hindsight we can see that we were completely wrong, that a change of direction had to happen?
This is what happened with Saul of course. The most deadly and powerful opponent of “the Way”, he tried to wipe out the followers of Jesus in a ruthless campaign doing, as he thought, the will of God and taking with him as proof of this authority, letters from the High Priest himself. What higher authority could there be? Saul was as convinced of his cause as any suicide bomber or President. Yet he was wrong and he had to change.
There was a higher authority than the High Priest – God himself, who appeared to Saul in the form of the risen Lord Jesus.
There was a greater power than the power of human force and violence – the power of the glory of God which stopped Saul in his tracks, humbled him, then forgave him, restored him and equipped him for service.
There was a transformation for Saul, a new God given (ordained) purpose for his life, even a new name, Paul, the greatest ever ambassador for the Christian faith.
These things are still true today, in spite of the evidence of our newspapers and the rhetoric of terrorists and politicians.
Thinking back to those times when you were heading the wrong way – what did it take to turn you around?
• Sometimes a friend or relative may have persuaded us – although I think we can all be pretty stubborn when our faults are pointed out!
• Sometimes we suffer direct injury or illness as a result of our wrong actions, although we may not see the connections very clearly.
• Sometimes a completely unconnected trauma or loss or change may cause us to reflect on where our life is heading.
God can be at work in any of these ways. Sometimes it has to be dramatic and sudden in order to prevent our life heading for disaster.
My own experience is similar. My life was drifting badly in my mid twenties and I needed a sudden and fairly dramatic intervention by God to set me in the right direction.
Your own journey may have a dramatic turning point – or it may be a series of smaller corrections; some of this comes down to differences in personality and circumstances. Whichever way it is, I think there are some common lessons from Saul’s story.
First, we all need a personal encounter with the living Lord Jesus. Saul had heard about Jesus and his followers, and what he had heard seemed to be at odds with his strict beliefs, so he sought to destroy it. The encounter he had on the Damascus Road was with the crucified Jesus and the Glory of God. Saul was also struck by Jesus’s question; why are you persecuting ME. Saul came to understand that the followers of Jesus are his living body, in a mysterious but true sense.
Second, we need to be humbled, as Saul was when, instead of entering Damascus in pride and power, he stumbled in, blind and led by his servants. There is no possibility of human pride when we really encounter Jesus, and there comes a time for most of us when our pride has to be broken.
Third, we need to be restored and forgiven, as Saul was through the brave ministry of Ananias, who in spite of his fear and prejudice was prepared to obey Jesus’s command and love his enemy. Through the courage and obedience of Ananias, Saul received God’s healing, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the sign of baptism and a new life.
Fourth, like Saul we are called to lifelong service which may be difficult and costly, but will also bring us the joy and peace which can only be ours when we discover and obey God’s will for us. There will be times when we need to hang on and not give up just because life is not easy.
Fifth, like Saul, our encounter with Jesus should bring us into fellowship with other believers, whatever prejudices we have and whether or not we are inclined to be sociable.
ALL OF THE ABOVE amounts to conversion, the process by which God’s enemies become his friends. Saul the destroyer becomes Paul the Apostle. This is the way in which you and I find peace, power and purpose for our lives. The story of how Saul’s life was turned around shows that no one is beyond the pale, not the terrorist, the suicide bomber, the religious fanatic, not the pleasure seeker, the drug dealer or the sex offender.
But in every case, the change needed is fundamental, it is not just a matter of people deciding to be nice to each other and live by the rules…
So where does this leave us today, in a world full of fear and danger and uncertainty?
• Do we really believe that there is a higher authority than any human religious or political leader?
• Do we really believe that there is a more powerful alternative to the power of human violence?
• Do we really believe that every person and every society has the potential to be transformed by God and used in his service?
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ points to the truth of all these things and calls us to put our faith in him and share that faith with others.
Like Ananias though, we will have to be prepared to pray for and reach out to people we fear or despise and to be prepared to be God’s agent in bringing them the gift of new life. This is much easier in theory than in practice!
I wonder how many of us here tonight can remember a time in our life when we were pursuing a priority, a cause or a goal – with great energy, determination and singlemindedness – even though in hindsight we can see that we were completely wrong, that a change of direction had to happen?
This is what happened with Saul of course. The most deadly and powerful opponent of “the Way”, he tried to wipe out the followers of Jesus in a ruthless campaign doing, as he thought, the will of God and taking with him as proof of this authority, letters from the High Priest himself. What higher authority could there be? Saul was as convinced of his cause as any suicide bomber or President. Yet he was wrong and he had to change.
There was a higher authority than the High Priest – God himself, who appeared to Saul in the form of the risen Lord Jesus.
There was a greater power than the power of human force and violence – the power of the glory of God which stopped Saul in his tracks, humbled him, then forgave him, restored him and equipped him for service.
There was a transformation for Saul, a new God given (ordained) purpose for his life, even a new name, Paul, the greatest ever ambassador for the Christian faith.
These things are still true today, in spite of the evidence of our newspapers and the rhetoric of terrorists and politicians.
Thinking back to those times when you were heading the wrong way – what did it take to turn you around?
• Sometimes a friend or relative may have persuaded us – although I think we can all be pretty stubborn when our faults are pointed out!
• Sometimes we suffer direct injury or illness as a result of our wrong actions, although we may not see the connections very clearly.
• Sometimes a completely unconnected trauma or loss or change may cause us to reflect on where our life is heading.
God can be at work in any of these ways. Sometimes it has to be dramatic and sudden in order to prevent our life heading for disaster.
My own experience is similar. My life was drifting badly in my mid twenties and I needed a sudden and fairly dramatic intervention by God to set me in the right direction.
Your own journey may have a dramatic turning point – or it may be a series of smaller corrections; some of this comes down to differences in personality and circumstances. Whichever way it is, I think there are some common lessons from Saul’s story.
First, we all need a personal encounter with the living Lord Jesus. Saul had heard about Jesus and his followers, and what he had heard seemed to be at odds with his strict beliefs, so he sought to destroy it. The encounter he had on the Damascus Road was with the crucified Jesus and the Glory of God. Saul was also struck by Jesus’s question; why are you persecuting ME. Saul came to understand that the followers of Jesus are his living body, in a mysterious but true sense.
Second, we need to be humbled, as Saul was when, instead of entering Damascus in pride and power, he stumbled in, blind and led by his servants. There is no possibility of human pride when we really encounter Jesus, and there comes a time for most of us when our pride has to be broken.
Third, we need to be restored and forgiven, as Saul was through the brave ministry of Ananias, who in spite of his fear and prejudice was prepared to obey Jesus’s command and love his enemy. Through the courage and obedience of Ananias, Saul received God’s healing, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the sign of baptism and a new life.
Fourth, like Saul we are called to lifelong service which may be difficult and costly, but will also bring us the joy and peace which can only be ours when we discover and obey God’s will for us. There will be times when we need to hang on and not give up just because life is not easy.
Fifth, like Saul, our encounter with Jesus should bring us into fellowship with other believers, whatever prejudices we have and whether or not we are inclined to be sociable.
ALL OF THE ABOVE amounts to conversion, the process by which God’s enemies become his friends. Saul the destroyer becomes Paul the Apostle. This is the way in which you and I find peace, power and purpose for our lives. The story of how Saul’s life was turned around shows that no one is beyond the pale, not the terrorist, the suicide bomber, the religious fanatic, not the pleasure seeker, the drug dealer or the sex offender.
But in every case, the change needed is fundamental, it is not just a matter of people deciding to be nice to each other and live by the rules…
So where does this leave us today, in a world full of fear and danger and uncertainty?
• Do we really believe that there is a higher authority than any human religious or political leader?
• Do we really believe that there is a more powerful alternative to the power of human violence?
• Do we really believe that every person and every society has the potential to be transformed by God and used in his service?
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ points to the truth of all these things and calls us to put our faith in him and share that faith with others.
Like Ananias though, we will have to be prepared to pray for and reach out to people we fear or despise and to be prepared to be God’s agent in bringing them the gift of new life. This is much easier in theory than in practice!
Easter Morning Sermon - Luke 23.55-24.12
Easter Sermon 2010
Luke 23.55-24.12
Today we celebrate that JESUS IS ALIVE, in spite of his cruel execution on the cross on Good Friday.
But is he alive? And does it really matter whether he is or not?
Isn’t it a great weakness of the Church that we insist on singing about and reading about and re-enacting this fantastic story week by week and most especially on Easter day? Because in doing so we make it very difficult for all kinds of people to join in with us and experience and promote all the good things about the Christian life…
• We make it difficult for scientists, who know for a fact that it is impossible for a dead human being to come back to life after execution in the way the Bible describes of Jesus.
• We exclude people of other faiths, even though they believe in God. Muslims and Jews, for instance, who accept Jesus as a great rabbi or prophet, a messenger from God even, but can’t accept this tale of the resurrection, and are offended by it.
• We exclude people who don’t believe in God. People who can perhaps accept that Jesus was a fine moral teacher and a great example of compassionate and unselfish living, but can’t accept things like miracles, and especially not this miracle.
Perhaps if we didn’t insist on believing something scientifically impossible and incompatible with other faiths, if we accepted that Jesus is dead, like all the other great religious leaders from history, we’d find it easier to fill our Churches and work together with all people of goodwill for the peace and prosperity of the human race.
Wouldn’t there be a great deal less misunderstanding and conflict in human society if we just stuck to what we have in common with other people, instead of constantly drawing attention to what makes us different from them: our belief in the unbelievable; our proclamation of the absurd?
WAIT A MINUTE!
Possibly … but, before we cut the offending chunks out of our Bibles and pack our Communion silver away for good, perhaps we should reconsider once more the testimony of the earliest Christian believers.
• You see, the first Christians were so insistent that Jesus had been brought back to life, (and to a powerful, transformed life, not just a bedraggled, half dead resuscitation), that it was clearly of CENTRAL importance to their faith and to their lives, from the moment that they believed.
• The resurrection stories are the climax of all four Gospels, not just a sub-plot. Yes, some of the details differ – was there one angel or two? Did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb alone or did she have the other Mary and Joanna with her? Did Peter go to the tomb straight after the women or not, and was he on his own or did he have John with him? These differences only add to the authenticity – like when reporters give different descriptions of a great race or football match - it proves they were there and didn’t just copy someone else’s report.
• The Resurrection of Jesus is also the most prominent and emphatic teaching of the rest of the New Testament: Jesus is alive. Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter Sunday. This is what the writers insist.
THE QUESTION IS, can we rely on the testimony of these first believers? Couldn’t it all be a trick or a mistake; an understandable case of wishful thinking by a fairly gullible bunch of people?
• This seems unlikely when we look at the evidence. The disciples – male and female – actually present themselves as quite thorough, responsible and sceptical about the resurrection of Jesus. This wasn’t a group of people who were ready to clutch at the slightest straw that he might be alive.
• The women didn’t go along to the tomb on the first Easter morning carrying chocolate eggs and party poppers, they carried funeral spices, which it had been too late for them to put on the dead body of Jesus on Good Friday. Then when they arrived at the empty tomb they were “utterly at a loss” as to what had happened (24.4) and “terrified” (24.5) by the explanation they heard. Even though these women had travelled with Jesus from Galilee, witnessing his works, hearing his words, they certainly didn’t expect this turn of events and were absolutely stunned by it.
• The male disciples stayed at home early on the first Easter. Sensible chaps! They were less brave than the women and even more sceptical. When they heard the women, we are told, “the story appeared to them to be nonsense, and they would not believe them” (24.11). Later they did believe and recorded that they had various meetings with the living Lord Jesus.
• In the case of the women, we see a progression from their initial shock and fear, through a remembering of things Jesus had said would happen, to a telling of the good news to others. With the men we see exactly the same process happening, a little more slowly but just as emphatically. Why would these witnesses draw our attention to the fact that they didn’t “get it” to begin with, unless this were true?
• Another possibility is that the early Christians were religious fraudsters and charlatans, making up the story of the resurrection to draw attention to themselves and make their fortune?
• Except that this isn’t what happened. For the rest of their lives, most of the earliest Christians were happy to experience hostility, prejudice and social exclusion. Many were arrested and tortured and killed. Those who faced death invariably did so cheerfully, not because they hoped that cathedrals and basilicas might be named after them, but because they knew for sure that Jesus had defeated death, the oldest enemy, for them and that there was no longer anything to fear, in this world or the next, if they put their trust in him. This is a powerful testimony, because if they were making up their stories, surely they would recant, rather than lose their lives…
Conclusions
My conclusion has to be that Jesus IS alive and that it DOES MATTER. It mattered to the first Christians and it matters to us because it means that human life is not futile or hopeless. My testimony, and the testimony of millions who have believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ before me, is that when you put your faith in him, he lives inside you and that you are never abandoned.
In a world which looks down every conceivable dead end to try and find happiness, peace, satisfaction and hope, I ask the question that God asked the women at the tomb; “why search among the dead for one who is alive?” Today we remember his words and deeds and we celebrate his risen life.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Luke 23.55-24.12
Today we celebrate that JESUS IS ALIVE, in spite of his cruel execution on the cross on Good Friday.
But is he alive? And does it really matter whether he is or not?
Isn’t it a great weakness of the Church that we insist on singing about and reading about and re-enacting this fantastic story week by week and most especially on Easter day? Because in doing so we make it very difficult for all kinds of people to join in with us and experience and promote all the good things about the Christian life…
• We make it difficult for scientists, who know for a fact that it is impossible for a dead human being to come back to life after execution in the way the Bible describes of Jesus.
• We exclude people of other faiths, even though they believe in God. Muslims and Jews, for instance, who accept Jesus as a great rabbi or prophet, a messenger from God even, but can’t accept this tale of the resurrection, and are offended by it.
• We exclude people who don’t believe in God. People who can perhaps accept that Jesus was a fine moral teacher and a great example of compassionate and unselfish living, but can’t accept things like miracles, and especially not this miracle.
Perhaps if we didn’t insist on believing something scientifically impossible and incompatible with other faiths, if we accepted that Jesus is dead, like all the other great religious leaders from history, we’d find it easier to fill our Churches and work together with all people of goodwill for the peace and prosperity of the human race.
Wouldn’t there be a great deal less misunderstanding and conflict in human society if we just stuck to what we have in common with other people, instead of constantly drawing attention to what makes us different from them: our belief in the unbelievable; our proclamation of the absurd?
WAIT A MINUTE!
Possibly … but, before we cut the offending chunks out of our Bibles and pack our Communion silver away for good, perhaps we should reconsider once more the testimony of the earliest Christian believers.
• You see, the first Christians were so insistent that Jesus had been brought back to life, (and to a powerful, transformed life, not just a bedraggled, half dead resuscitation), that it was clearly of CENTRAL importance to their faith and to their lives, from the moment that they believed.
• The resurrection stories are the climax of all four Gospels, not just a sub-plot. Yes, some of the details differ – was there one angel or two? Did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb alone or did she have the other Mary and Joanna with her? Did Peter go to the tomb straight after the women or not, and was he on his own or did he have John with him? These differences only add to the authenticity – like when reporters give different descriptions of a great race or football match - it proves they were there and didn’t just copy someone else’s report.
• The Resurrection of Jesus is also the most prominent and emphatic teaching of the rest of the New Testament: Jesus is alive. Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter Sunday. This is what the writers insist.
THE QUESTION IS, can we rely on the testimony of these first believers? Couldn’t it all be a trick or a mistake; an understandable case of wishful thinking by a fairly gullible bunch of people?
• This seems unlikely when we look at the evidence. The disciples – male and female – actually present themselves as quite thorough, responsible and sceptical about the resurrection of Jesus. This wasn’t a group of people who were ready to clutch at the slightest straw that he might be alive.
• The women didn’t go along to the tomb on the first Easter morning carrying chocolate eggs and party poppers, they carried funeral spices, which it had been too late for them to put on the dead body of Jesus on Good Friday. Then when they arrived at the empty tomb they were “utterly at a loss” as to what had happened (24.4) and “terrified” (24.5) by the explanation they heard. Even though these women had travelled with Jesus from Galilee, witnessing his works, hearing his words, they certainly didn’t expect this turn of events and were absolutely stunned by it.
• The male disciples stayed at home early on the first Easter. Sensible chaps! They were less brave than the women and even more sceptical. When they heard the women, we are told, “the story appeared to them to be nonsense, and they would not believe them” (24.11). Later they did believe and recorded that they had various meetings with the living Lord Jesus.
• In the case of the women, we see a progression from their initial shock and fear, through a remembering of things Jesus had said would happen, to a telling of the good news to others. With the men we see exactly the same process happening, a little more slowly but just as emphatically. Why would these witnesses draw our attention to the fact that they didn’t “get it” to begin with, unless this were true?
• Another possibility is that the early Christians were religious fraudsters and charlatans, making up the story of the resurrection to draw attention to themselves and make their fortune?
• Except that this isn’t what happened. For the rest of their lives, most of the earliest Christians were happy to experience hostility, prejudice and social exclusion. Many were arrested and tortured and killed. Those who faced death invariably did so cheerfully, not because they hoped that cathedrals and basilicas might be named after them, but because they knew for sure that Jesus had defeated death, the oldest enemy, for them and that there was no longer anything to fear, in this world or the next, if they put their trust in him. This is a powerful testimony, because if they were making up their stories, surely they would recant, rather than lose their lives…
Conclusions
My conclusion has to be that Jesus IS alive and that it DOES MATTER. It mattered to the first Christians and it matters to us because it means that human life is not futile or hopeless. My testimony, and the testimony of millions who have believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ before me, is that when you put your faith in him, he lives inside you and that you are never abandoned.
In a world which looks down every conceivable dead end to try and find happiness, peace, satisfaction and hope, I ask the question that God asked the women at the tomb; “why search among the dead for one who is alive?” Today we remember his words and deeds and we celebrate his risen life.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
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