Sidney UMC - Compassion Sunday/Native American Ministries Sunday/3rd Sunday of Easter - 05/01/22 - Sermon - “From Saul to Paul!"

                                    Sunday 05/01/22 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:        “From Saul to Paul!”                                                  

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 30                                        

New Testament Scripture: Acts 9:1-20

Gospel Lesson: John 21:1-19

          From the earliest days of the Methodist Movement, we have always emphasized the power and the importance of having a personal conversion experience with Jesus Christ. What is like to feel the love and the grace of God in Jesus Christ? What is it like to feel the Holy Spirit moving in and through you? What is like to truly have that moment that you know that God loves you, that Jesus died for you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are eternally loved?

          When we become Christians there are often things that we believe, such as the Trinity, who Jesus was and is, etc. Have we ever felt God’s presence inside of us though? Have we had a conversion experience? Some people call this being “Born Again,” or “Saved,” but it is the idea that we know, feel, and believe in Jesus. Our sins are forgiven, we feel God’s love, and we know that Jesus died for us and rose again. It is a powerful thing to have a conversion experience. I had one and have many more lesser ones since my first one.

          The founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley attended a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, England on May 24, 1738. While at this prayer meeting John Wesley wrote in his journal that he felt his heart “strangely warmed.” Methodists call this John Wesley’s “Aldersgate Experience,” and in having this experience, what John Wesley had known and believed in his head, became something alive in his heart and his soul. He felt God’s presence, he believed Jesus was his savior, and from that day forward the Methodist Movement grew like wildfire

(https://www.umc.org/en/content/holy-spirit-moments-learning-from-wesley-at-aldersgate).

          When we are opened up to God, to the love of Jesus Christ, and to the power of Holy Spirit, we begin to see the world differently. Hopefully, we begin to see the power of the mission of the church, of bringing people to Christ and equipping them to transform the world.

          In this way, part of what I like to do as a pastor, is to offer various opportunities for people to pursue the mission of the church. Today is Native American Ministries Sunday, and as such, today is an opportunity to pray for and financially support Native American Ministries and create programs and seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. So, this is just an option. It is like a missional buffet at a restaurant, and I want to make sure that I am offering various opportunities for us to fulfill the mission of the church.

          For this reason, we are having our first ever Compassion International Sunday today. Through Compassion International you, your family, or a few friends chipping in together, can sponsor a child from up to twenty-nine different countries in the world. These countries are among the poorest and the most poverty stricken on the planet. Through giving thirty-eight dollars a month, the money is balled together for many children for better purchasing power. This allows a child to be fed, clothed, receive an education, and be taught the Christian faith.

          Melissa and I have sponsored two children now, and they are both from the country of Bolivia in South America. We have been sponsoring kids from I think about 2008 or 2009. Our first sponsor child, Guadalupe graduated from high school, and aged out of the program. She was the first woman in her family to graduate from high school. Then in December, 2017 Melissa and I started to sponsor Arianne, also from Bolivia. Arianne is now 14 years old, and her birthday is February 28^th. We get letters from her, she draws us pictures, and I have the pictures of her that I showed the kids this morning. I have to admit that Melissa and I have not been too good as of lately in writing letters to Arianne. We have to get better with that, but we are so happy that for thirty-eight dollars a month we able to give Arianne a better life. So, this is another opportunity to pursue the mission of the church, and feel free to check out our Compassion International table in the church narthex after church. There are little pictures of kids from all different countries, and you can sponsor one of these kids if you want. It is an option, another thing on the mission buffet, but I thought it would be a good thing for us to consider. It shows us how to live our faith, and how to love like Christ.

          So, as I said, a conversion experience can be powerful. Coming to Christ can be a powerful thing, and it cannot only transform us, but it can also show us what is possible in fulfilling the mission of the church. This could include giving, praying, serving, helping, and maybe sponsoring a child in a country where people have very little.

          In talking about the power of conversion and how it opens us to the mission of the church, this morning we have the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Well, just who is Saul of Tarsus? This is the Jewish Rabbi or priest that converts to Christianity. We now know this person as the Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament of our bible. Without a doubt the Apostle Paul is the most traveled Apostle in the Apostolic Era, or the Era of the first twelve disciples. Further that conversion experience that Saul had, that John Wesley had, that I have had, and that hopefully you have had, is the start of our walk with Christ. It gives us salvation and eternal life, but we are called to keep going deeper daily.

          As we get closer to Christ, may we proclaim as the Psalmist proclaimed this morning in Psalm 30:12:

“so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever” (Ps. 30:12, NRSV).

          In looking at the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to the Apostle Paul, we have our reading from the Book of Acts 9:1-20 for this morning, once again. Remember Saul of Tarsus, a Jewish religious leader hated the Christians. He persecuted them, arrested them, mistreated them, and wanted them to be destroyed. Saul of Tarsus could have very well have been the next high priest in Jerusalem. He was a young whip, and he got things done. He likely had a lot of wealth, education, social status, and power. He nothing to gain from becoming a Christian. Yet, when we have a conversion experience, it changes us, and we become more like Christ.

          Our reading from the Book of Acts for this morning, once again starts in 9:1 saying:

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2, NRSV).

 

          Saul of Tarsus, as we can see, once again, is not happy with the first Christians, who were called the Way, as they were not yet a separate religion from the Jews. Saul is headed to Damascus, which is in modern day Syria, to crush the Christian movement. 

          As Saul of Tarsus was approaching Damascus, starting once again in Acts 9:3 this happened:

³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” ⁵ He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do”                    (Acts 9:3-6, NRSV).

 

          So, Saul of the Tarsus, the rich, educated, Jewish religious leader, and young whip, encounters the living Christ on the road to Damascus. This conversion experience changes him forever. At this point in the scripture, Saul, who will soon be Paul, is temporarily blinded. The men who were traveling with Saul led him by the hand into the city of Damascus. For three days Saul could not see, nor did he eat or drink.

          In a vision from God, God told Saul the name “Ananias.” God tells Saul to get up and go to a specific place. When Saul arrived, Ananias laid hands Paul. Ananias then says to God, why should I help this man who has done so much evil to the followers of Jesus Christ? God tells Ananias however, that he has chosen Paul to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. God also says that Saul will suffer for his faith.

          After Ananias hears all of this from God, he enters back into his house where Saul was, and laid hands on him. Ananias speaks the power of Christ, and the scales fall from Saul’s eye, as he regains his sight. Saul is filled with the Holy Spirit, is baptized, spent many days with the disciples in Damascus, and began preaching the gospel (Acts 9:7-20, NRSV). He will soon be known not as Saul or Tarsus, the Jewish religious leader, but the Apostle Paul, the Christian leader. The Christian leader that we today call the Apostle to the Gentiles.

          Quite a powerful conversion indeed that Saul had this morning to become Paul. Have you ever had a conversion experience, a spiritual encounter with Christ? Would we like to have one? If we have had one, how did it change us? How has it made us see the world differently, and how it has made us want to pursue the mission of the church, to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world. This transformation can be sought through giving, serving, praying, and many other things. On this Compassion International Sunday and this our UMC Native American Ministries Sunday, I am but offering a couple of options to pursue the mission of the church.

          It is also important to note that after we come to Christ, after we are converted, “Born Again,” “Saved,” or whatever term you call it, we will still have struggles. Just because we are forgiven of our sins and offered eternal life with Christ, this does not mean that we will not still struggle with brokenness. It does not mean that we will not still struggle with temptation, or sin, or the hardships of this earth. Becoming more like Christ and living more like Christ is our pursuit and our goal after conversion. Even though life will be hard at times, Christ is with us. This is also why we are starting an 8-week book study this Tuesday called “The Wesleyan Journey”. This book is about continuing to pursue and live like Jesus Christ from conversion until we go to heaven.

          This idea of continuing to grow in faith is proven through our gospel of John 21:1-19 reading for this morning. The disciples were with Jesus for three years. They pledged to love and follow him, yet on Good Friday almost all of them, except John and Jesus’ women followers fell away. Jesus appears to them and many others after his resurrection to further convince, encourage, and let them know that he is risen, that his gospel is true, and that he is Lord. This morning Jesus appears to the disciples for this very thing. Jesus will also ask Peter three times is he loves him, to counter the three times that he denied Jesus on Good Friday.

          In our gospel for this morning, once again, Jesus appears to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee. This was similar to the first time that Jesus appeared to call the disciples by the Season Galilee. Like his first visit, the disciples were out fishing. They were having no luck catching anything, so Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. The net then had so many fish they the disciples could not haul it in. John then notices that is in fact Jesus on the shore.

          When they arrived, Jesus had prepared a charcoal fire for them, Jesus asked them to bring him some of their catch. Peter then hauled the net ashore, with one-hundred and fifty-three large fish. Jesus then has breakfast with the disciples, as this was the third time, he had appeared to them after his resurrection.

          After the breakfast, Jesus then asks Peter three times if he loves him, as Peter denied him three times. Jesus commands Peter to spiritually feed and care for the followers of Christ, or his sheep or lambs. Jesus lastly tells Peter that for preaching this gospel and taking it forward he will die when he is older for this faith (Jn. 21:1-19, NRSV).

          Having a conversion, coming to Christ, “Being Saved,” “Being Born Again” are all great things, as Saul had a conversion this morning. Beyond this though, we must keep seeking Christ, keep growing closer to Christ, and becoming more like Christ. We will make mistakes, we will fail sometimes, but Jesus will still pursue us.

          Given this, how do we live out our faith? Do we give? Do we serve? Do we sponsor a Compassion International Child? How do we continue to live out our faith in the risen Christ? Even though Saul of Tarsus becomes the Apostle Paul this morning, he will continue to walk daily with Christ, as we are invited to, as well. One of the ways that Melissa and I live this out is by sponsoring a Compassion International Child, to give them a better life. This calling for us all started with something similar to conversion “From Saul to Paul.” May we continue to be brought closer to Christ today and always. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Second Sunday Of Easter - 04/24/22 - Sermon - “Thomas and the Peace of Christ"

Sunday 04/24/22 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:     “Thomas and the Peace of Christ”                                      

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 150                                        

New Testament Scripture: Acts 5:27-32

Gospel Lesson: John 20:19-31

          As today is the Second Sunday of the season of Easter, I greet with the resurrection greeting, He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

          With this said, how many of us have ever been skeptical or doubted something before? We read something or were told something, and we just thought, “that cannot be true.” Has anyone ever had an experience like this? I remember seeing the “National Enquirer” magazines on the rack at the checkout when I went to the grocery store with my mom. I saw some crazy articles on the cover of that magazine. Call me skeptical, but I guess I just did not believe a creature that was “half-man and half-marlin” was found in Florida.

I remember about 20-25 years ago our culture was fixated on space aliens and flying saucers. There were shows all over television where people claimed that they had seen, photographed, or maybe even filmed an alien aircraft. Some people even claimed that were abducted by aliens and taken aboard and alien space crafts themselves. I even remember there was a big special show on years ago called “Alien Autopsy.” In the show, which I think was made in 2006, the folks making the show claimed that an alien aircraft crashed landed, and that they recovered the bodies of the aliens from this aircraft. This show literally showed the dissection and autopsy of these supposed alien bodies.

          I also remember the obsession with the Air Force base many call “Area 51.” This is base that claimed to recover alien bodies from Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. As the story goes, as many of you know, an alien space craft crash landed, and the Air Force took these alien bodies and put them in a bunker in “Area 51.” In fact, some people still believe those aliens bodies are in area 51.

          A famous quote from Oswald Chambers about belief is:

Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging, therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried (https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/seeing-is-believing.html).

          So here is the million-dollar question then this morning folks, are space aliens real? Do they really exist? I have never seen one. Have you? There are some people that I have met that have made me wonder however, but I have never seen a flying saucer, or the Big Foot, or the Loch Ness Monster. Maybe you have seen a flyer saucer, or a space alien, but I never have. So, are they real or not?

          I use the example of space aliens and flyer saucers, the Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other such things, not because I am going to preach a whole sermon on the topic, instead I want to talk about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now none of us here where there when the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, where Jesus was entombed, was found empty on Easter morning. How do we know then, I mean really know for sure, that Jesus was risen? The best answer we have is that various followers of Jesus Christ saw the empty tomb and saw clearly that Jesus’ body was not there. No historical or biblical scholars I have read would deny that on Easter Sunday, Jesus’ tomb was empty. They may debate why it was empty, but they generally all agree that it was empty.

          A skeptic could say though, “Well ok Pastor Paul, Jesus’ body was gone, but how does that prove he was resurrected from the dead?” A body missing, versus Jesus coming back to life in the flesh is something very different. Other than the empty tomb though my friends, as recorded in the gospels, hundreds of people saw the risen Christ after the stone was rolled away form the tomb, and after Jesus’ tomb was found empty. I am talking about Jesus who died on the cross, on Good Friday, was wrapped in burial linens, and a large stone was put in front of his tomb to seal it. This stone was removed, Jesus was gone, and various people saw him after he was resurrected.

          It is certainly quite a claim, but like whether space aliens or the Big Foot exists or not, it is in part us having faith they exist. There is also the evidence too. For example, in a court of law someone is found innocent or guilty based upon the evidence. You might personally believe the person is guilty, but can you prove it? Can you prove to me that there are actually space aliens or the Big Foot? There certainly seems to be a body of evidence out there, but can we prove it? Some say that they believe in space aliens, and some say no.

          Christians for nearly two thousand years, however, have believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning, not simply because the stone was rolled away from tomb, and that Jesus’ body was gone. Christians believed this because hundreds of people saw Jesus after his resurrection. Reports of Jesus still having the nail holes, walking with some disciples on the road to Emmaus, other places, and appearing to the disciples, and Thomas this morning. Jesus eats with the disciples after his resurrection, and in fact makes breakfast for Peter and the other disciples on the beach. This is when Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. So, yes, the disciples did not just have visions, they saw Jesus physically alive in front of them.

In our gospel of John reading for this morning once again, Jesus appeared to the disciples and perhaps other early followers this morning, Thomas was not present in this meeting, however. The disciples told then Thomas after the fact that Jesus came to them, but Thomas said, unless I see Jesus for myself, I will not believe.

I used to think that the Apostle Thomas was weak in faith, and that his doubt was a terrible thing. Do not get me wrong, it is wrong to doubt Christ, but we are all human, and sometimes like a court of law, we want to see the evidence. There are then similarities with things like the existence of space aliens, the Big Foot, etc. With this said, almost two-thousand years later, one third of the world’s population is Christian, and the vast majority of Christians have always believed that Jesus rose from dead, was seen and interacted with hundreds of people after his resurrection, and then ascended into heaven.

Before getting into our gospel of John scripture for this morning more deeply, I would like to touch on the other scriptures for this morning. In our Psalm 150 reading for this morning once again, the Psalmist tells us to:

¹ Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! ² Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! (Ps. 150:1-2, NRSV).

 

          We praise and love God, not only because we accept God and our faith, but we have evidence too. We believe, we see, and we experience God.

          In our reading this morning from the Book of Acts once again, we have an example of the disciples defending Christ, and defending the gospel. This is of course after Jesus ascended to heaven, after the day of Pentecost, and at this point the apostles and the early Christians were fully committed to Christ, the gospel, and the church. In looking at Acts 5:27-32 for this morning once again, it says:

²⁷ When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:27-32, NRSV).

 

          This reading from the Book of Acts is very important. Why? Well, if you remember on Good Friday, the Apostle Peter, and the majority of the other apostles ran from Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, and everyone except the Apostle John and the women who followed Jesus fled. Yet, after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples, the women that followed Jesus and hundred of others saw him. Some of them ate with him and walked with him. Then in the Book of Acts, Jesus ascends to heaven, and before doing so tells that the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them that when they receive the Holy Spirit that they will fully understand, and this happens on the day of Pentecost. On this day the Holy Spirit moves, the Apostle Peter preaches a powerful sermon, and over three-thousand people come to Christ.

          In our reading for this morning from Acts 5:27-32, this is after the day of Pentecost and the disciples and early followers of Jesus Christ are all in on preaching gospel, serving Christ, and growing the church. This is why in our Book of Acts reading for this morning, the disciples, especially Peter are saying we will preach Christ, his gospel, and grow his church, no matter what you do to us. This is so true that according to church tradition, all the disciples except the apostle John died brutal deaths for there faith. The Apostle John was put in exile and died on the Island of Patmos.

          The point of all of this though, is that if the disciples and the early followers of Christ did not really believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and if they lied about seeing him after his resurrection, why would the die for there faith in him? I mean it really makes no sense. If Jesus was not resurrected, I would tend to think that the disciples would go back to fishing and the other jobs that they had. Why would they give up the rest of their earthly lives for a lie? Yet, in fairness they had to be sure.

          This brings us to our gospel of John reading this morning, where the Apostle Thomas, or “Doubting Thomas,” as we often call him in this story says that he will not believe that Jesus is resurrected and alive unless he sees him and can put his finger in Jesus’ nail holes in his hand, and put his hand in Jesus’ spear wound on his side. Once again, the gospel of John reading for this morning from John 20:19-31 says starting in verse 19:

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn. 20:19-23, NRSV).

 

          So, the disciples are hiding, because they are afraid that they might jailed or killed for being Jesus’ followers. As a result, they are not preaching the gospel and growing the church for the same reason. Then, the risen Christ shows up, and says “Peace be with you.” This is part of the reason, among others, that we share the peace of Christ with each other in worship services. We do this to model what Jesus did in scripture like this scripture this morning. Jesus shows the disciples the nail holes in his hands and the spear wound in his side, and disciples rejoice. Jesus then tells them “Peace be with you” again and tells them that he is sending them out to preach the good news and grow the church. Jesus then breathes on them the Holy Spirit.

          The problem, however, is that Apostle Thomas was not there to witness all of it. As a result, he had a hard believing what the disciples told him. How did Thomas know that they were telling the truth? Picking up in our gospel of John reading for this morning it says starting in verse 24 once again,

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn. 20:24-25, NRSV).

 

          Our gospel of John lesson for this morning then concludes saying,

 

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut,  Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” ³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name                                          (Jn. 20:26-31, NRSV).

          Jesus then appears to the apostle Thomas, to “Doubting Thomas,” and then Thomas believes. Jesus then says to Thomas that the majority of people that believe in him will never see him in the flesh on earth, as Thomas was seeing him resurrected, in the flesh, in this scene. The Apostle John then says that Jesus did other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not written in this gospel. John then concludes saying that he recorded these encounters with Jesus in his gospel account this morning, so that all of us would believe that Jesus is the risen savior, the son of God. The Apostle John lastly says, we can have new life and new hope in the name of Jesus Christ.

          So as Christians we do not just believe the Jesus was resurrected, appeared to disciples and hundreds of others after his resurrection, and ascended to heaven only because people said they were eyewitness of these things. People claim to have seen flyer sauces, space aliens, Big Foot, and the Loch Ness Monster, but have any of those people been willing to sacrifice everything to live that believe out. Were they willing to die for it?

          Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection to encourage them, so that they may believe. They believe so strongly in fact, that after the day of Pentecost the disciples and the other early followers of Christ will go forth, loving, healing, forgiving, preaching, and building the church. Despite persecution and what happens to many of them, they believe in Jesus Christ and his resurrection, and they are willing to devote their life to it. Sometimes we need evidence, we need proof, and this morning the Apostle Thomas was no different. So do we believe, or we are still waiting for more evidence. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Easter Sunday - 04/17/22 - Sermon - “New Life And New Life!” (“New Life Is Coming” Series: Part 7 of 7)

Sunday 04/17/22 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:               “New Life and New Life!”

                          (“New Life Is Coming” Series: Part 7 of 7)                              

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24                                     

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Gospel Lesson: John 20:1-18

          He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Happy Easter everyone! I hope that on some level we feel resurrected to. Afterall, we are here on this Easter or Resurrection Sunday, and we are not all required to wear face masks. No longer do we all look like we are robbing the bank at gun point. If you work for a bank, this is probably good news for you on this Easter Sunday!

          Sometimes friends the night is the very darkest before the first glimpses of light from the sunrise show up. Sometimes hope is in short supply, but then something miraculous happens. When we least expect it, and when all hope is gone, suddenly resurrection!

          The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead this day is not just a historical event, but it was and is a transformation. This transformation today continues to transform people nearly two-thousand years later. This person, who was fully God and fully human on earth, named Jesus Christ had an amazing three-years of ministry here on this earth. During this ministry, Jesus loved, healed, forgave, taught, restored, and changed the world. Despite all of this though, the idea that Jesus could actually rise from the dead, was not something that the disciples thought would really happen, until it did.

          I mean after all, all the disciples, except John, Jesus’ mother, and the other women fled on Good Friday. Jesus told them that he would die and would be risen over and over, during his three years of ministry. Clearly though, the disciples did not have faith that this would be case, as most of them fled on Good Friday. I do not even think that they understood why Jesus gave them communion or the Lord’s Supper the night before, why he washed their feet, or why he gave them a new commandment to love each other, and so on and so forth.

          It would seem that as far as the disciples were concerned, they had a fun three-year exciting ride with Jesus, but now it was over. Jesus was now dead, and whatever “New Life” that had in him would die, or they would keep it to themselves. Then suddenly on this morning, as we saw in our opening video, resurrection. What is like when something happens that is miraculous? What is like when all hope is gone, and then resurrection shows up? What is like when we have almost given up, and “New Life” breaks forth?

          It would seem, hopefully, that we have new life in form of this COVID-19 pandemic coming to a manageable close. I mean what do we do with all masks and all the hand sanitizer now? I have lots and lots of masks, do you? Imagine the garage sales next year? Masks, masks, and more masks! I am actually thinking of having a mask Sunday next year, just so we can remember how crazy it was when we all had to wear masks. We can decorate them and have a wacky mask Sunday. Perhaps during this pandemic, it seemed that it would never end, but then resurrection came, as here we are all here this morning.

          The concept of resurrection, of “New Life And New Life” is what Easter is all about. As I said, Jesus rising from dead this day is not just a historical event, but it also an affirmation. It is an affirmation that God loves us, and that in the end evil will not prevail. It is an affirmation that love will conquer hate, and that all the attacking armies of this world will never take God’s love away from any of us. It is an affirmation to the many people who have suffered in Ukraine, that God will get the final word, not a dictator. Resurrection is the hope that good will prevail in the end, that evil will lose, that love will reign, and that justice will be served.

          If we do not believe on this Easter Sunday, this resurrection Sunday, that good will prevail, and that God’s love will win in the end, then what? For if there was no God, and if there was no resurrection, then is there really any hope for any of us? Or we all just doomed to walk in darkness. For the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 that:

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; ¹⁴ and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain

(1 Cor. 15:12-14, NRSV).

          So, if there is no God, and if there is resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter, then we are still trapped in our sins and our darkness. This world will stay broken forever, and there is no divine justice. People who do great evil may never be held accountable, as there is no God that will hold the wicked to account, if they do not repent. This would mean that if we chose to do great evil and harm many people, other than the possible earthly consequences, everyone just gets away with it.

          What Easter Sunday or resurrection Sunday tells though, is that God’s love, grace, light, life, and hope, will win in the end. It tells us that the innocent people killed in Ukraine did not and are not dying for nothing. It tells us that those people are still loved by God, that Jesus died for them two days ago, and that he rose victoriously on this day for them and for us.

          In a world with so much suffering and death, friends, resurrection wins. Hope wins, grace wins, and love wins. While we are called as Christians to continue to improve and transform this world in the name of Jesus Christ, we have the eternal promise of God through Jesus Christ. The same Jesus that tells us that he will be with us until the end of the age. The same Jesus who promises that he is preparing a place for us in his Father’s house in heaven. This Jesus who loves us all, and despite the suffering, the cruelty, and the great evils of this world, resurrection wins.

          So powerful was Jesus’ resurrection this day, that his historical event launched the Christian Church. You see the Christian Church began after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. What do I mean by this? Well, when Jesus was alive on earth, he was the living church, and then Jesus hands the church, the Jesus movement over to us. The Christian Church begins because of Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus was crucified, most people fell away or lost all hope. Then the resurrection occurred. By the day of Pentecost all of Jesus’s followers were out preaching the good news and growing the church.

          What made the movement of Jesus Christ stick though, was the resurrection. Easter Sunday is what started the Christian Church. This is because if Jesus’ tomb remained full, with Jesus in it, then while Jesus would have been a good guy, or at best a prophet, his gospel would not be worth dying for. According to church tradition all but the disciple John died brutal deaths. After Jesus’ empty tomb on this day, the unwavering belief in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection truly began.

          For all of these reasons and many more, I have preached a sermon series over the season Lent, concluding this morning, called the “New Life is Coming” series. Even though the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened almost two-thousand years ago, we celebrate Easter or resurrection Sunday to remember what he has done for us. Even though every Sunday is a mini-Easter, we celebrate today, we know that Jesus is alive, and that God’s love will have the final word in this world.

          We are reminded of this in our Psalm 118 reading for this morning, as we here in Psalm 118:1-2 once again:

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! ² Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever” (Ps. 118:1-2, NRSV).

 

          Further the Apostle Paul reminds us once again in our reading from 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 for this morning that:

¹⁹ If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. ²⁰ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. ²¹ For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; ²² for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:19-26, NRSV).

          Powerful words from the Psalmist and the Apostle Paul. Looking at our gospel of John account of the resurrection for this morning it says once again, starting in John 20:1:

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead (Jn. 20:1-9, NRSV).

          After this the disciples excitedly return to there homes, but Mary Magdalene stays behind and is weeping. She then sees in the tomb two angels in white, one sitting at the head and the feet of where Jesus’ body was laid. The angels ask Mary Magdalene why she is weeping, and she said because they took Jesus’ body. She then turns around and sees a man, who she thought was the gardener. This person, who is Jesus, but who Mary Magdalene thinks is the gardener, asks Mary why she is crying. Mary Magdalene tells Jesus, who she still thinks is the gardener that if he has taken Jesus’ body to tell her where he has put it. Suddenly then, this man, Jesus, who Mary Magdalene thought was the gardener said her name. At this point, she realized that it was the risen Christ. Jesus then tells Mary Magdalene for her to not hold him, as he will soon be ascending to his Father in heaven. Mary Magdalene then comes back to report not only Jesus’ tomb empty, but that she had seen him alive and risen from the dead.

          We have eyewitnesses of the empty tomb and hundreds of people that saw Jesus after his resurrection. What has always fascinated me about the gospel of John account of the resurrection though, is John 20:6-7, where Peter once again tells us what he sees in the empty tomb regarding Jesus’ burial linens. Once again John 20:6-7 says:

⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself                      (Jn. 20:6-7, NRSV).

 

          This is fascinating to me, and only in the gospel of John account of the resurrection do we hear that the linens that covered Jesus body were laying where Jesus’ body was, but that his head linen wrappings were rolled up in a separate place by themselves. This is a really strange detail to mention. I mean how come only the gospel of John tells us that Jesus body linen wrappings where were his body was laid, but that his head wrappings were rolled up in a place by themselves?

          In closing, I want to give one theory on why Jesus’ burial face covering was rolled up in a place by itself. Here is one theory:

When Simon Peter arrived after [John], he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered [Jesus’] head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Why would John have noted the placement of the burial cloths in light of the astonishing fact of the absence of Jesus’ body? And why would he have thought it important to include this detail in his telling of the events of that first Easter Sunday morning? In fact, it was an important detail. According to Father Chrystian Shankar, the rolling up and placement of this cloth hearkened to a Jewish custom of the time. It related to a common practice used by servants and masters of this era. A servant, after he had prepared the dining table for his master, would stand to the side, out of sight of the master, but attentive to the progression of the meal. He wouldn’t dare to return to the table until the master had finished his meal. When the master was finished, he would rise, clean his fingers, mouth, and beard, and leave the “napkin” crumpled in a ball on the table. The wrinkled, discarded napkin indicated “I have finished.” If, however, for whatever reason, the master left the table with the intention of returning, then he would crease the napkin into folds and leave it beside his dishes. This was a message for the servant that he was not to disturb the table, given that the master had indicated: “I am returning.” This, then, is perhaps the reason for John’s attention to the detail of Our Lord’s face cloth. Jesus had told them with his words that the Son of Man would return. That morning, he repeated the promise, with the seemingly inconsequential, but very symbolic, gesture of leaving his face cloth rolled to the side, assuring us that he’d not left for good (https://aleteia.org/2018/07/26/why-did-jesus-fold-the-linen-cloth-that-covered-his-face-in-the-tomb/).

          Friends, Easter Sunday, this day of resurrection, is one of “New Life And Life.” Jesus is alive today, alive in us, and the master of the house will return one day in glory to give us all new life. Today we are reminded that goodness will win, that love will win, and when it is all said and done that God will have the final word. With this said, He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Happy Easter everyone! Amen. 

Sidney UMC - Good Friday - 04/15/22 - Sermon - “Death Has Died!”

Good Friday 4/15/22 - 7 pm - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Death Has Died!”                            

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 22                                       

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 10:16-25

Gospel Lesson: John 18:1-19:42

          Today is a very good, very terrible, and very complicated day. Many Christian Churches and Christians refer to this day as “Good Friday.” After the Last Supper in the Upper Room in Jerusalem ended last night, Jesus went to pray the whole night in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a long night for Jesus, as he realized what would befall him this day, “Good Friday.”

          Early this morning, on this day, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Judas Iscariot who sold out Jesus for 30-pieces of silver, greeted Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. When Jesus was arrested, he was mocked, spit upon, paraded around, scourged with whips, a crown of thorns was put on his head, and he was crucified.

          Jesus will be brought before King Herod, the religious leaders, and the high priest, as well as the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. The religious leaders of Judea were determined to crucify Jesus, claiming he committed blasphemy by claiming to be a king and God in the flesh. The religious leaders told Roman Governor Pontius Pilate that they had no king but Caesar in Rome. Of course, the religious leaders despised Caesar in Rome, but made this allegation as a justifiable reason to put Jesus to death. I mean after all he had committed treason and violated the power of Caesar in Rome.

          King Herod found no reason that Jesus should be put to death, nor did Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. The religious leaders and the high priest were enraged, they tore their robes or shirts open, and were determined to have Jesus tried and crucified. The problem though is that observant Jews cannot break one of the Ten Commandments. One of these commandments of course is “thou shall not kill.” As a result, the religious leaders and the high priest wanted Jesus to put to death, but they could not do it themselves.

          The push to try and kill Jesus grew to a fever pitch this day with the religious leaders. So far in fact, that the annual tradition of releasing a prisoner on the Passover holiday or festival occurred. Pontius Pilate offered to release Jesus or Barabbas, who as a bandit or a thief. The crowd, the religious leaders, and high priest clamored for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. A lot of pressure was put on Pontius Pilate, who clearly did not want to put Jesus to death.

          Pontius Pilate even had Jesus scourged and whipped, and this was still not enough. They shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Jn. 19:6, NRSV). The reason Pilate finally ordered Jesus to be crucified, was because he was worried that there would be a popular uprising in Judea if he did not. Pilate had already had some problems in the past like this, and he was worried that if he did not put Jesus to death, then an uprising would happen. If this happened, then Caesar in Rome would remove him as the Governor of Judea. Or worse Caesar could put Pilate to death. Pilate caved, and he ordered his soldier to nail a sign above Jesus’ head on the cross. The sign said in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek “The King of the Jews.” The chief priest and religious leaders were enraged by this, but Pilate said that he had written, he had written. Jesus was nailed to the cross.

          Jesus is crucified, stabbed with a spear to make sure he was dead, then put in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, where he will stay until his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

          When we look at our reading for this evening from Psalm 22, we hear part of the prophecy of what would happen on this day. In fact, Psalm 22:1a says:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1a, NSRV).

          Jesus says this, quoting Psalm 22:1a in the gospel of Matthew, and there are more predictions still in our Psalm 22 reading of what would happen on this day.

In our scripture reading for tonight from Hebrews 10:16-25, it says once again in 10:19-22:

“Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:16-25, NRSV).

          When Jesus died, the veil or the curtain in the great temple in Jerusalem that separated the high priest from the holiest room in the temple was torn. This room could normally only be entered into by the high priest, and only once a year. In fact, a rope would be tied around the waste of the high priest. Should God find him unworthy, and he be struck down dead, the other religious leaders would just pull him out. I mean after all, if the high priest were struck down, what hope would there be for the rest of them.

          Jesus dies, and the sin of the world dies with him. This is why my sermon for tonight is called “Death Has Died!” The reasonable question to ask this day then, is why does Good Friday matter? Today matters because on this day almost two-thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, God’s only son, died on a cross for our sins and the sins of the whole world. On this day nearly two-thousand years ago Jesus paved the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and to be reconciled to God. We are incapable of living on earth without sin, and we are incapable of being like fully like God, and as result, God sent to son to earth to die for us, so that we might be reconciled to him. This was God’s plan to redeem humanity from before time itself. Was it brutal? Yes. This was God’s plan before time itself however, and it sure got our attention.

          In God’s infinite love, mercy, and grace, he sent his only son to earth to take all of our guilt and all of our shame upon himself. On the cross Jesus bore our every mistake, and our every wrongdoing. We do not deserve it, and yet God’s love and grace is so abundant, and God’s desire to be in relationship with us is so great that he would send his only son to die for us. Jesus, in being God in the flesh on earth, was the only one who ever walked this earth that was sinless. It is for this reason that Jesus was and is the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient savor. Only God can do what he did through Jesus Christ. God did not have to do this, but he planned before time to this, so that humanity could be reconciled to him. This is why today “Death Has Died!”

          This day does not mean that we are awful, but it does mean is that we need the grace of God through Jesus Christ. In repenting and turning from our sin, and in turning to Christ, we are forgiven. All of our guilt, all of our shame, all of our sin, and everything that we have ever done is gone, and washed clean. Does this change our human nature toward sinning? No, it does not, but everyday that we walk with Christ, follow him, and seek to be more like him, we will continue to be made in Christ’s image. As we draw closer to Christ, we become more like him, and God continues to make us more holy and more righteous. When we are more holy and more righteous, we are more like God, and so we are then less sinful, and God can use us to transform the world.

          Until Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, his death does not official offer us full

 forgiveness and reconciliation with God, as Easter Sunday proves that Jesus is who he

 said he was. The great love of God this day was on full display for us, as he gave

 everything for us. Dear friends, this is why on this this day, Good Friday, “Death Has

 Died!” Happy Good Friday. Amen.