NR 08-04-07
Easter Sunday Morning
Story: There is a picture, drawn by Clive Chislett which is mounted on one of the original Norman pillars of our Church here in New Romney.
It is on the pillar closest to the war memorial.
Do have a look at it before you leave today.
In the picture, Faust is engaged in a competitive game of chess against the Devil.
And at first glance, it looks like Faust is losing.
His opponent stands there grinning smugly.
Satan thinks he has won.
He is gloating.
You can almost hear the devil thinking:
"Checkmate! Game’s over! I win!"
However, a person with a keen eye - and who knows the game of chess well- will see that the match is over - but not in the way the Devil envisaged.
Because Faust has one move and one move only – that will give him the victory!
The picture has a very real meaning to us as Christians because it is a parable of the good news of Easter.
Think of it. When we look at the Cross on Good Friday, it looks (at first glance) like evil has won.
It looks like the defeat of righteousness.
It looks like goodness is dead and buried forever.
It looks like Jesus has been silenced and conquered.
But then, Easter Sunday morning reveals God’s greatest “checkmate” move of all time.
Christ comes out of the grave and into our lives with power and victory.
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
The Russian Orthodox Church has this wonderful acclamation made three times on Easter Sunday
The Priest says: “He is risen”
And the congregation reply:
“He is risen, indeed”
But how do we know it true?
Professor Charlie Moule, the famous NT theologian once said:
"the birth and rapid rise of the Christian Church ... remains an unsolved enigma for any historian who refuses to take seriously the only explanation offered by the church itself - the resurrection." (C.F.D. Moule, The Phenomenon of the New Testament).
Most Sundays we profess our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead when we say the words of the Creed:
“ I believe ..….in Jesus Christ,
his only Son our Lord who was
Conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead and buried
He descended into Hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead”
(The Apostles Prayer - BCP)
The Resurrection is a major pillar of our faith
St. Paul put it like this:
“..if Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is futile” (I Cor. 15: 17)
St. Paul, a first Century witness, records the importance of the Easter story.
He wrote this in 1 Corinthians
”For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
i) that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
ii) that he was buried,
iii) that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and
iv) that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Cor. 15:3-8).
Paul records 513 (five hundred and thirteen) men as having seen the risen Lord.
Have you ever therefore wondered why
John mentions only four post Resurrection appearances of the Risen Jesus.
In this Chapter, John 20 we read of three of these.
He appeared
i) to Mary Magdalene
ii) to all the disciples except Thomas and finally
iii) to Thomas
And in the following Chapter, John 21 we read of Jesus appearing to seven disciples including Peter, James and John, Thomas, Nathaniel and two unnamed disciples and his having breakfast with them.
Surely if the resurrection is such a big deal, why didn’t John add many more of the stories of these encounters?
At the very least – why didn’t he simply catalogue when, where and who had seen the
risen Christ.
Surely that would make interesting reading.
1. Have you ever wondered what the reaction of James -Jesus’ brother - was - when the risen Jesus appeared to him.
And what did he say?
2. I wonder if Jesus appeared to Nicodemus - the Jewish rabbi who had sought him out that night as recorded in Jn 3.
It was the same Nicodemus who had helped Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus
The reason John doesn’t record more post Resurrection encounters is because it didn’t fit in with the aim of his book. What do I mean ?
John summed up the aim of his Gospel as follows:
"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name."
In other words, John is not writing a history book as we know history books but a book to awaken faith.
And so these three post resurrection stories of John 20 have been recorded to awake faith in us.
For John, I believe, is saying: “You are either going to believe or you are not going to believe – and I have given you enough evidence to believe.
Further stories, however interesting, aren’t going to bring you to convince you, if these stories - that I record - don’t.”
So what is so special about these three stories?
I would like to suggest that each story shows a barrier to faith – which can be overcome by the presence of Jesus.
And they are all barriers that we as Christians will experience at some time in our lives.
1. The first of these barriers to faith was GRIEF and this was overcome by hearing the voice of Jesus
Mary Magdalene, in last week’s Gospel reading, couldn’t see Jesus for her grief.
It was only when she heard him call her name that she realises that He was risen.
Jesus spoke to her – and by speaking released her from her grief.
There are going to be times when we suffer from grief. We may grieve for the loss of loved ones.
And it is at times like this that we need to listen for Jesus’ voice calling us.
2. The second barrier to faith was FEAR – and this was overcome by experiencing the presence of Jesus
The disciples in today’s Gospel reading were gathered behind closed doors in fear . Jesus had
been crucified – and were they next on the list?
And so Jesus comes to them and speaks words of peace. He showed them his crucified hands and St. John records:
“The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (Jn 20:20)
Fear can cripple us at times. It can make us irrational. And at those times, we need to seek Jesus’ presence in our lives– and it is His Presence that will bring us peace.
When I get stressed out with worry and fear – I find wonderful comfort in the words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel
"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn form me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls For my yoke is easy and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30)
3. The third barrier to faith was DOUBT and this was overcome by the touch of Jesus.
Thomas seems rather unfairly to have had a bad press for the last 2000 years.
His name has even entered into the English language. (You might call someone who doesn’t believe something a “Doubting Thomas”)
But you have to remember that Thomas wasn’t with the other disciples when they saw Jesus.
He didn’t have the benefit of what they had seen.
He couldn’t believe that Jesus was risen – it was something outside his experience.
Our faith is not an unreasonable faith. St Peter tells us for example
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Pet 3:15)
God has given us minds and wants us to use them.
Thomas in rather flowery language says:
“I’m not going to believe until I can stuff my hand actually into his side.”
That’s the force of what he is saying.
Our faith has to be based on a firm foundation – and Jesus realised that Thomas needed that confirmation.
Once Thomas got the evidence he needed he simply said: “My Lord and my God”
What Thomas asked for was very reasonable and so Jesus gave him what he needed for his faith.
There are times when we need a special touch from God.
It is not a sin to be sceptical.
What is sin is to go on disbelieving when you are given the evidence.
Conclusion
Jesus deals with each person’s needs differently.
He treats us as individuals.
Mary simply needed to hear Jesus’ voice and her grief was healed.
The disciples needed to receive the peace of Jesus into their lives to release them from their fear.
Thomas needed to see the Risen Christ. He wanted to put his hand in Jesus’ side before he would believe (Actually there is no evidence that he actually did so).
Each of us has different needs – we all ask different questions - but there is only one solution – a touch from the risen Lord.
May this Easter Sunday morning be a time when we look for and receive a touch from the risen Jesus – a touch that will transform us into his true loving disciples.
It did in AD 29 that first Easter Sunday morning and it can still do – if we are willing to come to him
If you want a time of “prayer and healing” at the end of the service – there will be space to do so towards the end of the service. During the last hymn, please make your way to the Stuppenny tomb, where there will be folk from the healing Ministry Team to speak and pray with you.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father , we all come this morning to Church with different needs, with our different agendas.
We ask that we can deposit this all at the foot of the Cross and receive a touch from you today so that we can take up your Agenda for the world around us
Give us a love for one another through which our town will be attracted to you.
We ask this in Jesus Christ’s name Amen
