Title: “It’s Easter the Church building is Empty” Scripture: John 20 and various
Type: Thematic Where: GNBC Easter 2020
Intro: Today is Easter Sunday 2020, and as such, it is in my opinion the most important day of the Christian calendar. This is the day we celebrate Christ’s triumph over sin and death. We celebrate His victory over the grave. However, this is a very unusual Easter. In fact, I have never experienced an Easter like this. Easter Sunday for pastors is typically THE Sunday of the year. Usually it has the largest attendance, the most visitors, biggest offering, families come together, children in new dresses and suits. Usually we have a large fellowship breakfast where we eat too much food! The sanctuary is filled with joyful congregants singing and special choirs and solos proclaiming Christ’s victory. Sadly, none of those are the case today! Due to this virus pandemic, churches all around the world are sealed and shut today.
Prop: This Easter Sunday 2020, the Church building is empty, but praise God, so is the Tomb!
BG: 1. This Easter we are learning a very important lesson. Our faith is not essentially connected to a building, but rather to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2.
Prop: It’s Easter 2020, and sadly, the Church building is empty.
I. It’s Easter Sunday and the Church Doors are Closed and Locked.
A. This Easter Sunday doesn’t look like a traditional Easter Sunday…the doors are closed and locked.
1. On Easter Sunday the doors of the Church are always open, welcoming both the faithful and the visitor to hear the Good News of the Resurrection.
a. Illust: This Easter we see signs posted on the doors: CDC guidelines and travel restrictions informing us of the dangers of the Covid 19 virus. We see the strong recommendations of the Governor Reynolds with strict guidelines limiting the number of people who can congregate in a meeting with the guidelines for social distancing.
b. Illust: Earlier this week I was talking to an old friend of mine from N. Ireland. Jim is a retired pastor. He said the following: “Chris, for 30 years we lived in a state of war and violence, yet we operated through life and never saw the shutdown and disturbance this has caused.”
2. Times like we are experiencing right now should help us to rethink the nature of the Church.
a. The Church is both a familiar and yet a misunderstood topic. It is one of the main elements of our faith that can be viewed and observed. For many it’s their point of contact with Christianity. As Barth said, “The Church’s mere existence is one of the most powerful witnesses to Jesus Christ.”
b. So, we have to ask, if the church building is closed, are we no longer witnessing to Christ? I find it interesting, when you read the Bible, the word “church” is used in many different contexts, but it is NEVER used in the context we most commonly use it today: “A brick and mortar building.”
B. Although the Church Doors are Locked and Closed, I find Great Comfort in knowing that Jesus said that He was the “Door of Salvation”.
1. In John 10:7-9, Jesus uses a figure of speech, a metaphor, to communicate an essential spiritual truth: “I am the door”. The focus of our passage is on Jesus being the door, and specifically, the door of the sheepfold (10:7). On an average day in Israel, sheep could be found grazing in pastures and drinking from streams. Once night fell, however, the sheep were brought into the sheepfold, a structure commonly made of stone with briars atop the wall that served as impediments to thieves. This left the gate as the only proper entryway, and so a guardian was placed there to guard the sheep from thieves and wild animals. Oftentimes several different flocks were placed into the same sheepfold at night. The sheep were not lost, however, because each sheep would know his own shepherd’s voice and would come when his shepherd called
2. V.9 Jesus was saying that He is the door through which we all must pass so as to receive the gift of salvation. Jesus uses this earthly image to convey two important things. The first of these is that God has a sanctuary, a safe place to bring His sheep, where He will save and keep them safe forever. Secondly, the only way to get into this sanctuary is through its one and only door, Jesus Christ. The only access we have to God is through Christ, and Him alone.
C. Applic: I love the CS Lewis classic “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”. The fictional land of Narnia can only be entered from this world by walking into and through a magical wardrobe that transports the Pevensie children. The pluralistic society we find ourselves in has no problem with God as long as there are many ways of accessing Him. Jesus says there is only One way: Him!
II. It’s Easter Sunday, the Doors of the Church are closed and locked, and all of the Lights are Turned off.
A. Sadly, this Easter Sunday, the lights of 1000’s of churches in the US and abroad are turned off and the buildings sit in darkness.
1. The lights of the Church building are darkened.
a. On a typical Easter Sunday the Church is brightly lit with not only the lights of the sanctuary, but the beautiful colors of flowers, and new dresses, pastel shirts and ties. The smiles of joyful worshipers illuminate the sanctuary as much as any bulb. In our northern Midwest climate, Easter often comes after the end of a particularly dark and brutal winters.
b. Illust: On 3 August 1914, British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey made his famous quote: ‘The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime’. He was speaking to his friend, the journalist John Alfred Spender, editor of the Westminster Gazette. Looking out from his window, across St. James’ Park, it was dusk and the first of the gas lights along the Mall were being lit. The next day Grey would have to face the British Cabinet so as to persuade them that the time had come to declare war on Germany. These past several weeks it has felt similar as our shops, our comforts, our entertainments have closed. Fear of this pandemic has gripped hearts, and sadly, individuals have gotten sick and now many in this country have died.
2. Times like we are experiencing right now should cause us toe contemplate the Meaning of the Body of Christ.
a. Again, we often associate the gathering of believers as the “Church”. This is true, yet, another important analogy outlined in Scripture for the believer is: “The Body of Christ.” What does this mean? It means that believers are the locus of Xst’s activity now, just as His physical body was during His earthly ministry. We read of this truth in passages such as Eph. 1:22-23 (Read)
b. The image we really need to consider in times like this is not so much that the Church is a building, but rather, the Church is a body. We need to emphasize the connectedness of the group of believers who comprise the local church. Salvation, w/all its complexity, is a result of our union with Christ by faith. The image of the body speaks of the interconnectedness between ALL persons who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Christianity is NOT defined merely in terms of my individual relationship w/Jesus Christ, but the interconnectedness of the body, in worship, spiritual gifts, and service. (I Cor. 12:12ff tells us whether “Jew or Greek” we are baptized by 1 Spirit into 1 body, the Church.
B. Although the Church Doors are Locked and the Lights are turned off, Jesus Christ is still the Light of this World.
1. In John 8:12 Jesus uses another figure of speech to illus an essential spiritual truth: “I am the light of the World.”
a. Read John 8:12 – This passage takes place after Christ forgives a woman caught in adultery. There is an ongoing conflict with the Pharisees. The Feast of Tabernacles was being celebrated when Christ made this statement. He is in Jerusalem , at the temple. The feast of “Tabernacles” communicated the Lord’s lead of the nation 40 years in the wilderness. How did He do that? With a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
b. The first night of the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths, a great candelabra was lit in the temple as to commemorate and illustrate the shekinah glory of God that led the Hebrew children. Make no mistake of the comparison Jesus was making!
2. Outside of Jesus Christ, all people walk in spiritual darkness.
a. Illust: When I was in high school I went on a camping trip with several classmates and teachers. We went to Southern Indiana spelunking, exploring caves. Now, some of these caves required going far underground, squeezing through passages, and one point our science teacher, Mr. Brandel, told us all to turn off our flashlights. I’ll be honest, it was frightening! Darkness is disconcerting, disturbing, yes, frightening! Friend, that is our spiritual condition outside of Jesus Christ.
b. This is a life-changing verse if you see it for what it is — see him for who he is. It says that following Jesus is more than tagging along behind him. It means following him for who he is. Being so taken with him that you join yourself to him. And notice that when you follow him you have him — you have him as the light of life. “I am the light . . . Whoever follows me . . . will have the light…” You will have me, he says, as your light. If you follow me, you have me. I am yours. I am your Shepherd and your Sacrifice and your Living Water and your Bread from Heaven and your God, and your Light. Notice the last phrase of verse 12: “You will have the light of life.” What is the connection between light and life? You can’t sustain life without light.
c. C. Applic: It’s Easter Sunday. The lights might be out inside the Church building today, but Jesus Christ is still the Light of the World.
III. It’s Easter Sunday, the Doors of the Church are Locked and the Lights are off, and the Communion Table sits Empty of the Elements.
A. Sadly, this Easter Sunday, worshippers won’t be able to partake of the elements of Remembrance and worship
1. The celebration of Communion is a traditional part of the worship of the Lord.
a. In our church, as in most, there is a table dedicated to displaying the elements of communion during worship. There is a table hand made by a devout man in our church who is a skilled craftsman. The brass element holders sit upon a cloth made by an elderly seamstress, If you could see the elements themselves, you would see small, individual glasses of grape juice and broken pieces of matzah. It is a special tradition we celebrate in our service.
b. If you are a Christian, depending on your own church, your tradition may be a little different when celebrating communion. Regardless, all churches have some tradition when celebrating, and sadly, this Sunday, that tradition won’t be the same for the vast majority of worshipers.
2. Times like those we are experiencing now should cause us to reflect on the Unity of the Church.
a. If I was to read from I Cor.11, we would see the famous passage where Paul prescribes the conditions for celebrating communion in the body of Christ. We read that passage nearly every time we celebrate communion at Good News. One of the points I highlight before taking the elements is that if the believer has an offense with a brother or sister he/she should first attempt to be reconciled w/ that brother before partaking of the elements. Communion or the Lord’s Supper is celebrated as our communion with not only Jesus Christ, but also with our brother or sister. At our church, when we are done taking communion, we stand together, taking the hand of the person next to us, in a demonstration of our unity, and we pray the Lord’s prayer together. Sadly, that visible demonstration of unity will not take place this Easter weekend.
b. In the New Testament, there are three enduring claims relative to the identity of the church: It is founded on Jesus Christ. It comes into being by the Holy Spirit. The church is to cross the fundamental divides of culture, language, nation, tribe and race.
B. Although the Church Doors are Locked, the Lights are Turned off, and the Communion Table sits Empty of the Elements, Jesus Christ is Still the Bread of Life!
1. Jesus Christ stated that He was the Bread of Life.
a. In John 6 Jesus made the shocking statement that He was the Bread of Life. Verses 1-15 is the story of the feeding of the five thousand and the rest of the chapter is all about bread. It is all about Jesus as the bread. So Jesus has come to give a sign in the multiplying of these loaves that he himself is the bread of heaven, not mainly that he can make enough bread to feed everybody. He calls this a “sign”. What did the people who witnessed this miracle do? They fixated on the miracle and not the PERSON of the miracle!
b. Bread then, as today, is the source of sustenance in many lands. Here is the main point: Jesus did not come into the world mainly to give bread, but to be bread. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not hunger. He who believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35; he repeats himself in verses 48 and 51). He came into the world not to give bread, but to be bread. He wants to be the very source of sustenance that you and I crave and survive on.
2. This miracle reminded those gathered of the manna that came down from heaven for 40 years. It was supplied by God. When Jesus performed the miracle, those gathered thought to themselves, another Moses is in our presence, another person to deliver us from an oppressor, another person to provide for our needs. However, Jesus changes their focus…He is not only the one providing the bread, He is in fact the Bread of Life!
C. Applic: The old English proverb that “bread is the staff of life” is never truer than when it is used to refer to Jesus. His flesh — His life — given for the sins of the world is the staff that upholds us, and only those who trust in Him alone can find eternal salvation. We are to feed on Him by faith daily that we might be sustained by Him and persevere. Have you partaken of the Bread of Life who alone can satisfy all your hunger?
IV. It’s Easter Sunday, the Church is Empty, but Praise God, So is the TOMB!
A. That First Easter Sunday the Anxious Women and Disciples Found an Empty Tomb.
1. The first visitors to Christ’s tomb surprisingly found it’s contents empty! Read John 20:1-9.
Notice what the passage states. Some of the women and Peter and John come to the grave early on that morning, and to their surprise, shock, and their stupefaction, the tomb is empty! Praise the Lord! The One who they had seen die, was now, as He had predicted, alive.
2. Illust: I have a friend who knows the great-granddaughter of a man who was a stoker on the RMS Titanic. Peter Walsh signed up for work. Then the ship made her way from Queenstown to Southhampton to take on passengers. While in dock, Walsh went ashore to visit the pubs before the long voyage to America. The day after the sinking of the great ship. Walsh’s wife received a telegraph stated that her husband was lost at sea. Everyone was in mourning. A few days later, however, there was great rejoicing. Peter Walsh was coming down his Belfast street in a cart. He was alive! Neighbors thought they were seeing a ghost. Had Peter Walsh come back from the grave? No. Walsh had actually stayed in the bar too long, drinking too much, and missed the call for the ship’s crew to board. The White Star Line had hired another to fill his place. Friend, never forget, the day Jesus died, He died in your and my place.
B. This Easter Sunday 2020, the Church may be Empty, But Take Comfort in the Fact, So is Christ’s Tomb!
1. Death Could Not Conquer the One Who said: “I am the Resurrection and the Life” Illust: In John 11:25 Jesus made one more “I am statement” that is an encouragement to us today. In that passage, Jesus said to the grieving Martha at the tomb of her brother: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,” Notice the importance of those first two words in Jesus’ reply: “I am” Jesus is God and He encompasses in Himself Resurrection and Life. He has power over death. He is victorious.
2. Illust: In a cemetery in Hanover, Germany, is a grave on which were placed huge slabs of granite and marble cemented together and fastened with heavy steel clasps. It belongs to a woman who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Yet strangely, she directed in her will that her grave be made so secure that if there were a resurrection, it could not reach her. On the marker were inscribed these words: "This burial place must never be opened." In time, a seed, covered over by the stones, began to grow. Slowly it pushed its way through the soil and out from beneath them. As the trunk enlarged, the great slabs were gradually shifted so that the steel clasps were wrenched from their sockets. A tiny seed had become a tree that had pushed aside the stones. Friend, both the Jewish leadership and the Roman government had reason to make sure Christ tomb would not be opened. They rolled a roughly 2 ton stone in front of its entrance, they sealed it with the formal seal of Rome, they station a squad of soldiers around it to make absolutely sure no one came in and stole the body. Like that old German woman they hated the idea and the implications of a possible resurrection.
C. Death is the most democratic experience in life for we all participate in it. We think of its happening only to other people. We don’t like to grow old and we don’t like to die. The Bible teaches that death is an enemy of man and God. But it also teaches that this enemy, death, will ultimately be destroyed forever; that in fact it has already been defeated at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death, for a Christian, brings permanent freedom from evil.
Conclusion: Christian, today is a different Easter Sunday. The doors are closed and locked, the lights are off, the communion rail sits empty, but our Savior is the door of salvation, He is the light of the world, He is the bread of life, He is the resurrection and the life! Do you believe in Him? Friend, the
