What everyone needs at this point is … a bar of Toberlone.
Toblerone is of course famous for its picture of the Matterhorn on the packet . (although as you may have seen in the news, they are about to change the picture.
Perhaps they are about to replace it with a picture of Northalla Hills - after all, I mean climbing the matterhorn is one thing - but climbing Northalla Hills - that’s something else.
So what;s the tallest mountain in the world?
Interesting you should say Everest - I’m actually called after the first man to climb Everest - Sir Edmund hillary - My mum was a New Zealander and the most famous New Zealander she could think of to call me after was Edmund Hillary. Ironically I am absolutely terrified of heights…
But no Mount Everest is not the right answer and neither (though it feels like it today) is Northalla Hills. We’ll come back to the right answer…
In the bible Mountains are often places of encounter with God.
Moses climbs a mountain - and there with thunderbolts and lightening coming down - he talks with God and receives the ten commandments.
Elijah, running away from Queen Jezebel who wants to kill him goes up a mountain and hides in a cave. And while he is up there there is an earthquake but God is not in the earthquake. And there is a massive wind - but God is not in the wind. And after the earthquake and the wind there is a still small voice and in the still small voice at the top of the mountain Elijah encounters God.
Jesus - just before he leaves Gallilee and heads to Jerusalem, takes Peter James and John up a mountain - and Moses and Elijah appear there and a voice from heaven speaks “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and his clothes are transfigured dazzling white.
And then of course there is The Temple. The Temple is built at the top of a mountain - Mount Zion - and the ark of the covenant containing the remains of those tablets given to Moses is placed in it. And God is present in that ark. And Jews come from all over Israel to visit the presence of God at the top of a mountain.
I hope you are feeling you are encountering God at the top of Northalla Hill - because in the bible tops of mountains become places of encounter with God.
Well thinking of high up things - Jesus talks of being “lifted up”
In John Chapter 3:13-15 Jesus tells Nicodemus
No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.…
In John chapter 12:27-32 Jesus declares
for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Well it makes sense - if we encounter God in Jesus, and we encounter God high up, it would make sense that when he is glorified he should be lifted up..
Which brings me back to what is the tallest mountain in the world.
Not the Matterhorn, Not Everest , Not even Northalla (though it may have felt like it today) . Surprisingly the tallest mountain is not Everest but Mauna Kea in Hawai. It’s not what you expect because Mauna Kea starts way under the sea. The bit above the sea may be shorter than Everest, but from the base to the top it is 4000 feet higher than Everest.
Surprise!
And God too has a surprise for us.
Because when Jesus is glorified by being lifted - yes it is up high but it is NOT on a mountaintop throne of the type we might imagine.
There is a green HILL far away outside a city wall
On HILL far away stood an old rugged cross
The ultimate place of encounter with God - is in a man being crucified.
There God reveals his love for us by taking the pain and agony of our sins.
There God reveals his persistence for us by keeping going even unto death.
There God reveals his access to us - when at the moment of death there is an earthquake and the veil in the Temple is torn in two - the veil that kept ordinary people out of the presence of God is torn in two so anyone can have access to God.
We are expecting Jesus to be glorified on a throne - and there is a sign in three languages saying “The King of the Jews” - but the throne is a cross - an instrument of torture and death.
Like Mauna Kea poking up from under the sea its not what we are expecting - but true glory lies in Jesus laying down his life so we might live.
On that - horrible- hill we encounter loving us that much - and as the veil is torn and as he dies, we encounter God and access to him for ever.
So this Easter- alongside your Easter Egg, why not get yourself a bar of Toblerone. And as you look at the picture of the Mountain that may or may not be the Matterhorn - remember your climb here today up Nothalla - and remember also that other hill - that Hill far away - on which the prince of Glory died - for YOU!
Amen
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A cheeky request -
If you have read all the way to the end of this sermon, presumably you have found it helpful. If so, (if you are happy to do so) please give the sermon a five star (or at least a four star) rating. The better star ratings a sermon gets, the higher it comes up search engines. So you are helping me (thank you) but you are also helping other people get to read this. Thank you.
