Easter Sunday, expectations.
During his lifetime Nikolai Bukharin was as powerful a man as there was on earth. As Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today.
There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism. Addressing the crowd and being a good communist, he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insults, argument, and proof against it. An hour later he was finished. He looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith. "Are there any questions?" Bukharin demanded. Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally he shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: "CHRIST IS RISEN!"
On masse the crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder:
"HE IS RISEN INDEED!" (http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/heisrisen.htm#.VR73evyUd6w, sighted 04/04/2014)
The outcome of the speech was not what the communist hardliner expected.
Expectations are an interesting thing, people are often confused, or even conflicted when their expectations don’t meet reality.
This is Easter Sunday, the day we remember Mary Magdalene up before the sun walking to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus, Lets read from John 20:10-18. I pick up where Reverand Will read to in his call to worship. I read from the NIV Bible.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (NIV)
Earlier in John 20 we had the depiction of Mary Magdalene shocked as she saw the stone rolled away, so she ran to Peter and John, her words, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” Both running, John outran Peter, bending over, looking into the tomb, seeing the strips of linen Jesus had been wrapped in, on Peter’s arrival he saw the same strips of linen and the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus head. Peter entered the tomb and finally John entered. He saw and believed, ‘he had risen’. In John’s gospel he states, “They still did not understand from Scripture, That Jesus had to rise from the dead.” (John 20:9) Nor did they understand what Jesus had already told them, in Matthews gospel it is recorded as they were going up to Jerusalem Jesus said; “see we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life.” From Matthew 20:18-19. Peter and John even though they had had the heads up from Jesus had not expected this outcome, their expectations were certainly not matching their current reality.
The thoroughly broken body of Jesus had been laid in the grave, pierced, and ruined, skin stripped off his back during the lashing, hands punctured, the spear thrust into his side, his body, as he was lowered from the cross, they had seen he was still and drained of life.
Mary came to embalm Jesus body, but where was he. Seeing two angels in white, her eyes full of tears, their question was “Woman why are you crying.” He had risen, still not understanding Mary Magdalene, called back “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.” She had come expecting to find the broken corpse of her teacher and friend.
Then Jesus himself spoke, “Woman why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” thinking he was the gardener she asked, “if it was you who moved him, tell me where he is so that I can tend to his body?” His reply, one word of recognition and respect… her name, “Mary!” not expecting this, Mary was startled and turning to him in recognition, “Teacher”, …oh how she wanted to hold him… His presence was so unexpected. He was there in front of her alive.
That evening, in fear of those who had taken Jesus' life, the disciples were cowering, and their fear was totally understandable, Jesus had just suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable. The disciples were known to the same authorities who had Jesus crucified as being his followers. They themselves may have had targets on their backs, to die like Jesus did, no wonder they were disturbed. Remember Peter had recently denied being Jesus disciple three times out of fear before the Rooster crowed. The doors to the room they were gathered in were bolted shut, Jesus came and stood among them and his words, like a fresh wind to their anguished hearts and minds, bodies suddenly woken from their distress, their anxiety became joy, “Peace be with you!”
This was not the expected outcome…Jesus is here with us, he was risen, he is risen.
When we understand the impact of this one death, the death of Jesus, “the would be Messiah,” who rode into town, his kingdom acclaimed just a week before as Israel’s king with Hosanna’s and Psalms, the waving of palm branches, cries of blessing and Hosanna to the King who came in the name of the Lord. A few days later who would have expected his death?
This death of Jesus what a defeat! (pause)
Jesus defeated the critic’s, Jesus defeated the Sanhedrin, Jesus defeated the Roman Governor and the Chief Priests, Jesus defeated the cross that he carried the sin of all of us to, Jesus defeated that spear so deeply thrust into his side, Jesus defeated the linen strips that bound him in death and left them there, defeated, in that place that should have been a place of horrid, smoldering decay.
Jesus who conquered sin and death, an unexpected outcome, of course an unexpected outcome, the most unexpected. Our burden of sin was defeated that day, in his death.
When we understand the impact of this death and the love of God as he willingly died in our place, we understand also just what we mean to him, that he would go through the worst of deaths so that we would understand his love, his self-sacrificing love, our deserved place taken by his love, his abundant grace love, mercy poured forth on his undeserving yet created in his image rebellious fallen creation, awesome powerful love.
When we understand this love that allows us to, enter into the holy of holies to come into God’s presence through his broken body, the curtain in the temple torn from top to bottom, his love that made a way for us to follow him from death to life, because of his loves intensity, when we understand this love that comes to us and abides, when we understand this love that justifies us with God, when we understand this burning cleaning flame of God alive in our souls, the anointing of The Holy Spirit poured out because of this death and resurrection we too can face death and celebrate, we can do all that he calls us to. We too can love as he loved.
What are your expectations?
Acts 1:7-8. “So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?’ They had expectations, the same expectations as the crowd at his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
But the unexpected occurred, “He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
We all have our expectations, what Jesus has done and what Jesus will do when we are led by his Spirit will surprise us.
Understand his love, be open to Jesus doing what you don’t expect, Paul tells us this in Romans 10:9 and 10; If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
If you are wondering about your salvation, wondering today how to get right with God, there is the answer, declare it, Jesus is Lord. Believe with your whole being that God raised him from the dead.
Yes, Christ is risen! The response is he is risen indeed.
Christ is risen!
