(Preached Easter Sunday 2006)
As the children are going out, I’m reminded of the story of a Sunday School teacher who was extremely enthusiastic. She looked at her class of four-years olds and asked this question: “Does anyone know what today is?”
A little girl held up her finger and said, “Yes today is Palm Sunday.” “That’s fantastic!” the teacher replied. “Does anyone know what next Sunday is?”
The same little girl held up her finger and said, “Next Sunday is Easter Sunday.” Again the teacher replied, “That’s great!”
Then the teacher asked, “Does anyone know what makes next Sunday Easter?” The little girl again responded, “Yes, next Sunday is Easter Sunday because Jesus rose from the grave.” But before the teacher could again congratulate her, she continued, “But if he sees his shadow, he has to go back in for seven weeks!”
Some years ago, a letter appeared in the national news that was sent to a deceased person by the Indiana Department of Social Services. It would figure this type of behavior would come out of that Hoosier state. Again, the letter was sent to a deceased person, and it read as follows:
“Your food stamps will be stopped effective March, 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.”
Well there haven’t been too many who have seen a change in those circumstances! But there have been a few, and typically on Easter Sunday pastors will especially focus on one of those. . .that being the resurrection of Christ. However, I am not a typical pastor, so I want us to take some time and look at another resurrection.
We are in John chapter 11 (read through verse 26a).
If we were to read on, you would see that Jesus does in fact raise Lazarus from the dead. They move the stone away from the front of the tomb, Jesus calls Lazarus out, and out he comes. Jesus tells them to unwrap him from the burial clothes, and Lazarus goes on to live for another period of time there in Bethany.
But I want us to focus in on those words of Jesus in verse 25. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Contrary to common logic, two very distinct, and even in some ways different, things. It would seem that one would be sufficient, right? If you are resurrected, you would be alive. If you are alive, and were once dead, you would be resurrected. However, Jesus separates the two, and for good reason.
Let’s start with the resurrection. When Jesus says He is the resurrection, He is identifying a quality of who He is that is good news for the dead. He is saying that contrary to popular belief, life doesn’t have to end at death. Because I am the resurrection.
Back in the day, there were a group of people within Judaism known as the Sadducees. They were from a very affluent part of the society of their day, and many of them belonged to the priestly class. However, one of the distinctives of this group was that they denied the resurrection of the dead. They saw it as impossible. And subsequently they did not believe there was anything after death. Death was the end. Finished. Caput. That is why my dad always used to say, “They were Sad. . .you see?”
In fact, they even confronted Jesus and asked Him about the resurrection of the dead, because they knew that He taught otherwise. He even went so far as to teach that He is the resurrection. He is the hope that death is not the end. That the grave is not our eternal home. That the last chapter on earth is not the last chapter of the book.
Not only did He teach that, but He lived that, and rose from the grave Himself. And despite the fact that scientists and skeptics would like to deny that it ever happened, the reality of it is that it did, and there were actually hundreds of witnesses that verified it.
In fact, if we had each person that witnessed the resurrected Christ come up here this morning and talk for 15 minutes giving a testimony to what they saw. If we listened to the testimony of all the people that Jesus appeared to, we would be here all day, and all night, and Monday and Monday night and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and sometime early Friday morning they would just be wrapping up the testimony.
It would take over 128 straight hours just to hear, for 15 minutes each, the testimony of those that saw Jesus after He rose, and proved that He is the resurrection.
There was a Moslem and a Christian in a discussion, and the Moslem said to the Christian, “We Moslems have one thing you Christians do not have. When we go to Medina (Saudi Arabia), we find a coffin and we know that Mohammed lived because his body is in it. But when, you Christians go to Jerusalem, you find nothing but an empty tomb.”
The Christian exclaimed, “What you say is absolutely true, and that makes the eternal difference. The reason we find an empty tomb is because we serve a risen Christ.” We serve the resurrection and the life.
You may remember the story of Joseph of Arimathea. He was a very wealthy Pharisee, a member of the council, and a secret follower of Jesus. And it was Joseph of Arimathea who went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. And it was Joseph who supplied the tomb for Jesus’ burial.
Well, it seems that someone pulled him aside and said, “Joseph, that was such a beautiful, costly, hand-hewn tomb. Why on earth did you give it to someone else to be buried in?”
Joseph just smiled. “Why not? He only needed it for the weekend.”
Jesus provided hope to Mary and Martha. To Lazarus. To the followers of the day. To us who believe in Him yet today, by living and declaring that He is the resurrection. But He felt it was significant to identify two characteristics, and declare that He is the life.
Francis Frangipane writes, “Beloved, the church today needs to grasp this truth: resurrection power is not confined to a future date; it is available right now in the person of Christ Himself! Everyone living in union with Jesus Christ has access also to the power of His resurrection.” And that power is found in Him as the life.
While Jesus declaration that He is the resurrection provides hope for the dead, and for all of us following death, His declaration that He is the life is for the living.
The word Jesus uses there is the Greek word “zoe”, and I love some of the definitions of this word. Some of the meanings and renderings of it. Listen to these:
- the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate
- the absolute fullness of life
- life real and genuine
- a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, and blessed
Jesus says, “I am the zoe. The life. That existence that is absolutely full. That is real and genuine. That is active and vigorous. That is possessed of vitality. That is animate. Life!”
And this draws me to another statement that Jesus makes in John 10:10. Look at this with me (read). Jesus says, “I not only want you to have life. Not only a beating pulse. Not only a breathing existence from day to day. But an abundant life.”
That word abundantly refers to life that is over and above, more than is necessary, something further, superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon. More eminent, more remarkable, more excellent.
When you think of your life – are those the adjectives you would use to describe it? If not, you are missing out on one of the very purposes for which Christ came to earth. He came that you might have life. . .and that you might have it abundantly. And the great news of today is that if you are not experiencing the abundant life, God has something more for you.
So what keeps us from experiencing that abundant life? Let’s look at some practical Blockages to Abundant Living:
1. MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
Despite our belief that more toys equals more fun, that the more we have the happier we will be, history has proven time and time again that material possessions are a block to abundant living.
Remember the story of the rich young ruler? Look at it with me, Luke 18:18 (read through verse 23). Why was he sad? Was it because he lacked material possessions? No, it was because he was very rich. And that can be a block to abundant living.
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received regarding material possession and money is this – “Never cry over anything that can’t cry over you.” (repeat) Do you realize most of the stuff that we care so much about, doesn’t care about us? In fact, it isn’t even capable of caring. When was the last time your 47” flat screen plasma TV gave you a hug? Never cry over anything that can’t cry over you, and don’t let material possessions keep you from experiencing the abundant life.
Mark Tabb has written a book entitled “Living with Less”, and in it he writes, “The Bible shows that all of us have a choice. It isn’t just a choice between God and the Devil or Heaven and Hell. No, this choice is much more subtle. Each day you and I must choose the kind of treasure to which we will devote our lives. Either we will spend our lives filling our attic and garage with a lifetime of collectibles or we will spend our lives laying up treasures in Heaven.”
Those heavenly treasures lead to an abundant life. What’s another blockage that we can experience to the abundant life? How about. . .
2. A DESIRE TO "MAKE IT ON MY OWN"
There were two Texans trying to impress each other with the size of their ranches. One asked the other, “What’s the name of your ranch?”
The rancher replied, “The Rocking R, ABC, Flying W, Circle C, Bar U, Staple Four, Box D, Rolling M, Rainbow’s End, and Silver Spur Ranch.”
Duly impressed, the questioner exclaimed, “Wow! That’s sure some name! How many head of cattle do you run?”
With a sad shake of his head, the rancher answered, “Not many. Very few survive the branding.”
And so it is with the desire to make it on our own. Very few of us survive with an abundant life. Just exhaustion, frustration, and feeling like we still haven’t made it. Especially when it comes to trying to make eternity on our own.
Look at what it says in Ephesians 2 (read verses 1-9).
One way to experience the abundant life that Jesus came to give you is to receive the free gift. Stop trying to make it on your own, and by faith receive the gift of eternal life and the power of the Holy Spirit to face your todays, tomorrows, and eternitys.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. spent 30 years on the US Supreme Court as a justice, and was quoted as saying, “The secret of my success is that at an early age I discovered I was not God.”
A desire to make it on our own can rob us of the abundant life. Let’s look at another.
3. UNFORGIVENESS - ESPECIALLY OF YOURSELF
There was a young nun who once claimed to have had a vision of Jesus. Her bishop decided to test her truthfulness and ordered that the next time she had a vision she should ask Christ what the bishop’s primary sin had been before he became a bishop.
Some months later the nun returned and the bishop asked if she had asked Christ the question, to which she affirmed that she had. “And what did he say?” the bishop asked, apprehensively.
“Christ said,” and the nun paused a moment, “He said, ‘I don’t remember.’”
We have a God who not only forgives but forgets! But often we are not experiencing the abundant life because we have not forgiven ourselves.
Look at the great news of Romans 5:6 (read through verse 11). While we were still sinners, Christ died to provide us forgiveness for our sins. Reconciliation is available to us. God has cleared the path. Abundant life is just on the other side of that temptation to say, “God can’t forgive me. I’ve been too bad. I can’t even forgive myself.”
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Here’s a big one. Another barrier to the abundant life.
4. FINDING OUR VALUE IN THE WORLD’S IDENTITY
I like the story of a pipe burst in a doctor’s house, and he called a plumber. The plumber arrived, unpacked his tools, did mysterious plumber-type things for a while, and handed the doctor a bill for $600.
The doctor exclaimed, "This is ridiculous! Even I don’t make that much as a doctor!"
The plumber waited for him to finish and quietly said, "Neither did I when I was a doctor."
Where do you find your value? Is it in your job title? The money you make? The way others look at you?
Calvin had figured this one out. Remember little Calvin from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips? In one of the strips Calvin is talking to Susie, his arch-enemy, about a test they had just taken. Calvin asked her: "What grade did you get?"
Susie says, “I got an A.” Calvin replies, “Really? Boy, I’d hate to be you. I got a C.”
Curious, Susie asks, “Why on earth would you rather get a C than an A?!”
To which Calvin smugly replies, “I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep everyone’s expectations.” He wasn’t going to let the world identify his success for him.
Where do you find your identity? What if we all started to buy this identity, “I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special person, so that I may proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light; once I was not a person, but now I belong to God. I had not obtained mercy, but now I have.”
That is the identity God gives us in I Peter 2. That is the identity of the abundant life: a chosen generation, God’s own special person, His precious possession.
Well, I can see by the old clock on the wall that it is time to wrap it up, and that brings us to our final barrier to the abundant life.
5. TIME
Let me show you a little illustration about time this morning. When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, and time is robbing you of the abundant life, I want you to remember this jar and a cup of coffee.
(utilized props to act out illustration)
That’s the illustration a professor used in his philosophy class. He picked up a large, empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full, and they agreed that it was. So then the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls, and he then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else, and he asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”
Then the professor produced a cup of coffee and poured the entire contents into the jar. The students could only laugh.
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
“The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
“The sand is everything else, the small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your abundant life. Abide with God. Read your Bible, pray. Play with your children. Take your spouse out to dinner. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
When the professor finished, one of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.”
“I am the resurrection and the life.” The resurrection – great hope for an eternal future. . .whether living, dead, or having lost someone valuable to your life. The life – great promise for the opportunity to live abundantly today.
Let’s pray.
