Read Matthew 28
Why do we gather this morning? Some who are not here most Sundays but just
wanted to hear a message on Resurrection Sunday and you knew that in this place
it would be short and sweet and celebratory.
In other places, the preacher knows
that he will see some people only once or twice a year so he preaches half of
the Old Testament and all of the New.
This is 2023 so I am counseled by my old friend who is now
deceased—Common Sense—that this part was in jest.
Let’s get to the real question. Why is
this morning special to us—to all Christians?
What is it that brings us into this
place of worship, some who may see the inside of this sanctuary only once or
twice a year? Some of you were here early this morning.
Why are we here?
What brings us here?
We can worship every day of our lives,
and we should.
We can gather as God’s children any
time that we want, and we should gather frequently.
We can lift up songs to the Lord as we
drive down the interstate, just make sure that you watch out for those who are
texting instead of singing.
Why are we here?
To celebrate resurrection, of course.
But we can do that every day. We should
do that every day. We should live with
the precept that this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
We should rejoice every day. It is the day that the Lord has made. We are his children, brothers and sisters
with Christ Jesus himself.
Why gather this morning? Some of you came very early. Was it for the breakfast that followed the
service?
Today, I venture away from the
scriptures traditionally used for resurrection service. I go to the sixth
chapter of John. Jesus had fed the multitude,
walked on water, revealed that he was the bread of life, and told those who had
followed him that their real sustenance would come from his flesh and his
blood.
We understand the words, this is my
body broken for you. This is my blood
poured out for the remission of sins, but so many did not. It was uncomfortable for them.
These many followers did not
comprehend the
metaphors that Jesus was using. Many
left. His teachings were too difficult
for them.
These people had been a part of the
feeding of the multitude. Some may have
seen Jesus walk on water. They surely
listened to him teach about his Father in heaven. They surely heard messages of love. They knew that Jesus was different from any
other rabbi they had ever heard.
But now, Jesus was saying that he came
from heaven. He was the manna that would
save them. Even though they were not as
rigid as their teachers of the law, they will still fixed in their ways. They did not seem ready to receive Jesus as
Lord. And so we read:
From this time many of his disciples
turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus
asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to
whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you
are the Holy One of God.”
To whom shall we go? You have the words of life, life abundant,
and life eternal.
Where else would we go this morning
except to the place where we proclaim the words of life? Where else would we go?
This is the place that you have come
to know as the place where the words of life are spoken every week and not just
by me. We speak words of life to each
other. We proclaim the good
news together every Sunday, sometimes more often.
For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him.
Our very lives are given as a living
sacrifices bringing glory to God, but we are called to never forsake the gathering
together of believers. How could we
not gather on such a morning?
Everything that we do should bring glory
to God. Most of that takes place
outside of this building.
So why are you here this morning?
It’s because you could be nowhere
else. You couldn’t be anywhere else. You
are compelled to celebrate the resurrection with other believers. Your spirit
beckons you to not only be present but fully participate in this celebration.
Your soul longs to sing in
affirmation, He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
Your song is an affirmation to me and
to the person next to you and to all who are gathered. Their lifted voices affirm your faith. You
couldn’t be anywhere else.
We know who has the words of life and
we must come together and rejoice not only in the forgiveness of our sins that
came by the blood of Jesus but in the promise of resurrection.
I have been to a lot of things in my life. I have been to Paris, London, Rome, and Tokyo. I have been to Africa, the Philippines, and
Iraq. I have been north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Equator.
I have been to a rock concert and to
the Bicentennial Celebration in Washington D.C.
I have been to a war and to the Highway of Death.
I have been to an auction and to a
riot. I have been to the Department of
Motor Vehicles in at least 5 different states for tags and licenses.
You know where I have never been?
I have never been to a
resurrection. We believe that God raised
Jesus from the dead and that he will raise us to life at a time only he knows.
We may get hit by a meteor later
today, die of cancer, or hang around in these bodies until we wear them out,
but the death of the body is not the end.
We will be raised to life with our God and our Savior for all eternity.
Think of Jesus talking to Martha
before he would go raise Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though
they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
Jesus has the words of life.
Jesus is the word of life.
Where else would we go but to
celebrate his resurrection and our own?
And while we are gathered, we should
affirm to each other not only that Jesus is risen. He is risen, indeed!
We should also affirm to each other
that we have a resurrection on our horizon as well.
We are compelled to be here
today. Our spirit would not let us be
anywhere else, but while we are here, let us affirm the resurrection of our
Lord the promise of our own resurrection to come.
How do we affirm it?
By being here to celebrate this
morning, and by the lives we live as we leave this place.
Amen.
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