Christ The Lord Is Risen, That’s a Promise!

Sermon Title: Christ the Lord is Risen, The Resurrection is Real

Good News Statement: Easter Has the Power to Change Us

Preached: Sunday, March 31, 2024 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): John 20:1-10Today’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of John chapter twenty verses one thru eight. In this story of John’s Gospel we encounter the changing power of the Resurrection. Listen to these hopeful words of John…

 

The Resurrection of Jesus

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed…

⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, ¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

In the words of Charles Wesley, “Christ the Lord is risen today…!
Earth and heaven in chorus say…! Raise your joys and triumphs high…! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply…! Love’s redeeming work is done…! Fought the fight, the battle won…! Death in vain forbids him rise…! Christ has opened paradise…! Hail the Resurrection, Alleluia!” Today, Christ is risen!

In 1739, Charles Wesley penned these words as a reminder to all of us that nothing can conquer the resurrection of Jesus Christ: a tomb could not contain him, a cross could not destroy his spirit, and death could not stop him from “rising again.” Through Christ’s resurrection we experience the work of his redeeming love, we embody the victory that leaves an empty tomb, and we embrace the grace which has saved our souls. The resurrection of Christ allows us to soar where Christ needs us to soar. The resurrection of Christ reminds us that we have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139) in His image with the strength to face tomorrow. The resurrection of Christ is our alleluia to victory won: it is our start to new beginnings and eternal salvation![1] Charles Wesley wrote his hymn to help us understand that the resurrection is eternal, life-changing, and real. There is power in the resurrection of Christ and that power begins today.

 

Body:

Throughout the years, many people have defined the resurrection of Christ in many ways. Poet Julia Esquivel in her poem, titled Threatened with Resurrection, shares that Jesus’ resurrection is a command to stay awake. Deanna A. Thompson notes, “By Christ’s death [and resurrection] we have been set free.” Lastly, the resurrection of Christ, offered by Shawn Copeland, is “transformative encounters with the risen Lord.” The resurrection of Christ is certainly an invite for us to stay awake, especially if we want to see the risen Christ. The resurrection of Christ is certainly a reminder that we have been set free, that our sins have been forgiven. And the resurrection of Christ is certainly transformative when we remember where it all started who was crucified for our sins.

On a calm day in Jerusalem, Jesus rides through the town on a humble and gentle donkey as people waved palm branches as a sign of victory and shouted “Hosannas” from every street corner after they placed their cloaks and robes on the ground. A few days later, in an upper room, hours before Jesus would pray in the garden as a few of his disciples fell asleep, Jesus shares a meal with his disciples that left them confused but forever changed. Then, once beaten and tortured nearly to death, Jesus is lead to Calvary or Golgotha to be crucified by those who despised him. On that day, we realize that “Jesus was praying, Peter was sleeping, and Judas was betraying. But Sunday was coming. The crowd was vilifying, the disciples were running like sheep without a shepherd, Mary was crying, and Peter was denying; but Sunday was coming. Jesus was stumbling, His spirit was weakening, He was hanging on the cross–feeling forsaken by His Father; but Sunday was coming. Jesus was buried, a soldier stood guard, and a rock was rolled into place. But Sunday was coming” (Lockridge). All that took place on Friday, so that we would remember that Sunday is coming. Let me tell you, on Friday, Sunday was coming; but today, Sunday has arrived which means that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has risen from the grave and is searching for us to do the same.

On this Easter Sunday, we remember what this day teaches us, we remind ourselves that Jesus is coming back, and that here, in our very own community, we have overcome devastation and are on our way to being resurrected.

 

Movement One: What The Resurrection Teaches Us…

From our text, we read that Mary has come to the tomb and sees the stone has been rolled away. Mark identifies the stone as being very large. She rushes back and tells Peter and John that someone has stolen his body. John outruns Peter to the tomb – stops at the entrance – stoops down, looks in – sees the linen clothes lying on the floor of the tomb, but won’t go any farther. Finally Peter gets to the tomb – probably not slowing down one step – he enters the tomb and sees the same burial clothes that John has seen, but then he sees something different – over there – the cloth that had covered Jesus’ face – folded up in a place by itself. Verse eight tells us that John then goes into the tomb with Peter, “…and he saw, and believed.”  But Mary is left weeping at the tomb. So what does this story teach us about the resurrection?

First, the resurrection of Christ is the beginning of joy rather than weeping. John writes, “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb;” but later on writes, “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’” (John 20:11 & 18). There is joy to be found in the resurrection of Christ. In John 16:20-22, Jesus tells His disciples that He has come to turn their sorrow into gladness – their weeping into joy:  “So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22).

At the tomb, Mary recognizes Jesus because he calls her by name. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows his own and calls them by name, and Mary is one of His sheep who knows his voice. Immediately her tears of sorrow become tears of joy—a joy that no one can take away from her. There is joy in the resurrection of Christ because it gives us hope that Jesus is always with us—ready to wipe away each tear that falls and doesn’t hesitate call us by name. Even while sitting in our own tomb, Jesus will find a way to give us joy. Joy has arrived because Sunday is here and Jesus has been resurrected!

Second, the resurrection is the beginning of peace rather than fear.[2]

After Peter and John return home, it is noted that “…the doors of the house where the disciples met were locked for fear of the Jews.” The disciples were terrified that the Jewish leaders would come and do the same thing to them that they had done to Jesus. They weren’t ready to die. They weren’t ready to follow what Jesus told them in Matthew 16:25, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Knowing the disciples fear, Jesus suddenly appears inside that locked house and once again proclaims to them one of the great messages of the gospel: “Peace be with you”—the same words that he says to calm the storm.[3] Just before His crucifixion, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you: My peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The resurrection of Christ is not something to fear, to lock your doors and hide from the enemy, but to accept the fact that Jesus will bring you peace in all your battles. Through the resurrection we receive the great assurance that Jesus will bring peace to our troubled hearts as we walk with him out of our own tombs. Peace has arrived because Sunday is here and Jesus has been resurrected.

Third, the resurrection is the beginning of grace rather than judgment.

In Mark’s account of the empty tomb, he notes, as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome enter the tomb, “they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side…” (Mark 16:5). The women were alarmed, possibly confused and very emotional, but the text doesn’t say that they judged or condemned or blamed this person for removing the body of Christ. After hearing the words of this man dressed in white, the women flee from the tomb in “terror and amazement” as Mark notes. I like to presume that they offered grace to this person; grace knowing that he didn’t harm them, grace knowing that he told them the truth, and grace knowing that Jesus’ words had been fulfilled.

During the resurrection of Christ, there is no time to judge but only time to forgive, seek grace, and extend the assurance of love to others.[4] The resurrection of Christ urges us on, to keep going, to face tomorrow, to not be alarmed, but to know that Jesus Christ is alive and that Jesus Christ lives in our heart. There is no time to place a veil over the resurrection of Christ but only time to receive his grace and instructions for living a new life. Easter is the beginning and reassurance that grace trumps judgment and that love will get us closer to Jesus. Grace has arrived because Sunday is here and Jesus has been resurrected.

Finally, the resurrection is about relationship. John 20:17 states, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ’I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and to your God.” Easter has accomplished that relationship. Because Christ is alive, what is true of His relationship with God the Father is now true of those who believe in Him! His God is now our God—His Father is now our Father! And through that believing—through that relationship—we have life! When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25) he doesn’t just say that to bring Mary and Martha comfort after the passing of Lazarus, but to invite them into a lasting relationship with him: to begin accepting Jesus in their heart, to live and act with love, to no longer be afraid of tomorrow, to receive his free grace of salvation, and to know that the day has come to live in the new creation—to leave all the worry and stress and tears of yesterday in the tomb so that they can walk with him experiencing their own resurrection along the way.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life which gives us the strength to encounter new beginnings. In the words of Fredrick Buechner, “the worst thing is never the last thing.” Jesus’ death wasn’t the last thing: Jesus rose and gave us a new life and his resurrection is real; it’s so real that he rose from the dead because he wants you to have a real relationship with him. He rose from the dead for you. He rose from the grave because he loves you. A relationship with Christ exists today because Sunday is here and Jesus has been resurrected.

 

Movement Two: Jesus is Coming Back…

The resurrection is so real, that I count on it happening every day of my life. In John’s account of the resurrection story, we get glimpse of how real the resurrection is by taking into account a small piece of material. Have you ever given much thought to the piece of material that is folded or rolled up in the tomb of Christ? Why is it that this piece of material is folded and placed to the side instead of being wadded up and placed amongst the other burial cloths? I came across an explanation last week regarding this single detail mentioned by John.

Why Did Jesus roll up the cloth or in some translations, “napkin”? Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The King James Version, tells us in the Gospel of John (20:7) that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, ‘They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!’ Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was it important to notice this piece of folded material? Absolutely!  Is it really significant? Yes! “In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin/cloth/piece of material, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, ‘I’m done.’ But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the folded napkin meant, ‘I’m coming back!’”[5] He is Coming Back! Jesus is coming back! Jesus is coming back to save us, amen. Jesus is coming back to heal us, amen. Jesus is coming back because he loves you, amen.

Alongside of the notions that the resurrection of Christ is a time of joy, a moment of peace, a celebration of grace, and continued or new relationship with Jesus, it is also a promise. When Jesus rose from the grave, rolled the stone away, and walked out of the tomb, he established a promise to those who believe that “he is coming back.” The resurrection is a promise: it is a commitment, it is a new beginning, it is a covenant fulfilled, it is a gift, and it is what Shawn Copeland describes as “transformative encounters.”  The resurrection is real and it lives today and every day within our heart. But the question we have to ask ourselves is, “How do we treat the resurrection of Christ?” Do we wad it up and place it amongst the other things in our life: put to the side and neglected until Easter rolls around the following year? Or do you fold it up, place it where we see it every day, and remind ourselves that he is coming back?

That simple piece of cloth, possibly placed over Jesus’ face by Joseph of Arimathea, given an entire verse in the Bible, was and is more than a simple cloth, a napkin placed on table or laid in an empty tomb. It is a promise, just like the resurrection, that Jesus is coming back: that Jesus’ resurrection is real and lives within our heart. Because of that single folded napkin, we have been given the promise to embrace our own resurrection; and that is a promise because Sunday is here. Jesus is coming back because he is not done with us yet! How do I know Jesus is coming back, because he has risen and told us so.

 

Movement Three: Our Own Resurrection…

Speaking of our own resurrection and coming back, I would be remiss not to mention that over the past year, our own county has been experiencing its own resurrection, its own promise of coming back. On March 31, 2023, weather apps were blasting alerts, the sky light turned a bright orange, debrief flew through the air, flames engulfed the airport, power outages left many people in the dark, rain and hail pounded our homes, and fear settled in as a tornado past through our area. One year ago today, we were left with a lot of unanswered questions and with a lot of pain and sorrow before us. I remember grabbing my bird Charlie and taking refuge in a closet with the TV blaring in the background, hoping to hear the news as the wind conquered the silence and as the rain pounded down upon the earth below. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know how to respond to the situation.

Saturday morning, with power newly on for some of us, we began to discover what had been lost. Three Crawford County people were no longer with us. People were trapped in basements in their homes. There were those who were injured or who narrowly escaped injury. For many, power was still off. People could not travel to Palestine on route 33 or to south of Gordon Junction. The power lines were destroyed. People who lost homes had to find shelter. People picked up things out of fields.  People helped others with their homes, farms, trees, and yards.  Businesses scrambled to repair damage and help the community.  Politicians arrived and said much, but in the long run it was the local citizens, businesses, and agencies that began a hope of resurrection.

The volunteers kept coming – churches, neighbors, agencies, school sports teams!  They brought tractors, trucks, earthmovers, and wagons. Insurance agents and companies were there.  There was water donated.  People donated time, food, and many items.  Many donated money.  Hershey and Marathon each donated $50,000! Dairy Queen donated a whole day’s sales of $7,533.33. According to Barbara Shimer, “The United Way of Crawford County Fund donated $140,000.00 and the Crawford County Treasurer’s Fund donated almost $173,000.00.”

Barb Shimer also shared, “There were 61 Crawford County residents who needed help.  We learned a lot about the act of being insured at the right amount with the right company.  A committee was formed of interested county people who gathered information from those suffering a financial loss…. In September, we were able to distribute the over $317,000 in donated funds to around 40 families. Some of those receiving them donated them back for other folks.”

Barb Shimer ended here speech at a community service this past Thursday with these words of hope: “There are still trees to move. There is still a mess on Route 1. There are homes that have been abandoned and will need help to get removed. The dumpsters have been here in the last month. We are not finished. We know that life will not be the same. The lives lost strongly affect our communities.  Homes lost will be rebuilt, but not replaced.  Many have survived. We have come a long way in a year.” There is promise of coming back.

Today, as individuals and as a county, we are going through a resurrection: we are being made new, we are seeking new beginnings, we are finding ways to face tomorrow, and we are certainly doing our best to live out the promise that Jesus gave us on the cross and outside the tomb: “He is with us always, even unto the end of the earth” (Matthew 28:20). What took place a year ago, certainly caused fear, devastation, and destruction, and not to mention pain and suffering, but we are here today to continue the resurrection story that began on April 1, 2023, the day after our world was turned upside down. There is still work to be done because being resurrected is a process and it takes many people working together and believing together to move the stone and walk out into a world of new beginnings. We have a long road ahead of us; but we have come a long way in a year. Resurrection is real, and we see it working in our own lives.

 

Conclusion:

As the hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” reminds us, “Christ the Lord is risen today…! Earth and heaven in chorus say…! Raise your joys and triumphs high…! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply…! Love’s redeeming work is done…! Fought the fight, the battle won…! Death in vain forbids him rise…! Christ has opened paradise…!” Today, Christ is risen! Today, Christ has left the tomb! Today, Christ has given us a triumphal love that deserves an Alleluia! Today, the Resurrected Christ has given us paradise! The resurrection of Christ is just the beginning… Christ is Risen! Indeed, the Son is risen today. The resurrection of Christ is a day of new beginning; it is joyful, peaceful, graceful, and relational. And the best part about his resurrection is the fact that his resurrection lives eternally in your heart yesterday, today, and tomorrow because he has promised to return, to come back to us![6]

Today, we witness the power of Christ’s resurrection as we look into the eyes of those around us, as we travel through our county and think about where we were and where we are, and as we fold our napkin after eating with family and friends. Sunday is here, and so is our resurrection with the resurrected Christ! Jesus just like us and our county, are coming back! Let it be so…

 

New Membership Transition:

To continue what Jesus has started, we welcome two people into our church family as members of the church. Today marks a new beginning for them, a deeper and more meaningful walk with Christ, and the acceptance of a new family. Today, they are resurrected and made new.

 

Communion Transition:

            To celebrate the risen Savior, let us join together around a common table and partake in Holy Communion. Through this meal may we ask for forgiveness, seek a fresh start, be filled with hope, and accept a new and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

 

Benediction:

Whisper to yourself, “I am resurrected. I am resurrected with Christ. I am ready for a new beginning.” Christ is Risen today! Raise your joys and triumphs high! Hail the Resurrection! The resurrection of Christ is a day of new beginning; it is joyful, peaceful, graceful, and relational. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go, living out the resurrection of Jesus Christ in your life, in heart, and in your ways. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Ultimately, Christ’s resurrection provides for us the opportunity to remember, to live into, to accept, that through him we “shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

[2] John 20:19-21.

[3] Ultimately, Christ’s resurrection provides for us the opportunity to remember, to live into, to accept, that through him we “shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

[4] The resurrection is the beginning to fulfilling the new commandment of Christ: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt: 22:35-40), not judge them. The Apostle Paul when writing to the people of Corinth, who were in a grossly Roman-sinful atmosphere, wrote, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died….So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17). “Look, new things have come into being.” Paul is absolutely correct: “there is a new creation, everything old has passed away….for the love of Christ urges us on.”

[5] https://www.facebook.com/JEDTON shared by Arnold Taube on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/arnold.taube)

[6] There is a scene in the movie “Jesus of Nazareth” where Caiaphas, the High Priest and a group of soldiers come rushing to Jesus’ empty tomb that first Easter Sunday. In it, there is a discussion of what has happened to the body of Jesus. The soldier in charge tells Caiaphas that it would have been impossible for anyone to have come and taken the body because his soldiers, along with some of the Temple guards, were there all night keeping watch over the tomb. Caiaphas then walks into the empty tomb and, as the camera zooms in on his face whispers, “Now it begins. Now it all begins.” Our new life, in Christ, begins today.