Last week, you heard why the Bible is so important. It is the container that holds the story of Jesus Christ: his birth, death and resurrection. The Bible’s message is inspired by God so that you might know both God’s will for your life and learn the story of your salvation. But just knowing that the Bible is important doesn’t make it any easier to read, does it? If you just open your Bible and read whatever is written there, it MAY be exactly what you needed to hear, but it may also really be confusing. That’s why you not only need a good reason WHY to read your Bible, but you need to know HOW to read it.
I learned a song in Elementary school that went like this: “Johnny could only sing one note and the note he sang was this: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” That’s how many of us read the Bible: like Johnny one note. Do you use the Bible as a guide when you need to make important decisions? Wonderful! Does the Bible help you to grow in your relationship to God? I hope so. Does the Bible encourage you to live your life with integrity? Those are all good reasons to read the Bible. . . but they are still just variations on a theme: Ahhhhhhhhhh! The Bible calls this note: the Law.
The Law says, “Do this!” and it is never done. The Law demands that you do this and then act that way and stop doing something else or else you are not following God’s will. When you heard the Ten Commandments read this morning, what did you do? Well, you probably started making a checklist, marking off those commandments you have done well in keeping and those you have failed miserably at. Reading the Ten Commandments will often lead you to the sin of pride (because you think you are doing so well!) and then to despair (Because you can never be perfect). Following all of God’s laws is absolutely a requirement for a Christian, but if you only read that one note in the Bible, “Do this!” “Don’t do this!” “Do this!” then you will only hear one word from God. “You have not done enough.” “You will never do enough.” “And you have done much that ought not to be done.”
In the Bible, words of law are conditional. If you do this, then you get this, “If you are willing and obedient, then you shall eat the good of the land.” The law demands, “You shall not murder.” The law tells you what to do, “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” When you hear the law, you look at yourself.
The Bible has many words of law in it; however, the law is not the only word. When you read the Bible, or hear the words spoken, it is absolutely essential that you recognize not only the demands of God, but also his promises. This is the message of Galatians chapter 2, “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The Gospel says, “Believe this” and everything is done already. The gospel makes you look at Jesus Christ alone who died to save you. When you hear the message each week or when you read the Bible, be careful to distinguish between when you are hearing the one note of the law and second note of the gospel. What are you being called to do by God and what is God doing for you.
In Elementary school, for gym class, I had to learn to square dance. I didn’t want to do it. I liked the girls well enough, but I did not want to “do-see-do” with them. And yet, if I did not do it, then I would receive a bad report card. Those were the conditions: dance or else! In Junior High where I attended over in Griswold, we also had dances. We all got to listen to our favorite top-40 songs with our backs glued to the cafeteria walls. As a guy, if you got up the nerve to ask a girl to dance, then you would be teased by the guys and giggled at by the girls. Those were the conditions. And, if you did get up the nerve, like I did, you would either get rejected or feel her palms wedged against your shoulder blades as she made it clear that you would not be getting any closer than arms length that night. Those were the conditions: “do it this way or else”. That’s the law. And you can’t escape the truth of this reality even if you don’t like it.
On the other hand, when I was in college, I met someone who changed the rules on me. My wife, Kristy. We fell in love. And so, dancing was no longer in the realm of the law, but now held a promise. Because I love you, therefore I want to dance with you. I didn’t even need to ask . . . we’d just start dancing sometimes for no reason at all. No conditions. That’s the gospel.
Two lovers don’t ask, “Do I have to dance with you? Do I have to kiss you?” Because of course the answer would be, well, no, you don’t HAVE to. But when you are in love, don’t you want to? When you fall in love, no one asks about whether they have to or not—they get to! There are no conditions anymore, just faith and trust in the object of one’s affection. The gospel says believe this and everything is done already. Because I love you, therefore I want to dance.
In the baptismal service this morning, you heard both laws and promises. For example, Kristy and I were told to teach Micah the Lord’s Prayer and bring him faithfully to church. If we follow these demands, Micah will grow in obedience to the will of God. However, is his eternal life based on our ability to carry out these orders? No. For that, we must trust not in the law, but in God’s promise that Micah has been named and claimed by Jesus Christ today.
The Bible is a book of life, but the two notes, the demands and the promises, speak about two different lives. Your life here on earth and your eternal life. You life here on Earth is under the power of that first note, the law. You may not like it, but you must “Do things” and “Not do things.” If you do not do your homework, then you will fail. If you try to dance with the prettiest girl in the class, then you will be giggled at. If you do not do your job, you will be fired. If you do not trust in God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength God will be angry. When you follow the law, you become a good husband, a good mother, a good friend or a good citizen.
However, Paul says in Galatians chapter 2, “We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” Following God’s demands cannot give you eternal life by themselves. Thankfully, you now know that there are two words in the Bible. Not just demands, but promises. “The life you now live in the flesh you live by faith in the Son of God who loves you and gave himself for you.” It’s not about what you have done, but about what Jesus Christ has done for you. Not because he had to, but because he loves you.
When you read the Bible and you hear that you must do something, do it for the sake of your family, your friends, your world and your respect for God’s authority. The Law says, “Do this!”, but you aren’t doing these things for yourself, but for others. However, when you hear a promise, stop what you are doing and just listen and believe the words of eternal life from God. God promises, “Because I love you, you have been chosen for eternal life. When you come to believe that, for you, everything is done already. Amen.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sermon for April 18th "Why is the Bible Important?"
Why do Christians, especially Lutheran Christians, make such a big deal out of the Bible? It’s only a book, right? There is nothing that special about any book. Some are big, some are little, some are shiny and some are old and falling apart. A book is only a book. During my college years, an intern pastor at my campus ministry church was teaching a class about Christian/Muslim relations and invited the Muslim student association at our state college to come one week so we could all discuss the similarities and differences between our faiths. That night, I remember that one of these students came out of the bathroom of our church with a horrified look on his face and started whispering to the rest of the group with him. A bit later, one of the group asked us how we could allow a holy book, such as the Bible, to sit in the bathroom. (I guess someone must have taken it in once cause they thought they’d be in there in awhile and left it in case someone else also might have some extra time on their hands to read.)
Why was this such a big deal? Well, for a Muslim, the Koran, their holiest of books, must be treated with the utmost respect. You wouldn’t risk degrading the cover, the pages or the binding by placing it next to a potty. But the Bible is not like the Koran. The Bible is as welcome in a bathroom stall as it is in the most expensive of hotels where the Gideons leave theirs. I know that in court, we are called to swear on the Bible, but putting your hand on the cover of a book, even on the cover of a Bible, really has nothing to do with the issue. In court, you are promising to tell the truth and, as a Christian, whether the book is there or not, telling a lie about your neighbor breaks the eighth commandment—THAT’S the problem. It’s what’s IN the Bible that matters, not just the book. The message is what matters.
For the next several weeks, I would like to focus on one part of the Bible, the book of Galatians and its message. It’s a small letter written by the apostle Paul, but it talks about some of the most important tenants of our faith in a very short amount of space. In today’s first reading from Galatians, after just a few opening lines, Paul explains the reason that he wrote this letter at all, “I am astonished,” he says, “that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
What is this “gospel” that Paul is talking about in his letter to the Galatians? What is the gospel and what does it have to do with the Bible? The word “gospel” just means “good news”. It’s a message, or a story, hot off the presses. The news of the day, so to speak. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the story of Jesus, the news about him. To make it real simple, here is the gospel in a nutshell. There are five parts: Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a human being, he died, he rose from the dead to become Lord of all. That’s the gospel. It’s the story of Jesus Christ.
The reason that Christians make such a big deal out of the Bible is that it holds the story of Jesus Christ in it. It’s got the gospel in its pages. It’s not the book that’s important; it’s the message in the book. Martin Luther called the Bible, “the cradle that holds the Christ child”. When people come to check out new babies, they don’t spend a lot of time oohing and ahhing over the crib or the cradle: it just the baby holder and we want to check out the baby. As Christians, Jesus Christ is the main thing and the container he comes in is of secondary importance. (picture of cradle with Jesus Christ)
A professor of mine was asked by his mother once which Bible was the best. He told her: for you, large print. It didn’t matter what translation it was because if she couldn’t read it, it wouldn’t matter. The best kind of Bible is the kind that you will actually want to read. This leads to all kinds of other questions: What kind of preacher is the best? Or what kind of sermon is the best? Or what kind of service, contemporary or traditional or blended is the best? Well, the kind that you will come to. The one that helps you hear the message the best. The answer might be different for somebody else. The message is more important than the container it comes in. While containers can change, the apostle Paul says that we must be careful not to change the message.
In the book of Galatians, Paul argued that the gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, was being changed by some people. And he says that people who change that message should be eternally condemned! Now THAT is a strong statement don’t you think? Why would he say something like that? I mean, what’s the problem with tweaking it a little bit to make it easier for us to swallow? What if you just have too hard of a time believing that Jesus could be really both God and a human being? What if you just want to respect Jesus as a man, but don’t want to worship him as God? Do you really HAVE to believe that he died and then rose from the dead? Well, if we change the message, it doesn’t matter what container we put it in—all is lost and so are we.
Why is the Bible important? Why does it have the final authority? Because the message in the Bible is different from any other book. The apostle Paul says why, “I want you to know, brother and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin—it’s not made up. I did not receive it from anyone, nor was I taught it, rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” The Bible may be made of pen and ink and the words written by human hands, but the message is inspired by God himself, the author of life. Paul knew that if the revelation of Jesus Christ could be changed, then what about all the rest of scripture? What about when you are told to honor a dishonorable father or honor? What if you are really, really thirsty and need to steal a water bottle from the local grocery store? What if you just have to tell that latest bit of juicy gossip or you’ll just BURST!!! If we can’t trust the revelation of the gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, then ALL God’s laws become questionable as well. But because the message is from God himself we can trust it just like we can trust God. The message is our authority because God is our authority.
But the Bible isn’t our authority just because it is inspired by God. The message in the Bible is so important for a reason that is referred to at the very end of the chapter, ‘The man who formerly persecuted Christians is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” The message of Jesus Christ, the message in the Bible, is our authority because it creates faith in our hearts—even creating faith in a man like Paul who once had killed Christians. It’s our authority because it authors our faith. It’s writes the story of our faith on our hearts. God uses this message to create faith in you.
Through the words of this message, God the Holy Spirit gives you faith. Those who heard the words first wrote it down for you and put it in a container: the Bible. The Bible finds its goal when you start believing. When you have heard and you are given faith. When you start looking to it as your authority. When you look to it for peace when times are difficult. When it causes you to repent when you do something wrong. When it provides guidance when you need direction. It’s the power of the message that gives the Bible its authority.
When you read the Bible at home or hear the message here at church, or discuss it with your friends Get Ready! Because when the message is heard, you might just find that God has written a new future for you, becoming the author of your eternal life, healing and forgiveness. Writing a new story on your heart. Sure, the Bible is only a book, but it contains a message of life for you. Jesus the Son of God was born a human being, died, was raised from the dead and has become Lord of all. That’s the message. But the power of the message is that he did all this for you. He is not just the Lord of all. He is your Lord. He is your God. He is your Authority. He is your Savior. Why is the Bible so important? Because it was written for you. Amen.
Why was this such a big deal? Well, for a Muslim, the Koran, their holiest of books, must be treated with the utmost respect. You wouldn’t risk degrading the cover, the pages or the binding by placing it next to a potty. But the Bible is not like the Koran. The Bible is as welcome in a bathroom stall as it is in the most expensive of hotels where the Gideons leave theirs. I know that in court, we are called to swear on the Bible, but putting your hand on the cover of a book, even on the cover of a Bible, really has nothing to do with the issue. In court, you are promising to tell the truth and, as a Christian, whether the book is there or not, telling a lie about your neighbor breaks the eighth commandment—THAT’S the problem. It’s what’s IN the Bible that matters, not just the book. The message is what matters.
For the next several weeks, I would like to focus on one part of the Bible, the book of Galatians and its message. It’s a small letter written by the apostle Paul, but it talks about some of the most important tenants of our faith in a very short amount of space. In today’s first reading from Galatians, after just a few opening lines, Paul explains the reason that he wrote this letter at all, “I am astonished,” he says, “that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
What is this “gospel” that Paul is talking about in his letter to the Galatians? What is the gospel and what does it have to do with the Bible? The word “gospel” just means “good news”. It’s a message, or a story, hot off the presses. The news of the day, so to speak. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the story of Jesus, the news about him. To make it real simple, here is the gospel in a nutshell. There are five parts: Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a human being, he died, he rose from the dead to become Lord of all. That’s the gospel. It’s the story of Jesus Christ.
The reason that Christians make such a big deal out of the Bible is that it holds the story of Jesus Christ in it. It’s got the gospel in its pages. It’s not the book that’s important; it’s the message in the book. Martin Luther called the Bible, “the cradle that holds the Christ child”. When people come to check out new babies, they don’t spend a lot of time oohing and ahhing over the crib or the cradle: it just the baby holder and we want to check out the baby. As Christians, Jesus Christ is the main thing and the container he comes in is of secondary importance. (picture of cradle with Jesus Christ)
A professor of mine was asked by his mother once which Bible was the best. He told her: for you, large print. It didn’t matter what translation it was because if she couldn’t read it, it wouldn’t matter. The best kind of Bible is the kind that you will actually want to read. This leads to all kinds of other questions: What kind of preacher is the best? Or what kind of sermon is the best? Or what kind of service, contemporary or traditional or blended is the best? Well, the kind that you will come to. The one that helps you hear the message the best. The answer might be different for somebody else. The message is more important than the container it comes in. While containers can change, the apostle Paul says that we must be careful not to change the message.
In the book of Galatians, Paul argued that the gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, was being changed by some people. And he says that people who change that message should be eternally condemned! Now THAT is a strong statement don’t you think? Why would he say something like that? I mean, what’s the problem with tweaking it a little bit to make it easier for us to swallow? What if you just have too hard of a time believing that Jesus could be really both God and a human being? What if you just want to respect Jesus as a man, but don’t want to worship him as God? Do you really HAVE to believe that he died and then rose from the dead? Well, if we change the message, it doesn’t matter what container we put it in—all is lost and so are we.
Why is the Bible important? Why does it have the final authority? Because the message in the Bible is different from any other book. The apostle Paul says why, “I want you to know, brother and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin—it’s not made up. I did not receive it from anyone, nor was I taught it, rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” The Bible may be made of pen and ink and the words written by human hands, but the message is inspired by God himself, the author of life. Paul knew that if the revelation of Jesus Christ could be changed, then what about all the rest of scripture? What about when you are told to honor a dishonorable father or honor? What if you are really, really thirsty and need to steal a water bottle from the local grocery store? What if you just have to tell that latest bit of juicy gossip or you’ll just BURST!!! If we can’t trust the revelation of the gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, then ALL God’s laws become questionable as well. But because the message is from God himself we can trust it just like we can trust God. The message is our authority because God is our authority.
But the Bible isn’t our authority just because it is inspired by God. The message in the Bible is so important for a reason that is referred to at the very end of the chapter, ‘The man who formerly persecuted Christians is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” The message of Jesus Christ, the message in the Bible, is our authority because it creates faith in our hearts—even creating faith in a man like Paul who once had killed Christians. It’s our authority because it authors our faith. It’s writes the story of our faith on our hearts. God uses this message to create faith in you.
Through the words of this message, God the Holy Spirit gives you faith. Those who heard the words first wrote it down for you and put it in a container: the Bible. The Bible finds its goal when you start believing. When you have heard and you are given faith. When you start looking to it as your authority. When you look to it for peace when times are difficult. When it causes you to repent when you do something wrong. When it provides guidance when you need direction. It’s the power of the message that gives the Bible its authority.
When you read the Bible at home or hear the message here at church, or discuss it with your friends Get Ready! Because when the message is heard, you might just find that God has written a new future for you, becoming the author of your eternal life, healing and forgiveness. Writing a new story on your heart. Sure, the Bible is only a book, but it contains a message of life for you. Jesus the Son of God was born a human being, died, was raised from the dead and has become Lord of all. That’s the message. But the power of the message is that he did all this for you. He is not just the Lord of all. He is your Lord. He is your God. He is your Authority. He is your Savior. Why is the Bible so important? Because it was written for you. Amen.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Sermon for April 4th (Easter)
Have you seen the sun shining outside the past few days! God created a gorgeous world for us. The flowers are blooming, with our yards full of bright yellow daffodils and deep purple crocuses! The trees and bushes are beginning to bud and the mountains all around us proclaim the greatness of God! What a life we have! You can spend you mornings on your knees in the flowerbeds or later in the evening hiking through trails at Mohawk. This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Yet, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus stayed two days longer and then leaves to go see his sick friend. However, when Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus, his friend died. He had already been in the tomb four days. Jesus came to the tomb and said, “Take away the stone.” Then, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! Can you imagine! What joy there must have been that day! How surprised and awe struck and overcome with emotion Mary and Martha must have been at seeing their brother alive after mourning his death for four days! Then, can you imagine, their sadness, when Lazarus died again. Maybe weeks, or months or years later. To have him die all over again, because Lazarus was only human and, like the rest of us, he would have had to of died . . . again! Can you imagine what heartbreak they must have felt at that second death? Even though he had been raised from the dead already once! The apostle Paul says, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
What if, because you were a Christian, you were blessed with all these things: divine health, a favorable reputation, great moral character, a healthy family, a loving marriage, and a long meaningful life? Wouldn’t that be a great reason to be a Christian? When you do business with someone, does it make a difference to you if they are a Christian? In some towns, it stills matter that you belong to a church in order to make contacts and gain people’s respect and trust. To some people it will. Do you believe that you are healthier because of your faith in God? Many people find meaning in their life by becoming more religious and faithful. Parents often bring their children to Sunday School because the church teaches the right values. What if, because you were a Christian, you were blessed with all these things: divine health, a favorable reputation, great moral character, a healthy family, a loving marriage, and a long meaningful life? Wouldn’t that be a great reason to be a Christian? The apostle Paul says no, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Jesus said that he came so that we might have life and have it abundantly, but not that we might simply have a good life here on Earth. Paul says, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Jesus was a great teacher, a great preacher, a great healer, a prophet of justice, and a wonderful worker on the behalf of the oppressed and afflicted, but . . . if that is all he was then we are pitiful for following him. We would be wrong for worshipping him. Jesus was many things, but he was first and foremost your Savior. Not simply to help you escape from the troubles of this life, but so that you might have eternal life.
The Easter holiday has become focused on many other things that are not ultimately most important. It often focuses only on THIS life. It is about celebrating the Springtime after the long nights of winter. It is about getting together with family for good food, conversation and building relationships. It is about spreading happiness with flowers and candy and fun Easter games. Maybe it is even a time for us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ but even if THAT is all we are celebrating we are most to be pitied. “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.” Do you understand what that means for you! It means that on Easter is not only about this life, or that one event in history where Jesus rose from the dead. . . Easter is about the promise of YOUR resurrection. Not your escape from this life, but a new life for you after your death.
Christ is not the only one who’s resurrection we are celebrating today. We are celebrating the promise of YOUR resurrection. He is not the only apple on the tree—he is only the first fruits—God expects more apples! Good fruit! For as Paul says, “Since death came through a human being, the resurrection has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ . . . If for Jesus’ new life only we have hoped in Christ, we would all be people that should be pitied.” Being a Christian is not only about having a good life or living a good life. Being a Christian is not only about following some wonderful leader who is a great example for us. Being a Christian is not only about believing that some great man died and was raised from the dead! If that was all, this whole Christian thing would be pitiful.
But I do not pity a single one of you because Jesus has promised you eternal life. I do not pity a single one of you because your wonderful life, this beautiful world, this joyful time is NOT all that you will experience. Because Jesus died and was raised from the dead, when you die, God will raise you from the dead. I do not pity a single one of you because not only do you have a God who gives life abundantly, not only do you have a God who did the unimaginable and raised Jesus from the dead, but you have a God who did it all FOR YOU.
Today is Easter Day! So celebrate the day! Celebrate the resurrection! But it would be a pity to stop there . . . celebrate the fact that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead so that you might live with Him forever. Amen.
“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus stayed two days longer and then leaves to go see his sick friend. However, when Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus, his friend died. He had already been in the tomb four days. Jesus came to the tomb and said, “Take away the stone.” Then, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead! Can you imagine! What joy there must have been that day! How surprised and awe struck and overcome with emotion Mary and Martha must have been at seeing their brother alive after mourning his death for four days! Then, can you imagine, their sadness, when Lazarus died again. Maybe weeks, or months or years later. To have him die all over again, because Lazarus was only human and, like the rest of us, he would have had to of died . . . again! Can you imagine what heartbreak they must have felt at that second death? Even though he had been raised from the dead already once! The apostle Paul says, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
What if, because you were a Christian, you were blessed with all these things: divine health, a favorable reputation, great moral character, a healthy family, a loving marriage, and a long meaningful life? Wouldn’t that be a great reason to be a Christian? When you do business with someone, does it make a difference to you if they are a Christian? In some towns, it stills matter that you belong to a church in order to make contacts and gain people’s respect and trust. To some people it will. Do you believe that you are healthier because of your faith in God? Many people find meaning in their life by becoming more religious and faithful. Parents often bring their children to Sunday School because the church teaches the right values. What if, because you were a Christian, you were blessed with all these things: divine health, a favorable reputation, great moral character, a healthy family, a loving marriage, and a long meaningful life? Wouldn’t that be a great reason to be a Christian? The apostle Paul says no, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
Jesus said that he came so that we might have life and have it abundantly, but not that we might simply have a good life here on Earth. Paul says, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Jesus was a great teacher, a great preacher, a great healer, a prophet of justice, and a wonderful worker on the behalf of the oppressed and afflicted, but . . . if that is all he was then we are pitiful for following him. We would be wrong for worshipping him. Jesus was many things, but he was first and foremost your Savior. Not simply to help you escape from the troubles of this life, but so that you might have eternal life.
The Easter holiday has become focused on many other things that are not ultimately most important. It often focuses only on THIS life. It is about celebrating the Springtime after the long nights of winter. It is about getting together with family for good food, conversation and building relationships. It is about spreading happiness with flowers and candy and fun Easter games. Maybe it is even a time for us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ but even if THAT is all we are celebrating we are most to be pitied. “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.” Do you understand what that means for you! It means that on Easter is not only about this life, or that one event in history where Jesus rose from the dead. . . Easter is about the promise of YOUR resurrection. Not your escape from this life, but a new life for you after your death.
Christ is not the only one who’s resurrection we are celebrating today. We are celebrating the promise of YOUR resurrection. He is not the only apple on the tree—he is only the first fruits—God expects more apples! Good fruit! For as Paul says, “Since death came through a human being, the resurrection has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ . . . If for Jesus’ new life only we have hoped in Christ, we would all be people that should be pitied.” Being a Christian is not only about having a good life or living a good life. Being a Christian is not only about following some wonderful leader who is a great example for us. Being a Christian is not only about believing that some great man died and was raised from the dead! If that was all, this whole Christian thing would be pitiful.
But I do not pity a single one of you because Jesus has promised you eternal life. I do not pity a single one of you because your wonderful life, this beautiful world, this joyful time is NOT all that you will experience. Because Jesus died and was raised from the dead, when you die, God will raise you from the dead. I do not pity a single one of you because not only do you have a God who gives life abundantly, not only do you have a God who did the unimaginable and raised Jesus from the dead, but you have a God who did it all FOR YOU.
Today is Easter Day! So celebrate the day! Celebrate the resurrection! But it would be a pity to stop there . . . celebrate the fact that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead so that you might live with Him forever. Amen.
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