Easter Sunday

April 08, 2007

“Following Jesus on the Path to Victory!”

John 20:1-18

Preached at Providence Lutheran Church in Holland, Ohio

By Pastor Dennis R. King

The Grace and Mercy of the Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all.

Wow! The cross has certainly changed since Good Friday. During this Lenten Season we have followed Jesus on the path and remembered His journey, His Passion, and suffering. We have been remembered all that He endured for us. It has been overwhelming to think of all the pain and suffering He endured just for you and for me. In order to be obedient to His Heavenly Father and to show His Father and us His love, He made choices; those choices have given us a choice. The choices Jesus made were overwhelming. He endured the pain. He endured the suffering. He endured the humiliation, the mocking, the brutality, the death, and His burial.

Then today comes with the “unexpected” news, “He lives!” He lives for you and me. “He lives!” How can it be? How could happened? But it has happened! Jesus lives! All around us God tells us the message of the Gospel over and over and over again. No one human being would have had to speak the words of the Gospel and God would still find ways to tell His Gospel to us through the Spring flowers, the butterflies, especially the Monarch which tells such a beautiful Gospel message, and a multitude of other ways. Jesus lives!

Yet we are called by God to wake up and take that life giving message into our own hearts and minds and to share it over and over and over again with others that they too might hear it and know that Jesus is not dead but that He lives. He lives and because He lives they also shall live. We too shall live!

Easter is filled with all kinds of “unexpected” things. I think that is one of the things that makes Easter such an exciting time of year. Not only is the message unexpected, “He lives!” But the Saturday before Easter people are slipping in and out of the church, little things are being done to make Easter a beautiful day with a beautiful service so that you are surrounded by this lovely array. It is all here for you! It is hear to tell you the “unexpected” message of Easter that He lives and that the path of Jesus leads to victory.

Not long ago in California a 20 month old little girl drowned in a swimming pool…or so they thought. She was pronounced dead by doctors at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. The heart monitor had a flat line. The breathing tube had been disconnected. Forty-five minutes after she was pronounced dead two detectives assigned to investigate the drowning began photographing the body of the little girl when one of them, through the lens of the camera, thought he saw her chest move. The detective asked his partner, “Am I seeing things? Does she look like she’s breathing?” The medical team was rushed back in to verify that indeed she was alive. She has fully recovered. She who was dead…is alive. This was totally unexpected news for the mother and father and grandparents of that little girl. What joy this family experienced!

Imagine what joy you would have if that were your child. Then imagine what joy the whole world has because the Son of God burst forth from the tomb. He is alive! The unexpected news of Easter fills us with a hope that just overflows. We live for hope. We know that others will disappoint us. We know that some things will never live up to our expectations. So we are filled with hope and joy when things go beyond our expectation and people surprise us. Easter tells us not to give up. Easter encourages us to hope. No matter how unlikely a dream might seem to others, never give up hope. Never give up on the unexpected.

Another thing that makes Easter such a beautiful day is the gift of friendship. For us to be able to gather with loved ones and friends and to share the joy and the message of Easter and the love that Jesus has showed to us, is so wonderful. We can share that love with one another.

Jesus died between two thieves. He died alone, a criminal’s death. He was abandoned by the whole world and hung on a cross. He was abandon even by God. He was alone. His friends would be afraid, ashamed, and they too would abandon Him. They would run and hide. Jesus was alone, humiliated, separated, but friendship was and is more powerful then we anticipate. Behold, Jesus made a friend on the cross next to Him and invited him to come into the Kingdom with Him. There were others in the crowd at the foot of the cross. The beloved John was there with Jesus’ mother. Friendship is a special bond.

Easter surprises us with the Good News that Jesus is our friend. Once, we were enemies of God. We were far from God. We were separated from God and all alone. But Jesus has come and befriended us. Not only has Jesus befriended us but He invited and invites us to come home with Him into His eternal kingdom. Jesus surprised us. Easter still surprises us. That stranger who was an enemy of ours by nature has done so much for us that now we can sing about Him, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” This is the Good News of Easter. It is unexpected. It is shocking. It is surprising. It is overwhelming.

Isn’t it fun to hear about stories of friendship. A man became a friend to an elderly woman because he ran into the road and rescued her dog. Or when an individual stopped and used their cell phone to call for help for another. The act of reaching out and making friends is so important. Easter gives us the news that we have a powerful friend who loves us. And He lives in our midst!

Sometimes we need to be reminded that Jesus is our friend. Sometimes we need to go off into a quiet place and remember we are not really alone at all. Sometimes we need to remember in the midst of troubles, difficulties, sadness, sorrows, and all of those things that would overwhelm us, we have a friend in a high place who has power far beyond us. He wants us to call on Him. He truly wants to be our friend. Remember the passion and suffering and that He died for us.

Make a friend. Share the Gospel. You cannot have any closer friend then someone with whom you have shared the Gospel. Those people will be your friends for life.

The third thing about Easter that just overwhelms us is this hope that nourishes us onto eternal life. We like to live. We really do. We would like life to go on forever and ever and ever. Sometimes we reach a particular point in our lives and we want to just stay there. It could happen to us at age 19, or 39, or 49, or 59, or 69, or occasionally if health is good 79 or 89. We want to live forever. We do not want to die. We want to be a people that live, and love. We want to be a people that do not want to miss out on anything that God has intended for us. We want renewed strengthen and health. Easter nourishes us with Good News. Jesus says to Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Sometimes we weep, sometimes we need to weep, sometimes we feel we need to weep, and Jesus says to us, “Why are you weeping?” What you want is life, what I have given you is life eternal.

The message of Easter tells us again that Jesus has given us, each of us life eternal. Easter is filled with the unexpected things. Easter is filled with friendship. Easter is filled with hope. May we live with that excitement, that confident assurance of an eternal friend, and with a hope that never ends.

Do you know the Risen Christ today?

Do you know Him in unexpected ways?

Do you know Him truly as a friend?

Do you know Him as the one who provides you with hope not only for today but for all of your tomorrows as well. Now is the time to get on that path to follow Jesus to victory. Amen.