Resurrection, Part 1
A. INTRODUCTION... For the last seven months our church has been developing a theme or slogan “Continuous Resurrection.” It’s on the two banners in front of the Sanctuary. It was our Easter sermon after Covid-19 shut everything down AND our September 13 sermon as we start to open back up. The phrase comes from my Czech priest friend whose Boston College lectures emphasized that the Church of NOW, 21 centuries after Christ, must be alive with continuous, ongoing resurrections. There must be “proof of life” in all we do. At Greenfield Hill Church we are taking that seriously as we head deeper into autumn, as we unfold the new church year, as we enter our 8th month of COVID -reality. SO, we are looking at resurrection in the Bible, and it’s reality for us.
C. SUMMARY. A. For today’s bible Study it is more important to summarize what happened before the first Easter.
1. Jesus starts Holy Week by entering Jerusalem to a raucous welcome on Palm Sunday.
2. Jesus spends a few days teaching in the Temple.
3. On Maundy Thursday he has his Last Supper with the Disciples, creating Holy Communion with bread and wine.
4. Jesus is arrested, tortured, crucified on Good Friday, and buried in a friend’s tomb.
5. On Saturday his friends, family, and followers are hiding out, wallowing in sorrow, shame, and anger.
6. On Sunday they wake up expecting – nothing.
D. KEY POINTS
1. HOPE vs. HOPELESS. Jesus’ followers invested a lot in him. The disciples and other close followers had given up everything to follow Jesus. They were counting on a great future, with a prominent role for them. They had experienced wide acceptance and great popularity. The killing of Jesus ended all their hopes, plans, dreams, and beliefs. Their leader was dead, the group was shattered, they had reason to fear for their own lives. They were hope-less. Minus hope. I emphasize this only to show how dramatic Easter was for those first “Christians.” That Saturday between Good Friday’s crucifixion and Easter Sunday’s resurrection was a period of abject despair. They woke up Easter morning totally helpless. It is into that abyss that Easter arrives.
2. GUILT. After Jesus’ crucifixion it is easy to imagine that everyone who had known Jesus suffered their own guilt. From the 10 disciples who abandoned Jesus, to the cheering crowds of Palm Sunday fans who looked the other way as he was “perp-walked” to the cross, to the hundreds who had been helped by Jesus but said nothing, to Peter who denied even knowing Jesus. Other than St. John and Jesus’ mother, Mary, no one looked good. Guilt by itself isn’t worth much. It is a short-term motivator, at best. In fact, guilt often acts more as a burden, something that weighs you down. Christ himself, and Christian faith, exist in large part to end guilt. That’s what forgiveness is for. But for this Bible Study, let’s wallow in guilt. I want us to feel the hopelessness and the guilt of Jesus’ closest circle in the hours before Easter joy arrives.
3. We’ve all been in some abyss. I’m not trying to trigger a bad memory for you. But part of the purpose of the Bible and Jesus’ earthly life is to let us know that we are truly known by God, even at our lowest ebb.
The REAL Resurrection
Next Week
