Seeking Jesus

Introduction:

Christ is risen!! (pause for response)

The Easter season is one of my favorite seasons of the year. There is a fresh new sense of life that is ushered in by the Spring. And while we experience these feelings of newness we also participate in the old traditions that we have known and loved for many years.

When I was growing up, one of the things I looked forward to the most was the Easter service on the hill. Each year the church my family attended did an outdoor Easter service on this big hill that overlooked a pretty pond in the neighborhood. —>>

And each year the Easter egg hunt was a really big deal… But it’s important to note that the word hunt in this Easter egg hunt is used fairly generously, because basically the “hunt” was dumping thousands of Easter eggs into the wide open on the side of the hill.

— But if you have ever watched the kids during these Easter egg “hunts”, there is certainly something fascinating about it.

— They all start with their baskets — and although the hunt hasn’t started yet and their baskets are empty you can see the hope and determination they are carrying… They believe something good is out there in those eggs, just waiting to be found! — And then the hunt is on..and absolute chaos follows.

But here’s the thing: no one hunts for the Easter egg expecting the egg to be empty. The whole point is what’s inside the egg — the sweet treat that has been hidden just for them.

In Matthew’s account of the Resurrection story, we find Mary Magdalene and Mary —the mother of James and Joseph, who were also out searching early on a Sunday morning. But their “hunt” was not a joyful search for hidden treats concealed by plastic eggs — it was heavy. They were not carrying baskets; they were carrying their grief. They were going to the tomb expecting to find Jesus’ body but what they instead found was so much greater…

— We can only imagine how gloomy their trek to the tomb must have felt. It was the first opportunity that the two women had to visit the resting place of Jesus after the crucifixion. — All seemed lost... Hopelessness, despair, and darkness loomed over them, but then they were met by the warm light of dawn. It was a new day — their grief would be quickly interrupted … For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and told them… “He is not here… he has risen, just as he said.”

Just as he said… you see Jesus told the disciples he would die and would be raised from the dead. Matthew 17:22–23

Matthew 17:22–23 NIV

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

And just as he said… he has risen. The tomb was empty! — Death and sin had been defeated!

Ever since the moment when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, God had been working to working to redeem humanity and bring his people back into relationship with him!

And the resurrection of Jesus… the empty tomb represents the climax of thousands upon thousands of years of of work that God was doing to reconcile humanity back into relationship with him.

This monumental event is the foundation of our faith! 1 Corinthians 15:17 says

1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

If Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no reason to be here today! There would be no hope of future glory… We could not know true joy—

— But brothers and sisters, this is not our reality! We are no longer enslaved by our sin! Christ has died and Christ has risen so that we may experience eternal life!

— In Christ the law has been fulfilled. In Christ the debts have been paid for all who have broken the law. In Christ, all who believe in him have been made righteous in the eyes of God. In Christ, we have the hope of life!!

— Although the two Mary’s had set out to visit the tomb that morning expecting to honor their fallen friend and teacher… They were not seeking the tomb but they were seeking to be with Jesus! — And they did not need to search for long because they came face to face with their savior, as Jesus appeared to them before anyone else. —> Verses 8-10 tell us

Matthew 28:8–10 NIV

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Jesus appears to them not only to confirm that he had indeed risen from death but he invites them to continue participating in the ministry of redemption. He tells them to tell the others. To share the good news of the resurrection!

Because Mary and Mary were seeking to be with Jesus that morning, they were invited to participate in his resurrection!

— Brothers and sisters, will you seek Jesus?

In the darkest moments where it seems that all hope is lost or the glorious peaks of life when all is well… will you seek to be in the presence of your savior?

God’s grace is freely given to all who seek after him. So will you seek Jesus and repent by turning away from the ways of your old life? — Will you chase Jesus with all of your heart, and with all of your soul? —> Will you strive to live a life that serves as a perfect reflection of Jesus?

As we seek after Jesus we will be transformed into the image of Christ and we will experience a truly deep and meaningful relationship with him!

Participating in the resurrection

Many of us come to Jesus much like the two Mary’s approached the tomb — hurting… confused… longing. We seek Jesus in our pain… We seek Jesus in our need… We seek Jesus in the uncertainty of our questions…

And when we seek after Jesus he meets us where we are. He meets us in our pain and our uncertainty. —Jesus calls whoever seeks after him by name… and when he does something within us awakens. We realize that we are not just here to find him… He came to find us!

Jesus did not rise from the dead so we could stand and marvel at the sight of the empty tomb. He rose so that we could rise from our graves too!

Brothers and sisters, we are not just witnesses to the resurrection… We are participants in it. — — In every moment when you choose hope over despair… life over death… love over fear — You. are. living. the. resurrection!

— The resurrection of Christ has brought victory over death. The resurrection affirms that we have NEW LIFE in Christ and this new life that we live will reach far beyond the life that we currently live!

— The resurrection is a call to mission… It is a call to participate.— It’s a call to participate both individually and as the unified body of Christ!

— What is the mission we are called to participate in? … It is the same mission that we have shared with our brothers and sisters in the first century and with every generation after them… Go and tell others… Go and tell others of the good news! … Tell them the good news that from his unconditional never ending love, Jesus died… rose from the dead… and ascended into Heaven where he waits for us to join him!

The stone has rolled away… The tomb is empty— Christ is Risen (he is risen indeed)… Jesus is alive— Alleluia! And now the question remains: Will you seek after Jesus and participate in the resurrection?

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus,

We have gathered today, to praise you! We have disobeyed you and we have strayed from your ways— but despite our failures and our shortcomings, you loved us anyways. Because of your great love for us we receive new life... Thank you God! Lord we pour out never ending songs of gratitude for the gift of salvation. Lord help us to keep our eyes set on you as we seek only you. Lord give us the strength to live boldly in light of your glorious resurrection. Lord give us the strength to live with a love and joy that reflects your glory to the entire world as we proclaim your victory to everyone we come across. — Lord, we deeply long to be in your presence. We pray that you meet us wherever we are. And we are filled with your presence… your love… your life… your truth. Lord, this Easter and every day after it, we praise you with all of our hearts and souls.

It is in your Holy and perfect name we pray, Amen.