Sermon Tone Analysis

EASTER 3, YEAR C, APRIL 29, 2001                                                                   

WEST MECKLENBURG CHARGE                                                                       

FIELDS UMC, EPHESUS UMC, FRIENDSHIP UMC

THANK YOU                                                                                                                                              

READ THE GOSPEL TO THE PEOPLE

*THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN*                                                                                                          

Chapter 21

1Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples.

It was by the Sea of Tiberius, and it happened like this:2Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together.3Simon

Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’

They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’

They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.4When it was already light, there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5Jesus

called out, ‘Haven’t you caught anything, friends?’

And when they answered, ‘No,’6he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’

So they threw the net out and could not haul it in because of the quantity of fish.7The

disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’

At these words, ‘It is the Lord,’ Simon Peter tied his outer garment round him (for he had nothing on) and jumped into the water.8The

other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net with the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.9As

soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it.10Jesus

said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’11Simon

Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty–three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken.12Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’

None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’

They knew quite well it was the Lord.13Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish.14This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead**.

*[1]**

* *

*LET US PRAY…PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT…AMEN.*

* *

*WHAT ARE THESE BOOKS THAT WE CALL THE BIBLE REALLY ABOUT?  *

*THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT THEY ARE A LOVE STORY, *

*A STORY OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US AND ALL CREATION.

*

* *

*ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMMENTS ABOUT THE BIBLE *

*WAS MADE BY MY OLD TESTAMENT TEACHER, DAVID DRAKE, *

*WHO SAID THE BIBLE WAS FOR HIM *

*THE GREATEST SYMPHONY EVER COMPOSED *

*AND THAT WHEN HE WENT TO A WORSHIP SERVICE, *

*HE ONLY HEARD A FEW NOTES OF THE SYMPHONY *

*AND OFTEN THOSE FEW NOTES WERE OUT OF TUNE.

*

*SO PERHAPS THE ROLE OF THE PREACHER IS TO KEEP THE MUSIC IN TUNE.

*

*I’LL DO MY BEST.*

* *

*SCRIPTURE, ON ANOTHER LEVEL, IS ABOUT ‘ENCOUNTERING GOD’.

*

*THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE THERE IS STORY AFTER STORY *

*ABOUT THE ‘GOD ENCOUNTER’ WITH HUMANKIND.

*

*IN MOST OF THESE ENCOUNTERS, GOD CHASES AFTER US *

*AND WE RUN AWAY FROM GOD.  *

*MARTIN BELL SAYS IT BEST IN HIS BOOK, DISTANT FIRE, *

*“WE DO NOT FIND GOD; GOD FINDS US.”  *

*HE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN, “GOD WILL NOT LET US GO TO HELL IN PEACE.”*

*INDEED!*

* *

*IN THE FEW NOTES WE HEARD FROM GOD’S GREAT SYMPHONY THIS MORNING FROM JOHN’S GOSPEL, *

*THE CROSS AND THE EMPTY TOMB ARE FAR AWAY IN JERUSALEM.

*

*THE GLOW OF THE RESURRECTION HAS BEGUN TO FADE.

*

*THE EASTER LILIES HAVE STARTED TO WILT.

*

*EARLIER IN JOHN’S GOSPEL, WE ARE TOLD *

*THAT JESUS APPEARED TWICE TO HIS FRIENDS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

*

*YOU WILL REMEMBER *

*THAT THE SECOND TIME HE APPEARED, *

*THOMAS WAS PRESENT.

*

*JESUS WALKED UP TO THOMAS AND SAID, *

*“LOOK THOMAS, IT’S ME.”  *

*SHOWING THOMAS AND THE OTHERS HIS WOUNDS, *

*JESUS WAS MADE KNOWN *

*NOT BY HIS VOICE *

*OR FACE, *

*BUT BY HIS WOUNDS.*

* *

*JOHN’S GOSPEL ENDS TWICE.

*

*THE FIRST TIME IT ENDS AT CHAPTER 20, VERSE 36 *

*AFTER JESUS APPEARED IN THE UPPER ROOM.

*

*BUT WAIT, *

*THERE’S MORE TO TELL, *

*MORE MUSIC TO BE PLAYED *

*AND SO, PRAISE GOD, WE HAVE TODAY’S READING FROM CHAPTER 21.*

* *

*Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples.**/

/*

 

LATER ON? 

YES, LATER ON! 

SOMETIMES WE MUST WAIT,

BE PATIENT

AND TRULY THE ENCOUNTER WILL COME.

IN OUR WAITING,

IN OUR HUMAN ATTEMPT AT PATIENCE,

SOMETIMES

WE FEEL MORE LIKE WE ARE IN THE EMPTY TOMB

RATHER THAN WITH THE RISEN CHRIST.

SOMETIMES THE RISEN CHRIST SEEMS FAR AWAY,

A DISTANT MEMORY

OF WHAT USED TO BE

OR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.

DON’T BE CONFUSED;

THE EMPTY TOMB IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE.

IT IS CRUCIAL TO WHO WE ARE AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

BUT JESUS DOESN’T STAY THERE

AND NEITHER SHOULD WE.

* *

*THE UPPER ROOM, *

*THE LOCKED PLACE, *

*WHERE WE HIDE, *

*OUT OF FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY, *

*IS IMPORTANT TOO.  *

*IT IS WHERE JESUS REMINDS US OF HIS WOUNDS *

*AND OURS *

*AND HOW, *

*OFTEN, *

*WE ARE KNOWN TO OTHERS *

*BY OUR WOUNDS *

*AS HE IS MADE KNOWN TO US BY HIS.  *