Easter 2

Revelation 1:4–18 NIV

4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Have you ever seen someone after they have died? It can be quite unsettling. In our culture we are often spared such a sight unless it is of a carefully presented body of someone in the casket for the visitation prior to their funeral. There was a time when the media did not show those who had died and even television and movies were careful. This is no longer the case. In popular TV shows like Bones, Criminal Minds, and NCIS, viewers will often see representations of those who have died discovered at crime scenes or on the autopsy table. It can be quite graphic.

In the introduction to the book of Revelation, John tells us that he saw someone who had died but his vision of him was quite different than how we see dead people today. Recall his description (quote).

Revelation 1:12–16 NIV

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

What makes this so different is what happened to Jesus after he died. He was buried but his body saw no decay (passage).

What makes this so different is what happened to Jesus after he died. He was buried but his body saw no decay (passage).

Acts 2:29–32 NIV

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. On the third day he rose again and was made many appearances during the 40 days before his ascension. Our gospel lesson describes several of those. John was at those appearances. But now over 40 years later John sees him again. But unlike corpses that decay after death, Jesus who rose from the dead is alive and well.

Modern scholars scoff at this. They refuse to believe that the resurrection of the dead is possible and will go to great lengths to disprove the resurrection, the authenticity of eye-witness accounts, and the truth of what John writes here.

Modern scholars scoff at this. They refuse to believe that the resurrection of the death is possible and will go to great lengths to disprove the resurrection, the authenticity of eye-witness accounts, and the truth of what John writes here. (see examples)

When the Gospel of John portrays the post-mortem Jesus on a fishing trip with his buddies and the writer of Matthew shows him giving his team a mountain-top pep talk two days after he died, how can there be any doubt that the original believers were convinced he had bodily risen from the grave?

There have been many reasons for doubting the claim, but the consensus among critical scholars today appears to be that the story is a "legend." During the 60-70 years it took for the Gospels to be composed, the original story went through a growth period that began with the unadorned idea that Jesus, like Grandma, had "died and gone to heaven" and ended with a fantastic narrative produced by a later generation of believers that included earthquakes, angels, an eclipse, a resuscitated corpse, and a spectacular bodily ascension into the clouds.

The earliest Christians believed in the "spiritual" resurrection of Jesus. The story evolved over time into a "bodily" resurrection.

The president of a seminary founded in 1836 on the “infallible” Word of God says in a new interview she doesn’t believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, the power of prayer, a literal heaven, or miracles.  

Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary in New York, made the comments in an interview with Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times for an article published Easter weekend. Although the author’s intent may have been to inspire readers, it also served to spotlight the leftward drift of many seminaries. 

Union Theological Seminary’s founding constitution stated the seminary’s goal was to “promote” the “Kingdom of Christ.” Professors were required to affirm they believed “the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the word of God” and the “only infallible rule of faith and practice.” 

But as Jones made clear, the seminary is a very different school today. 

She rejects a literal bodily resurrection of Christ.

“When you look in the Gospels, the stories are all over the place. There’s no resurrection story in Mark, just an empty tomb. Those who claim to know whether or not it happened are kidding themselves,” Jones said. “… Crucifixion is not something that God is orchestrating from upstairs. The pervasive idea of an abusive God-father who sends his own kid to the cross so God could forgive people is nuts. For me, the cross is an enactment of our human hatred. But what happens on Easter is the triumph of love in the midst of suffering. Isn’t that reason for hope?”

But we are not modern scholars. We are those whom John wrote about in the Gospel lesson “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.” We do believe and confess our faith in the creeds. (cite)

the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

And we are blessed.

Grace: God has shown his undeserved love for us by saving us from our sins and protecting and providing for us.

Peace: (NIV)

20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ruled by Jesus: Now that Jesus is risen and ascended into heaven, we believe that he rules all things for the benefit of the church. We show our faith in him by praying to him for help in time of need and relying on him for guidance.

Freed from our sins by his blood. The death of Jesus paid for our sins so that we are no longer controlled by temptation, overwhelmed by guilt, or subject to punishment.

Priests to serve God the Father. According to Old Testament Law, the only men who could serve as priests had to belong to the correct blood line. Today our called servants come from a variety of backgrounds including sons of farmers, pastors, teachers, businessmen, factory workers. I know a man who was a teacher whose father was even a spy for CIA. (I’d tell you who it is but then I’d have to . . . ) But those who are privileged to serve God are not limited to called workers. We can all serve our God.

(NIV)

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We will see Jesus when he returns. A strong prophecy in the New Testament is the return of Jesus to earth on the Last Day. This will mark the end of the troubles that Christians face in a world that rejects the sovereignty of God and the authority of Jesus. People in nations who are subjugated by a conquering army long for the day when their leader will return from exile to free them. We think of how the people of the Philippines waited for General MacArthur to return or the people of France for DeGaul during WWII.

Patient endurance during suffering (assaults of skeptics)

Revelation 1:9 NIV

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

The book of Revelation is intended to be a source of hope for Christians who were undergoing persecution. Although it speaks to the current situation for them, it can be applied to all Christians everywhere who suffer. I would think that right now those who suffer in Sri Lanka would find hope in the risen and living Jesus.

Jesus has the keys of death and Hades.

Jesus has the keys of death and Hades.

The patient endurance that we need may not be in reaction to something as severe as persecution, but we do face our challenges. One of the challenges was alluded to above. For almost 2000 years Christians found their hope in the risen and living Jesus who reveals his power to us. The purpose of the book of Revelation was to give to Christians living in the last part of the 1st century AD hope that inspite of what they were going through, God was in control through his son, Jesus, and that in the end the kingdom of God would prevail. Today those promises and the faith we have in Jesus are debunked by scholars who question the authority of the Bible and who leave us with only worldly hope. But what does St. Paul say? (NIV)

16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

The promise of Jesus returning to deliver us is referred to in our last verses.

Revelation 1:17–18 NIV

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

The use of keys is becoming outdated. Very few hotels and motels give you a key anymore. You don’t always need a key to start your car. But we still know what keys are for. Locking and unlocking. It is important to have the key. Prisoners are not given the key to the cell door (jails really don’t use physical keys either.) Explore what it means to us that Jesus has the keys of death and Hades.

The use of keys is becoming outdated. Very few hotels and motels give you a key anymore. You don’t always need a key to start your car. But we still know what keys are for. Locking and unlocking. It is important to have the key. Prisoners are not given the key to the cell door (jails really don’t use physical keys either.) Explore what it means to us that Jesus has the keys of death and Hades. The one who holds the keys is the one who is in control.

In figurative language, the Bible describes heaven and hell (Hades) as places that are entered through gates. We know this is just a word picture. But we also understand its meaning. Jesus is the way to eternal life and those who reject him are locked away from him for all eternity. Jesus confessed about himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” This was true before he died and it is still true after he has risen and is still alive. Through faith in him, we can be sure that we the way to heaven is opened for us.