Easter 2021

What a difference a year makes....

However no matter what state the world is in the message of Easter is the same....

We still see Mary in the garden, staring at an empty tomb, asking where Jesus is, and then jubilantly declaring to the disciples that he is risen.

The joy of knowing that death did not and does not have the final say in our lives is what we are excited about today. The idea the we can be transformed by the power of Holy Spirit because of the ressurection of Jesus is overwhelming .

Real freedom comes from the reality of the ressurection …that is still the central theme of Easter.

Jesus is not dead Jesus is not in the grave he is alive and because of that we have hope.

(He is Risen....He is Risen Indeed)

That is what I love about Easter the truth of the Statement He is Risen…He is Risen indeed....

However...The familiarity Easter also tends to create a bit of anxiety for me. Not becuase I am fearful of it not being true but becuase I fear that Easter with all of its beauty can become so familiar that we could take it for Granted.

We live in a world that is always asking whats next? What have you done for me lately and sometimes even in the Church we can take for granted the theme of ressurection and ask what have you done for me lately?

One of my youth pastorates was a bigger and better.....

That is why I am happy that todays passages are both familiar Easter passages and unfamiliar Easter passages.

One of our passages points out why Easter is such a big deal....The other is a repeat scripture from last year that highlights Jesus being the light of the world.

Let’s take a look at them now…Read Scriptures

John 1:1-18, John 20:19-23

Again Last year I preached from John 20 for different reasons than I am preaching today…Last year we celebrated Easter from Home isolated from each other.

The disciples in the John 20 passage were isolated and scared not knowing the future....last year we talked about getting through the darkness together.

Here is the thing we have and are getting through this thing together.. I can’t speak for other Churches but Broken Arrow Nazarene had weathered the worst of the storm together. Even though many of us have had times were we were alone, we moved through this together…taking care of one another and reaching out to people who are still isolated and still dealing with great loss.

In this passage the disciple still are still isolated afraid of the dark but the light is about to shine through.

Today instead of focusing on isolation we get to focus on light…I mean look at me I am preaching by first message ever with sun glasses on…not trying to make a fashion statement (Even thought I do look pretty cool) but celebrating the light of the world in the light of the Words (Jesus) creation.

This is where the First passage John 1:1-18 is so important to the story.

The Light...the Word…the creator (Jesus) did not stay enthroned but instead became human.

It matters that Jesus put on flesh because it means that he fully knew what it was to be human, and it meant that God wanted to be close to humanity.

This cannot be overstated...The Word (Jesus) was in the beginning. Jesus is not separate from God Jesus is part of the trinity the three in one all equal expressions of God.

The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit all spoke with one voice Creation from nothing.

Jesus shows up in our darkness without condition.

If there is every something we can relate with the disciples in it is darkness. This year has been full of it. We have seen things in all aspects of life that many of us never thought we would ever experience in our live.

We have seen a global pandemic, racial strife, political upheaval world wide…we have seen the rise of dark conspiracies designed to misinform, enraged and impassion people to acts of violence .

We have seen isolation and realized that this is not what we are made for. The World has been and still is in many ways a palce or darkness.

However just like the disciples we have the opprotunity to experience the light of Jesus in the midst of this current darkness.

When Jesus enters the room everything changes. The atmosphere goes from dread and darkness to Joy and Light.

New Living Translation Chapter 20

20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

He repeats the greeting they could not hear at first...peace be with you....Peace here is translated as the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatever that may be.

Even though they are still in danger of being persecuted or killed the presence of Jesus in the midst of real danger changes everything. They are moved from being alone and afraid of the dark…to being confident in what they have given their lives to.

Then Jesus does something that seems weird but has great meaning....he breaths on them. I know not a covid safe thing to do…but I am sure Jesus is pretty safe here. He breaths on them to empower them with His never ending presence.

If this weren’t enough Jesus then said basically go with my presence with my power…take the message of forgivness and peace to the world.

Bring hope by forgiving as I forgive…Bring the same peace to the world that I have brought to you.... 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Matt 5:9

I believe that God is calling His People to be peacemakers in the days, weeks and months to come.

God does not need Christian soldiers as we may have been taught…God does not need and army of people defending God’s majesty.

God needs an army of peacemakers…people who are experiencing a tranquil state of the soul assured of their salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with our earthly lot, of whatever that may be.

That may not be what we have believed up to now but quite honestly if we have learned nothing during Lent and even with the story of the resurrection Jesus was nothing like what others thought He would be and quite honestly wanted Him to be.

Instead of blazing a trail on our own what if we just followed in Jesus footsteps.

He has come for you and for me…with the promise of light and life.

There are still dangers in the world today…the pandemic is not over, there is still great racial and political strife but God’s Children will be known by the way the bring peace.

Yet…as children of God we need not be alone in the dark every again…the Paraclete…the helper the presence of God in Spirit is the now the driving force, helper and comforter of not only the disciples but to all of those in need of an escape from the darkness of the world.

We can abandon the darkness of a cynical world accustomed to living in darkness for a hopeful future illuminated by the righteous light of the world.

No matter what you are facing today I want you to know that Jesus can and wants to bring you from darkness into His glorious light.

Jesus is not waiting for you to understand why or how salvation is possible, Jesus is not waiting to make a you a valuable person Jesus is waiting for you becuase you are valuable.

Romans 5: 10

10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

Jesus does not see you as a worm worthy of judgement but as His child worthy of love…not in the way that the world loves but in a wholistic and purposeful way.

That love will not only result in and eternal reward but more importantly in a desire to work for the peace of God in the world.

You can begin this journey Today.

You Can trade darkness for Glorious light…as we sing this song before communion if you need to rededicate your life to Jesus or accept him for the first time feel free to lift you your desire to start this journey with Jesus today at this time.

If you have made a commitment together we want to know....

Communion All are welcome to the Table....

Leader: The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And also with you

Leader: Lift up your Hearts!

All: We Lift our Hearts to Lord Jesus!

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is Right to give him thanks and praise.

Leader: Let us profess together who God wants us to be

All: We are a community connecting people to God and others creating space where all people can belong.

Leader: Let us remember the words of Jesus on the night He was betrayed.

All: Jesus took the bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, This is my Body broken for you please eat in remembrance of me

Leader: After Supper Jesus took the cup of wine and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said Take this and drink all of you

All This Cup represents my blood which is shed for you, and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it do so in remembrance of me.

Leader: Send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this cup. Let them be for us a symbol of the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus. Grant that we who partake in this blessed sacrament may be filled with your life and goodness.

Let us partake together the broken Body and the shed Blood of Jesus.

Benediction:

And now, may the God of peace, who brought back again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him.

To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.