My name is Barney and welcome to St Saviour's Evening thought for Easter.
As I was preparing this, I was praying about what my first words actually mean to me, this Easter day, through out my life and on into eternity.
For me “Jesus has risen” means my God, the creator of all things is alive. Jesus was nailed to a cross and left to die on Friday. But on this glorious Easter day, he rose from the grave and death and sin have been beaten.
Why this is so important? It’s important because we do not believe in an absent unknowable God but in one that still lives and breathes and actively seeks a loving relationship with us.
Looking through the bible accounts of that first Easter time I see three different ways that Jesus meets those that he loves. I believe he continues to meet us in a way that we can see him.
1. He meets us in our grief
The First is meeting us in our grief. When he comforts Mary. John 20:15-17;
15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’
2. He meets us in our joy
The Second is he meets us in our joy. When he appears to his disciples. John 20:19-21;
19 That Sunday evening[b] the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 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! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
3. He meets us through the scriptures
The Third is different although still personal, Jesus meets people and allows us to see him through the scriptures. Luke 24:13-16 & 25-32;
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[d] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?
The final part of my opening is the word alleluia. If you translate it from Hebrew it literally means ‘praise to the Lord’.
The lord is the God almighty, My father in Heaven. The Lord is Jesus Christ my Saviour. The Lord is the Holy Sprit who fills me with love, strength, peace and wisdom.
I pray you to can say these words today and that you know Gods love in your life now and forever more.
Barney Vanstone
Churchwarden