Preparing to Meet Jesus

Easter Sunday April 9, 2023 Year A Matthew 28:1-10 Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship (Psalm 118, John 20) Christ is risen! God’s steadfast love endures forever. Death never gets the final word. God’s steadfast love endures forever. Rejoice in this day of salvation. God’s steadfast love endures forever. Alleluia! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Judith Bartlett) Opening Prayer (Psalm 118, John 20) Living God, rejoicing in this day of resurrection, we have come to celebrate the strength of your love— a love that triumphs even over death. As we exult in the miracle of your incarnate love, we thank you for the opportunity to encounter the Risen Christ here in our midst. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Judith Bartlett) Song Christ the Lord is Risen Today UMH 302 Children’s Sermon Easter Children’s Sermon (John 20:1-18) Colors of Hope Greet the children, and have a bag of jelly beans and/or several plastic eggs filled with jelly beans. Make sure that all colors are in each egg. Hello, children of God! He is risen! Happy Easter! What a special and joyous day this is. Easter is truly the most wonderful event we can celebrate in the Bible. What do you like to do at Easter time? (Take possible responses.) Those are fun things…maybe you’ve enjoyed an egg hunt, too! It just so happens I have some Easter eggs here. Would you like one? (Pass out one egg per child, filled with jelly beans.) What do you think might be in these eggs? Why don’t we take a little peek…open your egg carefully, but don’t touch what you find inside just yet… Jelly beans! Jelly beans are another item we see frequently at Easter time. Here’s an important question though: what are we talking about with the story of Easter? With all of the candy, the eggs and bunnies and flowers, what does it all mean? Well, we are going to go through the story, and these jelly beans will help. I want to look at one color at a time. Find the color as I discuss it, and we’ll think about what it represents in the events of Easter. (If desired, allow children to eat the jelly bean after reviewing the color; or wait until the end of the message.) Let’s begin with the green one. Can you find the green jelly bean? This one reminds me of a garden. Actually, there are three gardens in this story. The first one is the Garden of Eden. That’s where God first created the plants and animals and people and everything…but Adam and Eve sinned, and things got messed up. God had a plan, though, and Jesus was at the center of that plan. The other garden is the Garden of Gethsemane. That’s where Jesus prayed on the night before He was killed. He prayed that God might spare Him the pain of crucifixion if possible, but ultimately He surrendered to God’s will. And the third garden, well, let’s wait to talk about that one…After that prayer in the garden, Jesus was arrested. Let’s look at the orange jelly bean. This represents coins. One of Christ’s friends and disciples, Judas, betrayed Him, and sold Him for just a few coins (technically, they were silver, but we’ll use our imaginations). The people who arrested Jesus put Him on trial and beat Him with whips! *Note: orange could also be used to reference the fire outside the courtyard and/or rooster for Peter’s denial of Jesus. Next, why don’t we look at the purple jelly bean. The people who arrested Jesus and were doing cruel things to Him made fun of Him. They teased Him, and they hit Him. They made a crown out of sharp thorns, because He was called “king”, and they took a purple robe and put it on Him. They were mocking Him because they didn’t think He was truly a king. But we know that Jesus is truly royalty. He is the Son of God, and the king of all things! Well, Jesus was put to death on the cross. The red jelly bean (hold up red) makes us think of the blood of Jesus. His blood was spilled out, and by that blood our sins are covered. Look at the black jelly bean. Black reminds us of our sins, dark and black and awful. The bad things we do are as black as night…and black also reminds us of the darkness of night. When Jesus was killed, the sky grew dark like night, even though it wasn’t nighttime. Well, Jesus did die on the cross. That was also part of God’s plan, and Jesus knew that His blood would wash away our sins and make us clean and new. Look at the white jelly bean. It reminds us of a fresh new start. White also stands for the linens that wrapped around Jesus’s body when He was placed in the tomb. People put Him in a tomb in a garden—that’s the third garden. But that isn’t where He stayed… Look at the yellow jelly bean. On the third day, the sun rose as some women went to the tomb where Jesus was. They learned that He was not in the tomb! That’s because not only had the earthly sunrise come; the SON of God had risen, too! He was alive! And this gives us great delight and hope. Finally, take out the pink jelly bean. Pink is a joyful and happy color. It reminds us of the hope we have in Jesus. He lived, died, and came back to life! He did this for you and me. Because we have joy in Jesus, we know our black sins are washed away, we have new life and new hope in Him. So any time you look at an array of colors, eat jelly beans, or hear about Easter, think about these important events, and remember what Jesus did for you. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Let’s give God a prayer of thanks for all that He did for us through Jesus: Prayer (Have kids repeat each line) Dear God, Thank you for your marvelous plans Thank you for sending Jesus and giving Him important purpose Help us to trust you and remind us you are near Thank you for forgiveness Thank you for your love We love you, God! In Jesus’s name, Amen! (Children’s Ministry Kristen Schmidt) Prayer in Song This is the Day that the Lord Hath Made UMH 658 Passing the Peace of Christ I invite you to exchange signs of peace with one another using these traditional words that have been spoken by Easter Christians throughout the centuries: Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Judith Bartlett) Prayer of Preparation (John 20) Open our ears to hear your Word proclaimed in this place. Open our hearts to know your Love offered in this congregation. Open our eyes to see your Presence blessing us in this moment. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Judith Bartlett) Matthew’s Easter Story Matthew 28:1-10 Risen from the Dead 28 1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move. 5-6 The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. 7 “Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ That’s the message.” 8-10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. “Good morning!” he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, “You’re holding on to me for dear life! Don’t be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I’ll meet them there.” Sermon Preparing to Meet Jesus Yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with him. Yesterday I was dead with Christ, today I am sharing in his resurrection. Yesterday I was buried with him; today I am waking with him from the sleep of death. Gregory of Nasianzus The Power of Belief in a World of Lost Hope Eric Butterworth tells about a young soldier who lost his legs in battle. Something died within this young man when he found he would never walk again. He lay in his hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He refused to talk to anyone who tried to help him. He refused to cooperate with doctors or nurses who wanted to help him to adjust. One day another inmate of the hospital strolled in and sat down on a chair near the bed. He drew a harmonica from his pocket and began to play softly. The patient looked at him for a second, then back to the ceiling. That was all for that day. Next day the player came again. For several days he continued to come and to play quietly. One day he said, "Does my playing annoy you?" The patient said, "No, I guess I like it." They talked a little more each day. One day the harmonica player was in a jovial mood. He played a sprightly tune and began to do a tap dance. The soldier looked on but was apparently unimpressed. "Hey, why don't you smile once and let the world know you're alive!" the dancer said with a friendly smile. But the legless soldier said, "I might as well be dead as in the fix I'm in." "Okay," answered his happy friend, "so you're dead. But you're not as dead as a fellow who was crucified two thousand years ago, and He came out of it all right." "Oh, it's easy for you to preach," replied the patient, "but if you were in my fix, you'd sing a different tune." With this the dancer stood up and said, "I know a two-thousand-year-old resurrection is pretty far in the dim past. So maybe an up-to-date example will help you to believe it can be done." With that he pulled up his trouser legs and the young man in the bed looked and saw two artificial limbs. The tap-dancing fellow with the harmonica was not simply a Pollyanna. He once lay where that young soldier now lay. He himself had known the power of a resurrection. He had learned to live life abundantly--even without his legs. Needless to say, the young soldier's own resurrection began that moment. Easter isn't just about dying. It's about the power of belief in a world of lost hope. It is about knowing that no situation is beyond God's redeeming power. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Hope is the word that God gave me to reflect on this Lenten and Easter season. Jesus came into the world so that we can have hope and have it abundantly. In his Easter vigil the pope said encourages us to have hope amidst the icy winds of war. I always find his messages encouraging and full of mission. I loved his message yesterday for the Easter vigil. And he and I agree that Matthews’s story of the resurrection has a very special message of its own. I don’t have to talk about the meaning of Easter hope – the scripture already lays it out. Each version of the story speak of the witnesses who came to the garden expecting to face death and instead encountering the resurrection. I always look forward to the years that we look at Matthew, because it has some very key differences. For Matthew – only 2 women come to the tomb, Mary Magdalene and another Mary. But they don’t have any spices, so they were no concerned about treating the body, they just wanted to come to pray. Also there is the earthquake that awakens everyone that is unique, and for Matthew the guards are not just mannequins standing there – they are a key part of the story. They are stirred into action to prevent the disciples from stealing the body. And finally in Matthew – Jesus is there at the tomb and speaks and interacts with the two witnesses. Scripture says that the guards are witnesses too – but they are frozen stiff unable to talk, move or do anything. They had no idea of what they were looking at, and couldn’t process it at all. They never experienced the resurrection, because they had either lost hope or they never knew what it was. A lot of us are like that – frozen and stuck in life because we have either lost the hope of Jesus, or never had it in the first place. We are at the scene of all of the action in life, but we can’t seem to move forward. Maybe we are here to find that hope to move us. The women on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening, they were able to find Jesus. They even talked with him and carry on a conversation with hope itself. Jesus gives them a hope, a promise, and a command. Hope that there is a way through even our deepest pain. A promise that the mission continues and a command to go – he tells them to go and meet him in Jerusalem. In that encounter with Jesus – they learned the point of their faith – have hope and keep moving forward. He tells them to meet him in Galilee. Galilee was the place that Jesus did his ministry. He developed a relationship with each of the disciples. He had hope and dreams for that place. Jesus tells them to go back to their life, the place where they found faith. To come home back to God. I truly believe that nothing in life is an accident or a coincidence – we are all here in this moment for a reason. We are here for a reason and that God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. There is a next step for each of us. But in order to understand that plan we have to return to the place where we found our passion. We have to be inspired to overcome our fear. Galilee is the place where we found love and peace. When is the last time that you have been to the place? Jesus’ message this morning – go and meet him there. Jesus message to us on Easter - go and find me. Where can you go to find Jesus? We can find Jesus in a place, a person, at a certain time. Usually in a mission. God has worked all night in this place, and God is still at work. Easter is the holiest time of year. We reflect on our faith. We reflect on the miracles that we have experienced in our life. When we encounter the resurrection – we take in the power to turn things around and help us to move forward. And God works in complete silence. If he can resurrect Jesus and make things right – there is a silent revolution going on for each of us right now, and we don’t even realize it. Easter is a little different for all of us. We are here for many different reasons. God speaks to each of us a little different, so our search for Jesus is different. With that rather earthy illustration, I would suggest to you that on that first Easter Sunday, those who were the followers of Jesus had a variety of needs as well. And further, I believe that the diversity of needs remain yet today. We’re not all drawn to this place for the exact same reason today. Some of you are here because you are curious. Others have come to keep peace in the family. Still others walked in because they have worshipped on Easter every year, and they cannot imagine being anyplace else. One size does not fit all. But the story of Easter is such a gripping story that it ultimately meets the need of every person in this place. Steven Molin, Passion, Proof, and Purpose That is the goal toward which the ongoing Easter draws us and transforms our dark, gloomy mornings into a shining doxology. We say with all the faithful of all of the ages, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. By His great mercy, we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, unfailing and undefiled, kept in heaven for you. Though you must go through various trials, all this is so that your faith may redound to the praise, glory and honor of Jesus Christ. Without having seen Him, we love Him, and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. The outcome of your faith is the salvation of your souls. F. Dean Lueking, Ongoing Easter Easter is the first day of the rest of our lives. It is the first day of many for us to get out there and go find Jesus. We have to have faith that Jesus is here to bring us forward. The church is the place were for to gain support and to know that we are not alone on the journey. God has a plan and a purpose for us all. The key to Easter is to have hope in the midst of our situation. The same power that raised Jesus is alive in you. It lives out in your mission. What does Easter compel you to do next? Go find your place in God’s universe. Go out in the world and make a difference. It is time to come out of your comfort zone and live. Make a name for God, not for yourself. There are people out in the world who are hungry for hope. How can you give it to them? Don’t be afraid – just look for Jesus. When we find Jesus – we learn that Jesus was there all along – we just have to adjust our hope in order to see. Easter is all around us – and it is not about spring, or warm weather, easter eggs, jelly beans, ham or even gathering with family. It is not even about going to church – it is about having hope and living our lives. Fulfilling our mission. When we go and find Jesus – every Sunday is Easter. Dear brothers and sisters, let us follow Jesus to Galilee, encounter him, and worship him there, where he is waiting for each of us. Let us revive the beauty of that moment when we realized that he is alive and we made him the Lord of our lives. Let us return to Galilee, to the Galilee of first love. Let each of us return to his or her own Galilee, to the place where we first encountered him. Let us rise to new life! (From Pope Francis) Amen. Song The Day of Resurrection UMH 303 Response to the Word (John 20) The stone was gone, so Mary assumed that Christ had been taken away. The tomb was empty, so Peter assumed that Christ had been taken away. The angels had come, so Mary assumed that Christ had been taken away. The linens were discarded, so Peter assumed that Christ had been taken away. And yet . . . [pause] Christ was risen. Christ was alive. Christ was in their midst. They saw the Living Christ. When our lives seem empty, we assume that Christ has been taken away. When our lives are full of pain, we assume that Christ has been taken away. And yet . . . [pause] Christ is risen! Christ is alive! Christ is in our midst! Let us open our eyes to see the Living Christ here with us today! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Judith Bartlett) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment The greatest offering comes from God, whose love is unending, and whose love we see clearly in Jesus raised up from death into Life. The work of ministry to which our congregation is called is not to build a shrine to a dead Lord, but to spread this Good News: Jesus Christ, ALIVE! invites us to demonstrate our desire to follow him by sharing our lives (including our tithes and our gifts) today. Our offerings help us shout out the news of resurrection, so all who long to encounter the LIVING GOD may join in the Way of Jesus Christ. Give, that we might share the great news of abundant life. Prayer of Thanksgiving God of the empty tomb, your grace astounds us, your generosity fills us to overflowing. Accept these offerings as signs of our gratitude and bless our work on Christ’s behalf. May we love as Christ loved. May we serve as Christ served. Call us forth into your world, guided by Christ’s Spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri Ott) Announcements Benediction Like the disciples on the day of Resurrection, Like the disciples on the day of Resurrection, May we go toward the tomb A place seemingly devoid of life, May we find life in all its glory And spread the news that life prevails, that life redeems, And that love never fails. God in peace with resurrection purpose to love God, God’s children, and God’s creation. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Additional Illustrations Ongoing Easter Ongoing Easter gets us finally home at last, for life is not an endless circle but life is moving to an end point. The crowning achievement of the risen Lord is to bring us finally home together with the whole family of God in that transition from time into eternity. It is a great privilege to witness that transition in the lives of people and I think of one this Easter day. Her name was Augusta. She lived 100 years, raised in the prairies of South Dakota, faced every manner of hardship and heartache, but was buoyant and lived on the resurrection side of the cross, raised a family. In the last hour of her life standing with her daughters around her in the hospital room, I heard her bless her daughters. Being a mother to the very end and with a twinkle in her eye, looked at the faces of her daughters around her and pointed to them each one and said, "Too much lipstick," and then closed her eyes in peaceful death. Yes, There Is Hope In the early part of World War II, a Navy submarine was stuck on the bottom of the harbor in New York City. It seemed that all was lost. There was no electricity and the oxygen was quickly running out. In one last attempt to rescue the sailors from the steel coffin, the U.S. Navy sent a ship equipped with Navy divers to the spot on the surface, directly above the wounded submarine. A Navy diver went over the side of the ship to the dangerous depths in one last rescue attempt. The trapped sailors heard the metal boots of the diver land on the exterior surface, and they moved to where they thought the rescuer would be. In the darkness they tapped in Morse code, "Is there any hope?" The diver on the outside, recognizing the message, signaled by tapping on the exterior of the sub, "Yes, there is hope." This is the picture of our dilemma as we worship this glad Easter Day. Humankind is trapped in a dreadful situation. All around we are running low on hope, and we look for a word from beyond offering it to us. This world in which we live is plagued with war and famine, mounting debt and continual destruction. The more we try to rescue ourselves the more we seem to fall behind. We wonder: Is there any hope? Bill Self, Is There Any Hope? Don't Be Afraid of the Future - Matthew 28:1-10 Occasionally I fly back to South Carolina for a trustee meeting at a wonderful Methodist institution called Wofford College. On a recent trip I had an extra hour or two, so I decided to take a sentimental journey back to the little town of Greer. My father was pastor there when I was a little boy. Right away I noticed so many things that had changed. Our old house has been torn down and replaced. The yard has shrunk. I saw the tree from which my little cowboy friends almost hung me, accidentally, and I thanked God for my mother’s quick reaction and handy kitchen knife. The memories were fun, but thirty minutes was enough. I was ready to leave. Thomas Wolfe was right when he observed that you can’t go home again. You can’t turn back the clock. A woman named Mary Madgalene learned that lesson early on the first Easter morning. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the good old days, to pretend that the terrible crucifixion had never happened. When the risen Christ confronted her, she fell to her knees and clutched his feet, almost pleading with him to stop this crazy chain of events. She thought: perhaps the past few days were all a dreadful nightmare. Can we wake up now and go back to the good old days when Jesus taught by the Sea of Galilee, performed healing miracles, and fellowshipped with his friends over supper? Can’t we turn back the clock? You and I should be able to empathize with Mary. We have lots of schemes designed to slow down or reverse the clock. We are part of a youth-glorifying, death-denying culture. After about the age of 29, we try not to get any older, or at least not to look like it. Rather than looking forward to the future, we try to fend it off. My purpose this morning is to so fill us with the Easter Good News that we will embrace the future rather than running from it. Easter proclaims that the future is good because the risen Christ owns it and guides his followers through it. God awaits us not only in heaven… Easter Fits All In the spring of 1981, the president of national hotel chain was speaking at a conference in Atlanta Georgia, and while he was there, he decided he needed a haircut. While sitting in the chair of a neighborhood barber, he struck up a conversation. “What are you doing for a vacation this summer?” The barber’s face brightened, “My wife and I are taking a road trip, and we’re driving to Phoenix.” “Really” the hotel president asked, “and where are you going to stay while you’re on this road trip?” The barber said “Well, on the way out there, we’re going to stay at the cheapest hotels possible, so that when we get there we can afford to stay in something really nice.” And the hotel president thought to himself, “This guy is never going to stay in my hotel, because when he’s driving to Phoenix, we’re too expensive, and when he gets to Phoenix, we’re too inexpensive.” He immediately flew back to his office in Silver Spring Maryland, called his Board of Directors together and announced “One size does not fit all! We need to diversify to meet the different needs of people.” And the result was a company that began to offer four different levels of hotels; The Sleep Inn, The Comfort Inn, The Quality Inn, and The Clarion. The name of the company is “Choice Hotels.” Time for Easter Dreams In a world of Good Friday nightmares, it is time for Easter Dreams. After the completion of Disney World, someone remarked, "Isn't it too bad that Walt Disney didn't live to see this!" Mike Vance, creative director of Disney Studios replied, "He did see it that's why it's here." Everything in life that we use or hold, eat or watch, wear, sit in or listen to in other words, everything that is a creation of human ingenuity started out as a dream. Before anything can become tangible, it must first become a reality in the mind of its dreamer. Only when the dream is real for one can it become real for all. Not until the dream is real for me can it become real for you. Zippers, Christmas tree lights, quadruple bypass heart surgery, combustion engines, cotton candy, x-rays, air conditioning, flush toilets, matches, eyeglasses, espresso all these things were once dreams in some person's mind. The dreams of others make our lives tasty, pleasant, sometimes even possible. So why is it that we live in a world furnished with the dreams of others, yet there are so many nightmares stalking the land? Why did we first nightmare up nuclear weaponry instead of dreaming up world peace? Why did we nightmare up high-tech security systems and gated communities instead of dreaming up communities of trust? Why did we nightmare up fast foods instead of dreaming up a way to feed every hungry child? Why did we nightmare up apartheid and slavery and Jim Crow instead of dreaming up societies of justice and equality? One member of the "buster generation" (those born between 1964 and 1983) put it this way: "I had a dream." Writing to his church's newsletter, this young man expressed the despair, cynicism and pessimism of his "buster generation" by speaking about the "death of idealism, of passion and dreaming ... of transforming vision." He spoke of an almost ubiquitous death of dreaming among his peers (as referenced by Sharon Dawn Johnson, "Vision in Mission," The Gospel and Our Culture 5 [September 1993]: 5). Because the Good Friday nightmare was transformed into the Easter Dream, the way has been opened for ending all nightmares and incarnating all dreams. The Resurrection means that Christians can expectantly: - dream of plenty in the midst of poverty; - dream of compassion in the midst of poverty; - dream of justice in the midst of inequity; - dream of holiness in the midst of hell; - dream of love in the midst of hate. Leonard Sweet, Easter Dreams, www.Sermons.com ___________________________________ Anticipation: What Is Going to Happen Today? In Winnie the Pooh, Pooh and Piglet take an evening walk. For a long time they walk in silence. Silence like only best friends can share. Finally Piglet breaks the silence and asks, "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh, what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" answers Pooh and then asks. "And what do you say, Piglet?" Piglet says, "I say, I wonder what exciting thing is going to happen today?" You and I can't really plan to meet the Risen Christ because we never really know when or where He's going to show up. But you can be sure of this, He will show up. If you believe, He will show up. And the attitude you need to meet him is the attitude of Piglet, "I wonder what exciting thing is going to happen today?" Billy Strayhorn, Easter Heart Burn, www.Sermons.com