In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
On Easter Sunday I was in my son’s evangelical church in Des Moines. Easter is one of only two chances pastors have to reach the “Christmas and Easter” Christians who still have some small grain of faith that draws them into church twice a year. The pastor preached a wonderful sermon addressing the skeptics who weren’t quite sure the resurrection happened. He reminded us what Jesus’ followers endured by proclaiming his resurrection. They had everything to lose including their lives- and yet they could not keep silent.
Paul says in his second Letter to the Corinthians,
“ I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?”
Today’s reading from Acts gives us just a fraction of what Paul and Jesus’ other disciples did to spread the Gospel. The voyage in the story is the second of four known missionary trips made by Paul and the other disciples, first to establish churches and then to visit the existing ones to encourage them in their faith (and call attention to their transgressions) and to create even more new churches. Scholars estimate that these voyages covered over 10,000 miles in total, mostly on foot but some at sea. Paul landed on Malta after a shipwreck. I landed there in a plane 2 years ago and thought it was a catastrophe when I lost my passport. It puts our own problems into perspective.
Only a belief in the resurrected Christ could keep Jesus’ followers going. This is one reason we believe in the risen Christ.
Another reason we believe is Jesus’ message that he leaves with his apostles: “If you love me, keep my commandments”. In return, he makes some marvelous promises. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
And, while Jesus has little material goods left to bequeath to the apostles- he has no silver and gold, the soldiers will get his garment, Joseph of Arimathea will get his earthly body- he leaves them with peace. Not a worldly peace but eternal peace.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
So.. peace will come, maybe not in our preferred time frame, maybe not in his life. But it will come.
Jesus and the Father will come to those who love him and make their home with them in a world that’s described in the reading from Revelation. The description is similar to the Garden of Eden but in many ways it’s the opposite. Nothing accursed will be found there. Multitudes of God’s people will enjoy it, not just two of them. No one will be cast out.
To quote the theologian Frederick Buechner, “The resurrection reminds us that the worst thing is never the last thing”.
All of us here have been through “worst things”. Some of us are right now. It may be personal, or family, or the stock market, or the nation or the world.
Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again.
Regina Berens
