Flowered Cross at Northwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Beaumont, Texas. Taken by Rev. Evan M. Dolive.
Below is my Easter sermon based on John 20:1-18.
Easter blessings to you and yours.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8 (CEB)
Happy Easter!
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
“From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?” After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!” Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” But Jesus let out a loud cry and died. — Mark 15:33-37 (CEB)
Photo Credit: “The Lord Became Obedient To Death…” by Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon via Flickr. Used Under the Creative Commons License 2.0
Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)
Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.”
Many Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. he chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus too. It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus. –John 12:1-11 (CEB)
It seems like yesterday we were sitting in the sanctuary that was decorated with greenery, the Advent wreath and songs of the coming of the Messiah into the world. How fast the Church calendar speeds by as we approach Easter. It can be an odd disconnect. One minute we are praising God for the birth of Jesus, the Holy One, the Messiah in our midst and the next we are at the foot of the cross while he is being crucified.
It’s a religious rollercoaster.
The story of Lent is one that is filled with images and stories of Jesus proclaiming the end of his ministry and the ultimate end that is to come. It is a confusing time for not only the original disciples but us today. We look forward to the time when the world is set right again and the promises of God are fulfilled. We long for the time when peace reigns on earth and that the gospel message of hope, joy, love and reconciliation is made manifest in every human heart.
As we look outside our window and see the world around us it is hard to imagine that day. But the Easter message is one that is full of hope and yearning. Through the glorious resurrection of Christ, God makes a statement that the way things are now, are not the way they have to be. Christ died but God resurrected him, darkness descended, but the light covered it, fear and dislike sent Christ to the Cross, but an all consuming love of God brought him back to the world.
The story of Easter can be glossed over so much because we hear it year after year, even to the point where we skip Maundy Thursday and Good Friday altogether. Easter has so much more to offer us as followers of Christ.
As one of my professors in seminary once said, “Easter is more than about the reanimation of a body.” Christ was resurrected but the story is more than that. Christ’s resurrection set into motion a story that the world has not yet stopped telling.– a story about how God indwelled with humanity.
This Easter I pray that God does make things new in your life, that you (and me) have a spiritual resurrection. May the Easter story have a special meaning to you this year.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Rev. Dr. Evan M. Dolive 