Notes only, no video
15-16
Apr 2017, Christ Mountain Top, Easter
Apr 2017, Christ Mountain Top, Easter
Matthew
28.1-10 (message)
28.1-10 (message)
Isaiah
25.6-9 (also read)
25.6-9 (also read)
Look!
(Robin grabbing me by the elbow)
(Robin grabbing me by the elbow)
Draw someone’s attention & focus
(first robin of spring)
(first robin of spring)
Look!
The earthquake and the angel
The earthquake and the angel
The tomb is opened, but Jesus is not to be
found
found
The tomb is opened, not for Jesus but for
us
us
The angel is there, not to assist Jesus
The angel is there, to assist us to look
and to witness
and to witness
Delicious
irony
irony
The dead man is alive
The living men “became like dead men”
Chrysologus
(c. 977), “The Tomb devours death and not the dead”
(c. 977), “The Tomb devours death and not the dead”
But:
“Don’t you be afraid” (the women)
“Don’t you be afraid” (the women)
“you are looking for Jesus, the crucified
man”
man”
Appropriate that we celebrate the
Lord’s Table
Lord’s Table
Jesus, risen, retains his identity
and wounds as crucified
and wounds as crucified
Look
– direct your attention and focus to the drama that must not be missed
– direct your attention and focus to the drama that must not be missed
Look!
Point out that the person paying attention
is NOT (camera)
is NOT (camera)
Look
at the place where they put him / Jesus himself meets us
at the place where they put him / Jesus himself meets us
Invitation to examine evidence, be
introduced to Jesus
introduced to Jesus
Yet restraint in telling the story
No movie scene of suddenly coming
alive
alive
Because no one witnessed that!
The
report of the church is that the grave is empty and we have seen the risen Lord.
report of the church is that the grave is empty and we have seen the risen Lord.
Not
simply private experience. Here it is Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.”
Elsewhere, as many as 120 persons – at one time – witness the risen Lord. There
is no other historical explanation for the existence of the church except that
a large number of verifiable witnesses shared the same experience. Look at the
place where they put him. Look – Jesus himself meets us.
simply private experience. Here it is Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary.”
Elsewhere, as many as 120 persons – at one time – witness the risen Lord. There
is no other historical explanation for the existence of the church except that
a large number of verifiable witnesses shared the same experience. Look at the
place where they put him. Look – Jesus himself meets us.
The
stone is removed, not for Jesus to get out, but for us to look and see that it
is empty
stone is removed, not for Jesus to get out, but for us to look and see that it
is empty
Resurrection
defies explanation – yes. But it is not without evidence. Look at the place
where they put him.
defies explanation – yes. But it is not without evidence. Look at the place
where they put him.
Look
– do not overlook the evidence and do not, by your inflexible skepticism, miss
out on Jesus coming to meet you
– do not overlook the evidence and do not, by your inflexible skepticism, miss
out on Jesus coming to meet you
Look!
Point out our attention deficit (book at
PSU football)
PSU football)
Look
– he is going on ahead of you to Galilee
– he is going on ahead of you to Galilee
Jesus has places to go and things to do
He says “Hi”, they have a round of
hugs, and off he goes
hugs, and off he goes
No victory lap, no public dig at
those who conspired against
those who conspired against
Jesus has places to go and things to
do
do
Wouldn’t
his mission – God’s kingdom – have come easier if he did a little exhibit,
offered his proof?
his mission – God’s kingdom – have come easier if he did a little exhibit,
offered his proof?
But for all of us with spiritual ADD, we
think “miracle, miracle”
think “miracle, miracle”
Commoditize faith, objectify Jesus
He
has places to go and things to do because he wants to lead us out of our safety
zone, he wants to thrust us out, to scatter us, on his mission.
has places to go and things to do because he wants to lead us out of our safety
zone, he wants to thrust us out, to scatter us, on his mission.
“Go tell my brothers to come to Galilee”
The women have places to go and things to
do!
do!
And so do we – people to meet, a story to
tell
tell
Resource:
Frederick
Dale Bruner, Matthew
Dale Bruner, Matthew
