He Is Risen

Luke 24:1-12

 “He Is Risen”

16 April 2017 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

Seven weeks ago we began a journey with ashes on our foreheads. Ashes of all that remains from a previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations. We spent time reflecting on tough Scripture passages and saw how our lack of noticing and understanding Christ’s purpose on earth isn’t unlike what the disciples experienced even after spending years walking alongside Christ.

The last week has been a busy one in the life of the Church, reflecting the craziness of Christ’s last week walking the earth. While the disciples, and even us, weren’t too sure where Jesus was headed and the reasons for his actions over the last week, he knew all along what was going to happen.

So what exactly occurred over the last week? As we discussed last Sunday, Christ entered Jerusalem to shouts of Hosanna from an adoring crowd lining his path. If the fact he rode in on a donkey didn’t clue us in that this wasn’t a typical savior, his actions at the temple on Sunday sure did. He went right into that temple and let everyone know what the Kingdom was about. It wasn’t about making money and rote sacrifice, it was about living out Scripture to the benefit of everyone, especially those society mocks.

The next day he curses a poor fig tree. Sure, it was a symbolic prophetic act, but what did that fig tree do to anyone? Why did he have to take out his frustration on part of his beloved creation?

On Tuesday he focuses his effort into one of the things he is known for, teaching. Jesus regales the crowds with parables directed towards the religious leaders about how the world is about to change and he predicts the fall of the temple. Not surprisingly, those in authority and power, the ones that benefitted from the system he derided were none too happy and vowed to take down Christ.

On Wednesday, we see that someone understands what Jesus represents and this woman’s intuition leads to Christ receiving a memorable anointing while at Simon’s house for dinner. But, things have also taken a dark turn as Wednesday is when Judas arranges the arrest of Jesus.

Thursday Jesus has one final meal with his disciples marking the beginning of a long night. He takes the disciples for prayer at Gethsemane where he is betrayed and arrested. Then we get the beginning of his trial, the first part before the Sanhedrin. Throughout the evening, Peter denies knowing Christ three times.

On Friday, Christ has a trial before Pilate who really doesn’t want to take responsibility for what is happening but still sentences Jesus to death. This is followed by beatings, a walk with the cross towards crucifixion and death around 3pm.

All is eerily quiet on the Sabbath of that Saturday. Though many people have already given up on following Christ, some remain though they may be questioning their life choices over the last few years.

 Now we stand here at the tomb, but he isn’t here.

HE IS RISEN!!!!

            And no one saw it coming. For if they did, the women wouldn’t have been perplexed at the sight of an open tomb. They wouldn’t have assumed his body was stolen. Perhaps the sight of the two men in dazzling clothes would have been expected. Peter might have actually believed their story instead of second guessing their testimony.

We cautiously peer into an empty tomb two thousand years later still perplexed and doubting the testimony of these faithful women. For if we truly believed this first testimony of Christ risen, we’d all (including yours truly) live markedly different lives.

Do our lives testify to the Risen Lord? What testimony are we giving with our actions, for we know they speak much louder than words, bumper stickers, or symbols we wear? We are all called to be a living testimony to the Risen Lord. What testimony are we speaking?

Now, we won’t all share the same testimony, because Christ invited us into the story at different times and in different ways. Maybe we are like these unnamed, yet vital, women who point to the empty tomb saying, “he isn’t there” and are told to quit looking for Christ among the dead. Because he is among the living.

Our testimony could be one of small acts of charity that become spectacular when viewed over the course of our lives. It could be putting our lives on the line for the righting of an injustice. Some of us will testify through spending time with children, patiently helping them explore their faith each week for years. Perhaps our testimony is silently supporting those in the spotlight, keeping them focused on finding Christ among the living and not in the tomb.

Testimony is an action word, not sitting around pondering the beautiful truth of the resurrection. These women are told to look among life for the true life, so they go and tell the disciples their new story, inviting them into the one story that matters, explaining what they have experienced over the last few years. Testimony invites others into the story.

However we share our testimony, we have one because we have witnessed Christ in our lives and the lives of others. Part of that testimony is to invite people into the empty tomb. We need to enter the tomb to know that Christ was there in the darkest corners of life and death and that his light overcame and will always overcome.

He is Risen!

Now let us go forth and live like it.

You can listen to sermons from St. Andrew's Military Chapel here.

Just create a login and download sermons at your convenience. 

Going Viral

Luke 19:29-44

 “Going Viral”

09 April 2017 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

            What makes something go viral? You probably didn’t expect that question at the beginning of a sermon on Palm Sunday. Let’s take a look at a few things that have gone viral over the years.

            So, what do all of these have in common? Some are funny. Some are heartwarming. Some things that go viral have negative messages and are mean spirited. Some have a relevant message to today’s time. Things that go viral connect with us in some way (good or bad). Most of them are unexpected in either the message or the messenger. When something goes viral it can’t be stopped. It’s like nature itself is telling the story, or dare I say the stones are shouting, because wherever you turn you hear about the viral content.

Today, we look back 2000 years and remember the day Christ entered Jerusalem for the final time. Part of the most viral story in history. So much so that the Bible is the most printed book in history. The Bible was the first book printed on the modern printing press 500 years ago. Biblical references are all around us showing up in unexpected places.

We celebrate today because this dynamic story not only went viral, it’s truth has given it staying power and cultural reach that is unmatched in history. However, back on the day Luke describes in this story, only one person knew what was going on, only one person knew it was the viral story of the ages. That’s why Christ mentions that stones will shout if his disciples are silenced. Because you can’t silence the truth of Christ’s story.

When Christ entered Jerusalem, he came in through an entirely different gate than the one through which Herod would enter the city. Herod arrived with a parade and foot soldiers showing the rebellious and difficult Jerusalem that he was the one true king and ruler over their lives. Jesus entered on a donkey with a ragged, motley band of fishermen, reformed tax collectors, and other rejected and forgotten people. Yet his plain entry elicited excited shouts of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Why?

The people of Jerusalem expected a warrior king who would come and destroy Roman rule over their lives. But, more importantly, and more pressing on their minds was the possibility of a new reality where a system that was set up to dominate every aspect of their lives and prevent them from ever getting out from under the oppressive weight of Rome was something worth publicly rejoicing over. They, like us today longed for a story much different than the one culture tells us every day.

It needs to be in our minds that these people who were shouting Hosanna to Christ were putting themselves in a very dangerous position. They were committing a seditious act in speaking out against Rome and Roman rule while Herod was in the city. Truth has a way of getting out in the face of danger and oppression.

For something to go viral and have staying power it had to be more than a military victory by Christ. A viral story points to something bigger than us. And resurrection is much bigger than anything we can imagine.

Resurrection of people. Resurrection of culture. Resurrection of faith. Resurrection of economies. Resurrection of dignity. Something that big, that important can’t help but go viral.

Jerusalem was full of resurrection people, but didn’t yet know it. Nor did they expect it to come only after death on a cross, both that of Christ and their own. Once they realized they were part of something other, that they were resurrection people, the story went viral.

When we make disciples of all nations, we give the stones reason to shout. We spread the Gospel to the world through our actions and nature can’t help but proclaim the works of God in the world. Making disciples keeps the content viral allowing the ultimate story to reach all people.

One denomination describes how making disciples keeps the story relevant, hopeful, vibrant, and contagious. “The Church is called to undertake this mission [of making disciples of all nations, demonstrating Christ through the love of its members to one another, ministering to the poor and broken, seeking justice and freedom for all people, and giving of itself to the service of others] even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ.” That’s something for stones to shout about.

That’s a tall order, and we can’t do it alone. Nor do we have to because we have the Spirit upon us and Christ leading us, supporting us, prodding us, and walking beside us to accomplish this mission. It won’t look like we expect, nor will it follow any plan we make. So, the question we face on this Palm Sunday, how do we keep the story alive and viral, so that stones continue to shout the Gospel when we can’t?

Will we just make a living or will we live a life? Will we spend our lives on things for us or things for others? Will we seek our own promotion and glory or will we walk behind someone else letting them bask in the glory of our efforts? Will we spend all of our money on things for our benefit or will we set aside a sufficient amount to further the Kingdom of God here on earth? Will we spend more time watching television, on the internet, or playing computer games alone than we spend in devotional time and building and sustaining relationships with our fellow travellers in life? Will we love more than we are loved? Will we seek to change the world or be the conduit through which Christ changes the world?

When we focus our energy and time not on ourselves but on those who need the love of Christ in their lives, we become the people that can’t be contained. Because we are living out the Gospel for all to see. That’s something for stones to shout about. A life like that has no trajectory other than to go viral and spread it’s light throughout the world.

As we spend the next week reflecting on the wild turn of events in Christ’s life from today’s entry into Jerusalem to his death on a cross to a glorious resurrection three days later, let us seek ways to live out that story each and every day. All of us are part of a story bigger than ourselves, bigger than creation. It’s such a powerful and amazing story that the stones will shout it out in our absence or silence. We are part of the original viral story. Let us live into that each and every day of our lives.

You can listen to sermons from St. Andrew's Military Chapel here.

Just create a login and download sermons at your convenience.