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. 

Notes from California-EMV Part 4

This is the last post from California as I am hopping onto a bus in a few hours to make it to the airport and wait 6 hours for our 0500 flight back home. I have really enjoyed my time out here with my Marines and have learned quite a bit more about the USMC and what to expect in Afghanistan. The desert environment has been quite the challenge on me and my equipment and I learned tricks to overcome that. One thing I would improve is to have some dedicated training/mentoring for the Religious Ministry Teams (Chaplain and RP) that come out here for a month. It is a mentality of go figure out how to operate under a schedule and training environment that is nothing like deployment. So, RP and I had to figure out ways to make the training effective for us.

We did five foot patrols with the guys in a mock town in two days this week to get our teamwork and communication down. We have some more work to do, but there has been a good start and we can build on that next week and during our in country training period.

I got to participate in a few key leader engagements with Afghan role players. I was just there to engage with their religious leader if needed. It was great to learn the culture in an intense setting and to eat Afghan food. I did get to say a prayer at one of the meetings. It was odd saying a prayer as a Christian in a room of Muslims. I gather I did a good job as it was well received and I heard a comment of how our prayers are very similar. 

Easter was great, despite preaching in 30+ mph winds. 80 people showed up across all three services throughout the afternoon. We couldn't do a sunrise service due to the training schedule, but I was pleased with the turnout. We'll see how many show up once we get into country. I am predicting a pretty good turnout, but that depends on how things are going.

It was a good experience for RP and I to bond and get a good feel for how we work together and what the stressors are for each of us. We also learned what happens to each of us as we get tired and exhausted. I am really looking forward to heading out in a few weeks and ministering where there is a distinct and great need.

Notes from California-EMV Part 3

It has been a good two weeks out here. The battalion seems to be performing well. I'm not a ground combat tactician so I'm basing that on what I am hearing, etc. The Marines are in good spirits and are eager to get this last week done and get back to NC. I can say I am there with them.

I have had a good time out there watching artillery do their job in the combined arms portion of this long training. It is weird being out in the field with weapons flying overhead. You definitely hear them coming before you see them land about a mile away. My RP and I have yet to spend more than two nights in any one location. We are getting tired by all the traveling, but it is rewarding and I am there to serve my Marines so that is what we get to do. We did get the last two nights back at Camp Wilson for some rest and refit. We are heading back out in two hours for the last event here that will last until Thursday and then on Friday we are off to the airport for the flight back to NC.

I would have some great photos from the last week or so, but the cell phone literally cooked in the heat and isn't working at all. And my camera didn't make it past the first week.

Next up is getting ready for the Easter preaching extravaganza tomorrow as I plan to do 4 services so I can be at every company position for Easter. That is why the rest over the last few days has been well timed. Last week I got to do something pretty special and participated in a Passover Seder out in the field. I had to order the meals for everyone three months ago due to the special order nature of the event, but it was great to participate in such a setting for a special meal. I even got a thank you email from one of the moms for making sure to think about the Jewish Marines out here. That was one of the emails that makes the job worthwhile.