The Hope We Have Been Told - Easter
Service Link: https://youtu.be/X9H_j67p_II
Readings: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, Psalm 118:1-2,14-24, Luke 24:1-12
I know that many people, myself included are unable to see all the bad in themselves. We are often unable to see the truth of who we are and what is happening around us. The interesting thing we see in these Easter readings is that sometimes we are unable to hear or understand hope too. God has been trying to show us who we are and what we need, but more than all of that God is trying to lead us to how he will give it all to us. God is trying to tell us about new life, about abundance, about relationship and love, which is Christ with us.
Just look at what Jesus’ disciples heard and saw:
Jesus told them what would happen
The rolled away stone tells them - no robbery as guards
The Angel tells Mary - he is alive, repeats words
The empty tomb tells them
Mary tells the disciples
But they do not believe, they do not understand
This hope has been written into creation
We have heard it
God spoke creation into being
God gave us Scripture but he also speaks into our hearts continuously pointing the way
C.S Lewis shows us that our conscious is God’s way of doing this but it is so much more than that
We have Seen it
God moved ahead of Israel in fire and smoke
He moves ahead of us showing us new life in spring, in new birth and more
We have Touched it
God lead Israel into a new land and gave them a new family
We have been welcomed into this sanctuary and this family and the bounty of this world
Experienced it
Israel was delivered out of slavery in Egypt to freedom and life in a new land
We have been brought into new life. We have seen situations redeemed, relationships restored, forgiveness and so much more
God has used so many things to tell us about the hope and realization of his resurrection and restoration of our lives and yet still we often don’t believe.
That is the story of God choosing and guiding Israel
That is the story of God choosing and guiding us in our lives
Let’s face it, it is so easy to get trapped in our fear, to be blinded by loss, to be consumed by hurt, to lose joy because of guilt, envy, and greed. We only need to look around, or turn on the TV to see that there is plenty wrong in the world, but there is a hope written into creation. It is a hope that cannot be overcome, but instead will overcome everything, evil and good alike.
Today, we have seen Jesus Christ defeat death. Love and life in God is more powerful than anything else. For most people, death is just a given. It is the reality of life. All die and that is all there is to say about it. But for us, we know why death feels unnatural, because it is. We know that death is not the end. We know that relationship and community is the building block for reality and so even in death, we will find that relationship and community once again.
All of creation speaks to us, shows us, and gives us this hope. We are called to confront the brokenness and look beyond, to see what God is doing with it and join in. We are called to live out this hope by confronting fear and loss with faith. We are called to follow Jesus out of the tomb and into the world. I hope you will never forget the hope given to us in this empty tomb, the hope that God has built into creation.
