Tag: Easter

The Resurrection Powers The Church

Posted on by nfuller

Greetings online readers!  A little over two weeks ago the church celebrated our Lord’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday. In those last 16 days I know there have been times where I have been mindful of the joy of the resurrection, and other times where I have simply been lost in my every day routines with little reflection on how the resurrection brings joy and gladness to our lives and to our earth. 

Fortunately the readings for the season of Easter keep the resurrection right in the forefront of our focus in worship.  Listen to the words of the gradual appointed for the season of Easter: “Christ has risen from the dead, God the Father has crowned Him with glory and honor, He has given him dominion over the works of his hands, he has put all things under his feet.”

This gradual reminds us how its not just that Jesus rose, once dead , now alive- but that Jesus is now crowned by the Father with the fullest of glory and honor- that Jesus now reigns over all of creation.

It is in this context that we are meant to listen to the gospel lesson of John chapter 21, what it calls the third appearance of the risen Jesus to the disciples. Jesus is appearing as He who the father has put all things under his feet.  Jesus is appearing to the disciples with a promise and hope of all things being granted to the disciples as well.

Just prior to this reading we hear about Jesus appearing to the disciples with this summary statement of the whole gospel reading: 

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

And yet now the gospel is circling back to describe one more thing.  The disciples are gathering together near the sea of Tiberius to go fishing.  It seems they are resuming a normal everyday activity of theirs, now that a certain number of days has passed since they last saw Jesus. Peter has the idea to go fishing and the disciples present agree to go with him. It’s almost like life has returned back to normal. 

They do not catch any fish that night. Sounds unusual to not catch any fish.  It almost makes you wonder if there fishing drought was caused by God’s guidance.  While they are out on the boat Jesus is on the shore and speaks to them about their fishing success. My study Bible suggests that people back then often directed fishing from the shore if they could see a school of fish that those in the boat could not see. 

They are far enough away from the shore that they can hear Jesus, but in the beginning hours of daybreak, they don’t quite see him well enough to recognize who is talking to them.  They listen to him and obey his command:   “cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”    

As I was reading this portion of scripture last week in preparation for Sunday I couldn’t help but feel curious about how necessary this reading is. Like I mentioned earlier, John’s gospel already talks about the previous appearances of Jesus as if they are the end of the story. 

And we certainly have heard about Jesus directing the disciples to a miraculous catch of fish before.  And we also have already had plenty of instances of the disciples not recognizing Jesus until he is revealed to them, at the tomb Mary mistakes the risen Jesus for the gardener until he speaks her name.  On the road to Emmaus Jesus is walking and talking to the disciples about how all of what he did fulfilled the scriptures, and they do not recognize him until the breaking of the bread.

It makes you wonder how many times would Jesus need to appear before he is recognized right away?  And after all of what Jesus did, after rising from the dead, what use is there in one more miracle? Almost seems a little anti climactic.  And why specify 153 fish, how important is that detail in relation to the fact that Jesus rose 3 days from the grave.

Yet as I looked more closely at the reading, and heard from resources within the church I began to see how this is a reading about our response to Jesus. 

Once Jesus provided them with a catch of fish that was so large that they could not pull in the net John puts two and two together that this direction about where to fish and the miraculous catch can only mean one thing: “It is the Lord!”   This was a post resurrection experience that provided the disciples with an opportunity for a response of action.  Peter’s response was to jump in the water and swim to shore faster than the burdened fishing boat could get back in. 

When they all were on the shore the disciples dared not ask if this was Jesus, but instead, as they ate breakfast with him they accepted in faith the gift of his presence with them.  

The reading specifies that the nets as burdened as they were with the large catch of fish did not tear.  It seems this was an important sign in of itself. The nets didn’t tear because they were up to the task to handle more than you would expect. Just like the disciples were now shaped and fashioned by Jesus to be fishers of men. 

We can remember the previous instance where Jesus led the disciples to catch fish, where he told them “from now on you will be fishers of men.”   The lesson is the same here.  A new level of meaning and purpose awaits the disciples now. In the verses following our reading Jesus implores Peter with the command “Feed my sheep.”  This was a resurrection appearance about action.

Biblical commentaries point out that in the ancient world there was a belief that there were 153 different varieties of fish in the sea.  Accordingly, 153 fish caught by the disciples as directed by Jesus could be understood to point to the fact that the disciples were destined to make disciples of all nations, leaving no fish in the sea unaccounted for.

The same power and authority in which Jesus directed the disciples to catch those fish would also be exercised by Jesus through the church as generation after generation has proclaimed His salvation to all nations.

Today things are no different. Just as Jesus prepared the charcoal fire and invited the disciples to contribute to the meal, and then dined with them – so also today Jesus prepares for us a meal of fellowship in which his body and blood unites us to Him through the Lord’s Supper. 

Our everyday routines are transformed into the joyful transformation of seeing life as filled with many opportunities for proclaiming the good news of the resurrection. As Christians who live by faith in the resurrection we can’t help but be excited to speak about how Jesus changes our lives.

As individuals, we are all here to live out this resurrection story. No matter how ordinary your daily life is, through faith in the resurrection of Jesus you can live in the richness of God’s kingdom each and every day.  The joy of Christ in your life can be contagious to others, evident not just through your words but through your very presence in whatever context your day brings you to.

As the church we should not overlook how fruitful with purpose Jesus makes us.  Like the disciples pulling the large net of fish, we can expect a greater harvest from the church than the world expects.   

The proclamation of the gospel has the power to change lives and change our world.  A people living in the hope of the resurrection of Jesus has this power.   May we rejoice at the presence of Jesus just as those disciples did, eating with him on the shore. May we watch for Jesus to come to us at break of day.

Just as He promised

Posted on by nfuller

“For behold, I create new heavens  and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.

How markedly different these words from the Old Testament reading from Isaiah chapter 65 sound from words we listened to here on Friday.  Instead of my God, my God why have you forsaken me, we hear about a new heaven and a new earth, where the former things are not remembered.  Instead of darkness covering the whole land we hear about gladness and rejoicing forever. 

We might even say these words seem out of place. What about the betrayal and the mock trial and the scourging and the humiliation, and the complete forsakenness, darkness and death? 

Today in our culture these words seem out of place.  How can the former things not be remembered? For public figures, politicians, celebrities, and the like ‘What is written on your social media platform is written, You can’t take it back, someone will hold you accountable, fact check you or label you as public enemy for your prejudiced or misinformed views. 

In today’s world the promise of gladness and rejoicing is met with much skepticism because of the former things that have happened- wars, atrocities, emotional abuse, sexual abuse.  Wood Allen was able to generate laughs by commenting that ‘the lion will lie down with the lamb, but the lamb is not going to get a lot of sleep.’ 

There is skepticism that if things have not worked out so well in our world before, how could they work out so perfectly in the future?  How could a world that asked for Jesus to be crucified on the hill of Calvary have a predicted future where they shall not hurt or destroy in all of my holy mountain?     

There was this same spirit of skepticism about how the disciples might have motivation to fabricate a story about Jesus rising from the dead. In Matthew chapter 28 we hear: 62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

No matter how skeptical, no matter how unbelieving the world can be, it cannot contain Jesus.  No matter how secure they made the tomb, no matter how many guards stood watch- the stone was rolled away because death could not hold Jesus.  Jesus did not need the guards to believe he would rise again, he did not need the disciples or anyone who followed him to believe. 

Because it is not our belief or our faith that makes Jesus alive, it is Jesus himself who death could not hold.  The Son of God begotten of his Father before all worlds, creator of all things- rose again according to the scriptures.  He rose with the Father and the Holy Spirit working alongside him.  He rose just as he promised!

He rose and lives forevermore just as was the plan all along. Where human skepticism says, it has never been like this, it’s too good to be true, God’s Word says it has always been like this, God’s love has always been this supremely good and beautiful- ever since the creation of the world.  

Our celebration of Easter is about more than just one isolated event in the life of Jesus.  If we focus only on the resurrection alone, we miss seeing the big picture of how everything about Jesus was for this purpose of winning our salvation on the cross and rising again to eternal life.

Ever since the first promise of the gospel in Genesis 3:15 God spoke to his people about the healing and the restoration of all that was lost through the Fall into sin.  The story of Job is thought to take place in the time period of the patriarchs of Genesis. The Holy Spirit spoke through Job about the New creation Jesus would bring:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself,  and my eyes shall behold, and not another.  -Job 19:25-28   

In the book of Exodus the new creation was seen through the deliverance from bondage to Pharaoh in Egypt.  And through the institution of the Passover where the people of Israel were saved by the blood of the Passover Lamb.  This new Creation was celebrated by Moses and all of the people of Israel: “I will sing to the LORD for he has triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God and I will praise Him, my father’s god, and I will exult him.”

Everything Jesus spoke and taught to his disciples spoke of this New Creation to come.    We hear in our gospel reading this morning from Luke that Jesus rose from the grave just as he promised.   “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words,9 It was indeed just as he told them.  Listen to just a fraction of the promises Jesus made to the world about his resurrection and the new creation He came to bring:

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.  -John 8:28

 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  -Matthew 16:21

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”  -Matthew 20:18-19

Jesus spoke all along about his upcoming death on the cross and his resurrection. He came through on his word.  And so too today Jesus comes through in his word to us, as He gathers us as his church to receive his gifts of life and salvation.

It is just as Jesus told us, that we should be gathered as one body in Him receiving his boundless gifts, living our lives in a steadfast hope and promise and joy as the first fruits of His resurrection.  And so we can look at the scriptures promises from long ago and see that they are promises made to us.

When we face sadness and trials in life we can hear a Psalm like Psalm 30 in light of the new creation Jesus brings to our lives: 

   You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;   you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praises and not be silent.

When we feel weary about the limits of our lives and the changes and chances of this world we can find in Psalm 16 a new perspective on life:

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;   at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. -Psalm 16:11

And listen to these promises made about us because Jesus has risen… these are promises of his Word, that we will see Him on the last day- yes it is so, just as he told us!

“When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory” Colossians 3:4

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, -John 11:25

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. -John 14:3

And it is not just on the last day, but already today that we walk in the New Creation: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” -Romans 6:4

 Here we are Easter 2019, it is just as he told us, each congregation exists as a community of believers called together by him.  Each congregation a people of God’s own choosing set apart for great works in Him. In this season of Easter and in the months that follow, I pray for faith for all of us to see how God is calling you to be the  light of Christ for those in your neighborhood and those in your life- proclaiming the light of Christ into the darkness of doubt and skepticism.

I pray that when you doubt what difference you can make that you trust in His Word nonetheless and see the results- Just as He told us.

We all know what it is like to wonder if the failures of the past are only signs of what is to come.  When we are praying for loved ones fighting cancer, we can’t help but see how difficult life in this fallen world can be for us.  We wonder when we will be the ones others are praying for our health.  At these times we remember His promises to us, and we rest secure knowing that all things come to fulfillment in Him- Just as He told us.