Rev. Bill's Sermons

Jeremiah 31:1-6 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 Can You See The Lord? Easter March 27, 2005

Today is the most joyously celebrative day in the Christian year. You can tell it in the beauty of the sanctuary. You can tell it in the beauty of the music. You can tell it in the beauty of the service as we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion. You will be able to tell it in the fellowship we will be able to share at the breakfast. All these elements work together to make this day the high point of the Christian year for us. But what really makes it the high point of the Christian year is the fact that this is our celebration of the resurrection of Jesus -- and the new life He gives us -- new hope for new life in heaven as well as new hope for new life here and now. All three of our lessons this Easter day witness to the amazing fact that God is making our lives -- our world -- new. God is up to doing something that is new and marvelous. God is changing us -- and our world -- in the resurrection of Christ. By the resurrection of Christ our lives -- our world -- can be changed -- they can be made new. Easter is a time of hope and joy. The message of Easter is a message of hope and joy -- especially when it is least expected. Can you imagine the joy -- the hope -- Mary must have felt as she encountered the risen Christ? She must have felt all hope was lost as she came to the tomb -- Jesus -- whom she had followed and in whom she had placed all her hopes and dreams -- was dead -- and it must have seemed that all her hopes and dreams of a better way of living -- a new life -- had died with Him. All her hopes and dreams must have seemed to have been buried with Jesus. She must have felt alone -- and like there was no way that she could get new hope for her life. But then -- she encountered the risen Christ. There is a new hope. There is a new joy. There is hope for a new and different way to live. Just when she least expected it -- God gave her new life -- and new hope. There is hope for a different life -- life that was much more meaningful and joyous than she had ever dared imagine before. As she ran back to the disciples with the news that she had seen the Lord she may have been confused -- maybe incredulous -- maybe even scared -- but she also must have felt hope. Hope that Christ was with her. Hope that things could truly be different. Hope that her life could truly be changed. Can you imagine what hope and excitement must have been in her voice as she announced to the disciples:

“I have seen the Lord!”

What a message of joy and hope that must have been!

“I have seen the Lord!” “I have seen the Lord!”

Friends -- this is hope. As we gather around the Lord’s table on this Easter morning -- and as we celebrate the Sacraments -- there is hope. There is hope for our lives -- there is hope for our families -- there is hope for our community -- there is hope for our church -- there is hope for our world -- because of the risen Christ. Because of the risen Christ -- there is new life. Because to the risen Christ -- there is hope. Because of the risen Christ -- there is hope and new life when we least expect it. We can see the risen Lord.

Can you see the Lord? Can you see the Lord?

Can you see the hope -- the new life -- the love the risen Lord offers us? Can you see the new life God gives us -- especially when we least expect it?

Can you see the Lord? Can you see the Lord?

If so -- act like it! Let the joy of the risen Lord infect your lives -- how you worship -- how you fellowship with each other -- how you share God’s love with the world. Let the world know that you see the risen Christ. Let the surprising love of God that renews us and gives us new life -- especially when we least expect it -- give you such joy that the world will see it and wonder what has happened. Let it make a noticeable difference in your life. If we have seen the risen Christ we can not keep that fact a secret among ourselves. We can not keep the new life and new hope God offers us through the risen Christ a secret to ourselves. We must put it into the world -- we must put it in the way we worship -- we must put it in the way we fellowship -- we must put it in the way we reach out into the world with God’s love -- we have to bring to each other and to the world the message Mary brought to the disciples.

“I have seen the Lord!” Can you see the Lord? Can you see the Lord?

Has your life been changed by an experience with the risen Christ? Have you experienced the Lord’s love in a new way? Have you let Christ make your life new? Have you experienced God’s new life -- especially in a way you never expected it before?

Can you see the Lord? Can you see the Lord?

Easter has a clear message. Because of the resurrection of Christ -- our lives -- our families -- our community -- our church - - our world -- can be made new by our God who makes all things new -- even when -- or maybe it‘s better to say especially when -- we least expect it. Let the message of Easter change your life. Let the message of Easter change how you live. Let the message of Easter change how you relate to all people. Let the message of Easter truly change how you live. Let the message of Easter give you hope for life -- life here on earth and life the future life in heaven. Have you ever been sailing? If so -- even though you may not realize it -- you may have encountered one way to illustrate the hope of Easter -- the new life and new hope God gives us -- even when we least expect it. Paul Willis, pastor of The Cathedral Of His Glory in Greensboro,NC tells a story of sailing with his grandfather off the coast of North Carolina when he was a young boy. One day as they were sailing the wind stopped -- the sea became a dead calm -- and their sailboat began floating aimlessly in the water. Try as they might, they couldn’t get the ship to head in the direction of home -- and it was getting dark. Young Paul panicked -- and did not know what to do. He knew they couldn’t swim to shore -- they were much too far out. What were they going to do? His grandfather knew that all they could do was wait -- and -- being an experienced sailor and fisherman -- he knew the wind would begin blowing again. Darkness fell -- and still no wind. Young Paul knew they were doomed. Grandfather knew that the wind would come back in time. Finally -- late into the night -- grandfather woke Paul and told him to trim the sails. Paul did not understand why -- the wind was still not blowing -- but off in the distance he heard a faint sound. The sound became stronger and stronger until finally he could feel the wind. With the sails trimmed, the boat made its way home. Willis likens the unexpected -- to him -- wind to the new life God offers us. Just when we think things are at their worst -- there is the wind -- the Spirit -- of God -- giving us new life -- new hope -- for our lives. It happened that way for Mary and the disciples. It happens that way for us. Indeed, that is the message of Easter. Feel it. See it. Believe it. Experience it. Live it. See the new hope God gives. Celebrate the new hope God gives.

Can you see the Lord? Can you see the Lord?

See the hope! Sere the life! See the Lord!

Come. Let us experience the risen Christ. Let the joy of the Easter message change your life -- and through us change the world. Come -- and see the Lord. Amen