Pastor Ruth Foss
Suncook UMC
April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
John 20:1-18 Common English Bible
Acts 10:33-43 Common English Bible
“I Know My Redeemer Lives”
Christ is risen!
He has risen indeed!
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray. . .
Loving, Merciful, God, thank you for this day, thank you for this day that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Thank you that you loved us so much that your mercy said no to sin and death, your mercy said no to the broken relationship that we, you creation had with you. Thank you, that in your mercy, you made us right again through the blood that flowed down from Calvary’s Cross. We ask for your spirit to be with us this day as we celebrate the Resurrection of your Son and our Savoir, Jesus Christ. May we hear the message that you have for us this day. Speak Lord. . . your redeemed are listening. . .
All four Gospels have the recount of the resurrection of Jesus. I think that my favorite is the one found in John chapter twenty verses one through twenty. It has so much meaning for me, it is rich a rich piece of scripture that holds a special meaning in my heart. It is the one that Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, she being the first to see Jesus after His resurrection. It reads (and I’m reading from the Common English Bible this morning). . . read text. . .
Here is Mary, in so much pain and agony over the death of her teacher, the one who was ready to go and prepare His body for the “next world”, only to find Him still in the world that she lived in. He was not dead. . . He had risen like He said He would. What a Easter Morning surprise. . . how wonderful it must have been for her to know that her teacher. . . the one who accepted her as she was (remember. . . she was a woman of “ill repute” and He accepted her and forgave her of her sins, He had saved her from a stoning from the religious leaders by tell them “ye without sin, cast the first stone”, and they all walked away.), was still with her. She was so excited that she wanted to hold Him and not let go. I think I can understand her excitement and joy. There have been times in my life when I have had people in my life that have made such a difference in it that I wanted to keep them close and never let go. But as life would have it, I have had to say goodbye to them in one way or another only to find them back in my life at a later time and place. What a joy it was to see them again and have them back in my life.
You see. . . Mary stayed by the tomb. Even though the two disciples went away puzzled by what they say. . . Mary was the one who remained faithful by the tomb. She stayed and was able to see the risen Lord for herself. She was the one who experienced the joy of the Resurrection first. Now thinking about Mary at the tomb I am reminded about a conversation I had with a very good friend of mine this week. We were talking about the implications of Mary seeing Jesus first. You see. . . it was a daughter of Eve that saw him first. Now. . . it seemed as if God was saying that the original sin of Eve was being forgiven. Here we have a woman, Mary who was of “ill repute” , a daughter of Eve, who down the years has been seen as the one who started this whole disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden, being the first to see Jesus. . . it was if God was saying that He forgives that sin, from the Garden, so much that He will allow a daughter of Eve to see Jesus first. She alone was faithful. . . she alone never left Jesus during the week that had proceeded that Easter morning. . . the disciples fled and ran away but she was there, at the foot of the cross, when Jesus breathed His last.
And even better than that. . . Jesus told her to tell the disciples that He was going to ascend to “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” All was forgiven then as it is now. They were still children of God, even though the deserted Jesus in his hour of need. This is the wonderful message of Easter. This was and is a wonderful message to His disciples then as it still is today. . . each and every one of His disciples.
Beloved children of God. . . there is a message that has reached beyond the grave to you and to me. . . there is a message of hope and renewal. Loved reached beyond the grave. Mary’s and ours today loyalty to Jesus was and is rewarded (remember. . . Jesus has gone to prepare a room for you and for me in His and our Fathers house). She saw the risen Lord first. As with Mary, God knows us personally and calls us by name. . . just as Jesus called Mary’s name. We. . . like Mary. . . have a job to do. . . we as disciples have a story to tell. . . a story of sorrow and joy, a story that has it’s villains and hero’s, a story of triumph and defeat, a story that never gets old only better. We need to follow the message that Jesus gave Mary. . . the message to “go. . . and tell others”.
It’s resurrection Morning church! Jesus has conquered sin and death! Go. . . tell. . . share the story! Christ is Risen. . . He has risen indeed!
AMEN?!
April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
Worship Theme: “Christ has Risen. . . He has Risen Indeed!”
John 20:1-18 (Common English Bible)
Acts 10:33-43 (Common English Bible)
Children’s Message, “Thanking God”
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and sermon: ““I Know My Redeemer Lives!”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
April 24, 2011
Easter Sunday
Lent
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 11,580+ of my poems at Poetry Where You Live.
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