April
09, 2023 Easter Sermon...
Pastor Jean
Barrington
Easter 4/9/23 - Trinity Point Roberts
Grace and peace to you from Jesus. . .
Easter is not just about what happened, it’s about what is
happening. Easter is about the power of God in your life now -
today and into the future! It is about letting go of old ways
and making way for Christ’s new
life in a new way.
It is not just important that you believe in Jesus resurrection,
centuries ago, but that you believe the power that raised Jesus
from the dead can resurrect your life now, so that you may have
life in Christ.
This means experiencing new life, hope and love in this life,
right now - not waiting for our physical death to take us away
from God’s creation.
All four gospel narratives end with the empty tomb.- that is the
story of Easter - Jesus raised from the dead!! Each gospel
writer make a different point. The author of John’s gospel wants
us to understand the power of God!
John leads up to the resurrection of Jesus by sharing what Jesus
does in his life to show people the power of God. We heard some
of these stories through Lent - Jesus restores the Samaritan
woman to life in her
community and life with God. He gives the man born blind, sight
that he may no longer have to beg for existence, but live fully
and he rises Lazarus, who had been stinking dead in the tomb for
4 days, back to life with his family and community. Jesus shows
that God has the power to change lives, but the power to give
life through Christ.
Jesus, fully human dies a humiliatingly painful death at the
hands of the Roman government and the Judean political system’s
fear. Jesus was truly dead - as dead as any of us will be one
day. He was not a
superhero, he did not raise himself from the dead. God, whom
Jesus called Father raised his son, Jesus, to life and gave him
power over death. When God raised Jesus from the dead, it was a
statement that the powers and fears of this world do not have
the final say. God has the final say and God always says; Yes to
life, yes to hope and above all, yes to love.
God’s power is the salve applied to all those small deaths in
our life - the losses, the failures, the hurts, the needs. Dead
in the Gospel of John also
means; not being in a relationship with God. God has the power
to resurrect your life today - to open a relationship with God
and with community.
What does new life in Christ look like? God is working in our
lives through our baptisms. It is our baptism that joins us with
Christ makes us Christian. It is what God does in us, not what
we do or leave undone that saves us, resurrects us, and creates
in us clean hearts.
God through our baptism begins to make someone new of us with
each prayer, with each ah ha moment as we read and study
scripture. Every time we confess and return to find Jesus in the
bread and wine/body and blood and in the Word - we are
individually and as a community of believers are being shaped
into; people of kindness, people of service, people of faith,
people of peace that God would have us be.
Both individually and as a community of the faithful everywhere,
we are being transformed by God’s love - because God’s power is
love.
THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD IS THE
POWER THAT CAN RESURRECT YOUR LIFE NOW AND EVERYDAY
FOR THE REST OF YOUR EARTHLY LIFE AND WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER
THERE WILL BE JESUS WITH OUR EVERLASTING RESURRECTION.
How all this happens is a mystery. That is the thing about
faith, it is not magic, it is mystery. How - should not be our
key question, but WHY this happens is to be our key question.
The answer is with God who loves us without limit. God, who
wants a life/a relationship with us forever.
Our One baptism is how this relationship with God begins and we
spend the rest of life getting to know God. Once we’re baptized
in to family - flock - community, call it what you will, we are
always connected, we always belong and are always heirs to God’s
promise of life and relationship with God.
If you are already baptized, be reminded of the power of your
baptism.
God is with and within you. God loves you and God will help you
to your best life in Christ, through worship, prayer, word and
community. Give thanks often for your baptisms.
If you are not baptized, but feeling called into a relationship
with God, the Holy Spirit and this congregation will support you
in your journey to life in Christ. When you are ready any of
pastors of this congregation would be delighted to talk to you
about Baptism - God’s promise of life.
Easter is not just about what happened or will happen - It is
about the power of God to resurrect your life right now, today
and forever. . . Amen.
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