Homily Sunday 1 April 2018.

Readings

Acts 10: 34-43

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 10:34–43). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

1 Corinthians 15: 1-11

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Cor 15:1–11). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

John 20: 1-18

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 20:1–18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Homilist: Peter Lineham

[This talk preceded the baptism of Alex].

Introduction

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Could their faith have been “in vain”? What a strange expression this is. Something in vain is wasted, it produces no results and therefore it is useless – ‘A vain hope of finding work”. It has no likelihood of fulfillment. So the original word was the latin word “vanus”, empty or without substance, and a vain person is in the end a person who has an unjustified high opinion of their own appearance, abilities or worth.

So here was good news

In the early church people prepared for baptism during Lent and were baptised on Easter Day. So it is good to employ this ancient approach.

The reason was that Christianity was more than improved Judaism and more than good example. It was a new understanding of God and humanity.

The Sacrifice:

Recall the story of the French policeman who stood in the place of the hostages, Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame. At Trebes, near Carcassone. Connection seen – “one man dies for the people”.

The Victory:

We need a contemporary example of a battle and a success. [Perhaps from Chinese history?]

The Last Will and Testament

The story of ways in which a huge and rich gift was made available by a generous donor.

The Seed

Astonishing growth from a seed buried in the ground.

The Coffin-Shaped Baptism

It is a picture of death and a picture of resurrection.

Personality does not change but the basis of life does change.

And now you need to stand. Stand for the life of Jesus and stand in the life of Jesus.

Faith in the Resurrection

The disciples were startled and shocked that the resurrection happened. They were certainly not expecting it, and although the gospel writers emphasise that it actually happened, that there actually was an empty tomb, they also emphasise that it was not a public event. Others saw the evidence of it, but they did not see Jesus. Only believers saw him, and even they found it hard to believe. Notice the comment in Acts 10 “not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses”.  And notice this explains why in order to assert his authority, Paul needs to talk of his own resurrection experience, for only this gives him a right to be an apostle.(1 Cor 15:8)

But once they believed, everything made sense. And even outsiders were so astonished at the change in the disciples that they had no other satisfactory way to explain what had happened.

It is clear that what is being asserted is the animation of a corpse. The burial mentioned in 1 Cor 15:4 is partly proof of death partly proof that he was not lost, but also assertion of the empty tomb, despite claims Paul did not known this.

Do you notice the sequence in 1 Corinthians 15; witnesses, witnesses, and “so we preach and so you believed”. The declaration of the astonishing events of the resurrection transform our world and our experience. As Tom Long puts it, “Christians are on the witness stand to tell that story, not because it is a likely story or an advantageous piece of testimony, but because it is true. We know it is true because we ourselves have experienced it and witnessed its truth. That is why we are on the witness stand and have taken the oath to tell the truth “so help us God.” [In Feasting on the Word, Pastoral Perspectives by Lewis Galloway].

Really the same conviction can come to us, for although we do not see the Lord, we do have an encounter with that living person.

The Community of the Resurrection

There is a new community created as a result of the resurrection. Right at the beginning, those who saw him were transformed into a purposeful community. Notice that when Paul explains the cardinal tenets of the faith resurrection appearances are as important as the resurrection itself. And these appearances to each of the key groups, including people still alive and available when he wrote means that for him this is an event rooted in history, in real conscious and not befuddled consciousness.

For as believers we become participants in the life of the Lord.

The story that leads up to his death is a story of growing isolation, of betrayal and failure. Jesus walks the path to the cross alone, and it is his work to walk that path.

But he in his resurrection slowly draws in those who are ready and willing to move on with him to what he wants to make and do. The women, the ashamed disciples each gradually find a place back together. But now that he is there but not there, they are commissioned to do his work in the world and to build his kingdom.

Now the people who are called to build this kingdom are all those who are the witnesses of the resurrection. The apostolic mission is shared by all those who are called to be witnesses of the resurrection. There is no elite to set up to do the work. There may be people called to nurture the community life, but it is the whole community who lives and witnesses to the living Lord. There is no room for spectators.

The Baptised Believers

And they do this as they live his resurrection life. Of course unlike him they haven’t literally died. But they have died too. For baptism is in a sense their death to the old world and the old loyalties. They are to be the community of faith, and this must start with their death.

This conviction is expressed by entering the divine covenant of the baptised. The baptised are those who are convinced and those who are commissioned. “Go into all the world” says Jesus, not to the disciples before he died but to the believers after the resurrection.

So in baptism we are named anew. We are signed with the mark of Christ. Our old security in the world is gone.

But then what does God do – he sends us back to this world, empowered with the living Christ’s presence.