Sermon for April 8

The reading 

John 20:19-31

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

The message

We have now completed our time with John’s Gospel.  The book ends right where it began, with an invitation to faith and life in Christ. The purpose of John’s Gospel is that its hearer or reader may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, may have life in his name.

On Easter, I encouraged us to ask people in need “why are you crying” to let our fears and awkwardness be wiped away with the knowledge that God walks with us,  As we end John, Let’s not be afraid to ask “did it work”, to engage with talk of faith, to let the light shine, to show that Christ is Risen. Today, we will have a Baptism as someone begins their faith journey with us, a visible sign of this new life in Christ. We have this gift of grace, forgiveness and new life, let’s not keep it a secret, or hide it away.   

Throughout John, important people miss things, the Pharisee Nicodemus has no idea what it means to be born from above, The woman at the well has no idea what living water is or how to transport it, the religious authorities cannot make sense of Jesus great power and critical of them words, Peter does not understand why Jesus would wash his feet, Pilate has no idea what Jesus is saying during their discussions on kingship and authority, Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved have no idea what the empty tomb means, but now, Christ is Risen. That is is light that shines in the darkness, the Holy Spirit has descended on Jesus’s followers, God’s promise is kept, God walks with us,  Thomas’ doubts have been heard, confronted and beaten down.  After this, tradition tells us he travels further than any other disciple, going on to India.  

You have heard me talk a lot about John’s Gospel over the past few months. It’s time to give someone else a chance.  For the rest of my message this morning, I have borrowed someone else’s words, I am going to share The Easter sermon of John Chrysostom (first prepared and shared around 400 AD.  This Easter sermon is a permanent part of the liturgy for the Orthodox Church. 

  

A little more than 1600 years ago, this is how news of Easter, good news of welcome, triumphant news of God’s victory over sin and death, of peace destroying the power of violence,  God’s unfair generosity in saving all people,  was shared:  It is similar to the whole of John’s Gospel in its call to faith in Jesus Christ and new life in Jesus death and resurrection.  

Are there any who are devout lovers of God?  Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!

Are there any who are grateful servants? Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting? Let them now receive their wages!

If any have toiled from the first hour, let them receive their due reward;

If any have come after the third hour, let him with gratitude join in the Feast!

And he that arrived after the sixth hour, let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.

And if any delayed until the ninth hour, let him not hesitate; but let him come too.

And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour as well as to him that toiled from the first.

To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows. He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor. The deed He honors and the intention He commends. Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!

First and last alike receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together!

Sober and slothful, celebrate the day! You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,

rejoice today for the Table is richly laden! Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.

Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith. Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again; for forgiveness has risen from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.

He has destroyed it by enduring it. He destroyed Hell when He descended into it.

He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh. Isaiah foretold this when he said,

"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.

It was in an uproar because it is mocked. It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.

It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated. It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.

Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven.

It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.

O death, where is thy sting?  O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!  Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down! Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;  for Christ having risen from the dead,is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!