St Barnabas The Apostle Cath Church EASTER SUNDAY , 4/04/21 Yr B (DAY) (JOHN 20: 1 - 9 ) HE HAS RISEN,,, HE HAS RISEN INDEED! ON THIS FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK,,, EASTER SUNDAY ,,, WE RECEIVE A MESSAGE OF JOY. IT’S THE DAY OF OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION. “LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD!” BORN FOR THE SAKE OF ALL HUMANITY,,, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,,, ROSE FROM THE COLD STONE TOMB FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE ON HIS NAME,,, AND,,, ON THIS DAY,,, JESUS TRAMPLED DEATH,,, UNDER FOOT,,, AND HE MADE THE DEVIL “ A PRISIONER .” CHRIST HAS RISEN,,, HE HAS RISEN INDEED! SCRIPTURE TELLS US,,, THAT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK,,, MARY MAGDALENE AND SOME OTHER WOMEN,,, ARRIVED AT THE TOMB OF JESUS,,, IN THE EARLY MORNING,,, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK. THEY SAW THAT THE HUGE STONE,,, HAD BEEN ROLLED AWAY,,, FROM THE ENTRANCE. SO MARY MAGDALENE,,, RAN TO PETER AND JOHN,,, THE “OTHER DISCIPLE” AND TOLD THEM,,, “THEY HAVE TAKEN THE LORD FROM THE TOMB,,, AND WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE PUT HIM”. JOHN AND PETER RAN TO THE TOMB. JOHN WAS THE CLOSEST TO JESUS,,, HE RAN FAST,,, LEAVING PETER,,, BEHIND. BUT WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE TOMB,,, JOHN STAYED OUTSIDE,,, LOOKING IN. IMPETUOUS PETER ARRIVED AND WENT RIGHT IN,,, AND AFTER ENTERING,,, PETER SAW THE BURIAL CLOTHS THERE. BUT THE CLOTH THAT COVERED JESUS’ HEAD,,, WAS NOT WITH THE OTHER BURIAL CLOTHES,,, IT WAS NEATLY FOLDED,,, IN A SEPARATE PLACE. THEN JOHN,,, ENTERED THE TOMB AND BELIEVED. BUT- THEY DIDN’T YET UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURE THAT JESUS HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD. HE HAS RISEN,,, HE HAS RISEN INDEED! THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AND EVEN JESUS HIMSELF,,, SAID; THAT HE WOULD RISE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT A FEW DAYS LATER,,, HE WOULD ASSEND INTO HEAVEN,,, TO SIT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. BUT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. TODAY IS : RESURRECTION SUNDAY-- EASTER SUNDAY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, AN EVENT CAN TAKE PLACE THAT TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE. AN EVENT THAT YOU COULD NEVER HAVE EXPECTED! NEVERTHELESS,,, HERE IT IS,,, RIGHT IN YOUR FACE! WHAT WILL YOU DO,,, YOU CAN’T PRETEND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. YOU CAN TRY TO IGNORE IT,,, LIKE IT DIDN’T REALLY HAPPEN,,, BUT,,, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IN RESPONSE TO IT! THIS IS THE RESURRECTION ! BEFORE THE RESURRECTION,,, THE DISCIPLES THOUGHT THAT JESUS WOULD BE A MESSIAH OF A DIFFERENT KIND,,, HE’LL BE STRONG,,, POWERFUL – AND WOULD CRUSH THEIR ROMAN ENEMIES. THEN,,, HE’S BRUTILLY KILLED! THEIR HEADS ARE SPINNING. WHERE CAN THEY HIDE? DAYS LATER,,, STILL OVERCOME WITH GRIEF,,, THERE’S A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. ONE OF THE WOMEN HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE REPORT. THE TOMB’S EMPTY. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? FIRST HIS LIFE IS TAKEN FROM US,,, AND NOW,,, SOMEONE ROBBED HIS GRAVE! EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED AND SURPRISED. THEY THOUGHT,,, PERHAPS GRAVE ROBBERS,,, HAD ROBBED JESUS’S TOMB. THEY STILL DIDN’T GET IT. GRAVE ROBBERS DIDN’T ROB THE TOMB! GOD EMPTIED IT ! IT WOULDN’T BE,,, UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY,,, THAT REPORTS OF THE RISEN LORD WOULD APPEAR AND THAT JESUS WOULD PERSONALLY SHOW HIMSELF. WHEN HE REAPPEARS,,, THEY’RE SHATTERED AGAIN AND THEY HAVE TO GO BACK OVER THAT WEEK TO TRY TO REMEMBER WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT WAS A WEEK THAT NOONE EXPECTED! TODAY,,, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WEEK,,, AND THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THIER RABBI,,, JESUS,,, HAD GIVEN HIS DISCIPLES CAUSE TO FOLLOW HIM,,, BY HIS GROUNDBREAKING TEACHING,,, AND HIS MIND BLOWING MIRACLES. JESUS WAS A RADICALLY DIFFERENT MESSIAH. HE REFUSED EFFORTS OF THE PEOPLE TO CROWN HIM KING. HE INCLUDED WOMEN AND CHILDREN,,, EVEN GENTILES ( ROMAN SOLDIERS ) IN HIS KINGDOM PLAN. IN THE COURSE OF JUST A FEW DAYS,,, JESUS WOULD GO FROM THE HIGHEST POINT IN HIS MINISTRY,,, WHICH WAS,,, THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM,,, ON WHAT WE CALL “ PALM SUNDAY ” TO BEING “ DEAD & BURIED ” IN A TOMB,,, FOLLOWING A PAINFUL AND SHAMEFUL CRUCIFIXION ON A CROSS. EVERYONE WAS DEVISTATED AND FLED! THEY HID,,, WEPT. THEIR DREAMS WERE CRUSHED, THEY DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY FELT ABANDONED. EVEN THOUGH JESUS HAD WARNED THEM,,, WELL IN ADVANCE,,, THEIR ONE TRACK MINDS COULDN’T GRASP THE MEANING OF HIS WORDS,,, UNTIL AFTER ! AFTER WHAT? WHEN JESUS 1 ST APPEARED TO THE DISCIPLES,,, THEY WERE HIDING,,, IN A HOUSE AND HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID; “ RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT ” AND THEY BEGAN TO GROW IN COURAGE AND STRENGTH,,, AS THEY WAITED FOR THE POWER OF PENTECOST,,, WHERE THE SPIRIT WOULD GIVE THEM UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM\,,, FOR THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM. THEY TRAVELED THE WORLD,,, AT A TIME WHEN TRAVEL WAS EXTREAMLY DIFFICULT. THEY BROUGHT THE “ GOOD NEWS ” TO OTHER CULTURES,,, RACES AND TRIBES,,, ALL BECAUSE HE TOLD THEM TO DO IT,,, AND IN THE END,,, EVERY ONE OF THEM DIED FOR HIM! THOSE APOSTLES,,, WHO WROTE THE SCRIPTURES AND THEIR DISCIPLES,,, WHO WERE THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS OF THE 1 ST CENTURY ,,, LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR THE CHURCH AND A FAITH,,, THAT AFTER 2000 YEARS,,, HAS PROVEN,,, TO HAVE BEEN THE FAITH OF CHRISTIANITY,,, THAT HAS GREATER EFFECT,,, THAN NO OTHER RELIGION HAS HAD ON THE WORLD. SO,,, WHY IS THAT? IT’S BECAUSE; CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT THE RESURRECTION ! WITHIN A FEW YEARS AFTER THE RESURRECTION,,, CHRISTIANITY WAS SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE,,, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD. IN RETROSPECT,,, IT BECAME CLEAR,,, THAT: JESUS,,, IS WHAT THE FATHER HAD PLANNED,,, ALL ALONG. BUT NONE OF THIS,,, TOOK JESUS BY SURPRISE,,, HE BECAME A SERVANT,,, THE LAMB OF GOD! I’M SURE THAT ANYONE WHO OBSERVED THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN 30AD,,, WOULD HAVE TO AGREE,,, THAT IT WOULD NOT OUTLAST CHRISTIANITY. 2000 YEARS OF CHANGES IN CULTURE MAKES IT EASY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT EMPIRE. AND BECAUSE WE KNOW THE BEGINNING AND THE END,,, IT DOESN’T HIT US LIKE A TON OF BRICKS,,, WHEN WE VIEW HUMAN EVENTS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE,,, OF GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN. MAYBE WE THINK THAT WE’RE SO SOPHISTICATED,,, SO INTELLIGENT,,, THAT WE’RE IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE THAN THOSE 1 ST DISCIPLES,,, BUT IT SHOULD HUMBLE US,,, FOR THINGS HAVE N’T CHANGED MUCH! IT’S COMMON TODAY,,, TO HEAR PEOPLE TRY TO DISCREDIT AND DISPISE JESUS. THAT’S NOT NEW! BUT THE LENGTHS,,, TO WHICH PEOPLE GO,,, TO DO THAT,,, SEEMS ALMOST BIZARRE. IT TAKES A LOT MORE FAITH,,, TO BELIEVE IN THE RIDICULOUS THEORIES,,, THAN IT DOES TO BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION.

THEORIES LIKE: (*) HE DIDN’T DIE,,, IT WAS JUST A SPIRIT! OR,,, (*) HIS DISCIPLES JUST WENT TO THE WRONG TOMB,,, OR PERHAPS,,, (*) WELL,,, IF THIS JESUS DID DIE,,, HE’S NOT THE MESSIAH,,, AND CERTAINLY NOT THE LORD. BUT THERE WERE OVER 500 WITNESSES TO THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS AND ALL (4) GOSPELS TELL OF HIS RESURRECTION. DEAD PEOPLE STAY DEAD ,,, OR,,, DO THEY ?. BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, IT TAKES FAITH,,, TO BELIEVE THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST DIED,,, AND THAT HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD. I BELIEVE THAT,,, HOW ABOUT YOU?

HE HAS RISEN,,, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER,,, AND OF THE SON,,, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT .

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