Easter Miracle John 12:20-26; 1 Cor. 15:1-8 a Sermon by Peter Budd EASTER SUNDAY 11Th April 2004, St

Easter miracle John 12:20-26; 1 Cor. 15:1-8 A sermon by Peter Budd EASTER SUNDAY 11th April 2004, St. Andrew’s Church, Cheadle Hulme

A grain of wheat. It doesn’t look much. It doesn’t do much. Put it in the ground, and it seems to be dead. But then something happens. The grain takes in water and a tiny embryo begins to grow, feeding off the food reserves that form most of the seed. A little root emerges, and grows – to anchor the grain in the soil and to absorb more water and nutrients. A tiny shoot starts to push its way through the earth, to find the surface. A leaf emerges from the soil, followed by more leaves. The plant grows and a wheat ear forms. Pollen is released and fertilisation occurs. New grain grows – at first it’s very soft, but then it becomes drier and harder, until it’s ready for harvest. And now, where we started out with one grain, we have many, many grains of wheat.

It’s a miracle – a miracle of nature. We know that it happens a billion times every year in farms across the world – but it’s still a wonderful thing how one grain of wheat is multiplied many times over. We know a great deal about the mechanism of the growth process – but the marvellous complexity of nature still makes us think. It’s a miracle – because it causes us to wonder and it makes us think – and that’s what a miracle is. It’s a miracle of nature.

Jesus took this image – this picture of a grain of wheat falling to the ground, essentially dead, yet giving rise to abundant life – Jesus took this image, this miracle of nature, and used it to direct attention to an even greater miracle: a miracle of supernature.

In John ch. 12 v. 20, we read about some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus. These were Gentiles amongst the crowds who had come to worship God in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast. This took place during the last few days before Jesus was arrested and crucified. The Greeks went to Philip and asked to see Jesus. Philip went to see Andrew. And Andrew and Philip went to tell Jesus.

Jesus responded by talking about what was going to happen to him. And he used the image of the grain of wheat – the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground and die, if it’s to produce many more seeds. (John 12:24)

1 During Jesus’s earthly ministry, he was just one man, wandering an obscure corner of the Roman Empire. He’d gathered around himself a small group of Jewish followers. And now here were a handful of Gentiles who wanted to see him. But Jesus is looking ahead to a time when many, many people – all kinds of people, Gentiles and Jews, people from all across the world – would be able to know him. And for that to happen, Jesus would have to die. Like the grain of wheat that must fall to the ground, if it is to sprout and grow and yield abundant life.

Many people have seen the film “The Passion of the Christ”. It depicts in horrific detail the human suffering that Jesus went through: the humiliation, the scourging, the agony of crucifixion. But nothing can depict the true agony that Jesus felt, when he was cut off from his heavenly Father, when he bore all the weight of human sinfulnesss.

If the story ended with an abused body hanging on a cross… If the story ended in the coldness and darkness of a garden tomb… It would have been a great tragedy, an enormous miscarriage of justice, but nothing more.

But the story doesn’t end there. That horrible death led on to something truly wonderful. Like the grain of wheat that’s buried, that gives up its substance to support new life, the death of Jesus led on to resurrection. It was all part of a great miracle, the ultimate miracle.

On Friday, the cold, dead, damaged body of Jesus was placed in a tomb. On Sunday, the tomb was open; the body was gone. Of course, over the years people have made all sorts of suggestions as to what happened to that body. Maybe he wasn’t really dead and he came round in the cool of the tomb – but if so, how did he move the stone away from the entrance? Maybe his enemies stole the body – but if so, why didn’t they produce it as soon as rumours of his resurrection started to circulate? Maybe the disciples stole the body – but if so, how did they get past the Roman guards, and why were so many of them willing to face death for what they knew to be a lie?

But the empty tomb, in itself, is not proof of resurrection. Let’s face it, if we see an empty grave, we don’t immediately think “Oh, the body must have come alive”. The disciples themselves were slow to understand that Jesus was alive. Remember Thomas, who said “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25) People in the first century were no more gullible than people are today, and they weren’t expecting a miracle.

2 Proof of resurrection came when the Living Jesus stood before them. Thomas believed when Jesus appeared in front of him (John 20:28). Just as the other disciples had believed when Jesus stood amongst them (John 20:20). Just as two people in Emmaus had believed when they realised it was Jesus breaking bread at their table (Luke 24:31). Just as Mary of Magdala had believed, when Jesus uttered her name (John 20:16).

And as for one of the greatest enemies of the early church: Saul of Tarsus, who set out to persecute and destroy the Jesus movement; his life was completely changed when he encountered the risen Christ. Of course, Saul’s encounter with the risen Jesus came later, after the Ascension. But when Saul, known as Paul, wrote to the church in Corinth, he was able to say with confidence: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4) And the proof that Jesus was raised: “...he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” (1 Cor. 15:5-8)

When 1 Cor. was written, many people – hundreds of people – who had seen the risen Jesus, were still alive. If anyone had any doubts about the reality of Christ’s resurrection, there were plenty of witnesses who could provide first-hand accounts of their experience of the Living Jesus.

If you read on in 1 Cor. ch. 15, you’ll see that it was not the resurrection of Christ that was an issue, but whether there was life after death for the rest of us. Look at 1 Cor. ch. 15 verses 16-17: Paul argues that if there is no life after death, then Christ also is dead, and if that is the case, then our faith is futile.

If the resurrection did not take place. If Jesus is not alive. Then we’re wasting our time going to church. We’re victims of the world’s greatest hoax.

But the resurrection did take place. Jesus is alive. It’s all part of an amazing miracle. It’s the miracle of Incarnation, that culminates in Resurrection.

3 The God from whose imagination the whole Universe sprang… The God who sustains all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:3)… The God whose inspiration is seen in a single grain of wheat… That God enacts a plan to rescue the created order from the effects of human foolishness. That God entered into the world; lived and died as a mere man, but rose again, so we can be rescued from sin, so we can experience abundant life.

It’s mind-boggling. Mind-boggling, that the one who is beyond space and time, the one who invented space and time, should enter into space-time, should share our limitations, should endure the most extreme suffering for our sake; should die, then burst back into life. It’s mind-boggling. But no more mind-boggling than much of what we’re discovering about the natural world. No more mind-boggling than the quirkiness of quantum mechanics, or the oddities of relativity. Or even than the miracle of abundant life arising from a single grain of wheat. It’s the same God whose design runs through the natural world in all its marvellous complexity, who enacts a plan to rescue us from the effects of sin.

There’s an amazing miracle at the centre of Christianity. A miracle in which death gives life. A miracle for which there’s ample evidence.

We have historical evidence – documentation – first-hand accounts written down for us, from people who met the risen Jesus long ago, written down in our New Testament. And if we approach the New Testament honestly, it’s hard to deny its value as historical evidence.

But the resurrection of Jesus isn’t just about what happened long ago; it’s a present reality. And, in one sense, Jesus still has a body on earth. His body now is made up of all of us who form the worldwide Church; all those in whom his Spirit dwells. Back in ch. 12 of 1 Cor., v. 27, Paul says “...you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” When people are looking for external evidence that Jesus is alive – they should expect to find it in us. Sadly, the Church doesn’t always behave as it should; we don’t always behave as we should. But where Christians take up the real challenge of following Jesus – there Jesus is, in power. Look back at John ch. 12, vs. 25 and 26: “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.” Jesus said that a little while before he was arrested and crucified. Later, his disciples also were to face persecution and many of them were martyred for their faith.

4 Following Jesus means eternal life, but it also means a change of life, a total commitment; and it isn’t easy. But where people see a selfless act done in the name of Christ, where people experience unconditional love, like the love that God offers; there people see Jesus.

There’s evidence that Jesus is alive in the work of the Church, when the Church is working as it should. But the ultimate evidence is in our own experience; it comes when we meet Jesus for ourselves. That’s something very personal – it’s different for each one of us. It may be something as vivid and dramatic as when Saul of Tarsus met the risen Jesus. Or it may be a soft, internal sensation. But I’m convinced that, in some way, God does reach into every person’s life. Every person will find, somewhere in their life, enough evidence that Jesus is alive – if only they are willing to look. Though of course, if we’re determined only to do our own thing – then no evidence will ever be enough.

A grain of wheat. It’s only a little thing. But it’s wonderful how much life it can give rise to. Easter is about an amazing miracle. May the miracle of Easter be truly real for each of us.