Easter Day Sermon: 24th April 2011
It took a while. It took a while for faith to catch up with belief. It is not like Lazarus, this. Lazarus came out of the tomb with the grave cloths in place. But here in verse 9 of the gospel, John enters the tomb, sees the burial cloths lying as they would have been in the case of a resurrected body. The gospel records that Peter made no response to what he saw, whereas John ‘saw and believed.’ The gospel goes on to say that, ‘as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.’ So John believes that Jesus has risen, but like Peter, does not yet understand the implications in scripture of that belief.
In spite of his denial of Jesus, Peter is still seen as chief amongst the disciples. But John is the beloved disciple, and it is in the world ‘beloved’ that we can see the key to the transforming process that is to know Jesus as risen lord. To be known as ‘beloved’ is to be loved by someone. In John’s case, the bible reveals that Jesus loved him and was loved in turn. It is this quality of love which is intuitive. Remember the occasion when Jesus walks across the waves to the boat in Galillee. The others had been slow on the uptake, but it is John who intuitively recognises Jesus when he says, ‘it is the Lord.’
Just as the love of the music sharpens the intuition of a great conductor so that he can bring greatness to an orchestra’s performance of the music, so it was John’s love which enabled him to see what had actually happened in the tomb – even if as yet he could not fully understand the implications.
In the first reading from the 10th chapter of Acts, it is clear that after the resurrection Peter has discovered the fruits of Jesus’ love. He proclaims his belief in the gospel as testified by the prophets. It is not difficult to imagine the transformation in Peter after his betrayal. It comes about not simply by being at the tomb, but by the impact of his encounter with the love of the resurrected Jesus. Here, Jesus forgives him for his denying him three times on the eve of the crucifixion.
And then we have the confession of Thomas, another one of the disciples who is hardly an advert for faith and constancy. But it is through the encounter with the love of the lord, after he has doubted the resurrection, that brings forth his exclamation: “My lord, and my God.”
It was, of course, safer and more comfortable to be a doubter, like Thomas. To take yourself out of the line of fire and accusation, like Peter. To run off like John Mark in such a fright that you leave your clothes behind you…>
To desert Jesus in his hour of earthly need when he is taken prisoner, like the rest of those disciples who had been with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Honesty should compel us to confess that we would probably have acted the same – and indeed we often do so in our own encounters with the uncomfortable or the threatening.
The resurrection changed everything for the disciples. Their lives were never the same again. Even those who, like Thomas, had not been there at the tomb were transformed. God used an event that had defeat written all over it, by demonstrating that what we understand as power is really weakness. Pilate with the military might of Rome behind him is weak: he bottles it. He knows that Jesus is innocent, and he half believes in Jesus and his interpretation of kingship, yet he is weak. His power is nothing like the power of God’s love. Is it any wonder that the Christian faith is at its most persuasive when under persecution? Ask Christians in Africa, or Polish Christians in communist Poland, or before that countless events down the ages where Christians have been persecuted – even by other Christians.
Always, when persecution and death seemed to indicate weakness, it shows quite the opposite, and the faith is strengthened.
True Christian love drives out fear, and love of neighbour, true forgiveness, and the promise of salvation triumphs over transient riches or the power which only corrupts.
This resurrection faith offers a real alternative. Today, even tired and cynical journalists are waking up to the fact that the Christian faith offers a genuine difference to the way we treat each other, and view ourselves. When our politicians seem unable or unwilling to challenge outlooks and institutions that are fundamentally flawed, it is now to the Church that they are looking for leadership. A leading article in yesterday’s Independent (of all papers) pointed out that although Britain is no longer a Christian country, it is still a country in which there are many Christians. So when Church leaders publically put their faith into practise to challenge the power that corrupts with a power that is rooted in transforming love, there can only be one long-term outcome.
Yes indeed. When we say on this day, ‘Christ is risen,’ it may seem counter-intuitive to those who are not people of faith. But it is an enormously attractive faith, this faith built on God’s transforming love – for at its heart, that is what the resurrection was, and is. And by its example lived out in the lives of those who live by this faith, there can be no doubt that it has the power to change lives: yours and mine.
E-mail: info@bourneabbey.org.uk