“The disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered them, “Neither this man this man nor his parents sinned . . . “ John 9:2-3a

There was a young woman who approached her minister one day.  She was worried about sin, and, specifically, the sin of pride.  She said, “Minister, every Sunday I come to church and look around and think to myself that I am the prettiest girl in the church. I try to stop but I just can’t. Am I horribly sinful?” The minister looked at her and said, “No dear not sinful; just horribly mistaken.”

In today’s Gospel lesson, the disciples come to Jesus to talk, not about their own sins, but the sins of others. Wondering whose sin caused the young man to be born blind. Jesus tells the disciples that they are horribly mistaken.  We all understand their question.  We’ve all gone to visit the hospital after someone has had a heart attack or a terrible auto accident or a diagnosis of cancer and the question comes, “What did I do to deserve this?”

In the wake of the earthquakes and tornados and tsunamis and other natural disasters, some TV preachers always decide they have to figure out what sins the people had committed that caused God to punish them.

And to all of this Jesus says, “You are horribly mistaken.”

Today is the fourth sundy in Lent, and one of the most important themes of Lent is “turning to and fro with God;” turning from fear to faith, from sin to grace, from the world to God, from the dark to the light. And focusing on the sinfulness or saintliness of others distracts us from paying attention to our own relationship with God; our own turning to and fro.

In the early Twentieth Century, The Times of London, a newspaper read all over England and across all the world; invited famous writers to answer the question:

What is wrong with the world?

In response, they got many long essays spelling out the problems and also, as a bonus, the writer’s assessment as to who was to blame.

God, the Devil, the Church, the Communists, the Fascists, White people, Black people, Asians, Hispanics, the Jews, the Germans, the Italians, the Chinese, the Moslems, and the Americans. It was women, men, “The Older Generation” and “These Young People Today.”

There was also a contemporary English writer, theologian and philosopher named GK Chesterton who wrote:

Dear Sirs,

What is wrong with the world?    I am.

Sincerely,   GK Chesterton

We all sometimes need this reminder, because all of us are sometimes “horribly mistaken” about the sins of others and the sins of ourselves. We have an unfortunate tendency to believe our sins are easily forgiven, but those of others, well, “…not so much.”

There is a character in American Literature, a Quaker preacher often reminds his parishioners that, “every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”   

But sometimes, we tend act as though our saintliness is better than that of others and our sinfulness not as bad. We appear to believe that, if it were only our sins that mattered, then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross; just a good, stern talking to would have taken care of it. It was the sins of others that caused Christ to die. But we are “horribly mistaken.”

And the Good News is – God knows who we are, God knows what we have done, And God loves us anyway. And there is no mistaking that.

John 9 is also about light and darkness, and healing and wholeness.

First of all, this healing story challenges the “acts and their consequence” understanding of suffering.  In this idea, there is a direct and linear relationship between what we do and what happens to us: the good prosper and enjoy health; the evil suffer and become diseased.

Jesus addresses the problem of evil, in response to that peculiar question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”  And so we ask ourselves:

Is the suffering of children fully attributable to their parents or their society? Do the sins of our fathers fall upon the son?

Jesus does not give a direct answer, but he says that God will be glorified in the curing of the man’s blindness. 

This man is not an object of God’s wrath or a moral lesson to others; his healing is the important thing, both in terms of his own well-being and it’s witness to God’s amazing love.

Jesus tells his disciples to walk in the light, doing works of healing, while it is still day.  Time is short and our lives are brief: acts of healing cannot be put off until tomorrow.

When suffering is around us, the solution to the problem of evil is our partnership with God in bringing comfort and cure.

The problem of evil is a theological issue and challenges us to reflect on the nature of the relationship between God and the world, and the extent of His power in the determining the events of our lives. Although his words raise theological issues, Jesus’ solution is more practical: confront suffering, ease suffering, and cure suffering.

Two thousand years later, “Mr. Rogers” made a similar comment: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Today’s readings challenge us to walk in the light. God is with us in threatening times and God’s circle of love surrounds us. In living light-filled lives, we tap into resources beyond our imagination for the good of ourselves and the world.

Which is worse, to be blind, physically, or to have a blind heart and inattentive ears? In the wake of today’s gospel lesson, it might seem like an easy answer. Of course we’d want to be open and receptive to God in Jesus Christ. But if this same question were posed within a different, less obviously spiritual arena, I imagine our choice might be less cut and dried.

As brilliant as she was, few of us would want to be disabled as Helen Keller was, even if it meant being as intelligent. Think of Ludwig von Beethoven. How many of us would be willing to gradually lose our hearing in order to get at the deeper meanings of human frailty and limitation in our art?

Couldn’t we have a great impact without too much sacrifice? Certainly! But don’t be surprised when God does things quite unpredictably.

Yet, even when we recognize God’s subversive way, disability is a very difficult topic for us. So much of our lives are about what we can do. To say “I can’t” is a concession. To make too many concessions is weakness.

The disciple in today’s gospel reading experiences a revelation of who Jesus is. This epiphany is facilitated by apt and clear theological argumentation on the part of this nameless disciple who was blind yet sees.

Nevertheless, what may be even more important here is the means by which Jesus makes himself known.

In Jesus’ time, it was thought that the congenitally blind and otherwise disabled were disabled because they were born entirely in sin. That seems not so much a value judgment as a simple way of writing people off. In congregational life in the first century, being “congenitally sinful” meant spiritual as well as physical impoverishment.

That’s where God works. In a twist of plot, the story of the disciple who was born blind and healed shows us not only that Jesus is from God, but that God in Jesus does not necessarily choose the obvious people to demonstrate the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. Quite to the contrary, sometimes it’s in the unlikely that God demonstrates exceptional holiness. That’s often how God can speak to those who have been blinded by ability and the way things have always been done, shedding new light on the world.

Another thing that I see in this story is Struggle: A struggle between two worlds: the world in which we live, and the kingdom of God.

In today’s scripture, I see the story of a man struggling to find his place – and a community struggling to find its place – in this convergence of two worlds. I see people trying to make sense of it all, trying to figure out just where they belong. Trying to figure our their higher purpose.

In ancient societies, a man born blind didn’t have many options. Unable to work because he could not see, his only choice was to beg. There was no question about where today’s blind man belonged or what his place in the world was. He was a beggar. That was his place.

Then Jesus and his disciples come along. The disciples see the beggar, and wonder why God would assign him this place: surely it must have been because he – or his parents – sinned.

They should have known better than to think that. It hadn’t been that long since Jesus had stopped the stoning of a woman caught in adultery. He had stopped the execution of that woman by saying, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” There was no one who had not sinned, and thus no one to carry out the execution.

So, no one is perfect. Why, then, was this man born blind? According to Jesus, he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.

I’m sure the blind beggar felt that there was somewhere he belonged, that there was some greater purpose for his life. If only he wasn’t stuck where he was. If only he could break free, somehow.

Are you feeling the connection with the man born blind? Because I think just about everyone, at some point, feels the way this blind man felt. I think we all have wondered where we belong.

I think we’ve all wanted to do something big, something heroic, something that would make us worthy of the life God has given us.  And I think we have all experienced those times when we felt trapped, unable to break free from the chains that bind us, from the forces that hold us back, from our own limitations. If only we weren’t held back, why, we could do something great.

That is how the blind beggar felt.

Then Jesus comes along, and takes away the blindness. He removes the limitation that held this man back. He sets him free to do the work that God calls him to do, to fulfill that greater purpose, to find where he belongs, to experience a whole new world. In other words, Jesus makes it possible for him to live in the kingdom of God.

And that’s what Jesus does for us. Jesus makes it possible for us to live in the whole new world that awaits. His love shows us the way, if we choose to follow him.

One of the last times I was here to preach, we read about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which – I think – works to open our eyes to that whole new world more than any other passage of scripture. We learned that this whole new world is a world of blessing, but because it is a whole new world, those blessings do not come in the ways we are often told they come.

Instead of coming to us through force or violence, blessings come to those who work for peace. Instead of coming to those who seek to overpower their enemies, blessings come to those who work to transform their enemies with love. Instead of coming to those who are spiritually rich – convinced they have all the right answers – blessings come to the poor in spirit, those who recognize that God is much more than we are capable of understanding. Instead of coming to those who long for the best this world has to offer, blessings come to those who hunger and thirst for equality and justice for all of God’s children.

So Jesus blessed the man born blind. He opened his eyes to a whole new world. He allowed him to find a place where he belongs. He showed him his place in God’s kingdom. And then he … disappeared.

And the formerly blind man: did he then live happily ever after? Well, no. Because this is not a fairy tale. And Jesus isn’t actually a genie or a fairy godmother who is there to serve our will. Just because you find where you belong, just because your eyes have been opened to a whole new way of living… this does not mean that you will now have a life of ease. Indeed, in the kingdom of God, we are filled with the love of God, the same love that Jesus lived by; and look where that got him.

A part of me wishes I could tell you that entering this new life, living in this new world, this new kingdom, would bring an end to pain, suffering, poverty, restless nights, and turbulent days. But that is not the case.

When the formerly blind man went to take his place in the world, to begin living his new life, there was, right away, a controversy. When he started living in the kingdom, there was conflict.

He was brought to the temple authorities. It appears that they were not entirely comfortable with his leaving the place the world assigned to him, breaking free from that place and finding a new life to live. The temple authorities likewise were unsettled, especially since his healing had taken place on the Sabbath. They began arguing among themselves about whether this healer was from God, since he could heal, or if he was a sinner, since he had worked on the Sabbath.

They interrogated the formerly blind man some more. At this point he may have been thinking it would have been easier if he had just stayed in his old place, sitting and begging.

The authorities tried to get him to say that Jesus was a sinner, but he replied: “I don’t know whether he’s a sinner or not. All I know is that I once was blind, but now, I see.”

Well, eventually the authorities drove him out. No longer could he be among them.

And here we see the struggle between these two worlds: Those who hold tightly to the things of this world find it very hard to step into the new world proclaimed by Jesus. Those whose lives are built upon worldly wealth and possessions, those whose lives are intertwined with the systems of authority and influence in this world find it very hard to move to the place that has been prepared for them in the kingdom of God.

Likewise, those who do accept their place in the kingdom of God, those who find where they belong, those who discover the greater purpose God has for them: they discover that the systems of this world are often hostile toward them. History provides plenty of examples: Gandhi. Martin Luther King. Nelson Mandela. All of them discovered their place in the world. All of them had their eyes opened to the new world, the new kingdom, of God. All of them felt that their life was complete, whole, only when they were working on behalf of that kingdom.

And all of them experienced the world’s hostility.

And yet, none of them wished to return to a life of blindness. None of them wished to return to their former places, because even though those former places were free from the hostility and persecution of the world, there they were not complete. There, they were not whole. There, they were not fully alive.

Each of them was forced to carry their own cross, and yet they felt the blessings of God, because they knew that, God, through Jesus, shared in their struggle. Through Jesus, God experienced persecution. Through Jesus, God experienced the cross.

It was only after they found where they belonged, after they began doing the work to which God called them, that they felt whole and complete. It was only when they struggled and faced hostility and made their lives into a living sacrifice that they truly felt the blessings of God.

God’s desire is that you live a life of wholeness. God’s desire is that your life be complete. There is no better way to live, no greater abundance than that, no matter how hostile some may be; because when your eyes are opened, you see the place where you belong.

And if finding your place in God’s whole new world means carrying your cross, entering into controversy as the man born blind did, just remember what follows the cross: new life. Resurrection.

What the world rejects, God affirms. Having our eyes opened so that we can find our place, the place we belong, in God’s kingdom may threaten the established ways and institutions of this world, but it is pleasing in God’s sight. Those whose eyes are opened find their place in the world. They receive new life.

EASTER PROLAMATION:

ONE: The Lord is Risen!
ALL: He is Risen indeed!
ONE: The right hand of God has triumphed.
ALL: The right hand of God is exalted..
ONE: Because of the Lord's victory I will not die.
ALL: Instead I will live and proclaim what God has done.

WELCOME:

CALL TO WORSHIP:
ONE: No matter how often the dawn heralds day's beginning with sounds and light, we always welcome the sense of newness that morning gives.

 ALL: Thanks be to God! Christ is risen!

ONE: And no matter how many times we hear the Easter story proclaimed in song and gospel, we always welcome the assurance of newness that Christ's resurrection gives.

ALL: Chrit is risen! Thanks be to God! 

ONE: By our Creator's design, the predictable transition from night to dawn is a matter of course.


ALL: Hosanna in the highest! Hallelujah!

ONE: Through our Creator's power, the wondrous transition from death to life is a matter of grace.


ALL: Thanks be to God! Christ is risen!

Easter Solo : "The purple Robe"- Norm Rennie


Lyrics to 'Scarlet Purple Robe' by The Stanley Brothers

There's a story so unkind in the Holy book we find
And it tells how Jesus stood alone one day
False accused and there condemned yet they found no fault with Him
The man who wore the scarlet purple robe 

Purple robe my Savior wore oh the shame for me he bore
As He stood alone, forsaken on that day
And they placed upon His head piercing thorns and blood stained red
His raiment was a scarlet purple robe

In the common judgment hall he was mocked and scorned by all
And a tear of sorrow fell upon His cheek
Soldiers of the wicked man smote Him with their evil hand
The Man who wore the scarlet purple robe

Words of truth that day were plain from the lips of Pilot came
In this man I find no reason He should die
But the multitudes replied let Him now be crucified
The man who wore the scarlet purple robe

Oh the River Of Jordan is many miles away
And this mighty river I may never see
But I'll find myself an alter in an old fashioned church
And my River Of Jordan that will be

PRAYER OF APPROACH & THE LORD'S PRAYER: 

Lord God, we gather in the name of the Risen Christ to pour forth our praises in glad Easter celebration. We rejoice that You have not left us without hope, but have come back to us in the victory of the resurrection, and given us the assurance of eternal life with He whom You have lifted from the tomb. 
And in the words taught to us by our Lord, Jesus, let us pray together: Our Father, who art in heaven, hall wed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

ANTHEM:       'Every Morning Is Easter Morning"

written by Richard Avery and Donald. Marsh 

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on! 
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone! 

Good-bye guilt, good-bye fear, good riddance! Hello, Lord, Hello, sun! 
I am one of the Easter People! My new life has begun! 

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on! 
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone! 

Daily news is so bad it seems the Good News seldom gets heard. 
Get it straight from the Easter People! God's in charge spread the word! 

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on! 
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone! 

Yesterday I was bored and lonely; But today look and see! 
I belong to the Easter People! Life's exciting to me! 

Ev'ry morning is Easter morning from now on! 
Ev'ry day's resurrection day, the past is over and gone! 
Ev'ry morning is Easter morning, 
Ev'ry morning is Easter morning, 
Ev'ry morning is Easter morning, 
From now on! 

Children Time :


 The legend of the Dogwood

In the time of Jesus, the Dogwood tree had grown to a great size,

lust like that of an Oak tree! They used it to build the cross that

Jesus was hung on. This made the Dogwood tree very sad. Jesus,

sensing this sadness, promised the Dogwood tree that it would never

again grow large enough to build a cross. It's branches would be

narrow and crooked — not good for building at all. And now the

Dogwood tree has many traits to remember this promise.

1.        The dogwood flower has 4 petals which are shaped like a cross.

2.        The middle of the dogwood flower has a crown of thorns.

3.        At the edge of each petal there is a nail dent.

4.        The nail dents are stained with the colour of Jesus' blood.

Look carefully at the picture of the dogwood flower and see if you

can find the 4 traits to remember Jesus' promise to the Dogwood

tree.

The Offertory Prayer:  
0 God, you unconditionally share Your only Son with all who believe in Your name. On this Holy Day, receive our offerings as an affirmation of our commitment to be Your faithful disciples. Strengthen our ability to be gifted stewards of Your created world. We pray in the name of the Resurrected One, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Amen.

PRAYER OF INVOCATION: 
Most gracious and loving God, You who swallowed up death with the resurrection of Christ Jesus, we lift our hearts to You in praise of this blessed morning. We celebrate the Good News revealed by the stone that was rolled away and the tomb that was empty, that news which was confirmed by the angels and by Jesus Himself as He appeared to His disciples and followers. We thank You, Lord, for the miracle of this day, and for how it gives to Your people a sure and eternal hope. Be with us, we pray, in the holy celebration, and lead us in the path of righteousness. 0 God, giver of new life, we gather this morning with our alleluias, our banners and flowers, and instruments and song. Today, Lent is ended, and the time of our salvation has begun. The snow is melting, and the flowers will soon be in bloom. We come to worship in beauty and in truth. We come, because we have hope that the resurrection will enter into each of our lives and transform them. Through Christ's spirit we have come to love one another. This is what You showed us on that first Easter when You raised Your Son from the dead; Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acts 10:34-43
New International Version (NIV)


34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism  35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.  36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news  of peace  through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.  37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed  Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing  all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him 

39 “We are witnesses  of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,  40 but God raised him from the dead  on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people,  but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate  and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.  43 All the prophets testify about him  that everyone  who believes  in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Matthew 28:1-10
New International Version (NIV)


Jesus Has Risen

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

ANTHEM: "Above All"
written by :  Michael W. Smith


Verse 1
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Verse 2
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Verse 1
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began

Verse 2
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

CHORUS
Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like the rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

PASTORAL PRAYER: 
Great God in heaven, hear our prayer of gratitude today. Hear our songs of grateful thanksgiving and praise. Despite our mortality, despite our disobedience, despite our lack of faith, You sent Jesus to die on a cross and be born to a new life. And because of that, every day is a hope-filled day, filled with that which makes for wonder, joy and peace. Touch us now with Your Easter love. We come before You, 0 God, with our praise, our thanksgiving, our prayers and our petition, through Christ Jesus, our Risen Lord, He who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, both now and forever. Amen

MEDITATION:               Why Celebrate Easter?

Why Celebrate Easter?

I'm going to begin this morning's message with a poem written by Frances Heighton. It's entitled 'An Easter Message.'

The sky knew it first, it told the sun.
The sun whispered warmly for soft rains to come.
The raindrops fell gently on each little leaf
And then woke the tulip, too long, now asleep.
The tulip smiled coyly at the crocus and then
The lily, fair flower, stood tall on its stem.

The tree got the message, was happily blessed
With blossoms and branches, then from a new nest,
A robin just winging stopped for a short while,
Asked all around him just why was their smile.
Each little blossom, flower and thing
Answered, "We'll tell you.. .He is risen again!"

Easter and springtime go together, a time of rebirth and renewal. We clean the dust away from the corners in our homes, we rid our closets of the clothes we never wear any more, we open our windows to let in the fresh, clean air, and on Easter Sunday we come to church to hear of the Risen Christ, the wonderful story of His resurrection. But why exactly do we celebrate Easter?

I wonder if we've got the story right, do we really understand what happened? I ask this question because of a little story I heard about a Sunday School teacher and her class of Pre-K children. She was teaching the class about the resurrection of Jesus. She asked if anyone know what the angels said to the women when they came to the tomb looking for Jesus. One of the four year old girls excitedly raised her hand and said, "I know! I know!" "What did they angels say to the women when they wanted to know where Jesus was?" asked the teacher. The little girl responded proudly, "He is not here. He's in prison!"

The fact is that Jesus is not in prison, He is risen! But what does that mean for us? Let me begin with a story that occurred over 2000 years ago. Listen carefully.. .we don't want to get our facts wrong. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two angels, in clothes that gleamed like lightning, stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the angels said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again'." Then they remembered His words, and leaving the angels, they fled back to the city. They found the disciples, with others in their company, and they said to them, 'The Lord is risen!' (Luke 24: 1-9)

For Christians, there is no holiday more important than Easter. Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. He had been crucified and was buried for three days. His disciples knew He was dead, He was gone forever. They never understood that the real reason Jesus sacrificed His life was the only way for us to obtain righteousness and restore our faith and trust in God. The sinless blood of Jesus was shed on the cross, which freed mankind from sin and eternal death. Through faith in Christ, man has eternal life.

How often do we get caught up in the guilt of Good Friday? It's true, Christ died a horrible death for our sake. It's important for us to remember that He had to die first. But the story doesn't end at the cross. If it did, then there isn't any story to tell. We remember Christ's death because it led to today. The day that was foretold by the prophets. The day Jesus foretold. The day He would become victorious over the grave, victorious over the sin of the world. The day Christ is resurrected from the dead and prepares to take His place at the right hand of God.

What we celebrate here today was totally outside the frame of reference of every single disciple, even though Jesus had told them over and over again that it would happen, that He would be killed, and that on the third day He would be raised from the dead. Yet not one of them believed it would happen. Not one of them took Jesus at His word. Each of the disciples has to go through a process of being convinced, of being convinced either by Jesus Himself, or by the overwhelming testimony of others who have seen Him.

We are sometimes like the disciples. We hear the message that Jesus proclaimed. We witness the miracles that He performs in other people's lives. But when it comes to hard times, the time of trial, the time of loss, the time of mourning, it can be very difficult to believe what Jesus has said about being raised on the third day, difficult to believe that not only was He raised, but that we too will be raised.

Today, this Easter Sunday, as we remember the empty tomb, the angels, the lilies, Mary's encounter with Jesus, the testimony of Peter, and the existence of the church itself, we are reminded that while there are many reasons to weep, there is also a great reason to

rejoice. Jesus was crucified, He died and He laid in the tomb, but that tomb couldn't hold him.

Death isn't the end of Christ's story and it isn't the end of our story. If Christ hadn't been raised, the church would never have come into existence, because the disciples would never have gone on in the face of the opposition they encountered, to proclaim that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead on the third day, and that He is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. They would never have passed on to us their testimony, for they wouldn't have had anything to testify about.

That first Easter morning proved beyond any doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. He had told the religious leaders and His disciples that He would give His life and on the third day rise from the grave. Easter gives us the possibility to step out of our tombs into the light.

We come here this morning to celebrate an empty tomb, knowing that death no longer has any power over us.

The Lord Jesus Christ went through everything that we have to go through. And for us, He even met that final enemy — death. But He emerged triumphant! They pulled His lifeless body down from the cross and carried it to the tomb. But on the third day, He walked out of that tomb, the risen, the victorious, Son of God.

And here we sit...the greatest victory of all time is being remembered this morning, yet the only celebration happening is the excitement of the children who find their hidden Easter eggs and candy. Other than the few cars in the yard, people would hardly know we are here. They can't hear us, they don't see how our lives are impacted by Christ coming alive. Are we excited by Jesus Christ? How would anyone know? The women in Luke went and proclaimed that Christ had risen. Their excitement captivated Peter, and he went to check it out for himself, and what he saw amazed him. The empty tomb is the ultimate sign of

life.. .not just that Christ is alive, but we are all alive in Him, and through Him we can have eternal life. We need to embrace not the cross, but the empty tomb. We need to embrace the One who is alive. The One who didn't rise just on Easter morning, but the One who rises in us each and every single day, the One who rises in believers!

We have the best news ever! Christ died and is risen again! Let's celebrate it, live it, and declare it to the world. The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death, but that we are to live here and now by the power of the resurrection. We need to allow Jesus to complete His victory in our lives by receiving Him as Lord and Saviour, and giving ourselves to Him for His service.

I'd like to refer to the anthem sung by the choir this morning. The words of the song explain why we celebrate Easter, why Easter should be celebrated with passion and joy:

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones,

Above all the wonders the world has ever known, Above all wealth and treasures of the earth,

There's no way to measure what You're worth. Crucified, laid behind a stone,

You lived to die, rejected and alone.

Like a rose trampled on the ground,

You took the fall and thought of me above all.

We can't forget the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We need to know that the stone was rolled away from the tomb, not to let Jesus out, but to let us in, to show us that death is not the end, but rather, it is a new beginning. A beginning that proclaims the victory of life over death, and which allows us to turn our backs on the grave and face our future with faith and hope, confident that all of God's promises will be fulfilled, and that Jesus loves us, above all!

BENEDICTION & CHORAL AMEN
May the Christ who walks on wounded feet walk with you on the road. May the Christ who serves with wounded hands stretch out your hands to serve. May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart open your hearts to love. May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet, and may everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you.

ANTHEM:    Yvonne Langlois  & Choir     “In the Day of the Lord”

Refrain
In the day of the Lord, the sun will shine
like the dawn of eternal day.
All creation will rise to dance and sing
the glory of the Lord!

1. And on that day will justice triumph,
on that day will all be free:
free from want, free from fear, free to live!

2. Then shall the nations throng together
to the mountain of the Lord:
they shall walk in the light of the Lord!

3. And they shall beat their swords to plowshares;
there will be an end to war:
one in peace, one in love, one in God!

4. For Israel shall be delivered,
and the desert lands will bloom.
Say to all, “Do not fear. Here is your God!”

5. And on that day of Christ in glory,
God will wipe away our tears,
and the dead shall rise up from their graves!

6. O give us eyes to see your glory,
give us hearts to understand.
Let our ears hear your voice ‘til you come!

SERMON:                  “The Suffering Servant”  

The History and Record of Christ's suffering, death,

on the cross, and Resurrection were long foretold in the

old testament. Fulfilled prophesies that give us

confidence in the scriptures, In God's word, In God's

plan of salvation.

Next week, Christians and Jews all over the globe

will be remembering and celebrating passover, and

Easter, which is a most Holy time. 

Today, I want us to see three main things:

A) To see and understand God's plan of salvation, as

laid out in the old and new testiments.

B)  To get excited, and motivated about it, or even

uncomfortable

C)  To be engaged, actively involved in Gods workings

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I want to do it by letting this redemptive plan unfold,

starting with the old testament, then with the new. For

sake of time, we will look at just a few scriptures that

prophesied of a suffering Messiah.

Psalm 22:7-18
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

7 All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
8 Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
10 Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
18 They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots

John 12:38
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report?And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”


Isaiah 53
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Suffering Servant
53 Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.


Acts 8:32-35
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He does not open His mouth.
33 In humiliation His judgment was taken away;
Who will relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.”
34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.


*Application: Read, study, meditate on God prophetic word.*


Mat 27 Vs 46 reads like this: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

*Question: where have we heard this?*

When did Christ say this? and why?

He was quoting Psalm 22, beginning in vs 1 ff (see above)

One thing to remember most Jews knew their scripture,

and the early Church only had the old testament.

Christ, the apostles, and Paul were constantly pointing

out the messianic passages to show that Jesus IS the

Christ. ((( Some received it, some rejected it )))

Keep in mind another thing, prophesy is not there to

predict the future per say, like some magic trick to

marvel at; but is there to bring us to a place of

realization because once prophesy is fulfilled, we can

look back from hindsight and say, "It is Written" Amen

The scriptures are always true, and trustworthy.

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So, it is in this context that Jesus is always affirming,

proving that he is "The one" foretold in the scriptures

to suffer, die, and rise again.

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In the book of Acts, chapter 8, vs 32-35, ( see above)  is the story of

the Ethiopian Eunich, and Philip preaches Christ from

Isaiah 53 to him

*Application: I find this exciting and motivating*

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So, here now, is Gods salvation plan in a nutshell: In

John 3 vs 14-18 , and the basic outline goes like this:

vs 14 a) Moses lifted up

15 b) Believes has eternal life

16 c) God so loved, he gave

17 d) Salvation offered to all "whosoever"

18 e) Believing equals not judged and believing not

equals judged already

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John 3:14-18
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must B)" >the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.


//////


Conclusions: 

A) We all have an important decision to
make. The scriptures say in Acts 4 vs 12 " There is no
other name under Heaven given, whereby we must be
saved" 

B) Phillipians 2 vs 10-11  "So, that at the name
of Jesus, every knee will bow, of those who are in
Leaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, every
tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father."


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Some personal thoughts: I make no assumptions, I

mean no offence when it comes to one’s eternal state

before God. Some go to Church their whole lives and

never see their need for salvation. And some never set

foot in a Church, yet are overcome by heir need of a

savior, and cry out to God, like the thief on the cross.

GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH

GO TO HIM!

Psalm 130
New Living Translation (NLT)

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 From the depths of despair, O Lord,
    I call for your help.
2 Hear my cry, O Lord.
    Pay attention to my prayer.


3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins,
    who, O Lord, could ever survive?
4 But you offer forgiveness,
    that we might learn to fear you.


5 I am counting on the Lord;
    yes, I am counting on him.
    I have put my hope in his word.
6 I long for the Lord
    more than sentries long for the dawn,
    yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.


7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
    for with the Lord there is unfailing love.
    His redemption overflows.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
    from every kind of sin.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
New Living Translation (NLT)


A Valley of Dry Bones

37 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”

10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

John 11:32-45
New Living Translation (NLT)


32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,a]" >[a] and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.

 CALLED TO BE A POWER O F ONE                       April 6, 2014

We are well into Lent and over the past few weeks we have been following Jesus journey that leads from life to death and to new birth. we’ve witnessed Jesus preaching-healing-praying-performing miracles; we have seen  Jesus was chased out of the synagogue-mocked by the religious leaders-almost stoned to death. What a journey it’s been,

It seems to me, God had a two-fold plan for Jesus’ life. God gave us Jesus to show the power of His LOVE and to have Jesus CONFRONT THE “DOMINATE EMPIRE” that persecuted the Jews.

Since EASTER is the climax of his confrontation I thought we might spend some time reflecting on Jesus’ relationship with the EMPIRE

Jesus set the course of his ministry right from the start when preached in
his home synagogue. He used the text was from the prophet Isaiah as the guidelines for his ministry. Remember those famous words; I come to---

--preach good news to the poor    --the “have nots” of society

   --freedom for the prisoners        --a life free from fear

     --give sight to the blind            --restore our sight and feel God’s love

       --release the oppressed.          --to confront the oppressor

Jesus knew about being raised under Roman rule, to be completely DOMINATED by a very oppressive system

********

The Empire in Jesus day consisted of many forms of oppression including military, occupation, violence, unjust taxation and slavery. It can best be described by an interview I did with Claudius who lived around 30 AD.  

He told of how discouraging it was to live under the Roman Empire.

 -- only the wealthy hold political office-they were appointed by the Emperor

 -- The powerful rich owned all the land and I was a share-cropper- just given

     enough to feed my family.  
- -he explained of constantly conscripted by the Romans, to dig irrigation canals with no pay and when he collapsed from exhaustion he was whipped.
-- we must call the Emperor Caesar the “Son of God “ 
--Anyone who speaks against Rome faces death on the cross.

Then there were Religious leaders who imposed the Purity Laws –with over 600 laws for everyday living.  

–The emperor in Rome appoints the Jerusalem temple priests, all temple taxes sent to Rome 
-- sins could only be forgiven by animal sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple .    
    and we had to buy pure animals at the temple.

--If you complain or spoke against the priests or the Temple you face possible stoning to Death.

 Surely this is not what God had in mind.

 Jesus faced being brought up under Roman rule and a major part of his ministry      was to challenge the system on every occasion.

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Interesting, if we compare the Empire we live in to the empire of Jesus’ day, there are many similarities. It seems to be the “norm” that a few wealthy will always dominate the majority. We see the middle class shrinking and before long if we don’t confront the Empire it will just few rich and many poor.
 

Today’s Empire is a system of “global domination”   controlled by powerful nations--global economic institutions-- transnational corporations.

-- It’s a nightmare for the poor countries as they are exploited by the rich nations. ---we have a situation where 1% of the population own 80% of world wealth

--The debt of poor countries to the World Bank, continue to increase  

--War claims the lives of millions, while millions more die of preventable diseases.

 --Climate change, depletion of fish stocks, deforestation and threat to fresh water are some of the devastating consequences of globalization.

And oddly enough each of us participate, knowingly and unknowingly, in “ the Empire” through our role as consumers. We have allowed corporate businesses to control our Government, with money and lobbying, giving these few wealthy companies “domination over our society.”

Living under a Dominate Empire seems to be normal for us- after all, it’s been going on for over 5000 years, letting the wealthy takeover, feeding us their crumbs and controlling every aspect of our lives.   We know that God did not sanction a society where a few wealthy and powerful dominated everyone else.

******

Some 2000 years ago God had a bold Plan, using the POWER OF ONE namely his son Jesus to bring the Empire to its knees.   Jesus was to take on the Empire of his day, and bring an end to Rome’s rule.--and demonstrate living in the God’s New Kingdom.

Jesus soon discovered the Priests were always out to get him, remember the incident on Jesus journey to Jerusalem, when he forgave the sins of the paralyzed man and empowered him to walk. Some of the religious leaders objected.—Why does this fellow speak this way?—Nobody can forgive sin but God alone?— only God can forgive sins namely through temple sacrifice. Jesus is forgiving sins outside of from the temple. Jesus was a threat to their livelihood and they started making plans to get rid of him.

Now common sense should have warned Jesus to stay away from Jerusalem - to stay in Galilee or in the desert. Jesus once called Jerusalem “the city that killed prophets” but Passover was like a giant magnet which drew him toward the city. He was not alone, wherever devout Jews lived they had a burning desire to travel to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Passover. So the city became congested  with visitors. 

Jesus entered the city in such a way that every eye focused upon him. Remember when Jesus borrowed a colt-how the people were given branches to wave and blankets to spread on the road.  This was a planned demonstration.

The parade through the Holy City was an act of courage

     --The parade was a bold claim to be God’s Anointed One--

      --The parade through the city was a daring plan to confront the domineering  power of the Temple and Rome.     

**In the crowd that day were RELIGIOUS PILGRIMS from around the world. There were people from Judea, Galilee, Egypt and Greece who had come to spend Passover in the Holy City.

 The MERCHANTS were also in the crowd hawking their wares. They cared nothing for Jesus, except that the large crowd he drew gave them an opportunity to make money.

 Pilate’s soldiers were stationed on corners of the city to put down any riots.  While Members of the religious establishment stood in the crowd disapproving of Jesus and hoping of some way to put him to death.

Notice the first thing Jesus does when he enters Jerusalem is clear the temple of vendors and money changers, he wasn’t just picking on the vendors- it was  an act against the entire Dominate System. Jesus is speaking against the corrupt Temple system of worship and the Roman Empire which controlled the people by force.  This public confrontation by Jesus against the powerful led to his execution.

I don’t know if God’s plans went wrong in letting the Romans execute Jesus on the cross, a torturous way to die. To the Romans and priests Jesus death was just the  death of  another trouble maker. But God had other plans for three days Jesus lay in a tomb and when the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty. God had mysteriously intervened and Jesus was nowhere to be found. This was   a new beginning –JESUS SPIRIT was released from the grave to enter the hearts and minds of Christians down through the centuries and is alive in us this very day.

I’ve always found it interesting speaking to those people who say they don’t like to get involved with politics or public policy. When I asked them WHY?—they usually tell me they are just one person, and their voice will not count.

--That must have been the way Jesus felt?

But, somewhere, down through the centuries, we have lost our BOLDNESS. We have become like those DRY-BONES in the desert Ezekiel wrote about; it was God who caused those dry-bones to spring to life, so we too can rely on God’s power to spring us into action.

We marvel at the story we read this morning “the raising of Lazarus after 3 days in the tomb.” Most commentaries emphasize that it revealed the power of God to overcome death and renew life. Metaphorically, God calls us out of the tomb in which we are buried: loss of a love one-addiction-hopelessness-guilt-depression-pain. God offers us a new beginning.   For us to be free like Lazarus we must let Jesus unbind and set us free; we must use our new found power to participate in confronting the Empire --to be a POWER OF ONE.

We are familiar with some modern day political heroes who opposed our modern Empire  Nelson Mandel—Desmond Tu-Tu and  Gandhi, and there are others who work outside the political ring to make the world a better place, I can think of two Canadians   Rick Hansen and Craig Kielburger who using the POWER OF ONE have helped thousands of people.   

--in 1985, Rick Hansen paralyzed from the waist down, set off to wheel 40,000 kilometers through 34 countries on the MAN IN MOTION WORLD TOUR. His 26 month journey inspired an entire nation to believe anything is possible--$280 million was raised for spinal cord research.

--In 1995, 12 year old Craig  Kielburger launched FREE THE CHILDREN. He wanted to free the children from the notion they were powerless to effect change. Today,  Free The Children is an international charity with more than 2.3 million youth involved. They have programs in 45 countries and have introduced  ADOPT A VILLAGE program in 8 developing countries.

God is not asking us to face death or a life time in jail but God does expect us, each in his or her own way, to stand up against the Empire, it doesn’t have to be something heroic but some act that makes a difference in someone’s life.

Just as Jesus was a POWER OF ONE to change the world- THIS  EASTER, God

is passing Jesus’ ministry to us. Now the ball is in our court-- our ministry must


boldly speak out against the present Empire, we are called to confront the


EMPIRE.   No need to wait on others. God has given each of us the courage


 --to become a POWER OF ONE.      AMEN

LET US PRAY:

Lord we have heard your cry and we ask for help to unbound us and set us free. “Give us courage to practice the subversive ideas Jesus taught like “love  your enemies” and “love is more important than power” and “be fair to each other, especially the folks who are at the bottom of the heap,” and “it is better to give than to receive,” and “justice shall flow like a river.”  Deep in our hearts we know if we decide to take Jesus’ teachings seriously, we would turn the EMPIRE upside down.” (1)  Amen