“Resurrection? So What?”

(Easter.  So What? – Part 1)

April 16, 2017

(Easter Sunday)

By John Partridge*

 

Colossians 3:1-4                     Matthew 28:1-10                               Acts 10:34-43

Did you watch the news at all this week?

Every week, almost every day, we are confronted with stories and images that demand our attention.  This week we were horrified to see United Air Lines being drag a passenger off of a flight against his will simply because the airline overbooked the flight and randomly selected him to be removed. In the past we’ve seen the images of Tamir Rice being shot by police, police officers being attacked or shot in the line of duty, American Indian tribes protesting a pipeline, or heard about the FDA allowing the use of a dangerous pesticide, or the dramatic loss of honey bee colonies, and a host of others.  Our initial reaction might be surprise, or shock, or sadness, or anger, but the most important question that we are left with when the news is over is, “So what?”

What are we expected to do about it?

Are we simply better informed than we were a moment ago, or is there something that we can, or should be doing as a result of the information that we have received?  Should we sell our stock in United? Call our congressman? Vote for the police levy?  Read the labels at Home Depot and refuse to buy products that contain dangerous pesticides?  Plant bee gardens?

The “So what?” question is important because if we don’t change… then nothing changes.

In our seminary class on preaching, our professor reminded us that our Sunday sermons ought to pay attention to the “So what?” question.  If what we have to say on Sunday morning is important, then so what?  What do we want the congregation to do with the information that we have studied, prepared, practiced, and provided?

The “So what?” question is important because if we don’t change… then nothing changes.

And that’s really the heart of the Easter story as well.  But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s remember the story. (Matthew 28:1-10)

^28:1 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.”

 

The women are shocked and afraid as they meet Jesus, whom they (obviously) thought was dead.  But Jesus calms their fears and then answers the “So what?” question as he sends them to carry the message of Good News to the disciples in Galilee.

 

It took a while for the disciples to fully understand what it meant that Jesus had risen from the dead.  Over the course of Jesus’ ministry, the disciples had seen the impossible.  The blind could see, the lame could walk, incurable diseases had been cured, and they had even seen the dead restored to life.  But now Jesus, the teacher, and their connection to the power of God, was the one who had died.  Who was left that could defeat death now?  Clearly, Jesus was no ordinary man.  Jesus had done miracles that even the greatest of God’s prophets had never accomplished, and rising from the dead was the greatest miracle of all.  What did it all mean?  What were they expected to do about it?  They knew that if they didn’t do something, if they didn’t change, then nothing would change.  And this was far too important to allow that to happen.

 

A few months later, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, and after the events of Pentecost, Peter answers the “So what?” question for the disciples and other followers of Jesus in Acts 10:34-43.

 

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 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.”

 

Peter is a changed man.  Only a month or two ago he denied even knowing Jesus, and hid from the authorities. Then, after the crucifixion, he left Jerusalem, walked back to Galilee, and went back to his old job.  He was utterly defeated and a ruined man.  And suddenly we see him as forceful, decisive, thoughtful and confrontational as he stands before a crowd of people in the streets of Jerusalem.  He is clearly not the same man that we saw during the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.  What he had seen was so important that the answer to the “So what” question changed his life.

 

He knew that if he didn’t change… then nothing would change.

 

And so he changed.

 

And as he preached, he argued that everyone else had to change as well.  The “So what?” of the resurrection of Jesus was nothing less than world changing.  No one else in the history of the world had done what Jesus did.  The most famous and most powerful of God’s prophets had not even come close.  The resurrection was important.  The resurrection meant something.  And Peter preaches to the world about its meaning.  Peter says that the trial and crucifixion of Jesus really happened.  Everyone knew that it happened because they were witnesses and because they were witnesses, they had to do something.  They had to change.  We have to change.

 

Because if we don’t change… then nothing changes.

 

Jesus has commanded us to preach to the people, to testify about Jesus, and tell the world that he is the judge of all humanity, and by believing in him we receive forgiveness for sins.

 

Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, answers the “So what?” question in a slightly different way. (Colossians 3:1-4)

 

^3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 

Paul says that since Jesus saved your life and rescued you from death, then you should do something about it.  If we believe in Jesus, and have put our faith in him, then we must build our lives around his teaching and around the expectation that heaven is real and that we expect to live there.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t just information.  It isn’t just something that we need to know to be well informed.  It is so important, so significant, that we are expected to do something about it.

 

Clearly, Jesus was no ordinary man.  Jesus had done miracles that even the greatest of God’s prophets had never accomplished, and rising from the dead was the greatest miracle of all.  The resurrection is important.  The resurrection means something.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that he is the Messiah, the Savior and rescuer of all humanity.

 

And because we are witnesses, we are expected to preach to the people, to testify about Jesus, and tell the world that he is the judge of all humanity, and by believing in him we receive forgiveness for sins.

 

We are expected to do these things…

 

Because if we don’t change… then nothing changes.

 

 

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^* You have been reading a message presented at Trinity United Methodist Church on the date noted on the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Trinity of Perry Heights in Massillon, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry may be sent to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3757 Lincoln Way E., Massillon, Ohio 44646.  These messages are available to anyone regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@trinityperryheights.org.  To subscribe to the electronic version sign up at http://eepurl.com/vAlYn.   These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.wordpress.com/. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.