Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2009

Sermon: "Jesus - Now Appearing Near You"

Scripture: I Corinthians 15: 1-11

Reverend Larry M. Gerber

Astronomers have found a big empty place in the universe. A massive void. This hole is gigantic, nearly a billion light-years across. Inside it there are no planets, no stars, no galaxies, no gases. It's just a huge cold spot.

A whole lot of nothing, emptiness.

It can stretch and even boggle your mind to think of the incredible distances between stars in the sky. You might be aware that a light-year is a unit of distance - it's the distance that light can travel in one year. One light-year equals about six trillion miles. Quite a distance.

So how far away are the stars in the sky? Our nearest neighbor is a star called Proxima Centauri. It's about four light-years away. Twenty-five trillion miles.

And how about that massive void, that huge cold spot in the sky? It's between six and 10 billion light-years away from us, and it's nearly a billion light-years across. Our tiny heads cannot even begin to comprehend a hole that gigantic. It's been described as a big bubble in the cosmic pancake batter.

A massive void. No planets, no stars, no galaxies, no gases. Absolutely nothing.

An empty place. An empty space. The empty tomb. That the tomb is empty is a massive, world-changing reality.

Can you imagine the feeling of those who went to the tomb early in the morning and found the stone rolled away and the empty tomb? Somebody stole his body!!

They were expecting to find Jesus' body and were preparing to anoint it with balming oils for preservation. They were hoping someone would roll the heavy stone away so they could see Jesus and take care of matters. But?

Remember the scene in "The Sound of Music" when the Von Trop family began their escape from Austria. There was a talent show that night. The MC announced the Von Trop  family as the winners. He pointed to the "off stage" area and announced: "And now, once again - the Von Trop family singers" to a musical resound and loud clapping. Over and over he announced: "The Von Trop family singers", but as the spot light searched the stage area there was no family appearance and finally someone blew the whistle saying that they had escaped? They were gone - disappeared!!

How might you have felt if you found the empty tomb and the "gardener" announced that Jesus was not there. You would have been expecting the body of Jesus to be appearing  - in the grave. But instead the "gardener" began speaking with authority: "You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, he is not here, he has risen from the grave. Yes indeed - in the flesh and in the spirit, Jesus in now appearing near you, outside the grave? and you know the rest of the story.

This morning, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus is appearing near you. The spot lights are criss -crossing the stage, people are cheering, the music of victory is playing loud, but so many people do not see him. The stage is empty?.  "And now, Jesus of Nazareth whom you thought was dead - appearing?in plain sight, but not visible unless you are a believer. You run with Mary and the other women. You run in fear. The tomb is empty! They stole my Jesus?

Paul had heard that on Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and two other women encountered a massive void when they showed up at the empty tomb, one that was as mind-boggling as anything at the edge of the universe. It was early when they arrived, and after meeting a young man and hearing about the resurrection "they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" (Mark 16:8).

Can you imagine how empty Mary is feeling at this point? She has already suffered the crucifixion of her friend and teacher Jesus, and she's mourning his death deeply. Now she goes to his tomb to pay her respects, and what does she find? Nothing. A huge cold spot. She didn't know that you've got to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.

The empty stage in "the Sound of Music" led to a victorious new life for the Von Trop family. They went through some horrific times, they passed through many empty tombs in their life and during their escape. There were times they knew they were done for, no escaping, but then?

We know what this feels like, don't we? Each of us, at some time in life, comes face to face with a massive void, a big empty place. We feel trapped. No place to go?

It happens ? 

- when you give your heart to someone who doesn't accept the gift

- when you learn a sport, practice hard and still don't make the team

- when you study and pursue a profession, only to find you hate your work

- when you create something beautiful, and discover that no one's interested

- when you try to resist a temptation, but then give in to it again and again

- when you jump to a new job, then lose it in a downsizing

- when you put money into a home, only to see your equity disappear

- when you retire from a long career, and wake up with nothing to do

- when you lose a spouse to cancer, and find yourself all alone in the world.

These are huge cold spots.      Massive voids.

Mary and her companions are seized by terror and amazement, and they retreat into silence, saying nothing to anyone. Their world feels like a billion light-years of empty space. But it's to their everlasting credit that they take some time to ponder this strange set of events, and let the disappearance of Jesus sink in.

Yes, it's true that the mysterious young man in the tomb has said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here" (Mark 16:6). This is good news - the Easter morning good news of resurrection life. But the women cannot grasp it, at least not yet.

For now, it's all terror, amazement and fear. How can they not be alarmed, when they are standing face to face with an empty tomb?

 No one can expect to step into a dream job right out of college. Most of us endured a lot of heartbreak before we found a partner for life. And then the loss of a loved one. Loss and rejection are a part of just about every life story you can imagine. You've got to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life, beyond the cross.

Mary and her companions make this journey as they flee from the tomb. They do not fall into the trap of thinking that if they believe in themselves, they can do anything. Instead, they feel a blast of alarm, terror, amazement and fear - and it is precisely these emotions that set them up for the surprising reality of the resurrection.

They quickly discover that Easter is not about them - instead, it's about God. In particular, it's about God filling the empty places in our lives with new and unexpected life.

The apostle Paul picks up this thread in his first letter to the Corinthians, when he reminds the Christians in Corinth of the good news that he proclaimed to them. "For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received," he writes: "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time ... Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me" (15:3-8). The various appearances of the resurrected Jesus are of central importance to Paul, and he sees the new life of Christ as being at the heart of the vitality of the church. In fact, just a few verses later, he says that if Christ has not been raised, "then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain" (v. 14).

Through the resurrection, God fills the empty places in our lives. He does it for the first followers of Jesus, for Paul, for the Christians of Corinth ? and for us.
 
Believe in the resurrection. Follow Jesus into the future. These are responses we can make, responses that can fill our massive voids.

Think again about that enormous empty place that was recently discovered by astronomers. A gigantic hole, nearly a billion light-years across. No planets, no stars, no galaxies, no gases - just a huge cold spot.  Void. Empty. Nothing.

That space is not nearly as cavernous as a heart without God.

We all have voids that money cannot fix. The hole in your life, the void in your life, can be filled only by believing in the resurrection, and following Jesus into the future.

The Von Trop family could not have made it on their own. They had spiritual leaders helping them each step of the way. The sisters at the Abby were very much their guiding light, their inspiration to keep going. Their faith and trust in others, along with self fortitude, allowed them to go free, climbing every mountain and praising God.

The good news of Easter is that Christ is risen! He has been raised from the dead, and is waiting for you, beyond The Big Empty. Beyond the empty tomb.  Jesus - now appearing near you. Don't miss him. "The Day of Resurrection - earth tell it out abroad - the pass over of gladness - the Passover of God - Christ has brought us over with hymns of victory." # 303.  Let us stand and let us sing?


Sources

Kaufman, Mark. "Astronomers find massive void." The Washington Post, August 27, 2007, A6.
Oldham, Roger S. "Resurrection ? ?heart' of gospel." Baptist Press, March 20, 2008. www.bpnews.net.
Vencat, Emily Flynn. "Narcissists in neverland." Newsweek Web Exclusive, October 16, 2007. Newsweek.com.