LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Relationship Restored”
John 20:1-18
4/4/21
Easter is about wrongs being righted: about our wrongs being made right
world & lives have been spinning off balance, causing destruction & mayhem in process
now set straight, bring beauty & grace instead of chaos and confusion
sins forgiven, guilt done away w/, injustices corrected, brokenness healed
all set right, now that Jesus has arisen from the empty tomb
but at heart of it all, one thing above all has been set right because of rez
the one thing that pushed everything else off-kilter
our connection to the living God, Creator of all that is, that has been, that will be
he is the source of life, goodness: all that makes existence worthwhile
Our original design was to live in close harmony w/ him
Scripture tells us Adam & Eve used to walk w/ God in the garden in the cool of the day
but that all ended when sin entered the picture
in the form of juice from forbidden fruit dripping down their chins
in church, call it sin, but goes by other names as well
rebellion, selfishness, greed, pride, disobedience, willfulness, foolishness…
when it entered the picture, God and humanity parted ways
Adam & Eve thrown out of garden, lost sweet fellowship enjoyed w/ God there
From that time on, infinite gulf separated Creator from his beloved creation
God lamented the loss of those whom he prized above all else
for our part, usually completely unaware of what we had lost
only in few faithful moments realize the source of emptiness we feel w/in
sense separation from only One who can truly satisfy
even if don’t know that’s what it is
chasm that none of us able to bridge or close
even Moses, God’s chosen spokesman, unworthy to abide in God’s presence
once asked God to be able to see his glory [Ex 33:18-20]
God’s reply: “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
centuries later, God gave glimpse of his glory to prophet Isaiah when called to service
Is’s response not one of joy, but of terror [Is 6:5]
“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
later, declared “Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself” [Is 45:15]
called on us to “Seek the Lord while he may be found,” [55:6]
but those blessed times few & far between
Our exp of God has been more like that of psalmist
42: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
63: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
do you know this thirst? desire for presence of God you cannot have?
ever cry out words of Ps 27 “Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me”
or Job: “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!” [23:3]
Then the remarkable, unimaginable, unexpected occurred
God took it upon himself to heal the wound that kept us from his love
came in the person of JX, to declare, to embody, to demonstrate his love
some responded w/ joy & faith; others rejected w/ fear & hate
nothing different from what God expected: knew would face cold reception
with his incarnate body itself, bore the weight of ages of separation
carried the sin, the pain, fear, rage, deceitfulness, violence, sorrow
by carrying it upon himself, put an end to it all forever
Easter is the confirmation & proof that the rift between God & humanity has been filled
not by our trying hard enough, believing strongly enough, willing selves to be better
but by God loving enough not only to carry our brokenness to grave to be gone forever
but floods world w/ new life, received in open arms by God who missed us so much
gave so much to have us return to him
This Easter, draw attn to one small detail in Easter story: easy to miss
I certainly have! studied passage more times than I can count
even used as trans exercise for students when teaching at seminary, never noticed
consider carefully what risen Jesus told dumbfounded Mary outside empty tomb
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
what’s the big deal? 1st time in John’s gospel called God “ours”
in John, Jesus talks about his relationship w/ Father repeatedly
word “father” shows up more times in John than in any other book of NT
only books even close are ones w/ genealogies: “X father of Y, who father of Z…”
entire time throughout John, always “the” Father or “my” Father: never “your” Father
not case in other gospels: eg taught to pray to “our Father who art in heaven”
but John did not, in order to draw attn to profound change that happened at rez
Fact that Jesus called God his Father was alone enough of a scandal
John 5:18 “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him…he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
elsewhere, while debating w/ detractors, made very clear that God is not their Father
8:42: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.”
All this changes w/ rez: relationship w/ God restored/established
Jesus makes possible for us what had been impossible for eons
God is now “our” Father: relationship w/ him is restored
gone are days of Moses & Isaiah, not being able to see face of God
gone are days of psalmists & Job, longing to be in God’s presence
once more, we can enjoy blessing that Adam & Eve lost
walk w/ God in the garden in the cool of the day
invitation for you: take that walk: seek that face, enjoy that fellowship
open life to presence of loving heavenly Father
John 20:1-18
4/4/21
Easter is about wrongs being righted: about our wrongs being made right
world & lives have been spinning off balance, causing destruction & mayhem in process
now set straight, bring beauty & grace instead of chaos and confusion
sins forgiven, guilt done away w/, injustices corrected, brokenness healed
all set right, now that Jesus has arisen from the empty tomb
but at heart of it all, one thing above all has been set right because of rez
the one thing that pushed everything else off-kilter
our connection to the living God, Creator of all that is, that has been, that will be
he is the source of life, goodness: all that makes existence worthwhile
Our original design was to live in close harmony w/ him
Scripture tells us Adam & Eve used to walk w/ God in the garden in the cool of the day
but that all ended when sin entered the picture
in the form of juice from forbidden fruit dripping down their chins
in church, call it sin, but goes by other names as well
rebellion, selfishness, greed, pride, disobedience, willfulness, foolishness…
when it entered the picture, God and humanity parted ways
Adam & Eve thrown out of garden, lost sweet fellowship enjoyed w/ God there
From that time on, infinite gulf separated Creator from his beloved creation
God lamented the loss of those whom he prized above all else
for our part, usually completely unaware of what we had lost
only in few faithful moments realize the source of emptiness we feel w/in
sense separation from only One who can truly satisfy
even if don’t know that’s what it is
chasm that none of us able to bridge or close
even Moses, God’s chosen spokesman, unworthy to abide in God’s presence
once asked God to be able to see his glory [Ex 33:18-20]
God’s reply: “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
centuries later, God gave glimpse of his glory to prophet Isaiah when called to service
Is’s response not one of joy, but of terror [Is 6:5]
“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
later, declared “Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself” [Is 45:15]
called on us to “Seek the Lord while he may be found,” [55:6]
but those blessed times few & far between
Our exp of God has been more like that of psalmist
42: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
63: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
do you know this thirst? desire for presence of God you cannot have?
ever cry out words of Ps 27 “Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me”
or Job: “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!” [23:3]
Then the remarkable, unimaginable, unexpected occurred
God took it upon himself to heal the wound that kept us from his love
came in the person of JX, to declare, to embody, to demonstrate his love
some responded w/ joy & faith; others rejected w/ fear & hate
nothing different from what God expected: knew would face cold reception
with his incarnate body itself, bore the weight of ages of separation
carried the sin, the pain, fear, rage, deceitfulness, violence, sorrow
by carrying it upon himself, put an end to it all forever
Easter is the confirmation & proof that the rift between God & humanity has been filled
not by our trying hard enough, believing strongly enough, willing selves to be better
but by God loving enough not only to carry our brokenness to grave to be gone forever
but floods world w/ new life, received in open arms by God who missed us so much
gave so much to have us return to him
This Easter, draw attn to one small detail in Easter story: easy to miss
I certainly have! studied passage more times than I can count
even used as trans exercise for students when teaching at seminary, never noticed
consider carefully what risen Jesus told dumbfounded Mary outside empty tomb
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
what’s the big deal? 1st time in John’s gospel called God “ours”
in John, Jesus talks about his relationship w/ Father repeatedly
word “father” shows up more times in John than in any other book of NT
only books even close are ones w/ genealogies: “X father of Y, who father of Z…”
entire time throughout John, always “the” Father or “my” Father: never “your” Father
not case in other gospels: eg taught to pray to “our Father who art in heaven”
but John did not, in order to draw attn to profound change that happened at rez
Fact that Jesus called God his Father was alone enough of a scandal
John 5:18 “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him…he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
elsewhere, while debating w/ detractors, made very clear that God is not their Father
8:42: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.”
All this changes w/ rez: relationship w/ God restored/established
Jesus makes possible for us what had been impossible for eons
God is now “our” Father: relationship w/ him is restored
gone are days of Moses & Isaiah, not being able to see face of God
gone are days of psalmists & Job, longing to be in God’s presence
once more, we can enjoy blessing that Adam & Eve lost
walk w/ God in the garden in the cool of the day
invitation for you: take that walk: seek that face, enjoy that fellowship
open life to presence of loving heavenly Father
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com