Morning

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. 7 Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, CEB)

When the time of rest was done in the morning, just after sunrise, 3 women took spices and went to finish the preparations on Jesus. I find it interesting that Mary, Jesus’ mother is not called that, but is called, Mary the mother of James. Why not Jesus? Do they really think that Jesus is dead? Did they not hear what he said to the disciples? And Mary isn’t the mother of the dead bur of the living.

And if they heard what Jesus said, that he would rise again from the dead, why were they worried about the stone?

All of this just plays into the whole gospel of Mark and the original ending of the 3 running from the tomb in fear and saying nothing to anyone because of fear. The book doesn’t end because the story doesn’t end there, and we have hope in the way the women react, because we don’t get what God is up to and God still works through us as God did the women.

Share the love you’ve been given.

Love People. Love God.

Victory!

50 This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s kingdom. Something that rots can’t inherit something that doesn’t decay. 51 Listen, I’m telling you a secret: All of us won’t die, but we will all be changed— 52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet. The trumpet will blast, and the dead will be raised with bodies that won’t decay, and we will be changed. 53 It’s necessary for this rotting body to be clothed with what can’t decay, and for the body that is dying to be clothed in what can’t die. 54 And when the rotting body has been clothed in what can’t decay, and the dying body has been clothed in what can’t die, then this statement in scripture will happen: Death has been swallowed up by a victory. 55 Where is your victory, Death? Where is your sting, Death? (56 Death’s sting is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.) 57 Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 As a result of all this, my loved brothers and sisters, you must stand firm, unshakable, excelling in the work of the Lord as always, because you know that your labor isn’t going to be for nothing in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58, CEB)

People will read this and get all hung up on the flesh and blood and rotting bodies. Like yesterday with the what will we look like in the fulfillment of the kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter.

What matters here is the victory.

Death has no victory over us, because death of this flesh body is a step in the fulfillment of the kingdom.

Jesus bought for us a body that will last forever and what that is or what it looks like doesn’t matter. What matters is it is done.

So tell others of the love God has for you and for them!

Love People. Love God.

What will we look like…

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come back?” 36 Look, fool! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t come back to life unless it dies. 37 What you put in the ground doesn’t have the shape that it will have, but it’s a bare grain of wheat or some other seed. 38 God gives it the sort of shape that he chooses, and he gives each of the seeds its own shape. 39 All flesh isn’t alike. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another kind of flesh, birds have another kind of flesh, and fish have another kind. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The heavenly bodies have one kind of glory, and the earthly bodies have another kind of glory. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, the moon has another kind of glory, and the stars have another kind of glory (but one star is different from another star in its glory). 42 It’s the same with the resurrection of the dead: a rotting body is put into the ground, but what is raised won’t ever decay. 43 It’s degraded when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in glory. It’s weak when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in power. 44 It’s a physical body when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised as a spiritual body. If there’s a physical body, there’s also a spiritual body. 45 So it is also written, The first human, Adam, became a living person, and the last Adam became a spirit that gives life. 46 But the physical body comes first, not the spiritual one—the spiritual body comes afterward. 47 The first human was from the earth made from dust; the second human is from heaven. 48 The nature of the person made of dust is shared by people who are made of dust, and the nature of the heavenly person is shared by heavenly people. 49 We will look like the heavenly person in the same way as we have looked like the person made from dust. (1 Corinthians 15:35-49, CEB)

What will we look like in the fulfillment of the kingdom of God?

Does it really matter? We will not have our same bodies because these current bodies decay and rot and the bodies we will have in the kingdom will never rot. So we will look like our earthly selves but will be of the type of the kingdom dwellers.

But really does it matter? Is this something we should be concerned with? Knowing that our lives will never end, because the death of the earthly body is a step in our existence to the fulfillment of the kingdom, and what we look like in the kingdom doesn’t matter here and now. What matters is we know that the promise is real and we help others see they can be a part of the promise also.

Love People. Love God.

Nothing…

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. 7 Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, CEB)

Is this really the ending to the gospel of Mark? I mean seriously, it is Easter Morning, we know Jesus is alive and the tomb doesn’t hold him, but the women overcome with terror and dread fled the tomb and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

Now someone else thought this was a lousy ending to Mark too, and so they added verse 9 – 19 to the sixteenth chapter of Mark. They didn’t like the way Mark ended this. But if honestly the women went away and told nothing to anyone how do we know what happened?

Well it is all in the Gospel of Mark, which is not a complete story, but the beginning, like Mark says in verse 1:1 “The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son,”

The gospel of Mark is merely the beginning of the good news, not the end all be all of the completion of the good news.

Mark starts the story that is still going. Jesus is still working and showing us God’s love every day!.

So go, but not in fear and terror, but in love and share the great news that Jesus Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah!

Love People, Love God.

Sweet Sound of your name…

Early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him.” 3 Peter and the other disciple left to go to the tomb. 4 They were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and was the first to arrive at the tomb. 5 Bending down to take a look, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Following him, Simon Peter entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head. It wasn’t with the other clothes but was folded up in its own place. 8 Then the other disciple, the one who arrived at the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 They didn’t yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying. 11 Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. 13 The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” 14 As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her. (John 20:1-18, CEB)

In the days of Covid it has been easy to see someone and not know who they are because of the masks, but have you ever seen someone you know, and had no clue who they were when you saw them?

It is actually easy to understand here how Mary doesn’t know Jesus. I mean she saw him die on the cross and helped to put his body in the tomb. She knows he is dead and she is distraught with anguish and sorrow. She is so overcome with emotion that she probably really can’t see straight. So it is really understandable that she doesn’t recognize Jesus. But then Jesus says her name…

Oh the sweet sound of your name from someone who dearly loves you. What I wouldn’t give to hear my mother or father say my name again. But to hear my wife or children call out my name makes me happy. Can you imagine really how Mary felt? Distraught with anguish and sorrow and then she hears the voice of Jesus and sees him and knows it is him and she is now overcome with joy and elation! What a day.

Listen, and I bet you can hear Jesus saying your name.

Love People, Love God.

Suffering Servant

13 Look, my servant will succeed.
    He will be exalted and lifted very high.
14 Just as many were appalled by you,
    he too appeared disfigured, inhuman,
    his appearance unlike that of mortals.
15 But he will astonish many nations.
    Kings will be silenced because of him,
    because they will see what they haven’t seen before;
    what they haven’t heard before, they will ponder.
53 Who can believe what we have heard,
    and for whose sake has the Lord’s arm been revealed?
2 He grew up like a young plant before us,
    like a root from dry ground.
He possessed no splendid form for us to see,
    no desirable appearance.
3 He was despised and avoided by others;
    a man who suffered, who knew sickness well.
Like someone from whom people hid their faces,
    he was despised, and we didn’t think about him.
4 It was certainly our sickness that he carried,
    and our sufferings that he bore,
    but we thought him afflicted,
    struck down by God and tormented.
5 He was pierced because of our rebellions
    and crushed because of our crimes.
    He bore the punishment that made us whole;
    by his wounds we are healed.
6 Like sheep we had all wandered away,
    each going its own way,
    but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.
7 He was oppressed and tormented,
    but didn’t open his mouth.
Like a lamb being brought to slaughter,
    like a ewe silent before her shearers,
    he didn’t open his mouth.
8 Due to an unjust ruling he was taken away,
    and his fate—who will think about it?
He was eliminated from the land of the living,
    struck dead because of my people’s rebellion.
9 His grave was among the wicked,
    his tomb with evildoers,
    though he had done no violence,
    and had spoken nothing false.
10 But the Lord wanted to crush him
    and to make him suffer.
If his life is offered as restitution,
    he will see his offspring; he will enjoy long life.
    The Lord’s plans will come to fruition through him.
11 After his deep anguish he will see light, and he will be satisfied.
Through his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant,
    will make many righteous,
    and will bear their guilt.
12 Therefore, I will give him a share with the great,
    and he will divide the spoil with the strong,
    in return for exposing his life to death
    and being numbered with rebels,
    though he carried the sin of many
    and pleaded on behalf of those who rebelled.
(Isaiah 52:13—53:12, CEB)

The Suffering Servant passage from third Isaiah is a great passage. There is so much here we could talk for days.

I am usually struck by verse 53:5
He was pierced because of our rebellions
and crushed because of our crimes.
He bore the punishment that made us whole;
by his wounds we are healed.

He was pierced for our rebellions and crushed for our crimes. For the things we did that went against God and neighbor he was hurt and crushed for them. He paid for what we should have paid for. He bore what we should have and gave us a new wholeness that we didn’t even have before.

And by his wounds we are healed. The King James Version of this part is By his stripes we are healed. By the stripes of his flogging 39 times with a cat of nine tails, because 40 would kill you. bones and pieces of wood and rock for sharp tearing shrapnel at the ends of the nine leather strands on each whip. His strips were many and I can safely say he bled for our iniquities. His stripes healed you. He suffered for you.

On this day, that we call Good Friday, remember the way of Christ that led him to be tortured and crucified, and how he did that all for you.

Love as you were and are loved.

Love People, Love God.

Everyone!

Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully. 2 Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand what I’m doing now, but you will understand later.” 8 “No!” Peter said. “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t have a place with me.” 9 Simon Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus responded, “Those who have bathed need only to have their feet washed, because they are completely clean. You disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 He knew who would betray him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you is clean.” 12 After he washed the disciples’ feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table. He said to them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am. 14 If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do. 16 I assure you, servants aren’t greater than their master, nor are those who are sent greater than the one who sent them. 17 Since you know these things, you will be happy if you do them. 31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. 33 Little children, I’m with you for a little while longer. You will look for me—but, just as I told the Jewish leaders, I also tell you now—‘Where I’m going, you can’t come.’ 34 “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. 35 This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” (John 13:1-17, 31b-35, CEB)

Why does Peter think he knows better than Jesus? Hasn’t he learned anything on the travels with Jesus?

I mean if Jesus wants to wash you feet, let him wash you feet, and don’t ask for extra, just be happy with what you get. Makes me think of the phrase many parents use, “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” But Peter seems to know better than Jesus.

Aren’t we all that way really though? We think we know what is best for us and Jesus, and ask for the seat next to him in glory. We say this is where we need to go and what we need to do to share the mission of God. We just don’t get it. We call Jesus teacher and master, which he is, but he is also our servant. And that is where we fall short. We want to be teacher and master, but when we get there we are also servant, and on the way we have to serve too.

That is why this night is hard. We need to embrace what Jesus says, who washes the feet of the one who hands him over! We need to serve those who don’t seem to understand the plan and do things their own ways. We need to love everyone, regardless of how they treat us, because that is what God did.

Love your neighbor, which is everyone, as you do your self.

Love People, Love God.

Handed over

21 After he said these things, Jesus was deeply disturbed and testified, “I assure you, one of you will betray me.” 22 His disciples looked at each other, confused about which of them he was talking about. 23 One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was at Jesus’ side. 24 Simon Peter nodded at him to get him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. 25 Leaning back toward Jesus, this disciple asked, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It’s the one to whom I will give this piece of bread once I have dipped into the bowl.”Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 No one sitting at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Some thought that, since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus told him, “Go, buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So when Judas took the bread, he left immediately. And it was night. 31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. (John 13:21-32, CEB)

Satan entered Judas when he took the bread. Remember that the gospels are probably oral stories to a community that were then written down and people needed a reason why one of the chosen disciples would turn on Jesus and betray him. But did Judas betray him? We could go into a long discussion of this, but one of the things I learned a long time ago and has changed the way I lead worship is the word that is translated as betray here really isn’t betray. The word in the Greek is παραδίδωμι. It means to hand over. Which gives the connotation of betrayed, but if Judas and Jesus has talked about what needed to happen, then maybe Judas was doing what was worked out. This is why I love the portrayal of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.

I say during communion, in the night in which Jesus was handed over, because God was always and is still in control. Even when we don’t see it or understand it. God is always in control. And in order to be betrayed, someone else has control.

Jesus knew the plan all along, that is why it is laid out to all here and God was always in control.

So share God’s love and even in the times it seems all hope is lost, know that God is still in control.

Love People, Love God.

Easy answer

20 Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One to be glorified. 24 I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me. 27 “Now I am deeply troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? No, for this is the reason I have come to this time. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard and said, “It’s thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to him.” 30 Jesus replied, “This voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world’s ruler will be thrown out. 32 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (33 He said this to show how he was going to die.) 34 The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?” 35 Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. 36 As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them. (John 12:20-36, CEB)

Have you ever asked a question and expected an easy answer but got a long drawn out explanation that really didn’t even get close to be an answer for your question? It seems like Jesus, and especially in the Gospel of John is one to not give an answer to the question or statement and to go off on a tangent. But is it really a tangent?

Here Jesus is told some Greeks would like to see him, and Jesus goes into a working through what will happen to him, how he will die, and why he came to be here with us on earth. Jesus talks about being lifted up, and when that happens everyone will be drawn to him, and everyone will see him. You see Jesus did answer Philip and Andrew by his tangent. He said all people will be drawn to him and thus the Greeks will see him.

And we will also show Jesus forth to the world by sharing the love we have with everyone we see.

Go into the world and love as Jesus loved you and show them all Jesus.

Love People, Love God.

Why?

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. 3 Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. 4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, 5 “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.) 7 Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.” 9 Many Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 The chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus too. 11 It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus. (John 12:1-11, CEB)

Why are you motivated to do what you do? Here we see that Judas was motivated by his greed. Now I’m not sure about this passage, and some one else had seconds thoughts at least, because of the ( ). Those ( ) are there not because of grammar, but because that verse is not in some manuscripts. SO it could have been added later, when a hatred of Judas arose because of what Judas did. Now we could go on and on about Judas and what he did in handing Jesus over, but that is not really the thrust of this text. So I ask again why you do what you do?

Are we motivated to share love or to get power and possessions? Even the chief priests here were going to plot to kill Lazarus along with Jesus because people were leaving the temple and following after Jesus because he raised Lazarus from the dead. They didn’t like that people were not listening to them, their power was diminishing. They were motivated by power and not by love and truth.

So why do you do what you do? Is it for love?

Love People, Love God.