Skip to main content

The Best News Ever

What follows is my sermon for Easter Sunrise Service delivered at St. Luke's United Church of Christ in Luthersburg, PA.

 The Best News Ever

 The story of the Jesus as told in the new testament is called the Gospel which means Good News. Jesus himself said that he had come to bring the good news that the Kingdom of God was at hand.   The term Good News can be found 16 times in the four books called the Gospel, and an additional 13 more times in the rest of the books of the New Testament.

 Now I have what may seem like a strange question.  Why are you here this morning?  I mean, did you get up extra early this morning, get cleaned up and drive to this spot for some good news?

 I am going to make an assumption.  I think it is a pretty safe assumption, but an assumption none the less.  I assume that you are here this morning because you are a Christian.  
 
You claim the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has made a mark on your life and you are here to celebrate the news of the empty tomb.  And that is the point.  You are not here because of good news!  Now don’t get me wrong, good news is good.  It might cause us to smile, perhaps it might cause us to join in a toast or to lift up a cheer.  But the empty tomb is not just good news, it is the best news ever.

 Good news just doesn’t completely describe the empty tomb.  

 And perhaps, Easter is not only a time to celebrate, but also a time to remind us just what we are celebrating.

 Resurrection Sunday.  Empty Tomb Sunday. Easter Sunday is the best news ever.  

 Here is the best news ever.
 
Because of the empty tomb we are forever free from being defined by our failures.  No the empty tomb means we are God’s beloved children.  Loved in spite of our shortcomings and failures.  That is the best news ever

 Because of the empty tomb we can face the storms of life without fear.  The risen Christ walks with us through the difficulties of this life.  The bad news of storms is met with the empty tomb.

 Lust breaks up families, causes divorce, separates children from parents, but Christ remains.  The bad news of the family breakups met with the empty tomb.

 Debt threatens our ability to provide for ourselves and our families but Christ stays with us.  The bad news of debt and bankruptcy is met with the empty tomb

 Pride divides siblings, destroys friendships, brings betrayal, but Christ remains with the hurt and the broken.  The bad news of lost friendships is met with the empty tomb.

 War separates loved ones, destroys and devastates, but Christ remains in the absence and in the midst of the battle.  The bad news of War is met with the empty tomb     

 Death is the ultimate bad news.  Death is something everyone faces.  Death of a loved one, a parent, a sibling, a child are the ultimate bad news.  Eventually everyone must face the reality of their own death.  This is the final bad news.  But even the bad news of death is met with the empty tomb.

 Because of the empty tomb is empty the storms of this life have no power over us;  Lust has not power over us; debt has no power over us;  pride as no power over us; war as no power over us;  death has no power over us.

 The empty tomb is the best news ever. 

 The empty tomb moves us from the agony and sorrow of Good Friday to the joy, surprise, and wonderment of Resurrection Sunday.

 So we are here to celebrate the best news ever.  Smile, laugh, shout, sing, dance, jump for joy!    

 The best news ever is better than your favorite team winning the biggest game of the year.
The best news ever is better than winning the biggest lottery prize ever.
We can smile like we got away with something because with the empty tomb before us and the risen Christ living in us, we have gotten away with something. 
 
So Christian, be happy!
Smile!
Laugh!
Shout!
Sing!
Dance!

 The empty tomb is the best news ever because the work is already done.  There is nothing we can do to earn this gift of the empty tomb.  The empty tomb means the fight is already won. The work has already been done.  

 This is not good news.  This is the best news ever.


This message was inspired by the music group MercyMe lastest release, Lifer.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hard Words

The sixth chapter of the Gospel of John spends a lot of time dealing with bread and eating.  But it isn't till the end of this long chapter that Jesus gets to the meat of the lesson.  Everything is going along fairly smoothly, even if not fully understood. Then Jesus announces that his flesh and blood is the main ingredients of the saving meal. Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."   John 6:56-59 NRSV This is one of the most difficult text to read.  It is disquieting, even gross.  No wonder many of those who were following Jesus at the time walked away. People walked away because they could not see beyond the hard words.  Up to this point, they enj...
Post a Comment
Read more

Favorite Bible Stories - Jonah

Sermon excerpts from Sunday, January 25, 2015 Last week I told you there were two topics that people don’t want to hear.  One was evangelism.  We discussed that last week.  This week we are going to look at that other subject – Stewardship.  Or for today message, using your talents as God desires. God came to a man named Jonah and told him to go to Nineveh, a wicked city, and “preach against it because its wickedness has come up before me.” In other words, his assigned task was to proclaim God’s judgment on Nineveh’s sins.   But Jonah  didn't  want to go to Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the historic enemy of Israel. In the eighth and seventh centuries B.C., the Assyrians plundered Palestine, looted and burned its cities and deported its inhabitants. In 722-721 B.C., it was Assyria that destroyed the Northern Kingdom.   Just like most of us, Jonah had his reasons for not wanting to use his talents as God wanted. We giv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Foolish Things - Excerpts from February 2, 2014 Sermon

Foolish Things: There are some very strange laws on the books concerning churches and here are just a few: young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it’s in a church.  In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she’s in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail.  In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except police.  No citizen in Leecreek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment.  Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia. And, finally, turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana. (2) There is a lot of foolishness in the world—and that foolishness includes you and me. That’s right. Paul calls us foolish. He writes in I Corinthians 1: 26-29, “Brothers, think of what you were when yo...
Post a Comment
Read more