WEBVTT - This file was automatically generated by VIMEO 1 00:00:01.400 --> 00:00:02.300 Christ is risen. 2 00:00:06.300 --> 00:00:09.400 Our text is from a gospel lesson. I was read earlier when 3 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:12.400 Jesus said to them. Why are you troubled? 4 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:15.400 And why are these dialogues are debates rising in 5 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:17.600 your hearts? This is our text. 6 00:00:19.300 --> 00:00:23.100 Now in one sense, I've always been surprised by Jesus question 7 00:00:22.100 --> 00:00:25.400 to these disciples. I 8 00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:28.900 mean, of course they're going to be troubled. Of course, they're going to be confused by 9 00:00:28.900 --> 00:00:30.100 what they were seeing. 10 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:34.400 Just think about this a little over a week ago. They had seen him 11 00:00:34.400 --> 00:00:38.000 hanging on a cross meeting almost beyond 12 00:00:37.700 --> 00:00:40.700 recognition and then buried in a tomb. 13 00:00:41.900 --> 00:00:42.900 He was dead. 14 00:00:44.400 --> 00:00:47.300 And now he isn't if the reports were to be 15 00:00:47.300 --> 00:00:50.600 believed. He had appeared to the women Easter morning 16 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.200 and Peter himself had seen the empty tomb and at 17 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.100 least according to the Mas disciples earlier in 18 00:00:56.100 --> 00:00:59.300 Luke's gospel. Jesus had also appeared to Peter whom 19 00:00:59.300 --> 00:01:00.300 they call Simon. 20 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.300 Not sure when that appearance took place in Luke doesn't 21 00:01:04.300 --> 00:01:07.600 tell us nor do any of the other gospels. But none 22 00:01:07.600 --> 00:01:10.300 of the rest of the 10 it actually seen him and so 23 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:13.300 they are troubled. There is this dialogue is 24 00:01:13.300 --> 00:01:16.400 muy this debating. That's going on revolving around 25 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:19.800 in their heads. They're not sure if 26 00:01:19.800 --> 00:01:21.400 they can believe what they're seeing. 27 00:01:22.800 --> 00:01:25.000 But I think something else was going on, too. I 28 00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:28.400 mean, death itself, often leaves us 29 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.700 troubled and Confused, especially 30 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:35.600 an unexpected or an unexplained death, which 31 00:01:35.800 --> 00:01:38.300 most are death often 32 00:01:38.300 --> 00:01:41.800 leaves us. Troubled in questioning, what happened. I'm 33 00:01:41.100 --> 00:01:44.300 I'm sure that when these feel that way about 34 00:01:44.300 --> 00:01:47.800 what happened to their son, Matthew, who died at 46 of 35 00:01:47.800 --> 00:01:48.600 cancer. 36 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:53.000 The Paschal candle here will serve as a reminder of his life 37 00:01:52.500 --> 00:01:55.700 and the Triumph of Life ultimately over 38 00:01:55.700 --> 00:01:58.100 death. Any of us who 39 00:01:58.100 --> 00:02:02.200 have had to confront death, feel troubled, confused, and nagging feeling 40 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.500 that this cannot be how life was 41 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:07.100 meant to be the 42 00:02:07.100 --> 00:02:10.600 last two years have confronted. A lot of people with death 43 00:02:10.100 --> 00:02:13.700 who might have otherwise been insulated from it. 44 00:02:14.600 --> 00:02:17.700 We haven't dealt with the pain and make like this for 100 years. 45 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:20.600 At least not in our country. We haven't faced 46 00:02:20.600 --> 00:02:23.400 the threat of War like what's going on in Ukraine. Since World 47 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:26.500 War 2, though, plenty of other countries. Have 48 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:29.200 just asked our friends in Ethiopia who been dealing with 49 00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:31.500 the Civil War for a couple years now. 50 00:02:32.600 --> 00:02:35.200 And then there's the senseless shootings in St. Louis that 51 00:02:35.200 --> 00:02:38.900 even include children among the victims and all 52 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:42.300 the other tragedy that we see death is everywhere. It's 53 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:45.400 like one of those uninvited guests that you 54 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:48.500 just can't keep ignoring it demands, our attention. 55 00:02:50.200 --> 00:02:53.500 So what's my point? Well, my first point is death 56 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:57.100 is real. That may seem like an obvious point 57 00:02:56.200 --> 00:03:00.100 to those of you seated here about. I wonder how 58 00:03:00.100 --> 00:03:03.400 obvious it is to someone who's never really had to confront it at 59 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.600 least not in any real personal way. 60 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.900 And that also maybe some of you hear from 61 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.500 Andy in our country and the West dumb are generally 62 00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:15.200 at least until recently I I think death was 63 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:18.800 encountered more like, you know, the virtual reality of a video game. 64 00:03:19.900 --> 00:03:22.300 Death happens all the time on the screen and Mortal 65 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:25.600 Kombat and Super Smash Bros. You know, I played 66 00:03:25.700 --> 00:03:28.200 Super Smash Bros a few times with my boys, you 67 00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:31.900 know my character. I think I've told you this was always Pikachu. 68 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:34.200 He's the only one I knew how to use with 69 00:03:34.200 --> 00:03:37.500 the uppy, which brings down the lightning bolt. Yeah, 70 00:03:37.700 --> 00:03:40.200 but I never won, but at 71 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:43.200 least I tried, you know, and Luke tried to make me at least look 72 00:03:43.200 --> 00:03:46.500 somewhat. Okay, but the thing about video games is 73 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:48.600 you never really die. 74 00:03:49.300 --> 00:03:52.300 You might die in the game. But then you come back in the next game or 75 00:03:52.600 --> 00:03:55.400 even get some kind of boost in your current game. 76 00:03:55.600 --> 00:03:58.100 And this is how many, who grew up 77 00:03:58.100 --> 00:04:01.700 with video games experience death, you know, when 9/11 happened people, 78 00:04:01.700 --> 00:04:04.100 watched it on TV, you know, and I 79 00:04:04.100 --> 00:04:07.300 heard more than one person. Say that it more. It looked like more 80 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:10.300 than a something more like a movie than reality. 81 00:04:11.600 --> 00:04:14.200 I experienced it a little differently living across the 82 00:04:14.200 --> 00:04:17.800 Hudson in New Jersey and I still have some of my pictures from that day, 83 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:20.500 you know in Warfare these days, 84 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:23.600 unmanned drones and flick death from hundreds or thousands of 85 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:26.400 miles away and flying the 86 00:04:26.400 --> 00:04:29.700 drones. I've heard is very similar to a video game but 87 00:04:29.700 --> 00:04:32.000 with much deadlier consequences. 88 00:04:33.100 --> 00:04:36.500 But sooner or later or gets 89 00:04:36.500 --> 00:04:39.700 up close, it gets personal especially 90 00:04:39.700 --> 00:04:42.600 if civilians are the target as we've seen lately. 91 00:04:43.700 --> 00:04:46.300 And in one sense our 21st century has done a pretty good 92 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:49.100 job in mitigating. Some of the Fallout, from the 93 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:50.900 fall in the garden. 94 00:04:52.200 --> 00:04:55.700 But last year was the first year, you know this, that life expectancy 95 00:04:55.700 --> 00:04:58.800 in the u.s. Actually fell up 96 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.300 close and personal encounters with death for a long 97 00:05:01.300 --> 00:05:04.200 time. Were kept at a minimum. We probably thought we had even been able 98 00:05:04.200 --> 00:05:07.900 to tame death. A little bit to a certain degree. We 99 00:05:07.900 --> 00:05:10.400 largely knew about death from behind the safety of 100 00:05:10.400 --> 00:05:13.400 our protective screens, not 101 00:05:13.400 --> 00:05:14.500 So Much Anymore. 102 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:20.200 Death gets very, very personal. Perhaps 103 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:22.300 it's gotten personal for you to, you know, sooner 104 00:05:22.300 --> 00:05:25.200 or later death touches us all it's 105 00:05:25.200 --> 00:05:26.200 relentless. 106 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:31.000 And for those born into this world, the mortality rate is 107 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:33.100 sorry to say, 100%. 108 00:05:34.900 --> 00:05:38.000 Covid-19. So the daily deaths our family's experience 109 00:05:37.200 --> 00:05:41.200 from cancer accidents, things beyond 110 00:05:40.200 --> 00:05:43.600 our control, all these 111 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:46.300 things, confront us with death. And so maybe we have some 112 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:49.600 sympathy for the disciples and their reaction when 113 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:53.000 Jesus appears among them. And it 114 00:05:52.100 --> 00:05:55.200 is a rather sudden appearance, literally out of 115 00:05:55.200 --> 00:05:58.000 nowhere. I noticed that we, at least 116 00:05:58.300 --> 00:06:01.800 in the text, we read for today from the SV and it does have include 117 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:03.900 this. Those words from Jesus when he meets 118 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:07.900 Disciples. The first thing he says to them is peace. 119 00:06:07.900 --> 00:06:08.700 Be with you. 120 00:06:10.200 --> 00:06:11.400 That sounds right to me. 121 00:06:12.400 --> 00:06:15.500 I think he knew exactly what they needed. He 122 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:18.600 knew how devastating death can be, and 123 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.600 I'm sure he knew to knew that they needed a calming word 124 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:22.300 from him. 125 00:06:23.900 --> 00:06:26.500 But still he asked them. Why are you troubled and 126 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:29.500 why do these D. I like is more. These are debates. So 127 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:30.900 I'll go on in your hearts. 128 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:35.100 Seems kind of a callous thing to ask. You know, where have you 129 00:06:35.100 --> 00:06:36.500 been Jesus, you know? 130 00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:40.200 Would you look at it a bit more closely and realize what 131 00:06:40.200 --> 00:06:42.800 he's up to the one who was asking the question? 132 00:06:44.300 --> 00:06:47.300 His the same one, who was on the cross that previous week, the 133 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:50.500 same one laid in that tomb would also the same one 134 00:06:50.200 --> 00:06:53.800 who walked out of that tomb, three days 135 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:54.500 later. 136 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:58.300 He knows everything you need to know about death. 137 00:07:00.200 --> 00:07:02.300 But he knows even more about life. 138 00:07:03.200 --> 00:07:06.600 He knows death does not have the final word. I mean, just ask Mary 139 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:09.200 and Martha and their brother Lazarus or 140 00:07:09.200 --> 00:07:12.400 the Widow of nain son. All the holy people that Matthew tells 141 00:07:12.400 --> 00:07:15.700 us had died, but were raised to life. After Jesus 142 00:07:15.700 --> 00:07:19.200 died in the tombs. He says we're broken open. Matthew 143 00:07:18.200 --> 00:07:21.900 says in chapter 27 that they 144 00:07:21.900 --> 00:07:24.600 came out of the tombs after Jesus resurrection and 145 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:27.700 went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 146 00:07:27.100 --> 00:07:30.900 I mean, it's almost as if Jesus resurrection caused 147 00:07:30.900 --> 00:07:32.400 a chain reaction. 148 00:07:33.400 --> 00:07:36.200 The chain reaction that could not be contained and that would 149 00:07:36.200 --> 00:07:37.400 be about, right. 150 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:42.100 You can't stop life. It has a 151 00:07:42.100 --> 00:07:46.200 way of breaking through in the most difficult or dark places 152 00:07:45.200 --> 00:07:48.600 from Jesus. Divine, Eternal 153 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:51.300 perspective. There is a whole other reality out 154 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:55.200 there, one that has no place for death. 155 00:07:56.900 --> 00:07:59.400 Maybe we can think about it like this just 156 00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:02.400 like Adam and Eve sin was so contagious that 157 00:08:02.400 --> 00:08:06.900 it brought with it a 100% mortality rate. Jesus 158 00:08:06.900 --> 00:08:09.300 resurrection is so contagious that it brings 159 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:12.500 with it. I'm 100% Resurrection rate. 160 00:08:12.500 --> 00:08:13.200 Shall we say? 161 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.900 Life does win over death. Jesus 162 00:08:17.900 --> 00:08:21.200 knows this everyone. Everyone 163 00:08:20.200 --> 00:08:23.400 is going to be raised up on that last day 164 00:08:23.400 --> 00:08:27.800 and I do mean everyone, you can run, but 165 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:29.700 you can't hide on that last day. 166 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:34.000 Everyone will be raised in the final judgment just 167 00:08:33.300 --> 00:08:36.700 like what we see depicted in that transept window 168 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:37.400 over there. 169 00:08:38.400 --> 00:08:41.100 And that's good news for those who died in faith. 170 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.700 Not so good news for those who didn't who rejected him. 171 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.500 And this will not be a virtual reality. This judgment will 172 00:08:50.500 --> 00:08:51.400 be real. 173 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:54.600 Life, Without End. 174 00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:58.400 Or death in Eternal punishment Without End. 175 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:03.900 Choose life. The scriptures tell us over and over again. And 176 00:09:03.900 --> 00:09:06.500 the reason why Easter became the central celebration of 177 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:09.400 the churches because it celebrates Christ's victory over 178 00:09:09.400 --> 00:09:14.300 death, it celebrates life. And 179 00:09:14.300 --> 00:09:17.400 so this leads me to my final point that I'd like to leave you with and 180 00:09:17.400 --> 00:09:20.800 it's not so much a point really, as an image. We have a beautiful 181 00:09:20.800 --> 00:09:23.900 image on the front of the bulletin are with a picture 182 00:09:23.900 --> 00:09:27.300 and depiction of Jesus with the spear stabbing 183 00:09:26.300 --> 00:09:29.400 death and stabbing the demons, but there's also 184 00:09:29.400 --> 00:09:29.400 a 185 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.600 The image I should have given it to dr. Beaker, but 186 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:36.100 I didn't think about it in time. It's an Easter image 187 00:09:35.300 --> 00:09:38.400 the ancient Church often depicted many 188 00:09:38.400 --> 00:09:41.500 of the events of Christ's life. And what we call icons or 189 00:09:41.900 --> 00:09:44.200 pictures that often included events that were kind 190 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:47.700 of telescoped in history into the picture from previous 191 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:50.500 historical events. So imagine 192 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:53.300 it's like a, you know, kind of a time-lapse photography that takes 193 00:09:53.300 --> 00:09:56.500 place over a reality over a really long period of time at 194 00:09:56.500 --> 00:09:57.100 any rate. 195 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.500 There's this icon of the icon of the anastasis. So 196 00:10:01.500 --> 00:10:05.100 the resurrection and it depicts Christ 197 00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:07.400 coming out of the open tube and 198 00:10:07.400 --> 00:10:10.500 he's Victorious over death, what the early church called the 199 00:10:10.700 --> 00:10:13.400 harrowing of hell because he not only comes 200 00:10:13.400 --> 00:10:16.300 out of the Tomb, but he goes down into hell and 201 00:10:16.300 --> 00:10:19.400 he's like, almost skiing on the the cross that's under 202 00:10:19.400 --> 00:10:22.600 his feet. You can see him as he descends down into hell, breaking 203 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:25.700 through the gates of hell and demanding from Tartarus 204 00:10:25.700 --> 00:10:27.600 that he release the prisoners. 205 00:10:27.800 --> 00:10:30.600 They're underneath. The cross is indeed 206 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:33.500 a prisoner in Chains and lots of keys and 207 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:36.800 locks and everything else. Just cast aside as Christ 208 00:10:36.800 --> 00:10:39.400 burst through those Gates and 209 00:10:39.400 --> 00:10:42.100 freed the captives, but there's 210 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:45.300 also another picture that they have with this, that as 211 00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:48.300 he's bursting down into hell. He's got his hands 212 00:10:48.300 --> 00:10:51.500 like this outstretched. And on his 213 00:10:51.300 --> 00:10:54.700 right hand is Adam 214 00:10:54.900 --> 00:10:57.400 in on his left is Eve, has he takes 215 00:10:57.400 --> 00:10:57.600 them? 216 00:10:57.700 --> 00:11:00.600 I'm out their caskets leads them out into 217 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.200 the new life that he has for them as he summons them 218 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:06.100 from the grave as the second fruits of the 219 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:09.600 Resurrection. Since he himself is the first fruits 220 00:11:09.900 --> 00:11:13.300 of the resurrection and eternal life. So 221 00:11:13.300 --> 00:11:17.000 I want to leave you with this image because I want you to remember. I 222 00:11:17.400 --> 00:11:20.900 want you to remember that. This is our ultimate reality, our 223 00:11:20.900 --> 00:11:23.500 ultimate Destiny, and it is 224 00:11:23.800 --> 00:11:26.500 the reality and Destiny. For those who have died before us 225 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:27.600 start loved ones as well. 226 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:28.200 Well. 227 00:11:29.300 --> 00:11:32.300 Our hearts no longer need be troubled. There's no 228 00:11:32.300 --> 00:11:33.200 more debate. 229 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:38.100 Life, ins death losses 230 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.400 game over. 231 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:46.900 Christ is risen in 232 00:11:46.900 --> 00:11:48.600 the name of Jesus. Amen.