WEBVTT STYLE ::cue { color: #ffffff; } 00:00:00.730 --> 00:00:02.029 Christ is risen. 00:00:06.450 --> 00:00:08.254 Our text this morning brings us 00:00:08.292 --> 00:00:10.990 back to the first Easter Sunday. 00:00:11.570 --> 00:00:14.400 Luke 24:36-39. 00:00:16.450 --> 00:00:18.160 The talk was going around. 00:00:18.610 --> 00:00:19.920 Did you hear it? 00:00:20.290 --> 00:00:21.550 Did you hear it? 00:00:21.700 --> 00:00:22.960 Did you hear it? 00:00:24.370 --> 00:00:26.040 Jesus rose again. 00:00:27.770 --> 00:00:29.202 That was the conversation 00:00:29.266 --> 00:00:30.790 among his followers. 00:00:32.409 --> 00:00:33.686 Early in the morning, 00:00:33.868 --> 00:00:35.910 the women went to the tomb 00:00:36.410 --> 00:00:38.570 because they had prepared spice 00:00:38.910 --> 00:00:41.340 to finish embalming Jesus body. 00:00:42.910 --> 00:00:44.700 However, when they got there, 00:00:46.430 --> 00:00:48.380 the stone had been rolled away 00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:51.520 and Jesus body wasn't there. 00:00:52.930 --> 00:00:54.906 And then two angels, 00:00:55.098 --> 00:00:57.034 two men in white clothes, 00:00:57.162 --> 00:00:59.198 they appear and told them that 00:00:59.284 --> 00:01:00.718 why they're seeking the one that 00:01:00.724 --> 00:01:02.510 is living among the dead. 00:01:04.370 --> 00:01:08.126 And they return to Jerusalem to 00:01:08.148 --> 00:01:09.718 share the news with the eleven 00:01:09.754 --> 00:01:10.980 and all the others. 00:01:12.550 --> 00:01:13.074 Of course, 00:01:13.112 --> 00:01:14.242 the disciples were a little 00:01:14.296 --> 00:01:16.520 confused with this news 00:01:18.090 --> 00:01:19.160 and they 00:01:20.650 --> 00:01:22.550 didn't really believe in that 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:24.054 witness that the women were 00:01:24.092 --> 00:01:24.854 sharing with them. 00:01:24.892 --> 00:01:26.870 Luke tells us that make 00:01:26.940 --> 00:01:29.100 no sense, that story. 00:01:30.910 --> 00:01:31.994 And Peter, of course, 00:01:32.032 --> 00:01:33.850 you know Peter, he says, 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.386 I have to check that for myself, 00:01:35.488 --> 00:01:36.940 I have to go there. 00:01:38.030 --> 00:01:39.260 And he goes. 00:01:40.850 --> 00:01:42.654 And he didn't bring much good 00:01:42.692 --> 00:01:45.006 news either because the only 00:01:45.028 --> 00:01:47.086 thing he could see was the 00:01:47.108 --> 00:01:49.674 strips of linen laying 00:01:49.722 --> 00:01:50.480 by themselves. 00:01:51.810 --> 00:01:55.282 And he returned wondering what 00:01:55.336 --> 00:01:57.460 happened to Jesus body. 00:02:01.230 --> 00:02:02.762 But of course that was that 00:02:02.816 --> 00:02:05.322 conversation in Jerusalem that 00:02:05.376 --> 00:02:08.110 Jesus has risen from the dead. 00:02:09.410 --> 00:02:10.846 And then to make things a little 00:02:10.868 --> 00:02:13.118 bit more intriguing or 00:02:13.204 --> 00:02:14.826 kind of complicated, 00:02:15.018 --> 00:02:16.942 we have those two disciples that 00:02:16.996 --> 00:02:19.054 walk to emeas and they come back 00:02:19.092 --> 00:02:21.422 to town saying we not only walk 00:02:21.476 --> 00:02:22.862 with him, we talk to him. 00:02:22.916 --> 00:02:24.750 We had a meal with Jesus. 00:02:29.100 --> 00:02:30.088 You see, friends, 00:02:30.174 --> 00:02:31.770 death is one thing, 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:34.188 but there's resurrection 00:02:34.244 --> 00:02:35.490 is another story. 00:02:37.140 --> 00:02:39.410 It blows your mind away. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.140 The disciples are confused. 00:02:46.600 --> 00:02:48.308 We get confused too when we 00:02:48.314 --> 00:02:49.670 hear things like that. 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:53.136 I imagine you are familiar 00:02:53.168 --> 00:02:54.340 with the Nextdoor app. 00:02:54.410 --> 00:02:55.604 Some of you probably have that 00:02:55.642 --> 00:02:57.232 in your phones. I don't, 00:02:57.376 --> 00:02:59.890 but my wife does. 00:03:00.170 --> 00:03:02.094 And two weeks ago she 00:03:02.132 --> 00:03:03.040 got interesting 00:03:04.290 --> 00:03:06.320 post on that app. 00:03:06.850 --> 00:03:10.106 It goes like this a middle aged, 00:03:10.138 --> 00:03:12.446 very nicely dressed couple is 00:03:12.468 --> 00:03:14.350 going around knocking on doors. 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:17.338 They knocked on mine but we're 00:03:17.353 --> 00:03:19.038 already walking down the road by 00:03:19.044 --> 00:03:20.206 the time I was able to 00:03:20.228 --> 00:03:21.470 get to the door. 00:03:22.530 --> 00:03:24.934 Anybody know what they want? 00:03:25.012 --> 00:03:28.694 A woman is wearing a skirt with 00:03:28.732 --> 00:03:30.726 pink blazer and the 00:03:30.748 --> 00:03:32.630 man a gray suit. 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:35.174 That's the post. 00:03:35.372 --> 00:03:36.726 Now it's interesting to 00:03:36.748 --> 00:03:37.426 read the comments. 00:03:37.458 --> 00:03:39.020 I'm not reading all of them. 00:03:40.510 --> 00:03:43.082 Some like Jehovah Witnesses or 00:03:43.136 --> 00:03:45.402 politicians they have been 00:03:45.456 --> 00:03:46.490 walking over our area 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:47.500 all the time. 00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:50.426 Then somebody else said 00:03:50.608 --> 00:03:51.660 church people, 00:03:52.190 --> 00:03:53.454 they're all over St. 00:03:53.492 --> 00:03:57.694 John actually very pleasant even 00:03:57.732 --> 00:03:59.502 though they know I'm not 00:03:59.555 --> 00:04:02.110 interested if they see me out, 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:04.110 they always stop to chat. 00:04:05.590 --> 00:04:07.793 Another one said, sounds like 00:04:07.832 --> 00:04:09.102 Jehovah's Witness. 00:04:09.245 --> 00:04:12.546 If so they are nice but if you 00:04:12.567 --> 00:04:14.754 act too interested they will 00:04:14.792 --> 00:04:15.986 keep coming back and mailing 00:04:16.018 --> 00:04:17.079 a lot of stuff. 00:04:19.769 --> 00:04:21.601 But now we get to the comments 00:04:21.666 --> 00:04:22.678 that really brings to 00:04:22.683 --> 00:04:23.960 our topic today. 00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:27.962 Listen to this. We had people 00:04:28.016 --> 00:04:29.900 knock on our door asking 00:04:30.590 --> 00:04:32.730 if we found Jesus. 00:04:33.950 --> 00:04:35.850 Evidently he is lost. 00:04:40.050 --> 00:04:42.190 And then somebody else replied 00:04:43.170 --> 00:04:44.494 it's almost time for 00:04:44.532 --> 00:04:46.830 him to be a zombie. 00:04:48.130 --> 00:04:49.885 He is going to rise from the 00:04:49.908 --> 00:04:52.240 dead sometime next week or so. 00:04:54.790 --> 00:04:56.580 You see what I'm talking about. 00:04:57.030 --> 00:04:58.914 Death is one thing, 00:04:59.111 --> 00:05:01.074 resurrection is another story. 00:05:01.192 --> 00:05:02.754 You don't see people dying to 00:05:02.792 --> 00:05:03.874 them and coming back from 00:05:03.912 --> 00:05:05.380 their grave next day. 00:05:08.110 --> 00:05:09.802 I remember teaching confirmation 00:05:09.866 --> 00:05:12.126 class in southern Brazil and I 00:05:12.148 --> 00:05:13.466 was a pastor in a large church. 00:05:13.498 --> 00:05:14.634 We had this small church, 00:05:14.682 --> 00:05:16.062 rural area, St. 00:05:16.116 --> 00:05:18.282 Peter and in a traditional 00:05:18.346 --> 00:05:20.466 Lutheran church what you see you 00:05:20.488 --> 00:05:22.334 have a small fellowship hall, 00:05:22.462 --> 00:05:24.162 the church building and actually 00:05:24.216 --> 00:05:25.154 next to the church building is 00:05:25.192 --> 00:05:27.090 what the cemetery. 00:05:28.710 --> 00:05:30.526 It was a hot Saturday I'm teaching 00:05:30.558 --> 00:05:31.442 confirmation class. 00:05:31.496 --> 00:05:32.414 I opened the windows, 00:05:32.462 --> 00:05:33.480 there is no AC. 00:05:34.490 --> 00:05:36.210 And I can teach the confirmands 00:05:36.289 --> 00:05:37.478 here like you are sitting in the 00:05:37.484 --> 00:05:38.885 pews to my left I 00:05:38.908 --> 00:05:40.230 can see the graves. 00:05:41.850 --> 00:05:43.894 And you were talking about the 00:05:43.932 --> 00:05:45.480 resurrection of the body. 00:05:46.330 --> 00:05:47.686 The third article of 00:05:47.707 --> 00:05:49.030 the Apostles Creed. 00:05:50.169 --> 00:05:52.306 And I looked to my confirmands 00:05:52.337 --> 00:05:54.693 and I asked them do you 00:05:54.732 --> 00:05:56.782 believe do that 00:05:56.836 --> 00:05:59.118 everybody that's buried there 00:05:59.204 --> 00:06:00.910 pointing to the cemetery, 00:06:01.810 --> 00:06:04.400 you rise again one day? 00:06:07.280 --> 00:06:08.936 There was a pin drop silence 00:06:08.968 --> 00:06:09.980 in the church. 00:06:13.530 --> 00:06:15.158 The confirmands didn't say a 00:06:15.164 --> 00:06:17.414 word, but I keep poking them, 00:06:17.452 --> 00:06:20.070 you know, Pastor Prieto. I said, 00:06:20.140 --> 00:06:23.014 do you believe that people that 00:06:23.052 --> 00:06:24.726 are burying this cemetery one 00:06:24.748 --> 00:06:26.246 day going to rise again? 00:06:26.428 --> 00:06:27.560 Do you believe? 00:06:28.610 --> 00:06:29.760 What do you think? 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:32.878 By 11-12 year confimands they 00:06:32.884 --> 00:06:34.782 are thinking like what happened 00:06:34.836 --> 00:06:36.400 with the pastor this morning? 00:06:39.490 --> 00:06:40.926 But then little by little the 00:06:40.948 --> 00:06:43.186 compliments start to kind 00:06:43.207 --> 00:06:44.433 of say a little thing, 00:06:44.472 --> 00:06:46.180 even without words, 00:06:46.630 --> 00:06:49.140 but with expressions like 00:06:51.909 --> 00:06:52.659 or 00:06:54.470 --> 00:06:55.860 I'm not sure, 00:06:57.830 --> 00:06:59.810 showing kind of a disbelief. 00:07:00.710 --> 00:07:02.074 Of course, the confirmands, 00:07:02.142 --> 00:07:02.726 like I told you, 00:07:02.748 --> 00:07:04.582 are 11-12 years old. Kids, 00:07:04.716 --> 00:07:05.654 they didn't have a chance 00:07:05.692 --> 00:07:06.902 to live too long. 00:07:07.036 --> 00:07:09.370 But they had lived long enough 00:07:09.520 --> 00:07:12.313 to know that they never heard in 00:07:12.352 --> 00:07:14.006 that village that somebody rose 00:07:14.038 --> 00:07:15.850 from St. Peter's cemetery. 00:07:20.890 --> 00:07:22.650 That is one thing, my friends, 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:24.234 but resurrection is 00:07:24.272 --> 00:07:25.260 another story. 00:07:26.670 --> 00:07:28.762 You don't see people dying today 00:07:28.896 --> 00:07:30.361 and coming back from their 00:07:30.416 --> 00:07:31.946 graves next day or a couple 00:07:31.968 --> 00:07:33.020 of days after. 00:07:35.930 --> 00:07:37.122 And the disciples, 00:07:37.186 --> 00:07:38.470 they are confused. 00:07:38.970 --> 00:07:41.350 My confirmands were confused. 00:07:42.010 --> 00:07:43.990 Our Nextdoor neighbors, 00:07:44.650 --> 00:07:46.194 sometimes they are confused. 00:07:46.242 --> 00:07:48.730 They mock and they laugh about 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:50.730 the resurrection of Jesus. 00:07:52.670 --> 00:07:54.614 However, in spite of confusion, 00:07:54.662 --> 00:07:56.358 doubt, weak faith, 00:07:56.454 --> 00:07:58.810 laughing or sarcasm, 00:07:59.150 --> 00:08:01.226 nothing deters the risen, Lord. 00:08:01.258 --> 00:08:02.560 You realize that. 00:08:03.810 --> 00:08:05.600 Nothing deters him. 00:08:07.650 --> 00:08:09.946 And Jesus knows exactly what's 00:08:09.978 --> 00:08:12.190 going on in the disciples minds. 00:08:12.789 --> 00:08:14.126 Luke tells us that they're 00:08:14.158 --> 00:08:15.918 talking about those events 00:08:16.014 --> 00:08:17.490 and Jesus himself 00:08:18.550 --> 00:08:20.034 stood among them and said 00:08:20.072 --> 00:08:22.820 to them peace to you. 00:08:25.430 --> 00:08:26.820 Peace to you. 00:08:29.710 --> 00:08:30.826 I want you to understand 00:08:30.928 --> 00:08:32.490 that it's not a wish, 00:08:33.470 --> 00:08:36.169 it is not something that maybe 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:37.642 can happen to you. 00:08:37.776 --> 00:08:41.422 But Jesus is given them peace 00:08:41.566 --> 00:08:43.501 because what he had accomplished 00:08:43.566 --> 00:08:46.450 on the cross and the empty tomb. 00:08:47.750 --> 00:08:49.586 There is peace between us and 00:08:49.608 --> 00:08:51.586 God because of Jesus and what 00:08:51.608 --> 00:08:53.220 he has done for us. 00:08:54.950 --> 00:08:56.578 But the disciples reaction is 00:08:56.584 --> 00:08:57.617 not really what we expect 00:08:57.704 --> 00:08:58.400 would be right. 00:09:00.170 --> 00:09:01.354 Astonished and frightened, 00:09:01.402 --> 00:09:02.350 afraid. 00:09:03.250 --> 00:09:04.846 They thought they had seen in a 00:09:04.868 --> 00:09:08.366 spirit a ghost. And as we know, 00:09:08.468 --> 00:09:09.902 this is nothing new, right? 00:09:09.956 --> 00:09:11.118 When he was walking on the 00:09:11.124 --> 00:09:12.202 water, what they taught, 00:09:12.266 --> 00:09:13.566 there is a ghost coming 00:09:13.668 --> 00:09:14.880 against us. 00:09:16.930 --> 00:09:18.654 But then Jesus asked them two 00:09:18.692 --> 00:09:20.000 questions in our text. 00:09:21.170 --> 00:09:22.510 Are you troubled? 00:09:23.330 --> 00:09:24.602 Oh, of course, Jesus, 00:09:24.666 --> 00:09:25.810 we are troubled. 00:09:25.970 --> 00:09:27.478 That's what will be our answer, 00:09:27.564 --> 00:09:28.200 right? 00:09:30.730 --> 00:09:32.230 Yeah, they are troubled. 00:09:33.690 --> 00:09:35.670 There is doubt in your hearts. 00:09:38.490 --> 00:09:40.054 The disciples are not sure 00:09:40.092 --> 00:09:41.370 that he has risen. 00:09:42.990 --> 00:09:44.522 That's what I call about being 00:09:44.576 --> 00:09:46.620 subjective. You see, 00:09:47.390 --> 00:09:49.514 my heart is not sure. 00:09:49.712 --> 00:09:52.080 I don't feel that is right. 00:09:53.570 --> 00:09:54.800 I don't know. 00:09:56.050 --> 00:09:59.610 It's about me. Very subjective. 00:09:59.770 --> 00:10:01.520 It's you talking to yourself. 00:10:04.550 --> 00:10:05.730 But Jesus, 00:10:06.470 --> 00:10:08.210 He is objective. 00:10:09.430 --> 00:10:11.010 He is concrete. 00:10:12.069 --> 00:10:13.700 He says, See my hands, 00:10:14.069 --> 00:10:16.500 see my feet. It's myself. 00:10:17.210 --> 00:10:18.790 I'm not a ghost. 00:10:19.770 --> 00:10:21.446 Spirit doesn't have bone and 00:10:21.468 --> 00:10:23.880 flesh, as you see. I have. 00:10:25.610 --> 00:10:27.302 But Jesus doesn't stop there, 00:10:27.356 --> 00:10:28.200 does he? 00:10:28.890 --> 00:10:30.458 He showed them their hands, 00:10:30.544 --> 00:10:31.530 their feet. 00:10:32.990 --> 00:10:34.730 And disciples cannot believe 00:10:34.800 --> 00:10:35.834 what they're seeing. No, 00:10:35.872 --> 00:10:37.420 they cannot believe that, 00:10:38.910 --> 00:10:40.220 but it's true. 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:43.040 Jesus is right there 00:10:43.569 --> 00:10:44.960 in front of them. 00:10:45.730 --> 00:10:48.510 Jesus in flesh and bone. 00:10:49.970 --> 00:10:50.910 The only difference, 00:10:50.980 --> 00:10:52.622 he has the scars in his hands 00:10:52.676 --> 00:10:54.450 and his side and his feet. 00:10:54.790 --> 00:10:56.546 But it's the same Jesus that 00:10:56.568 --> 00:10:58.434 they saw being crucified on Good 00:10:58.472 --> 00:11:01.266 Friday. Yeah, it's the same one. 00:11:01.448 --> 00:11:03.330 But now He is risen. 00:11:05.430 --> 00:11:07.700 And I have a body to show you. 00:11:08.230 --> 00:11:09.925 I have my scars. And by the way, 00:11:09.948 --> 00:11:10.386 I'm hungry. 00:11:10.418 --> 00:11:10.982 Do you have anything 00:11:11.036 --> 00:11:12.200 for me to eat? 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:15.314 Yeah, we have some broiled fish. 00:11:15.362 --> 00:11:16.834 And they gave to Jesus 00:11:16.962 --> 00:11:18.200 and they're thinking 00:11:19.230 --> 00:11:21.980 it's him. He's back, 00:11:22.910 --> 00:11:24.300 he's with us. 00:11:24.910 --> 00:11:26.021 But, Jesus, 00:11:26.165 --> 00:11:28.060 he doesn't stop there. 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:31.374 He continues with his very 00:11:31.412 --> 00:11:32.702 intentional way of 00:11:32.756 --> 00:11:34.110 being objective 00:11:35.170 --> 00:11:37.098 instead of pointing to himself. 00:11:37.274 --> 00:11:38.606 Now he brings what? 00:11:38.708 --> 00:11:40.350 He brings the scripture. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:45.164 And he gives the best Bible so 00:11:45.202 --> 00:11:46.076 that any of you could 00:11:46.098 --> 00:11:47.180 be attending. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:49.324 And he says, 00:11:49.521 --> 00:11:50.616 you know the scripture, 00:11:50.648 --> 00:11:51.644 don't you? 00:11:51.842 --> 00:11:52.792 The Old Testament 00:11:52.856 --> 00:11:54.030 talks about me, 00:11:55.760 --> 00:11:57.424 the law of Moses, 00:11:57.592 --> 00:11:59.520 the prophets and the Psalms. 00:12:00.970 --> 00:12:02.800 They all talk about me. 00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:07.230 This is not subjective, 00:12:08.210 --> 00:12:10.110 this is objective. 00:12:10.610 --> 00:12:11.870 It's not how you feel, 00:12:11.940 --> 00:12:12.960 how you think. 00:12:13.570 --> 00:12:15.360 Stick your nose in the book 00:12:16.450 --> 00:12:17.760 and read it. 00:12:18.530 --> 00:12:19.920 It's right here. 00:12:20.530 --> 00:12:23.440 And I'm telling you it's me. 00:12:24.290 --> 00:12:26.486 And then Luke tells us that 00:12:26.508 --> 00:12:28.934 Jesus opened their minds to 00:12:28.972 --> 00:12:30.870 understand the Scripture. 00:12:33.210 --> 00:12:34.742 We confess that in the third 00:12:34.796 --> 00:12:35.938 article of the Apostle Creed, 00:12:35.954 --> 00:12:36.710 don't you? 00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:38.854 I believe that what I don't 00:12:38.902 --> 00:12:41.290 believe. That's what we confess. 00:12:42.430 --> 00:12:43.820 And we need help. 00:12:44.670 --> 00:12:45.914 We always need help. 00:12:45.952 --> 00:12:47.610 Can you see the disciples? 00:12:49.390 --> 00:12:51.434 And the Holy Spirit comes to us 00:12:51.472 --> 00:12:53.646 and he opens our minds and our 00:12:53.668 --> 00:12:55.646 hearts that we can understand 00:12:55.748 --> 00:12:56.810 the Scripture. 00:12:56.970 --> 00:12:58.926 Now what is the Scripture is 00:12:58.948 --> 00:13:00.046 talking about? Jesus says, 00:13:00.068 --> 00:13:01.086 and let me tell you, 00:13:01.188 --> 00:13:02.630 in a snapshot, 00:13:02.810 --> 00:13:04.578 the Scripture says that Christ 00:13:04.664 --> 00:13:06.770 would suffer and die, 00:13:07.110 --> 00:13:09.006 that the third day he will rise 00:13:09.038 --> 00:13:12.194 again and then repentance and 00:13:12.232 --> 00:13:13.874 forgiveness of sins should be 00:13:13.912 --> 00:13:15.638 preached in his name 00:13:15.724 --> 00:13:17.430 to all nations. 00:13:18.250 --> 00:13:19.698 This is what the Bible, 00:13:19.794 --> 00:13:22.360 the Scripture is all about. 00:13:23.450 --> 00:13:24.978 This is what the church 00:13:25.074 --> 00:13:26.520 is all about. 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.834 We preach repentance and 00:13:31.872 --> 00:13:33.290 forgiveness of sins. 00:13:37.090 --> 00:13:38.014 That's what we call 00:13:38.052 --> 00:13:39.390 Law and Gospel. 00:13:40.370 --> 00:13:41.486 We bring people to the 00:13:41.508 --> 00:13:42.910 foot of the cross. 00:13:44.050 --> 00:13:45.406 We show that the empty 00:13:45.438 --> 00:13:47.362 tomb and we say, 00:13:47.415 --> 00:13:49.250 your sins are forgiven 00:13:50.390 --> 00:13:51.506 in the name of the 00:13:51.528 --> 00:13:52.580 risen Christ. 00:13:55.050 --> 00:13:57.110 And this is the message that 00:13:57.180 --> 00:13:58.870 needs to be proclaimed 00:14:00.170 --> 00:14:02.150 to all nations, 00:14:02.490 --> 00:14:03.970 to the disciples, 00:14:04.130 --> 00:14:05.654 to my confirmands on that 00:14:05.692 --> 00:14:08.473 Saturday afternoon into our 00:14:08.512 --> 00:14:10.410 Nextdoor app neighbors. 00:14:10.910 --> 00:14:12.346 And Jesus says in our 00:14:12.367 --> 00:14:14.620 text today you are, 00:14:15.950 --> 00:14:20.380 we are witnesses of this. 00:14:21.470 --> 00:14:23.280 Christ has risen again. 00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:27.798 This past weekend I had the 00:14:27.804 --> 00:14:29.986 privilege to fly to San Antonio 00:14:30.178 --> 00:14:31.894 to spend Easter with 00:14:31.932 --> 00:14:33.480 my wife and my kids. 00:14:35.150 --> 00:14:37.034 And while I was there so I heard 00:14:37.072 --> 00:14:38.214 that a good friend of mine, 00:14:38.262 --> 00:14:39.370 Betty Amth, 00:14:41.390 --> 00:14:42.774 was really struggling 00:14:42.822 --> 00:14:43.450 with her health. 00:14:43.520 --> 00:14:44.586 She's battling cancer for 00:14:44.608 --> 00:14:45.819 the last three years. 00:14:46.750 --> 00:14:48.854 And really I want to see Betty. 00:14:48.902 --> 00:14:49.814 You don't know Betty, 00:14:49.862 --> 00:14:51.446 but when I was pastor 00:14:51.478 --> 00:14:52.214 in San Antonio, 00:14:52.262 --> 00:14:53.306 she was the president of the 00:14:53.328 --> 00:14:54.602 LWML she was the president 00:14:54.656 --> 00:14:56.822 of the LWML zone. 00:14:56.966 --> 00:14:58.258 And we always work together 00:14:58.304 --> 00:14:59.440 She could be my mom. 00:15:00.650 --> 00:15:01.200 And 00:15:02.930 --> 00:15:05.242 so every time I taught Bible 00:15:05.306 --> 00:15:07.946 class or I had the opening 00:15:07.978 --> 00:15:09.386 devotion for our meetings, 00:15:09.498 --> 00:15:11.022 at the end, she would say, 00:15:11.156 --> 00:15:14.000 Spot on, Pastor, spot on. 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:18.244 Well, Sunday was Easter. 00:15:18.292 --> 00:15:19.876 I couldn't see Betty. 00:15:20.068 --> 00:15:21.204 But in the afternoon, 00:15:21.252 --> 00:15:23.224 I called Betty. Oh, sure, 00:15:23.262 --> 00:15:23.876 I called Betty. 00:15:23.908 --> 00:15:25.156 I talked to Kevin, her husband. 00:15:25.188 --> 00:15:26.140 Said, I need to talk to Betty. 00:15:26.180 --> 00:15:27.788 Oh, she's right here, Pastor. 00:15:27.964 --> 00:15:29.936 Then she comes and she talks to 00:15:29.958 --> 00:15:32.252 me, and we talk about Easter. 00:15:32.316 --> 00:15:33.404 We talk about Easter 00:15:33.452 --> 00:15:34.400 celebrations. 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:37.776 And then at the end, I said, 00:15:37.798 --> 00:15:39.492 Betty, can I pray with you? 00:15:39.626 --> 00:15:41.140 Oh, sure, Pastor. 00:15:42.040 --> 00:15:45.030 And then we pray over the phone. 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:47.092 And of course, my prayer was, 00:15:47.146 --> 00:15:49.472 what? To celebrate Easter. 00:15:49.616 --> 00:15:52.040 Jesus victory over the dead. 00:15:52.540 --> 00:15:53.944 And the victory, I said, 00:15:53.982 --> 00:15:56.404 that is His is also yours. 00:15:56.452 --> 00:15:58.840 Betty is mine, is our victory. 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:01.396 This is the most beautiful gift 00:16:01.428 --> 00:16:03.130 we have from the risen Christ. 00:16:03.680 --> 00:16:05.020 Because he lives, 00:16:05.170 --> 00:16:06.940 we also live forever, 00:16:07.280 --> 00:16:08.990 eternally with Him. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:11.420 And I said, Amen. 00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:14.204 And then she come with 00:16:14.242 --> 00:16:16.270 her famous line, 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:18.960 spot on, Pastor, 00:16:20.180 --> 00:16:21.410 spot on. 00:16:22.420 --> 00:16:24.530 The resurrection is everything, 00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:26.370 isn't it? 00:16:27.860 --> 00:16:30.752 And I replied to Betty, spot on, 00:16:30.806 --> 00:16:31.600 Betty. 00:16:32.260 --> 00:16:33.200 Of course, 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:34.992 the resurrection is 00:16:35.046 --> 00:16:36.210 indeed everything. 00:16:36.900 --> 00:16:38.850 It's the only thing we have. 00:16:39.780 --> 00:16:41.360 Christ is risen. 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:44.760 He is reason indeed. Hallelujah. 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:46.180 Amen.