Beyond Hallelujah!
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
This is the traditional greeting and response in Christian worship during the season of Easter, following an “Alleluia-less” Lent. “Alleluia!” means “praise the Lord.” There are many times in which praising God is appropriate, but none more so than in acknowledgement and celebration of Jesus having been raised from death.
Upcoming Sundays include readings that describe Jesus appearing after his resurrection. We’ll notice some unusual things about these appearances. Sometimes Jesus is immediately recognizable, sometimes he is not. He has been raised with the body that suffered before death, but he no longer suffers after his resurrection. His resurrected body is not constrained by time, space, and physics in the same way that yours and mine are. A common theme in these appearances is that Jesus wants to strengthen the faith of his followers so that they can carry his message and ministry forward after he departs (ascends) physically.
And he is successful in doing this. His eyewitnesses (apostles) become highly effective in spreading the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection once given the power of the Holy Spirit. And their message is consistent. The one who fulfilled Old Testament history and prophecies lived among them and taught, healed, cast out demons, and inaugurated God’s kingdom rule on earth. His rejection by religious and civil authorities led to his suffering and death by crucifixion. And he was bodily raised on the third day after he died. This confers on Jesus the title “Lord of all.” God’s intention is that there will come a time when every knee will bow and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. We live today still awaiting that full acknowledgement, while carrying the apostles’ message into our lives and relationships.
It didn’t take long after Jesus died, was raised, and ascended before his followers began to suffer persecution, including death, for their faithfulness. The four Gospels and Acts do not say much about resurrection for Jesus’ followers, but the New Testament letters say quite a bit. They anchor the resurrection of the faithful in Jesus’ own resurrection. On Easter Sunday we heard a short passage from 1 Corinthians 15. I recommended Sunday, and I invite you now, to read the whole chapter. It’s long and a bit dense, but it is the most thorough description of resurrection for Jesus’ followers. I also told those present that I had listened to the last part of Handel’s Messiah while preparing the Easter sermon. From the last chorus of part 2 (Hallelujah!) through all of part 3, the focus is on resurrection, much of it drawn from 1 Corinthians 15. Stirring words of promise set to some of the most inspired and inspiring music ever written. But I don’t recommend that you listen to this while driving. The power that raised Jesus- and will raise us- is so moving that your driving is likely to be distracted. And while we look forward to resurrection, let’s not be in a hurry to get there!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Don Wink