Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 11:12-25.
Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 11:12-25.
Bobby: Welcome to the Midweek Checkup. My name is Bobby Gilles and my colleague is Lindsey Blair. This past Easter Sunday, Pastor Jonah Sage preached from John twenty, verses one through ten.
Lindsey: Jonah said that history repeats itself. The Resurrection guarantees it. But if you missed the sermon or need help remembering, you’re in the right place because it’s time for the Midweek Checkup.
Bobby: We began by noting that on Easter morning, Mary Magdalene is the first one to the tomb. So unexpected. A woman, who history looks down upon just as her culture did. A woman, whose testimony would not have been valid in a court according to the Jewish historian Josephus, is the first witness. Jesus had told his disciples that he would be crucified, yet would rise from the grave. But it seemed so inconceivable that when his body was missing, Mary at first thought it had been stolen.
Lindsey: When Jesus greets her, he doesn't correct her. He is not disappointed or angry. Gently, softly, he asks a question. He draws her out.
He wants to hear from her, wants her to speak, to share, to be honest.
This is what we do with Easter tears and future fears. We speak them. We share them. We're honest with them.
Bobby: He calls her by name. By. Name. And when she hears his name from the voice of her master, her eyes are opened. She sees, and she goes announcing the good news that he is risen. But it took hearing her name to awaken. She was looking for a body, not for a resurrection. She was looking for a dead man, not a risen one. And that's us, isn't it? So good at looking for the death in ourselves and each other.
Lindsey: But one day soon, everything will make sense. And what might happen if we learned to turn all that energy we spend fearing the future and repeating the past into just a little bit of hope? A little bit of hope that the one who promised he would die and be raised, a little bit of hope that he wasn't lying when he said we would be raised, too.
Bobby: On that day, we'll hear Jesus call each of us by name. We'll say, "Oh, hasn't this happened before? Isn't this what you promised?” We'll see, and it will make sense. We are counting on history repeating itself. Not just in death, or elections, or sports teams...we are counting on history repeating itself in resurrection.
Lindsey: This is the promise that has been made, and Jesus' resurrection is the guarantee it will be fulfilled. So we rejoice. We sing. We serve. We trust. We love. Certainly as those with Easter tears, but also as those with Easter hope.
Bobby: This Sunday, we will continue our series Journey Into The Night from the Gospel of Mark. And in Bible Fellowship we’ll begin discussing the first epistle of John. Join us, and bring a friend.