Sermon Illustrations For Easter 3 (2020)
Illustration
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
The story of Michael Oher and Leigh Ann Tuohy is a real account made famous by the movie “The Blindside.” The sensational film details the true story of a Christian family who took in a homeless young man and gave him the chance to reach his God-given potential. Michael Oher not only dodged the hopelessness and despair of the inner city but became the first-round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. At a recent fund-raiser, Sean Tuohy noted that the transformation of his family and Michael all started with two words. When they spotted Michael walking along the road on a cold November morning in shorts and a t-shirt, Leigh Ann Tuohy uttered two words that changed their world. She told Sean, “Turn around.”
Those same two words can change anyone’s life. Those two words are the nature of repentance…turn around. When we turn around, we change directions and begin an exciting new journey. On the birthday of the church, Peter challenged the people to “turn around,” be baptized and to receive the Holy Spirit. It was chance for them to change the trajectory of their lives and future. Are you willing to turn around?
Bill T.
***
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angels Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. A contributing factor for the Astros victory was the stealing of signs from the opposing players by using hidden cameras. After the investigation the team was fined $5 million and forced to forfeit its first-and second-round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 drafts. But no players on the team faced any repercussions, aside from public fallout. The league did suspend general manager Jeff Lauhnow and manager A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season. Carlos Beltran, an outfielder and switch hitter for the Astros, was the leader of the sign stealing scheme and was implicated in MLB’s report, but he was never disciplined.
Alex Rodriguez, 44, the former New York Yankees star and three-time American League MVP was suspended in 2014 after it was revealed that he used performance-enhancing drugs. He was initially given a 211-game suspension that was later reduced to 162 games, still costing him the entire season.
During a spring training broadcast on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, he shared with his audience what he learned from that experience. Of that incident Rodriguez said during his game commentary: “I served the longest suspension in Major League Baseball history. It cost me well over $35 million and, you know what? I deserved that and, as a result, I came back, I owned it after acting like a buffoon for a long time.” Rodriguez continued, “I had my apologies and then I went dark. I wanted my next move to be contrite but I also wanted to go out and play good baseball and change my narrative and the way you change your narrative is you have to be accountable.”
Rodriguez shared his thoughts on the Astros cheating scandal. What concerned Rodriguez the most is the team’s lack of remorse for stealing the World Series from the Dodgers. Rodriguez said on the air to his listening audience, “I think the one thing that has really upset the fans is, you cheat, you win a championship, there is no suspension and there is no remorse. And the last one I think is probably the worst one because people want to see remorse. They want a real authentic apology and they have not received that thus far.”
Ron L.
***
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Public baths are something we associate with Greek and Roman cultures, not with the Judean people of Jesus’ day, but archeologists are discovering that ritual baths were an important art of public life in Jerusalem and Judea. The Dead Sea Scrolls community laid great emphasis on ritual bathing, possibly because Leviticus lays a great deal of emphasis on bathing to create a state of ritual cleanliness. But it’s becoming clear that public pools of water were a commonplace in that era.
Perhaps this gives us an insight into the emphasis John the Baptist gives to immersion as a symbol of forgiveness of sins. And in this scriptural passage, when Peter is asked by the people what they must do to be saved he responds by inviting them to repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter was able to “baptize,” if you will, the common custom of bathing for ritual cleanliness just as Christians were able to baptize the common and essential act of eating to both symbolize our fellowship with God and create fellowship with believers.
Frank R.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
It is not an easy piece of scripture, but 1 Peter is one of my favorites. However, I often feel that readers may be too eager to jump to allegorical readings that run the risk of missing the pathos of the text. It is true that when Peter describes Christians as “sojourners of the diaspora” (1 Peter 1:1), he means to imply that the true homeland of believers in Christ is that of a higher realm. In that sense, salvation — and thus the Christian’s rightful return to her or his homeland — is a spiritual experience. However, the author of 1 Peter depicts this spiritual ascension in graphically physical terms.
In this passage, he describes salvation as a “ransom” (1:18). In the ancient world, it was customary for conquerors to demand hostages from the lands they conquered. Usually, they would take a ruler’s children to Rome, where the child would not only serve as insurance against revolt, but would also receive a Roman (re-)education. The aim of this indoctrination was primarily to ensure that whole dynasties of ruling families would remain loyal to Rome, and as a result, would be willing to exploit their own people in order to provide taxes and tribute to the emperor.
For example, Herod the Great, best known to Christians as the one who ordered the killing of all children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age or younger (Matthew 2:16), sent both his sons and grandson to Rome as hostages. The Herodian dynasty remained unsurprisingly loyal to the Roman Empire. Herod Agrippa, Herod the Great’s grandson, was even personal friends with the Roman Emperor Caligula.
When we read 1 Peter in this context, it becomes clear why the author is so concerned that his readers be “purified” (1:22) and “born anew” (1:23). He worries that those who have been kept as hostages by the “perishable” (1:23) world run the risk of being indoctrinated into its culture. It is only “through the living and enduring word of God” that we can remain “imperishable” (1:23) and free from its influences, such as “malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and slander” (1 Peter 2:1). Having been ransomed at such a high price, “the precious blood of Christ” (1:19), Christians must unlearn the ways of their captors and “love one another deeply from the heart” (1:22).
M T.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
I can clearly remember the conversation I had with my pastor while I was trying to discern my own call to be a pastor. We had attended a workshop and I was in the church parking lot dropping him off at the parsonage. I had been wrestling with my call for some time and each time I felt it, I volunteered to do something else at the church: program chair, Sunday School and Confirmation teacher, choir member, vice-moderator and then moderator of the church council. That afternoon I asked my pastor about the lay leadership program. He asked me, “why would you limit yourself to lay leadership?” My answer was simple, “I’m not very good at obedience.”
It’s true. All my life I have resisted being told what to do. Pastor Dave told me that in Latin, obedience comes from the root “to hear.” I had never thought about listening as a part of obedience. It seemed I had been spending a lot of time and energy refusing to hear God’s call on my life. Listening wasn’t negative. It was a positive action I took every day. Peter reminds us that “you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.” Listening for God’s truth. I can do that. I have done that. I still do that, even as I have become a pastor and served the church for the last fifteen years.
Bonnie B.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
This lesson is a celebration of what Jesus has accomplished in our lives. Modern American Charismatic author Joyce Meyer clearly describes this connection, as she notes that “When Jesus comes to live in our hearts, the seed of holiness is planted.” As John Wesley once said, “... no true Christian holiness can exist without that love of God for its foundation.” (Third Annual Conference, May 13, 1746)
We need this reminder again and again. Martin Luther taught while preaching on this text:
Consequently, it is not enough to preach or hear the Gospel once... For the Word has such grace that the more one deals with it, the sweeter it becomes. Although the doctrine of faith is always one and the same, one cannot hear it too often... (Luther’s Works, Vol.30, p.41)
This Bible lesson makes clear that Christ does not just have impact on the faithful but has had an impact on the very foundations of the cosmos. Famed modern Catholic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin makes that clear:
The Incarnation means the renewal, the restoration, all the energies and powers of the universe; Christ is the Centre and End of all creation, animate and material; through Him everything is created, hallowed, quickened. (Hymn of the Universe, p.144)
Easter and the Incarnation are involved in every positive thing or energy in which you, I, and the cosmos are engaged!
Mark E.
***
Luke 24:13-35
The Roman Catholic order known as the Legion of Christ was founded by the Mexican priest Marcial Maciel in 1941. He was removed from that position in 2005, when it was discovered that he was a pedophile, fathered at least three children, and was also a drug addict and an embezzler. Many followers still idolize Maciel. They still keep photos of him, read his writings and revere him as a saint. Regarding this, Pope Francis in a sermon delivered on Saturday, February 23, 2020 said, “you can no longer consider him an example of holiness to imitate.”
Ron L.
***
Luke 24:13-35
On the mountaintop of the Transfiguration Jesus showed the world who he really was. In a way this story of Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus also contrasts an ordinary Jesus and his transfiguration into an extraordinary savior. Both reveal who he really is. Prior to being revealed in the breaking of the bread, Jesus demonstrates that he walks with us in hard times, that he comforts and strengthens us, and that he helps us make sense of life through scripture and through daily rituals like blessing and eating. The risen Jesus is clearly with us. It’s not his fault if we don’t realize it.
Frank R.
***
Luke 24:13-35
“But we had hoped…” four words that express one of the most profound human emotion in scripture. They come from the lips of Cleopas and bitterly reflect his broken dreams and those of his whole group. Jesus, who had been mighty in word and deed, had been crucified. He was dead and with his death, their hopes died.
Can’t you just hear the anguish in those words? The thing is, we’ve heard it before. “But we had hoped…” is the cry of the childless couple after the umpteenth doctor’s appointment. “But we’d hoped…” is the frustrated response of parents seeking help for their child. “But we had hoped…” is the anguished plea of the of the adult child seeking help for an aging parent. We all know well the exasperation and desperation that bring out the words, “But we had hoped.”
Jesus knows the pain and heartache of those words. Lovingly and gently he interacts with Cleopas and the others. He reveals himself to them in the middle of their hurt. He does the same for you and me, too. Have you experienced broken dreams and dying hopes? Though you may not be aware of it, Jesus might be right with you. Take a look.
Bill T.
The story of Michael Oher and Leigh Ann Tuohy is a real account made famous by the movie “The Blindside.” The sensational film details the true story of a Christian family who took in a homeless young man and gave him the chance to reach his God-given potential. Michael Oher not only dodged the hopelessness and despair of the inner city but became the first-round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. At a recent fund-raiser, Sean Tuohy noted that the transformation of his family and Michael all started with two words. When they spotted Michael walking along the road on a cold November morning in shorts and a t-shirt, Leigh Ann Tuohy uttered two words that changed their world. She told Sean, “Turn around.”
Those same two words can change anyone’s life. Those two words are the nature of repentance…turn around. When we turn around, we change directions and begin an exciting new journey. On the birthday of the church, Peter challenged the people to “turn around,” be baptized and to receive the Holy Spirit. It was chance for them to change the trajectory of their lives and future. Are you willing to turn around?
Bill T.
***
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angels Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. A contributing factor for the Astros victory was the stealing of signs from the opposing players by using hidden cameras. After the investigation the team was fined $5 million and forced to forfeit its first-and second-round draft picks for the 2020 and 2021 drafts. But no players on the team faced any repercussions, aside from public fallout. The league did suspend general manager Jeff Lauhnow and manager A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season. Carlos Beltran, an outfielder and switch hitter for the Astros, was the leader of the sign stealing scheme and was implicated in MLB’s report, but he was never disciplined.
Alex Rodriguez, 44, the former New York Yankees star and three-time American League MVP was suspended in 2014 after it was revealed that he used performance-enhancing drugs. He was initially given a 211-game suspension that was later reduced to 162 games, still costing him the entire season.
During a spring training broadcast on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, he shared with his audience what he learned from that experience. Of that incident Rodriguez said during his game commentary: “I served the longest suspension in Major League Baseball history. It cost me well over $35 million and, you know what? I deserved that and, as a result, I came back, I owned it after acting like a buffoon for a long time.” Rodriguez continued, “I had my apologies and then I went dark. I wanted my next move to be contrite but I also wanted to go out and play good baseball and change my narrative and the way you change your narrative is you have to be accountable.”
Rodriguez shared his thoughts on the Astros cheating scandal. What concerned Rodriguez the most is the team’s lack of remorse for stealing the World Series from the Dodgers. Rodriguez said on the air to his listening audience, “I think the one thing that has really upset the fans is, you cheat, you win a championship, there is no suspension and there is no remorse. And the last one I think is probably the worst one because people want to see remorse. They want a real authentic apology and they have not received that thus far.”
Ron L.
***
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Public baths are something we associate with Greek and Roman cultures, not with the Judean people of Jesus’ day, but archeologists are discovering that ritual baths were an important art of public life in Jerusalem and Judea. The Dead Sea Scrolls community laid great emphasis on ritual bathing, possibly because Leviticus lays a great deal of emphasis on bathing to create a state of ritual cleanliness. But it’s becoming clear that public pools of water were a commonplace in that era.
Perhaps this gives us an insight into the emphasis John the Baptist gives to immersion as a symbol of forgiveness of sins. And in this scriptural passage, when Peter is asked by the people what they must do to be saved he responds by inviting them to repent and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter was able to “baptize,” if you will, the common custom of bathing for ritual cleanliness just as Christians were able to baptize the common and essential act of eating to both symbolize our fellowship with God and create fellowship with believers.
Frank R.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
It is not an easy piece of scripture, but 1 Peter is one of my favorites. However, I often feel that readers may be too eager to jump to allegorical readings that run the risk of missing the pathos of the text. It is true that when Peter describes Christians as “sojourners of the diaspora” (1 Peter 1:1), he means to imply that the true homeland of believers in Christ is that of a higher realm. In that sense, salvation — and thus the Christian’s rightful return to her or his homeland — is a spiritual experience. However, the author of 1 Peter depicts this spiritual ascension in graphically physical terms.
In this passage, he describes salvation as a “ransom” (1:18). In the ancient world, it was customary for conquerors to demand hostages from the lands they conquered. Usually, they would take a ruler’s children to Rome, where the child would not only serve as insurance against revolt, but would also receive a Roman (re-)education. The aim of this indoctrination was primarily to ensure that whole dynasties of ruling families would remain loyal to Rome, and as a result, would be willing to exploit their own people in order to provide taxes and tribute to the emperor.
For example, Herod the Great, best known to Christians as the one who ordered the killing of all children in and around Bethlehem who were two years of age or younger (Matthew 2:16), sent both his sons and grandson to Rome as hostages. The Herodian dynasty remained unsurprisingly loyal to the Roman Empire. Herod Agrippa, Herod the Great’s grandson, was even personal friends with the Roman Emperor Caligula.
When we read 1 Peter in this context, it becomes clear why the author is so concerned that his readers be “purified” (1:22) and “born anew” (1:23). He worries that those who have been kept as hostages by the “perishable” (1:23) world run the risk of being indoctrinated into its culture. It is only “through the living and enduring word of God” that we can remain “imperishable” (1:23) and free from its influences, such as “malice, guile, insincerity, envy, and slander” (1 Peter 2:1). Having been ransomed at such a high price, “the precious blood of Christ” (1:19), Christians must unlearn the ways of their captors and “love one another deeply from the heart” (1:22).
M T.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
I can clearly remember the conversation I had with my pastor while I was trying to discern my own call to be a pastor. We had attended a workshop and I was in the church parking lot dropping him off at the parsonage. I had been wrestling with my call for some time and each time I felt it, I volunteered to do something else at the church: program chair, Sunday School and Confirmation teacher, choir member, vice-moderator and then moderator of the church council. That afternoon I asked my pastor about the lay leadership program. He asked me, “why would you limit yourself to lay leadership?” My answer was simple, “I’m not very good at obedience.”
It’s true. All my life I have resisted being told what to do. Pastor Dave told me that in Latin, obedience comes from the root “to hear.” I had never thought about listening as a part of obedience. It seemed I had been spending a lot of time and energy refusing to hear God’s call on my life. Listening wasn’t negative. It was a positive action I took every day. Peter reminds us that “you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.” Listening for God’s truth. I can do that. I have done that. I still do that, even as I have become a pastor and served the church for the last fifteen years.
Bonnie B.
***
1 Peter 1:17-23
This lesson is a celebration of what Jesus has accomplished in our lives. Modern American Charismatic author Joyce Meyer clearly describes this connection, as she notes that “When Jesus comes to live in our hearts, the seed of holiness is planted.” As John Wesley once said, “... no true Christian holiness can exist without that love of God for its foundation.” (Third Annual Conference, May 13, 1746)
We need this reminder again and again. Martin Luther taught while preaching on this text:
Consequently, it is not enough to preach or hear the Gospel once... For the Word has such grace that the more one deals with it, the sweeter it becomes. Although the doctrine of faith is always one and the same, one cannot hear it too often... (Luther’s Works, Vol.30, p.41)
This Bible lesson makes clear that Christ does not just have impact on the faithful but has had an impact on the very foundations of the cosmos. Famed modern Catholic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin makes that clear:
The Incarnation means the renewal, the restoration, all the energies and powers of the universe; Christ is the Centre and End of all creation, animate and material; through Him everything is created, hallowed, quickened. (Hymn of the Universe, p.144)
Easter and the Incarnation are involved in every positive thing or energy in which you, I, and the cosmos are engaged!
Mark E.
***
Luke 24:13-35
The Roman Catholic order known as the Legion of Christ was founded by the Mexican priest Marcial Maciel in 1941. He was removed from that position in 2005, when it was discovered that he was a pedophile, fathered at least three children, and was also a drug addict and an embezzler. Many followers still idolize Maciel. They still keep photos of him, read his writings and revere him as a saint. Regarding this, Pope Francis in a sermon delivered on Saturday, February 23, 2020 said, “you can no longer consider him an example of holiness to imitate.”
Ron L.
***
Luke 24:13-35
On the mountaintop of the Transfiguration Jesus showed the world who he really was. In a way this story of Jesus and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus also contrasts an ordinary Jesus and his transfiguration into an extraordinary savior. Both reveal who he really is. Prior to being revealed in the breaking of the bread, Jesus demonstrates that he walks with us in hard times, that he comforts and strengthens us, and that he helps us make sense of life through scripture and through daily rituals like blessing and eating. The risen Jesus is clearly with us. It’s not his fault if we don’t realize it.
Frank R.
***
Luke 24:13-35
“But we had hoped…” four words that express one of the most profound human emotion in scripture. They come from the lips of Cleopas and bitterly reflect his broken dreams and those of his whole group. Jesus, who had been mighty in word and deed, had been crucified. He was dead and with his death, their hopes died.
Can’t you just hear the anguish in those words? The thing is, we’ve heard it before. “But we had hoped…” is the cry of the childless couple after the umpteenth doctor’s appointment. “But we’d hoped…” is the frustrated response of parents seeking help for their child. “But we had hoped…” is the anguished plea of the of the adult child seeking help for an aging parent. We all know well the exasperation and desperation that bring out the words, “But we had hoped.”
Jesus knows the pain and heartache of those words. Lovingly and gently he interacts with Cleopas and the others. He reveals himself to them in the middle of their hurt. He does the same for you and me, too. Have you experienced broken dreams and dying hopes? Though you may not be aware of it, Jesus might be right with you. Take a look.
Bill T.
