Sermon Illustrations for Easter Day (2018)
Illustration
Acts 10:34-43
John Wesley noted that “[God] is not partial in his love... He is loving to every man and wills that all men should be saved.” (Commentary On the Bible, p.480) God may not be partial, but Americans are. Sociologist Maria Krysan found in a decade-long survey completed in 2015 that 1 in 5 white Americans prefer neighborhoods that are all white. Political scientist Charles Murray has noted that even whites are increasingly segregated according to social class (Coming Apart, esp. pp.75ff.). Peter’s words and ministry in this lesson seek to affirm how Easter breaks down barriers. Martin Luther King, Jr. powerfully explained how Christ’s work brings people together, and then proceed to explain the social and ethical implications of this:
Mark E.
Isaiah 25:6-9
This lesson and Easter are about a fresh start, the promise and proclamation that all the things wrong about the past have been overcome. So often we feel like we are at the end of our rope, with no hope. It may surface when, like Janet, we face death in middle age from breast cancer. Maybe it is like Harry and family who are struggling with downsizing, declining benefits, and credit-card debt. It may be experienced in the life of teenage Janelle whose social life in school does not exist, a girl largely isolated from friends. Nelson Mandela offers a helpful word of hope for such circumstances: “It always seems impossible until it's done.” On the other side of all the problems we face in life things don’t seem to have been as bad as we thought they were.
But since we Christians are on the other side of the Resurrection, we do have Mandela’s perspective, we can view these impossible situations we face as not so impossible after all.
Inspirational author Robert Flatt has it right about Easter: “The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.” Martin Luther also has a nice way of talking about the gentle consolation Christ offers Christians and why we need such consolation:
Isaiah 25: 6-9
The shroud of sorrow has been destroyed! Death has been conquered! Tears are no longer needed! God’s promises have been kept. In my own life, I pause on Easter Sunday morning to reflect on the promises God has made to me and their fulfillment. I also pause to reflect on the promises I have made to God and whether I have lived up to the covenant promises I have made to God.
As we began Lent we may have reflected on fasting for God. Remember, fasting in the eyes of God is not about doing without. Rather fasting is to reach out to those who are bound, oppressed, faced with injustice or with deep need. Fasting is about feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, being light in the dark places. Maybe we have been able to reflect on what we could do for others, rather than what we could do without. Now we know that sacrifice and love are both God’s gifts and worthy actions for God!
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43
This passage is almost creedal in describing first the death of Jesus, then his resurrection. The Apostle Paul lists the witnesses who saw the risen Lord.
First, Peter (Cephas).
Then the Twelve Apostles. Of course he was really talking about eleven of them, since there is no record of an appearance to Judas.
He mentions next that more than five hundred people saw the risen Lord, many of whom, at the time Paul is writing, are still alive. Where? When? Please, Paul, more details!
Jesus appeared to James, his brother.
Then, all the apostles, which means the twelve, who were at that point down to eleven.
Then he lists himself as one who met Jesus long after he had ascended back to heaven.
Missing anyone?
Like Mary Magdalene and the other women who are the first to to proclaim the risen Jesus in the four gospels?
Why did Paul leave these women out? Was it because he was buckling under to Graeco-Roman prejudice? Men in the Roman Empire did not consider women reliable enough to be witnesses in court.
Which brings up another question -- in that case why then does Paul include Junia (Romans 16:7) a woman who he describes as an apostle, among those to whom he sends greetings?
Frank R.
Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9
God accepts everyone!
We had Hindus living next door to us in Nepal, when I was a missionary there. Some came and told me privately that they now believed in Jesus and feared him, but didn’t want to tell the members of their family or they might be thrown out. Who knows if God will accept them?
Jesus still heals those who are under the power of the devil. I saw some who were restored at a Catholic event where I was invited. God is still working today, but not every one has seen his work. Hopefully they still fear him and believe in him. Every church still has some of both.
Jesus’ ministry did not begin until after John baptized him and the Holy Spirit descended on him. Before that He was just a carpenter’s son.
I was just a factory worker’s son until the Lord came to me when I was about 30 and guided me to seminary. We haven’t all have an experience that changed us, but we still belong to Jesus and his church and can look forward to eternal life with him when we leave this world.
Yes, I have had one member of my church in California who met the risen Lord when he died and came back to life on his bed. Some such experiences are written up in a book by Dr. Moody in his book, Life after Life. If we have to see Jesus to be saved, then only the disciples and a few others would be saved after the resurrection. All we need to do is believe and fear him. Some churches feel you must have an “experience” in order to be saved. At the airport one of them came up to me and asked, “When were you saved?” I told him it was over 2000 years ago! That is the message of our church.
I’ve wondered why Easter is not celebrated more than Christmas. Yes, the savior came to us as a baby, but our greatest reward came with his resurrection. What a gift! Let’s share the message that the Lord has put in our heart as a gift not just today, but everyday, as long as we live!
Let the Easter message live in our hearts as long as we live.
Bob O.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gary Thomas shares this powerful story in the October 3, 1994 edition of Christianity Today. As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest. There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
The widow’s hope is not in vain. Our text today cries out emphatically, “Jesus Lives!” Because Jesus lives, death does not have the final word.
Bill T.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Jerry Van Dyke died in January 2018 at the age of 86. He was six years younger than his better-known older brother, Dick Van Dyke. As Dick’s career in show business got off to a quick start and continued successfully until his retirement, Jerry got off to a slow start that remained forever slow. When Jerry could not find work in television and movies, he had a comedy and banjo routine that he performed at nightclubs and on cruise ships. Jerry is known for the roles he did not take. Jerry passed on a chance to play the title role on “Gilligan’s Island” and to replace the departing Don Knotts as the deputy on “The Andy Griffith Show.” The television show “My Mother the Car” is considered one of the worst sitcoms ever produced. Jerry played a small-town lawyer who speaks to his deceased mother through the radio of an antique car he purchased. The 1965 show only lasted one season. Van Dyke’s success finally came in 1989 with the television show “Coach.” The show aired for eight seasons. Van Dyke played the role of Luther Van Dam, the assistant coach to Craig T. Nelson’s head football coach, Hayden Fox. They worked together to lead the fictional Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles. Many professional football players and other actors made guests appearances. After a difficult career, Jerry Van Dyke said of playing Luther Van Dam, “Everybody talks about me making a comeback. I say: ‘Comeback from what? This is as good as it’s ever been.’”
Application: As Jesus has appeared to us, we are to proclaim the good news. It will be difficult to measure success. It will be difficult to determine what a comeback is. But, it won’t be difficult to see perseverance.
Ron L.
Mark 16:1-8
It’s all a hoax. Christ really did not rise; it’s a lie. April Fools!
The whole point of this, the oldest of the Resurrection accounts is that Jesus’ resurrection is a surprise, a narrative that offends reason. Modern Reformed theologian Karl Barth put it well: Jesus Christ (and so the Resurrection) is “truly beyond out comprehension.” (The Epistle to the Romans, pp.279-280) It really is as inspirational author Carl Knudsen wrote: “The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.”
Modern African writer Ernest Agyemang Yeboah makes a wise and powerful point concerning surprises, and so concerning Easter.
Mark E.
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8
Jesus had told his disciples that he would rise from the dead, but they didn’t believe it until they saw him in his resurrection flesh. Do we believe our pastor when he tells us on Easter that Jesus rose from the dead? It is NOT easy to believe that anyone can be raised from the dead! But that is necessary for our salvation. The reason we can believe is because we trust the words of our church leaders, but especially because we believe the words of the Bible. The Bible tells us that the disciples and 500 others saw the risen Lord. They believed it so strongly that most of them endured agonizing deaths because they refused to deny what they had experienced with their own eyes!
Even today there are many who would rather die than deny Jesus’ resurrection. I knew some on the mission field in Nepal who suffered prison and agonizing torture because they would not deny the words of scripture! Some are suffering death in Muslim countries because they won’t deny Jesus resurrection. Even Thomas had a few doubts until he saw Jesus alive!
Even Mary did not recognize Jesus until he spoke to her. Sometimes we need to hear our Lord speak to our hearts before we believe. He can speak to our hearts through the words of scripture on Sunday or read them during the week. Sometimes we believe when we see the Lord in the lives of fellow members. Their belief strengthens our belief also. When the Lord is in our heart it changes us. Let him change you too! Your faith can help other’s faith grow also.
Bob O.
John 20:1-18
The men in our story did not know Jesus. It took a woman, Mary, to recognize Jesus. It’s like Barbara Streisand once sang:
John 20:1-18
Would we know it was Jesus if he appeared in front of us? Would we understand the presence of our Savior in our midst? If Jesus called us by name, would we then recognize him? How extraordinary that Mary, who loved Jesus, and who was a disciple Jesus loved, would not know Jesus, resurrected and present in front of her. But would we? Do we? I am sure that God has the ability to appear in any form in any moment of any time. I am sure that people have visions of Jesus.
I, myself, have had a vision of Jesus. Only one vision in my more than 60 years of life, but it is a powerful vision that lives in my heart and reminds me of the closeness and presence of the living Christ. It is one of the reasons why when I offer someone the bread of communion I say, “The body of Christ broken and risen for you.” I want us to remember and accent the risen Savior, the risen Jesus. Have you experienced the risen Jesus this Easter? Are you ready to recognize Jesus if he comes into your sight, is revealed to you? I pray it is so.
Bonnie B.
John Wesley noted that “[God] is not partial in his love... He is loving to every man and wills that all men should be saved.” (Commentary On the Bible, p.480) God may not be partial, but Americans are. Sociologist Maria Krysan found in a decade-long survey completed in 2015 that 1 in 5 white Americans prefer neighborhoods that are all white. Political scientist Charles Murray has noted that even whites are increasingly segregated according to social class (Coming Apart, esp. pp.75ff.). Peter’s words and ministry in this lesson seek to affirm how Easter breaks down barriers. Martin Luther King, Jr. powerfully explained how Christ’s work brings people together, and then proceed to explain the social and ethical implications of this:
But in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile. In Christ there is neither male nor female. In Christ there is neither Communist nor capitalist. In Christ, somehow there is neither bound nor free. We are all one in Christ Jesus. And when we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won’t exploit people, we won’t trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won’t kill anybody. (A Testament of Hope, p.255)It’s like the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop once put it: “In union there is strength.” Though not a Christian, Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i faith, offers a compelling observation certainly appropriate to explaining Christianity’s ability to bring together Jew and Gentile. He is credited with observing that “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
Mark E.
Isaiah 25:6-9
This lesson and Easter are about a fresh start, the promise and proclamation that all the things wrong about the past have been overcome. So often we feel like we are at the end of our rope, with no hope. It may surface when, like Janet, we face death in middle age from breast cancer. Maybe it is like Harry and family who are struggling with downsizing, declining benefits, and credit-card debt. It may be experienced in the life of teenage Janelle whose social life in school does not exist, a girl largely isolated from friends. Nelson Mandela offers a helpful word of hope for such circumstances: “It always seems impossible until it's done.” On the other side of all the problems we face in life things don’t seem to have been as bad as we thought they were.
But since we Christians are on the other side of the Resurrection, we do have Mandela’s perspective, we can view these impossible situations we face as not so impossible after all.
Inspirational author Robert Flatt has it right about Easter: “The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.” Martin Luther also has a nice way of talking about the gentle consolation Christ offers Christians and why we need such consolation:
Since the godly are nothing but the cast-offs and offscourings and the reproach of the whole world who are rejected by all, so that nothing remains for them but sufferings without and within inflicted by the devil, O that these consolations of Christ may by all means find a place in us, so that He can console us in our wretchedness and affliction.... (Luther’s Works, Vol.16, pp.197-198)Mark E.
Isaiah 25: 6-9
The shroud of sorrow has been destroyed! Death has been conquered! Tears are no longer needed! God’s promises have been kept. In my own life, I pause on Easter Sunday morning to reflect on the promises God has made to me and their fulfillment. I also pause to reflect on the promises I have made to God and whether I have lived up to the covenant promises I have made to God.
As we began Lent we may have reflected on fasting for God. Remember, fasting in the eyes of God is not about doing without. Rather fasting is to reach out to those who are bound, oppressed, faced with injustice or with deep need. Fasting is about feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, being light in the dark places. Maybe we have been able to reflect on what we could do for others, rather than what we could do without. Now we know that sacrifice and love are both God’s gifts and worthy actions for God!
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43
This passage is almost creedal in describing first the death of Jesus, then his resurrection. The Apostle Paul lists the witnesses who saw the risen Lord.
First, Peter (Cephas).
Then the Twelve Apostles. Of course he was really talking about eleven of them, since there is no record of an appearance to Judas.
He mentions next that more than five hundred people saw the risen Lord, many of whom, at the time Paul is writing, are still alive. Where? When? Please, Paul, more details!
Jesus appeared to James, his brother.
Then, all the apostles, which means the twelve, who were at that point down to eleven.
Then he lists himself as one who met Jesus long after he had ascended back to heaven.
Missing anyone?
Like Mary Magdalene and the other women who are the first to to proclaim the risen Jesus in the four gospels?
Why did Paul leave these women out? Was it because he was buckling under to Graeco-Roman prejudice? Men in the Roman Empire did not consider women reliable enough to be witnesses in court.
Which brings up another question -- in that case why then does Paul include Junia (Romans 16:7) a woman who he describes as an apostle, among those to whom he sends greetings?
Frank R.
Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9
God accepts everyone!
We had Hindus living next door to us in Nepal, when I was a missionary there. Some came and told me privately that they now believed in Jesus and feared him, but didn’t want to tell the members of their family or they might be thrown out. Who knows if God will accept them?
Jesus still heals those who are under the power of the devil. I saw some who were restored at a Catholic event where I was invited. God is still working today, but not every one has seen his work. Hopefully they still fear him and believe in him. Every church still has some of both.
Jesus’ ministry did not begin until after John baptized him and the Holy Spirit descended on him. Before that He was just a carpenter’s son.
I was just a factory worker’s son until the Lord came to me when I was about 30 and guided me to seminary. We haven’t all have an experience that changed us, but we still belong to Jesus and his church and can look forward to eternal life with him when we leave this world.
Yes, I have had one member of my church in California who met the risen Lord when he died and came back to life on his bed. Some such experiences are written up in a book by Dr. Moody in his book, Life after Life. If we have to see Jesus to be saved, then only the disciples and a few others would be saved after the resurrection. All we need to do is believe and fear him. Some churches feel you must have an “experience” in order to be saved. At the airport one of them came up to me and asked, “When were you saved?” I told him it was over 2000 years ago! That is the message of our church.
I’ve wondered why Easter is not celebrated more than Christmas. Yes, the savior came to us as a baby, but our greatest reward came with his resurrection. What a gift! Let’s share the message that the Lord has put in our heart as a gift not just today, but everyday, as long as we live!
Let the Easter message live in our hearts as long as we live.
Bob O.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Gary Thomas shares this powerful story in the October 3, 1994 edition of Christianity Today. As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest. There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.
The widow’s hope is not in vain. Our text today cries out emphatically, “Jesus Lives!” Because Jesus lives, death does not have the final word.
Bill T.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Jerry Van Dyke died in January 2018 at the age of 86. He was six years younger than his better-known older brother, Dick Van Dyke. As Dick’s career in show business got off to a quick start and continued successfully until his retirement, Jerry got off to a slow start that remained forever slow. When Jerry could not find work in television and movies, he had a comedy and banjo routine that he performed at nightclubs and on cruise ships. Jerry is known for the roles he did not take. Jerry passed on a chance to play the title role on “Gilligan’s Island” and to replace the departing Don Knotts as the deputy on “The Andy Griffith Show.” The television show “My Mother the Car” is considered one of the worst sitcoms ever produced. Jerry played a small-town lawyer who speaks to his deceased mother through the radio of an antique car he purchased. The 1965 show only lasted one season. Van Dyke’s success finally came in 1989 with the television show “Coach.” The show aired for eight seasons. Van Dyke played the role of Luther Van Dam, the assistant coach to Craig T. Nelson’s head football coach, Hayden Fox. They worked together to lead the fictional Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles. Many professional football players and other actors made guests appearances. After a difficult career, Jerry Van Dyke said of playing Luther Van Dam, “Everybody talks about me making a comeback. I say: ‘Comeback from what? This is as good as it’s ever been.’”
Application: As Jesus has appeared to us, we are to proclaim the good news. It will be difficult to measure success. It will be difficult to determine what a comeback is. But, it won’t be difficult to see perseverance.
Ron L.
Mark 16:1-8
It’s all a hoax. Christ really did not rise; it’s a lie. April Fools!
The whole point of this, the oldest of the Resurrection accounts is that Jesus’ resurrection is a surprise, a narrative that offends reason. Modern Reformed theologian Karl Barth put it well: Jesus Christ (and so the Resurrection) is “truly beyond out comprehension.” (The Epistle to the Romans, pp.279-280) It really is as inspirational author Carl Knudsen wrote: “The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.”
Modern African writer Ernest Agyemang Yeboah makes a wise and powerful point concerning surprises, and so concerning Easter.
Surprise is just a paradox. Sometimes it annoys us; sometimes it shakes the tears of joy within us; sometimes it makes us ponder; sometimes it ceases our words and leaves our jaws open, and sometimes, it shuts our lips; for a moment, surprises can put our minds into a state of confusion and halt the movement of the body. Watch out for surprises for surprises are there to surprise you!”Let the Easter story do all these things to you this week, something to think about, to drop your jaw over, even to confuse you. But the most likely response was so nicely described by Karl Barth: “If you have heard the Easter message, you can no longer run around with a tragic face and lead the humourless existence of a man who has no hope.” (Dogmatics in Outline, p.123)
Mark E.
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8
Jesus had told his disciples that he would rise from the dead, but they didn’t believe it until they saw him in his resurrection flesh. Do we believe our pastor when he tells us on Easter that Jesus rose from the dead? It is NOT easy to believe that anyone can be raised from the dead! But that is necessary for our salvation. The reason we can believe is because we trust the words of our church leaders, but especially because we believe the words of the Bible. The Bible tells us that the disciples and 500 others saw the risen Lord. They believed it so strongly that most of them endured agonizing deaths because they refused to deny what they had experienced with their own eyes!
Even today there are many who would rather die than deny Jesus’ resurrection. I knew some on the mission field in Nepal who suffered prison and agonizing torture because they would not deny the words of scripture! Some are suffering death in Muslim countries because they won’t deny Jesus resurrection. Even Thomas had a few doubts until he saw Jesus alive!
Even Mary did not recognize Jesus until he spoke to her. Sometimes we need to hear our Lord speak to our hearts before we believe. He can speak to our hearts through the words of scripture on Sunday or read them during the week. Sometimes we believe when we see the Lord in the lives of fellow members. Their belief strengthens our belief also. When the Lord is in our heart it changes us. Let him change you too! Your faith can help other’s faith grow also.
Bob O.
John 20:1-18
The men in our story did not know Jesus. It took a woman, Mary, to recognize Jesus. It’s like Barbara Streisand once sang:
It takes a woman all powdered and pinkOf course Mary did not have it all right. John Calvin pointed out how she missed out on things related to Christ, just like we do:
To joyously clean out the drain and the sink...
O yes it takes a woman
A fragile woman
To bring you the sweet things in life. (“It Takes A Woman”)
In Mary we have an example of the mistakes into which the human mind frequently falls. Though Christ presents himself to our view, yet we imagine that he assumes various shapes, so that our senses conceive of any thing rather than of the true Christ; for not only are our powers of understanding liable to be deceived, but they are also bewitched by the world... (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XVIII/1, p.257)But in Calvin’s view, Mary also gives us clues in this account regarding how faith works:
Thus in Mary we have a lively image of our calling, for the only way in which we are admitted to the true knowledge of Christ is, when He first knows us... (Ibid., p.258)Mark E.
John 20:1-18
Would we know it was Jesus if he appeared in front of us? Would we understand the presence of our Savior in our midst? If Jesus called us by name, would we then recognize him? How extraordinary that Mary, who loved Jesus, and who was a disciple Jesus loved, would not know Jesus, resurrected and present in front of her. But would we? Do we? I am sure that God has the ability to appear in any form in any moment of any time. I am sure that people have visions of Jesus.
I, myself, have had a vision of Jesus. Only one vision in my more than 60 years of life, but it is a powerful vision that lives in my heart and reminds me of the closeness and presence of the living Christ. It is one of the reasons why when I offer someone the bread of communion I say, “The body of Christ broken and risen for you.” I want us to remember and accent the risen Savior, the risen Jesus. Have you experienced the risen Jesus this Easter? Are you ready to recognize Jesus if he comes into your sight, is revealed to you? I pray it is so.
Bonnie B.
