“He has risen, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!!!!” Many of you gathered in various congregation yesterday and celebrated our Risen Savior. No doubt the pastor or someone else led the congregation in saying “He has risen” and you and the rest of the congregation responded with “He HAS RISEN INDEED!!!!” But do you truly believe He has risen? Is your current situation keeping you from truly believing this? Is your current situation keeping you from recognizing the Risen Savior? Is there something in your past that you think not even Jesus could or would want to forgive you of?
Like many of you my weekend was jammed packed. Friday I preached the Good Friday message at Tomah Nazarene. Then I went to the EFree church to journey with Christ to the cross. Saturday was spent at our annual Easter egg hunt, putting the final touches on the Easter message and sprucing up the property for visitors. Yesterday morning I preached and got to enjoy breakfast with our congregation and our visitors. After dinner and games with good friends I was completely spent and melted into my easy chair. I say that to say that I know Easter wares us out. But are we so tired and so consumed with our situation that we do not recognize the Risen Savior? Or are we so broken, so hurt, so distraught, so angered that what should be a day of hope realized is a day of hope extinguished?
Yesterday, I preached from Mark 16:1-8. My thesis was, no matter our past and what we have done the death and resurrection of Jesus is for us. The text I used is one that is familiar to those of us that have been in the church for a while. As well as very similar to the passage that almost every pastor used yesterday. But I chose this text for one reason. It is here we read go tell the disciples and Peter that He has risen and is going ahead of them.
I am struck by the words, “and Peter”. I can’t imagine what Peter was going through that Sunday morning so long ago. I think that Peter was traumatized by what he had done Friday night. Every time he heard a roster crow, I am sure that he flashed back to his betrayal of his friend and his savior. To say he was ashamed is an understatement. Perhaps, he was hoping the news of the resurrection was not true. After what he had done how could he face Jesus? After what he had done how could Jesus forgive him? But the angles tell the women to go tell Peter that Jesus had risen and that he was going ahead of Peter.
Fast forward, after Easter Peter will go back to his past life. But he will have an encounter with the risen Savior that will forever change his life. This will take place after a hearty breakfast of fresh fish. Jesus will ask Peter three times if he loves him more than these. Peter will respond first that he likes Jesus. Then he will say that he has a friendship love for Jesus. Finally the damn will break. Peter will accept the forgiveness of Jesus as well as his restoration. He will respond that he loves Jesus more than anything else. He will show this through Pentecost and other instances in the New Testament. Tradition tells us at the end of his life when he is facing execution by crucifixion. Peter request to be crucified upside down. He does not think himself worthy of being crucified in the manner Jesus was.
So how can this be? The simple answer is that he had an encounter with the risen Savior. He gave himself over to the forgiveness and restoration offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Easter has come and gone. Some of us were transformed yesterday. But some of us bewildered and confused by yesterday find ourselves returning to our old lives. Sure we want forgiveness but after what we have done how could Jesus forgive us? The good news is that there is nothing you can do that if you are truly remorseful that Jesus cannot forgive. The question is are you willing to surrender your past and allow Jesus to heal, forgive and restore you? What do you do? Do you continue to fish? Or do you allow the damn to break in your life and say I love you more than everything else Jesus? I can guarantee if you allow the damn to break and give Christ your past, He will raise you to new life. Pastor Travis out.
