Bible Text: Isaiah 65: 17 – 25, Psalm 47, John 20: 1-18 | Preacher: Rev. Monika Bereczki-Farkas | Series: Easter
Look for Jesus – Easter Sunday April 16, 2017 – Rev. Monika Bereczki-Farkas
Isaiah 65: 17 – 25; Psalm 47; John 20: 1-18
Friends, Jesus Christ is risen, he is risen indeed and today we can celebrate his resurrection. That is why we are here at Church today, we really want to celebrate. Let’s look at this ancient story with an open heart and hope for new creation today.
We remember what happened with Jesus after he entered Jerusalem on that little donkey, how the events accelerated during Holy Week.
We stood under his cross on Good Friday, then we felt the silence of the next day, waiting for the day of Resurrection, which is today.
But it is not easy to understand what is happening on Easter morning, not because we don’t want to believe in the resurrection of Christ, but because this news is so unbelievable.
Just look at Mary Magdalene who went to Jesus’ tomb when it was still dark. See, it was still dark. Mary was surrounded by darkness, not only physical darkness but all the dark emotions that come into our life when tragedy happens, when we lose somebody. Under the burden of this emotional and physical darkness Mary was looking for Jesus. This would be the first message today. It doesn’t matter how big your darkness is or how big darkness around you is, look for Jesus. Follow Mary, who was not scared to go to the cemetery while it was still dark. She didn’t know what had happened, she didn’t know that Jesus was resurrected, what she knew was where she had to look for Jesus.
That is why we are here today, we also want to look for Jesus, and we know that today He is with us as our Risen Lord, who defeated death and darkness.
But let’s follow Mary on her journey toward meeting with Jesus.
Mary is the one who noticed that something happened to the stone and she had to go back to the disciples to let them know that the stone was not there. She went back to the tomb but she didn’t step inside, she cried outside. When the two disciples left she looked into the tomb, saw the two angels and continued to cry. She was so desperate. On Friday had Jesus died, then she just wanted to visit the tomb but something had happened to the stone and now Jesus’ body had vanished. What a terrible experience for this poor woman. In addition those two angels in the tomb asked her why she was crying. Oh why didn’t they understand her feelings? She loved Jesus and she didn’t know where He was. And at this moment she looked back and thought the gardener was there and asked him about Jesus.
But what a great surprise when Jesus called her name: Mary!
No more darkness, or mourning, or the stone, or fear and pain because of the loss of Jesus; no more death. Only Jesus, who still knew her name, who was still the same Jesus whom she loved.
This is the turning point of the story. Look at Mary, she forgot about every pain when Jesus was there in front of her, when her eyes looked at him and she didn’t see darkness anymore. Her new life began at that moment.
How many times are we similar to Mary Magdalene who wanted to meet with Jesus and knew where to look for him? But she didn’t realize that everything around her was singing Hallelujah to the risen Lord: the rolled away stone, the empty tomb, and the white dressed angels in the tomb. Then she saw Jesus but didn’t recognize Him till he called her name.
Please open your eyes today and see that the Resurrected Lord is with us. Sing Hallelujah, enjoy how God loves us. And start your new life with Jesus.
Yes, there are many reason to weep, that was why Mary wept but she didn’t weep anymore after she met with Jesus. If you have reason for weeping today, look at Jesus and wait for Him. Let Him take away your sadness, pain, and tears. Yes, we have to face death and the loss of our loved ones. We have to face terrible things in this world, and sometimes in our everyday lives. There are still incurable diseases, natural disasters and sometimes we cause disasters around us, but please today look at Jesus.
The tomb is still empty and we have Jesus who is our Resurrected Redeemer. We need Him more than anything else in this world. We need Him so that we know we are not alone when we are crying, and that there is somebody who will ask us why we are crying when instead we could be celebrating life.
Death is not the end of Jesus’ story. Yes, he died on the cross, he was laid in a tomb, but the tomb couldn’t hold Him. He is still alive. If he was not raised we wouldn’t be here. Our Bible with the testimony that because He lives we will live too would not exist. Without Him there is no Easter message, and you would go home with your heart empty. But we have a resurrected Lord, who will fill your heart with hope, joy and love. Yes, today you are here because He wanted you to be here, He wanted to call you by name.
Rejoice and be happy. Look at only Jesus, like Mary, who didn’t look at darkness and pain and didn’t cry anymore because if Jesus is with you, life is with you. If He is with you today, you have hope for a new life which can begin today. I am so thankful to Jesus for this new life. And I am also thankful that it is not only for me, but for all of us who want to look at Him and live with Him every day of our lives. Amen
Bible Text: Luke 19: 28-40, Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, Luke 19: 41-44 | Preacher: Rev. Monika Bereczki-Farkas | Series: Easter, Palm Sunday
Let’s celebrate Palm Sunday! – April 9, 2017 Palm Sunday
Luke 19: 28-40 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Luke 19: 41-44
Let’s celebrate and remember the first Palm Sunday when people put their cloaks on the little donkey and the road, and others celebrated with flowers and Palm branches. What a lovely day.
They celebrated a man sitting on a donkey who was going to Jerusalem to celebrate Easter. Others were also going to celebrate and to give thanks to God. But this man was different, His heart was heavy, He knew what was waiting for Him in Jerusalem.
But that comes later; now let’s speak about the celebration, today we don’t need to speak about the Last supper, betrayal and the cross of Good Friday. Can you hear the crowd:
"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
We also want to celebrate Palm Sunday and to remember the day when Jesus approached Jerusalem as a king.
But who are we in this story? Where is our place within this celebration? Do we have flowers or we are standing here with empty hands and waiting for others to celebrate? Did you come today to celebrate or is your heart heavy thinking of the road before Jesus, since after this triumphal entry to Jerusalem there is no turning back?
There were several people who wanted to celebrate Jesus on that first Palm Sunday. Some of them were waiting for Him because they knew He was the One who healed the sick, who gave bread to the hungry, and who spoke their language. Jesus was different than those priests who always spoke about those barely comprehensible rules and laws. Oh no, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God and his voice was full of life and love. Yes, his stories were about us. His eyes were so bright when he spoke about His Father who sent Him. And we believed in Jesus’ words. Here at Kirkwall, we came every Sunday to meet with Him and wait for Him to speak to us. And He was here, every Sunday and every other time when we gathered together to listen Him.
No, he was not here in His earthly body, but we believed that Jesus was with us because we felt in our souls that because of Him we can rejoice before God; we can be whole and free.
Today Jesus is the One who comes again, but before Easter there is the cross.
Are you ready for this journey for Holy week? I know, today is not Good Friday or Easter Sunday but Palm Sunday. I have a heavy heart when I think of the road before Jesus. How could he enter Jerusalem on that little donkey while people shouted hosanna, while he knew what was going to happen to Him there? And Jesus let people celebrate. He let them shout hosanna, celebrate with flowers and Palm branches but days later the same people shouted: Crucify Him!
We could explain the behavior of the crowd but it is more important to look at how we celebrate. Today we are the ones who celebrate Palm Sunday, who shout Hosanna.
Today the story is about us. We are the ones who will have to choose our actions after worship. How about you? Will you forget about this Palm Sunday celebration and how you sang Hosanna? Will you shout Crucify Him? Oh, it’s a tough question but on Good Friday there will be stripes and wounds on the body of Christ. What do we have to do with it? It happened because of us.
Today I don’t want to speak of our sins, we all know the result if we live without God. God speaks to us every Sunday, as Jesus spoke to his disciples and they were really happy on that Palm Sunday. They believed that Jesus was the promised king, it was a wonderful day to celebrate Him. It was good to shout Hosanna. But Palm Sunday was not the end of the story and Jesus knew this. Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t say too much. Jesus was the celebrated King, but He was quiet. He knew that days later he had to face the reality of the cross instead of a celebration.
Have you ever felt the same? You were here at the church, felt how Jesus loved you but later the cross of everyday life stole the celebration from you? Yes, it’s good to be here with Jesus and we wish to have more quality time with him so let’s listen to him. What was going on?
Jesus was weeping. Rejoicing crowd, flowers and Palm branches, but Jesus Christ was coming closer to the cross, to Jerusalem and he broke into tears. The Son of God cried not because he was scared of the cross. He wanted to bear that cross for us. He cried for the city which He loved. Jesus cried two times in the Bible: here in this story and also when he had to raise Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus was already with God but he had to bring him back into this life. In this story Jesus cries again seeing that Jerusalem will be destroyed but He loved that city.
Many times I remember this story and ask myself weather or not Jesus has to cry for me? For you? Do you know how he loves you? Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Christmas and every Sunday, the worship is about how he loves you. Yes, He loves you, and looks for you. Do you hear his voice? His voice is so quiet you can't hear it if you think about other things. He is looking for you.
In the Bible we have joyful stories but we can also read about those who cried before God. The Israelites cried when they wanted to enter into the promised land but they had to confess their sins. The sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. Peter cried after denying of Jesus. When was the last time you cried? Have you ever cried because of your sins?
“If you only knew today what is needed for peace!”
We need peace not only with God, but with our sisters and brothers. We are not enemies. We don’t need the suspension of arms manufacture or the illusion of peace when we need real peace, and real love and please don’t want less. God already took the first step, look at the cross. Today you have chance to get peace from God.
“If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it! 43 The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side. 44 They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!”
What a terrible sentence for those who cannot live today with the offer of God. What about if it’s about you. What if You are here, but you miss the message. How many times do you recognize God’s work in your life but you don’t have time for God?
Today is the perfect day to cry out to him. When the crowd celebrated, Jesus cried because he loved them. He can cry over Kirkwall and your life. And you know why? Because He loves you. His tears come from love. His tears make me cry over my sinful life and I want to be thankful for him and for that cross and this will be the way the celebration of Palm Sunday is a celebration for the real King who saved my life. Amen