Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2015
New Testament 1 John 1:1–2:2
Gospel John 20:19–31
The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection is a story of hope for us. It is also a story that helps us to see God in a different light than in the past. We are in the Easter season and this is an opportunity to see who God is because of Good Friday and Easter. When the temple curtain was torn at the death of Jesus, God leaves the temple and the world goes dark. From Genesis 1, “2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep”.[1] God was not yet present upon the earth. At the death of Jesus, God is no longer present upon the earth and the earth is covered in darkness.
In the absence of God, God is fully present in Jesus, upon the cross. God is in Jesus the incarnate Son of God. Jesus is the Son, one person of the Triune God. God is present with Jesus and participates in the death upon the cross. In doing so, God takes up all the suffering laid upon Jesus, into God’s being.
Jesus descends into hell. Hell is then filled with the presence of the Son. Hell is described as the absence of God but God participates with the Son and thus in Hell, where there is no presence of God, hell is now filled with the presence. In doing so, “God takes the absence of God’s self into God’s reality, through Jesus Christ.” — Duane Priebe 2015.
You might be asking yourself, “So what, what does that mean for me?” It means a whole Hell of a lot. It means that even in our darkness realities, when our days maybe a living hell or when someone we know is living a life void of God, that Jesus is there and will come to us in the void, the darkness of Hell. He has filled it already with His presence so that we can be assured that we are not left alone in darkness but that the Light of the World is there with us, for us and will come to us.
It gets even better though. The resurrection of Jesus has God returning to the world, so that the Light of the World fills all of earth. God is present in the world and God is present in Hell. There is no place that God is not present in Jesus Christ. There are times that are difficult to see the presence. We can be blinded to the presence but the good news is that truly we are surrounded in the presence of God, always.
When Satan tempts us, God is there to protect, guide and when necessary, carry us. When all is going well, God is walking side by side with us. I want you to hear that there is no time that God is not there. I want you to also proclaim that to all that you encounter. Know this, inwardly digest this so that you can believe it and proclaim it. I cannot say when, in your darkest times you will see Jesus, but I can say that He is there and will come to you and meet you there. I want you to be so assured of this that when you encounter someone who is walking in darkness that you can also proclaim the good news to him or her.
Join in with other disciples, so that we may be apart of what is declared in 1 John. “3 [W]e declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.”[2]
We may find ourselves in darkness through our deception of ourselves. We are sinners and in our sins, we even deceive ourselves. Even in our sins, Jesus is our advocate and is there for us. When we confess our sins, Jesus, our Advocate, forgives our sins, cleanses us from all unrighteousness so that we can again walk in the light.[3]
Do not be as the Apostles were following the death of Jesus. Do not forget the promises of Jesus and hide behind locked doors. Go among people and seek others out to proclaim the Light, even in the darkness. Jesus says, blessed are those who believe and yet have not seen the risen Lord. Jesus sent the apostles and sends you the disciples. Jesus will be with you always. No mater where you are in you walk. No matter where you are in your faith life. Jesus sends you and will be with you always.
I leave you with this poem that I am sure you are familiar with.
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Ge 1:2.
[2] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 1 Jn 1:3-5.
[3] [3] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 1 Jn 1:9.