Bible Text: John 20:11\u201318 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | The risen Jesus meets Mary at the emp\u00adty tomb as a gar\u00adde\u00adner. God is like a gar\u00adde\u00adner for us. He knows how to trans\u00adform bar\u00adren land into a flou\u00adris\u00adhing gar\u00adden. Eas\u00adter turns a Good Fri\u00adday of mour\u00adning into a Good Fri\u00adday, a sto\u00adry of mour\u00adning into a sto\u00adry of hope.<\/p>\n
When the hou\u00adses are built on a deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment and the first peo\u00adp\u00adle move into their flats, the sur\u00adroun\u00addings are still brown, dir\u00adty and drea\u00adry. The last pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnal to come along is the gar\u00adde\u00adner, who takes care of this drea\u00adri\u00adne\u00adss, crea\u00adtes a gar\u00adden, sows the lawn, plants sui\u00adta\u00adble trees and colourful flowers and lays beau\u00adtiful stones. After a few weeks, the who\u00adle envi\u00adron\u00adment looks trans\u00adfor\u00admed: beau\u00adtiful gar\u00addens and lush green lawns. Rein\u00adhard Mey may sing that the mur\u00adde\u00adrer is always the gar\u00adde\u00adner, but actual\u00adly the gar\u00adde\u00adner is one who crea\u00adtes life and beauty. \tWhat kind of gra\u00adves do you tend? Bible Text: John 20:11\u201318 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | The risen Jesus meets Mary at the emp\u00adty tomb as a gar\u00adde\u00adner. God is like a gar\u00adde\u00adner for us. He knows how to trans\u00adform bar\u00adren land into a flou\u00adris\u00adhing gar\u00adden. Eas\u00adter turns a Good Fri\u00adday of mour\u00adning into a Good Fri\u00adday, a\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","wpfc-sermon-single","post-2804","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nMourning
\nWe come from Good Fri\u00adday. The word Good Fri\u00adday has its roots in the Old High Ger\u00adman kara, which means lament, sor\u00adrow, grief. Mary had more than enough of that when she came to the tomb on the third day after Jesus\u00bb cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon. Now the\u00adre was no stop\u00adping her. She wept bit\u00adter\u00adly. So much sad\u00adness, des\u00adpair, inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing that had hap\u00adpen\u00aded in the last days and hours was just too much. Her Jesus, who had done so much good for her fami\u00adly, was dead, exe\u00adcu\u00adted. That which gave her life mea\u00adning and sup\u00adport was gone. The most pre\u00adcious thing had dis\u00adap\u00adpeared from her life.
\n\u00abMary stood out\u00adside the tomb wee\u00adping, and as she wept she bent down and loo\u00adked in. The\u00adre she saw two angels dres\u00adsed in white sit\u00adting, one at the head and one at the foot of the place whe\u00adre Jesus\u00bb body had lain. \u00abWhy are you wee\u00adping,\u00bb the angels asked her. \u00abBecau\u00adse they have taken away my Lord,\u00bb she repli\u00aded, \u00aband I do not know whe\u00adre they have laid him.\u00bb \u00bb (John 20:11\u201313 NL<\/span>).
\nJesus is no lon\u00adger the\u00adre. The tomb is emp\u00adty and no one could explain it. Note: Angels could not con\u00adso\u00adle Mary over the loss of Jesus. This is still true today: angels stan\u00adding around in the home are no sub\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte for Jesus \u2013 even if they are high\u00adly popu\u00adlar in many places today.
\nI think this fee\u00adling of Mary is an atti\u00adtu\u00adde towards life that we still know today. Mary wan\u00adted to che\u00adrish and care for Jesus\u00bb gra\u00adve. How many gra\u00adves have we had to care for in our bio\u00adgra\u00adphy, we have had to bury so many hopes, wis\u00adhes and visi\u00adons. Such gra\u00adves can be: the desi\u00adre for child\u00adren or the desi\u00adre for a spou\u00adse, suf\u00adfe\u00adring at work, phy\u00adsi\u00adcal or emo\u00adtio\u00adnal suf\u00adfe\u00adring, the break-up of a rela\u00adti\u00adonship, the loss of a loved one, your own fail\u00adure, infe\u00adrio\u00adri\u00adty, a secret you have not yet reve\u00ada\u00adled to anyo\u00adne, dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adment, loneli\u00adne\u00adss, etc. Per\u00adhaps you are stan\u00adding in front of a gra\u00adve that resem\u00adbles the sur\u00adroun\u00addings of a new buil\u00adding after win\u00adter: brown, dir\u00adty and drea\u00adry. Good Fri\u00adday. This is how Mary and pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly also Jesus\u00bb twel\u00adve fri\u00adends felt.
\nHope
\nBut then Mary sees some\u00adthing: \u00abShe loo\u00adked back over her should\u00ader and saw someone stan\u00adding behind her. It was Jesus, but she did not reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse him. \u00abWhy are you crying?\u00bb Jesus asked her. \u00abWho are you loo\u00adking for?\u00bb She thought he was the gar\u00adde\u00adner. \u00abLord,\u00bb she said, \u00abif you have taken him away, tell me whe\u00adre you have taken him; then I will go and fetch him.\u00bb \u00abMary!\u00bb said Jesus. She tur\u00adned to him and exclai\u00admed, \u00abMas\u00adter!\u00bb \u00bb (John 20:14\u201316 NL<\/span>).
\nSud\u00adden\u00adly a sto\u00adry of sad\u00adness beco\u00admes a sto\u00adry of hope and joy. An abysmal\u00adly sad per\u00adson chan\u00adges into a hop\u00adeful, joyful and cou\u00adra\u00adge\u00adous per\u00adson. But what exact\u00adly pulls Mary out of her sor\u00adrow? What dries her tears here at the gar\u00adden tomb? It is a stran\u00adge encoun\u00adter. She does\u00adn\u2019t seem to be able to do much with the angels. Then Mary meets the gar\u00adde\u00adner, who is Jesus. But she does not reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse Jesus. Jesus as a gar\u00adde\u00adner! Can we ima\u00adgi\u00adne God at the tomb as a gar\u00adde\u00adner? What is a gar\u00adde\u00adner? In the very begin\u00adning, God crea\u00adted the Gar\u00adden of Eden as an envi\u00adron\u00adment for the first human cou\u00adple, Adam and Eve. A gar\u00adde\u00adner first pro\u00advi\u00addes a good seed that is scat\u00adte\u00adred. Then the seed falls on the ground and the gar\u00adde\u00adner takes care of it so that it can grow and some\u00adthing new comes into being. We think it\u2019s over, it\u2019s died, we don\u2019t see any\u00adthing any\u00admo\u00adre, and sud\u00adden\u00adly new life comes out of the seed that the gar\u00adde\u00adner has scat\u00adte\u00adred, com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly unex\u00adpec\u00adted\u00adly. Won\u00adderful gar\u00addens are sprin\u00adging up around the new housing estate and total\u00adly chan\u00adging the picture.
\nJesus likes to come to your gra\u00adves as a gar\u00adde\u00adner. Per\u00adhaps the gra\u00adve of the break-up of a rela\u00adti\u00adonship. Deep emo\u00adtio\u00adnal wounds, for exam\u00adp\u00adle cau\u00adsed by a divorce, can be trans\u00adfor\u00admed by Jesus the gar\u00adde\u00adner into a cent\u00adre of com\u00adpe\u00adtence. And you can beco\u00adme a bles\u00adsing to others in simi\u00adlar situa\u00adtions. Or to your sen\u00adse of not belon\u00adging, he can give new hope so that new life sprouts. Think of God as a gar\u00adde\u00adner at the gra\u00adves of your life! We think so much is gone, dead, but the gar\u00adde\u00adner can take care of it. When God comes into our world as a gar\u00adde\u00adner, it can hap\u00adpen in your life today that a sto\u00adry of sad\u00adness beco\u00admes a sto\u00adry of hope. Eas\u00adter turns a sto\u00adry of sor\u00adrow into a sto\u00adry of hope.
\nThe Eng\u00adlish do not speak of Good Fri\u00adday, but of \u00abGood Fri\u00adday\u00bb. Good Fri\u00adday it is becau\u00adse this God has beco\u00adme gar\u00adde\u00adner in the per\u00adson of his Son Jesus Christ. Good Fri\u00adday it is becau\u00adse Christ has purcha\u00adsed eter\u00adnal life for us, and not only for after our death. The impact is alre\u00ada\u00addy true now through our uni\u00adon with God through the Spi\u00adrit who takes up resi\u00addence in us and chan\u00adges us from the insi\u00adde out. Ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly, this is all a fruit of the cross. The resur\u00adrec\u00adtion power is powerful. With the same power with which God rai\u00adsed Jesus from the dead, he works on his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers and turns drea\u00adri\u00adne\u00adss into a beau\u00adtiful gar\u00adden. Unli\u00adke a gar\u00adde\u00adner with a green apron, he even crea\u00adtes life out of nothing.
\nInci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, Jesus intro\u00addu\u00adces God to us as a gar\u00adde\u00adner in ano\u00adther place: \u00abIf God takes such won\u00adderful care of the flowers that blos\u00adsom today and wither tomor\u00adrow, how much more does he care for you?\u00bb (Matthew 6:30 NL<\/span>). How can you tell that God cares for the flowers? Alt\u00adhough they do not work or sew clo\u00adthes for them\u00adsel\u00adves, they are more glo\u00adrious\u00adly dres\u00adsed than King Solo\u00admon in all his sple\u00adndour. In this so-cal\u00adled \u00abhow much more para\u00adble\u00bb the\u00adre is a gre\u00adat pro\u00admi\u00adse: God takes care of you. He is also your gar\u00adde\u00adner. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre you need not worry (Matthew 6:31)! We are allo\u00adwed \u2013 even in the face of bro\u00adken dreams \u2013 to live a care\u00adfree life. When we stop worry\u00ading in one fell swoop, it frees up a lot of emo\u00adtio\u00adnal and ratio\u00adnal capa\u00adci\u00adty. We should put this to good use as soon as pos\u00adsi\u00adble, other\u00adwi\u00adse the worries will come back. Jesus sug\u00adgests: \u00abMake the king\u00addom of God your main con\u00adcern, live in God\u2019s righ\u00adteous\u00adness, and he will give you ever\u00ady\u00adthing you need\u00bb (Matthew 6:33 NL<\/span>). Actual\u00adly, this means not\u00adhing other than that we, as God\u2019s gifted, are to be \u00abgar\u00adden\u00aders\u00bb for others.
\nBeing a gardener
\nI will bless you and you shall be a bles\u00adsing. Like you and me. We too can and should be \u00abgar\u00adden\u00aders\u00bb for others. For God, as the pro\u00adto\u00adty\u00adpe gar\u00adde\u00adner, has had a plan from the begin\u00adning: \u00abThen he said, \u00abLet grass grow on the earth, and let it bring forth plants bea\u00adring seed, and trees full of various kinds of fruit, in which is their seed.\u00bb And so it came to pass\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:11 NL<\/span>). In all his crea\u00adti\u00adon lies the seed of mul\u00adti\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. When you con\u00adsider how many mil\u00adli\u00adons of seeds each plant or per\u00adson pro\u00addu\u00adces, it seems almost was\u00adteful, but life is meant to go on.
\nUsing Mary as an exam\u00adp\u00adle, we see what this could mean: \u00ab \u00abDo not touch me,\u00bb said Jesus, \u00abfor I have not yet ascen\u00added to the Father. But go to my brot\u00adhers and tell them that I am ascen\u00adding to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.\u00bb Mary Mag\u00adda\u00adle\u00adne found the disci\u00adples and told them, \u00abI have seen the Lord!\u00bb Then she repor\u00adted what he had told her to do\u00bb (John 20:17\u201318 NL<\/span>).
\nMary shared the good news of Jesus so that the disci\u00adples were also brought out of their gloom and back into the sprou\u00adting life. For whom could you be a \u00abgar\u00adde\u00adner\u00bb? Who could you help, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in the cur\u00adrent sta\u00adte of emer\u00adgen\u00adcy, to turn a sto\u00adry of mour\u00adning into a sto\u00adry of hope? Even a pho\u00adne call or a litt\u00adle help can green up a drea\u00adry envi\u00adron\u00adment. Why not ask our sick and suf\u00adfe\u00adring peo\u00adp\u00adle how they are doing? Per\u00adhaps, like Mary, you can share the good news that Jesus is tru\u00adly risen. Jesus is risen, he is tru\u00adly risen.
\n
\nEas\u00adter turns a sto\u00adry of mour\u00adning into a sto\u00adry of hope. You can expe\u00adri\u00adence this per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly through faith in Jesus Christ. He can turn the gra\u00adves you tend into hope and beau\u00adty. The gar\u00adde\u00adner is not a mur\u00adde\u00adrer, but a life-giver par excel\u00adlence. That is what we want to cele\u00adbra\u00adte today.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: John 20:11\u201318<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat does it mean that God is the gar\u00adde\u00adner of your bar\u00adren places in life?
\n\tHave you ever expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced at one point that God has built a cent\u00adre of com\u00adpe\u00adtence out of a wound?
\n\tIf God were also your gar\u00adde\u00adner, what worries could you con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly lay aside?
\n\tFor whom could you and do you want to be a gar\u00adde\u00adner this Eas\u00adter time?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"