Eas\u00adter \u2013 a joyful dra\u00adma with extras and lea\u00adding actors.
\nGood Fri\u00adday and Eas\u00adter affect us all. On Good Fri\u00adday, dra\u00adma\u00adtic events of Jesus\u00bb suf\u00adfe\u00adring and cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon hap\u00adpen\u00aded and the disci\u00adples were frus\u00adtra\u00adted after his death. But on Eas\u00adter Sun\u00adday, a new day dawns as the tomb is emp\u00adty and Jesus is risen. The disci\u00adples are fear\u00adful and unbe\u00adlie\u00adving at first, but Jesus appears to them and brings them rest and peace. The sto\u00adry of Jesus with his church was not finis\u00adhed then \u2013 quite the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte: it continues!<\/p>\n
It is some\u00adthing very spe\u00adcial to preach on Good Fri\u00adday and Eas\u00adter, becau\u00adse the grip\u00adping thing about the\u00adse two days is that both are Jesus expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces that affect us humans at 100%. What hap\u00adpen\u00aded then con\u00adcerns every per\u00adson in this world. What dra\u00adma\u00adtic events they were: After an unpar\u00adal\u00adle\u00adled tira\u00adde of mockery, after whip las\u00adhes, pun\u00adches in the face, many fist mes\u00adsa\u00adges and a crown of thorns, Jesus is final\u00adly nai\u00adled to the cross. In a ter\u00adri\u00adble ago\u00adny, Jesus dies; then the sol\u00addiers stab his side to be quite sure that Jesus is dead. Two good-natu\u00adred men take care of the body, anoint it, wrap it in fine linen cloths and place the decea\u00adsed in the tomb belon\u00adging to one of the men. \tWhat are your expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces with peo\u00adp\u00adle who don\u2019t want to know about Jesus? How have you reacted? Eas\u00adter \u2013 a joyful dra\u00adma with extras and lea\u00adding actors. Good Fri\u00adday and Eas\u00adter affect us all. On Good Fri\u00adday, the dra\u00adma\u00adtic events of Jesus\u00bb suf\u00adfe\u00adring and cru\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adxi\u00adon took place and the disci\u00adples were frus\u00adtra\u00adted after his death. But on Eas\u00adter Sun\u00adday, a new day dawns when the tomb is emp\u00adty and Jesus is resur\u00adrec\u00adted. The disci\u00adples are initially\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7241","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nJesus \u2013 once upon a time
\nFinal\u00adly, the men push a hea\u00advy stone in front of the ent\u00adrance to the tomb \u2013 that\u2019s it! Many fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus had the impres\u00adsi\u00adon at the time: \u00abNow it\u2019s all over. Jesus, that was once upon a time!\u00bb He did so much good. He spo\u00adke of things we have never heard befo\u00adre! Ever\u00ady\u00adthing was fine and dan\u00addy. Now this frus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon! And Jesus\u00bb oppon\u00adents are now bea\u00adming, laug\u00adhing and cele\u00adbra\u00adting: the chief priests, the Pha\u00adri\u00adsees and the Roman rulers: \u00abJesus, this trou\u00adble\u00adma\u00adker, is finis\u00adhed. Now peace can return to our neigh\u00adbour\u00adhood!\u00bb For them, the hea\u00advy stone in front of the tomb was the final con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adon to a trou\u00adble\u00adso\u00adme sto\u00adry. They had the gover\u00adnor Pila\u00adte seal the stone and have the tomb guard\u00aded by sol\u00addiers! Even today the\u00adre are peo\u00adp\u00adle who have done away with God, Jesus, the Bible, the church \u2013 they have buried ever\u00ady\u00adthing Chris\u00adti\u00adan and clo\u00adsed and sea\u00adled their hearts!
\nA new day beg\u00adins and I rejoice, yes, I rejoice
\nBut then \u2013 on the mor\u00adning after the Sab\u00adbath, a new day dawns! Not\u00adhing with end! To be con\u00adtin\u00adued! Jesus is far from finis\u00adhed with us. A new day beg\u00adins\u2026 Eas\u00adter, the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion day dawns! The earth shakes; an angel comes from hea\u00adven and rolls the stone away from the tomb as if it were made of Sty\u00adro\u00adfoam and sits on it \u2013 what a picture!
\n\u00abEar\u00adly on Sun\u00adday mor\u00adning, Mary Mag\u00adda\u00adle\u00adne and the other Mary went out to the tomb. Sud\u00adden\u00adly the\u00adre was a strong ear\u00adth\u00adqua\u00adke, becau\u00adse an angel of the Lord came down from hea\u00adven, rol\u00adled asi\u00adde the stone and sat on it\u00bb (Matthew 28:1\u20132 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe women who run to the gra\u00adve ear\u00adly in the mor\u00adning are speechl\u00adess. The gra\u00adve is emp\u00adty! Are they hap\u00adpy? No! Mary Mag\u00adda\u00adle\u00adne weeps becau\u00adse she thinks that someone has taken the body away. They wan\u00adted to embalm the body. The women go to the disci\u00adples and tell them that the risen Jesus had met them on the road \u2013 but none of them belie\u00adve the women. Anyo\u00adne who thinks that a fren\u00adzy of joy has bro\u00adken out among the disci\u00adples is mista\u00adken. The disci\u00adples have bar\u00adri\u00adca\u00added them\u00adsel\u00adves behind clo\u00adsed doors. Two disci\u00adples final\u00adly dare to go to the tomb them\u00adsel\u00adves, but the\u00adre are no more angels to be seen. They go into the tomb and still see the linen cloths with which Jesus was wrap\u00adped. Anger, dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adment and fear are often bree\u00adding grounds for cri\u00adses of faith and low moods. The most beau\u00adtiful pro\u00admi\u00adses and assu\u00adran\u00adces of the Bible are sim\u00adply for\u00adgot\u00adten! The disci\u00adples only real\u00adly rejoice when Jesus comes to them through the locked door that very evening.
\n\u00abOn the evening of that first day of the week, the disci\u00adples met behind clo\u00adsed doors becau\u00adse they were afraid of the Jews. Sud\u00adden\u00adly Jesus stood in their midst! \u00abPeace be with you,\u00bb he said. And after the\u00adse words, he show\u00aded them his hands and his side. Joy fil\u00adled the disci\u00adples when they saw their Lord\u00bb (John 20:19\u201320 NLB<\/span>).
\nJesus brings calm and peace to the\u00adse moving moments of the past days. \u00abPeace be with you!\u00bb The\u00adse are words that remind us of Christ\u00admas! Today is ano\u00adther day of joy! Joy reig\u00adns in hea\u00adven and on earth!
\nThe church \u2013 the next chap\u00adters of the Jesus story!
\nI can ima\u00adgi\u00adne that the\u00adre was gre\u00adat expec\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon among the disci\u00adples after\u00adwards that things would now go on as befo\u00adre. But they have to go the long way to Gali\u00adlee wit\u00adhout the rab\u00adbi, whe\u00adre Jesus wants to meet them again. Jesus still has a lot to say to his disci\u00adples. He meets them again and again until he returns to the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father on the day of his ascen\u00adsi\u00adon. After this dif\u00adfi\u00adcult fare\u00adwell, they con\u00adfi\u00addent\u00adly set off on their chan\u00adged dai\u00adly lives. The evan\u00adge\u00adlist Mark descri\u00adbes it like this: \u00abBut the disci\u00adples went ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre prea\u00adching the good news. The Lord work\u00aded through them and con\u00adfirm\u00aded ever\u00ady\u00adthing they said by many mira\u00adcu\u00adlous signs\u00bb (Mark 16:20 NLB<\/span>).
\nJesus retur\u00adned to his hea\u00adven\u00adly Father at the Ascen\u00adsi\u00adon. But he is still the one who is pre\u00adsent among us in the Holy Spi\u00adrit. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who belie\u00adve in him and have accept\u00aded Jesus into their lives repre\u00adsent Jesus on this earth! The let\u00adter to the Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans says that the church here on earth is now his body: \u00abGod has sub\u00adjec\u00adted ever\u00ady\u00adthing to the rule of Christ and has appoin\u00adted Christ as Lord over the church. But the church is his body, and it is fil\u00adled with Christ, who fills ever\u00ady\u00adthing with his pre\u00adsence\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:22\u201323 NLB<\/span>).
\nJesus is even more inten\u00adse\u00adly pre\u00adsent on this earth than befo\u00adre, when he could only be in one place! The power of God that works in the\u00adse churches is the same power with which Jesus was rai\u00adsed from the dead. Can we grasp this suf\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adent\u00adly? We are the mem\u00adbers of his body here! Tog\u00ade\u00adther we are the body of the risen Jesus Christ here on earth! \u00abThe church is his body, and he lives in it with all his full\u00adness \u2013 he who fills ever\u00ady\u00adthing and ever\u00adyo\u00adne with his pre\u00adsence\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 1:23 New Testament).
\n You are magnificent!
\nJesus hims\u00adelf goes one bet\u00adter: we share in his glo\u00adry! \u00abThe glo\u00adry that you have given me I have now also given to them, so that they may be one, just as we are one. I in them and you in me \u2013 so that they may achie\u00adve com\u00adple\u00adte unity, so that the world may know that you have sent me and that they are loved by you, just as I am loved by you\u00bb (John 17: 22\u201323 New Testament).
\nWhat image do you have of yours\u00adelf as a Chris\u00adti\u00adan? \u00abI\u2019m cer\u00adtain\u00adly not that bad, but glo\u00adrious would be an exag\u00adge\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon!\u00bb If that\u2019s your opi\u00adni\u00adon, I can only ask you: why do you only ever look at yours\u00adelf and for\u00adget Jesus, who dwells in you with his glo\u00adry? The\u00adre is a fit\u00adting expe\u00adri\u00adence on this sub\u00adject in the Pas\u00adsi\u00adon sto\u00adry. When my wife and I read the sto\u00adry of Peter in the past few days, who denied Jesus three times in the most cruel way, she said to me: \u00abYou, what Peter expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced is the most impres\u00adsi\u00adve and stun\u00adning event for me. How often did I want to con\u00adfess Jesus and I did\u00adn\u2019t do it!\u00bb Of cour\u00adse, I could imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly join in with this lament: \u00abWhy have I kept silent so often and not said what Jesus means to me in front of others \u2013 just out of sheer fear of man!\u00bb
\nThe beau\u00adty of this sto\u00adry is that Jesus did not stop loving Peter. Imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly after his deni\u00adal, Jesus sought eye cont\u00adact with Peter. It then occur\u00adred to Peter that Jesus had pre\u00addic\u00adted this deni\u00adal to him. This was not a look from Jesus that could kill, but a con\u00adnec\u00adting eye cont\u00adact! You are a God who sees me! And inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00adingly, at the emp\u00adty tomb, the angel says to the women: \u00abGo now to his disci\u00adples and tell them, inclu\u00adding Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Gali\u00adlee. The\u00adre you will see him, just as he told you befo\u00adre he died!\u00bb (Mark 16:7 NLB<\/span>). In other words: Peter, the fail\u00adure, should not run away now! \u00abPeter, I\u2019ll see you in Gali\u00adlee! I have not buried my pro\u00admi\u00adse to you!\u00bb From now on, your name will be Peter. I will build my church on this rock, and all the powers of hell will not be able to harm it\u00bb (Matthew 16:18 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe pas\u00adto\u00adral con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon with Jesus by the Sea of Gali\u00adlee is heal\u00ading for Peter. Three times Peter says to Jesus full of strength: \u00abI love you. I love you. You know it: I love you!\u00bb In his let\u00adter to the Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans, Paul aptly descri\u00adbes what kind of church God wants to build with Peter and the other apost\u00adles: \u00abFor he desi\u00adres to pre\u00adsent them as a bri\u00adde of spot\u00adless beau\u00adty, holy and bla\u00adme\u00adl\u00adess, wit\u00adhout ble\u00admish or wrink\u00adle or any other imper\u00adfec\u00adtion\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:27 NKJV<\/span>).
\nWe were recent\u00adly at St. Chrisch\u00ado\u00adna for a con\u00adfe\u00adrence of our Viva Church. The spea\u00adk\u00ader Johan\u00adnes Har\u00adtel raved about the beau\u00adty and glo\u00adry of God. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing he crea\u00adtes in his beau\u00adty is beau\u00adtiful. Now, in spring, when we rejoice in the rea\u00adwa\u00adke\u00adning of natu\u00adre in the gar\u00addens, we mar\u00advel once more at how glo\u00adrious\u00adly he has crea\u00adted this world. And if the God who crea\u00adted the world so beau\u00adtiful\u00adly crea\u00adtes new peo\u00adp\u00adle in Jesus Christ, then they are also glo\u00adrious\u00adly beautiful!
\nThe con\u00adfe\u00adrence spea\u00adk\u00ader told us an important sen\u00adtence about spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal beau\u00adty: If you pay too litt\u00adle atten\u00adti\u00adon to the beau\u00adty of God in yours\u00adelf and only ever des\u00adpi\u00adse yours\u00adelf, get angry and reject yours\u00adelf becau\u00adse of your flaws and weak\u00adne\u00ads\u00adses, then you will remain emo\u00adtio\u00adnal\u00adly atta\u00adched to your con\u00adtempt and pay far too litt\u00adle atten\u00adti\u00adon to Jesus in you. Jesus loves you and in his divi\u00adne beau\u00adty he is clo\u00adser to you than you are to yours\u00adelf! That\u2019s how clo\u00adse Jesus is to you! He looks at you and in his eyes you are glo\u00adrious\u00adly beau\u00adtiful, wit\u00adhout ble\u00admis\u00adhes, no wrink\u00adles \u2013 sim\u00adply flaw\u00adless and holy to boot! A beau\u00adtiful bri\u00adde for the bridegroom!
\nThe let\u00adter to the Colos\u00adsi\u00adans con\u00adta\u00adins this mar\u00advell\u00adous ver\u00adse: \u00abHe has can\u00adcel\u00adled the list of accu\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adons against us; he has taken the bill of indict\u00adment and des\u00adtroy\u00aded it by nai\u00adling it to the cross\u00bb (Colos\u00adsi\u00adans 2:14 NLB<\/span>).
\nSome\u00adti\u00admes you have to do that in a very prac\u00adti\u00adcal way: Put this let\u00adter of debt away! Wri\u00adte down ever\u00ady\u00adthing that is on your con\u00adsci\u00adence, rep\u00adent and then throw away this let\u00adter of guilt. If that does\u00adn\u2019t awa\u00adken Eas\u00adter joy! Joy reig\u00adns! We dimi\u00adnish our own Eas\u00adter joy if we don\u2019t take God at his word. If we don\u2019t take serious\u00adly many of the things that are pro\u00admi\u00adsed to us. No: \u00abWe do not trust in our pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adges and our own achie\u00adve\u00adments, but in Jesus Christ. Yes, I want to get to know Christ bet\u00adter and bet\u00adter; I want to expe\u00adri\u00adence for mys\u00adelf the power with which God rai\u00adsed him from the dead\u00bb (Phil\u00adip\u00adpians 3:3b+10a New Tes\u00adta\u00adment). We know that Jesus is risen and ali\u00adve. But we want more. We want to expe\u00adri\u00adence even more of his resur\u00adrec\u00adtion power, day after day. In our\u00adsel\u00adves, but also in the peo\u00adp\u00adle around us.
\nAmen.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group <\/p>\n
\n\tWhat do you think is the reason that the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion accounts are so dif\u00adfe\u00adrent in the four Gos\u00adpels? How would you explain this obser\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon? Does this dama\u00adge the cre\u00addi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty of the Bible?
\n\tWhy did Jesus\u00bb peo\u00adp\u00adle have so much trou\u00adble belie\u00adving and tal\u00adking about the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion news? Read about the 3 women in Mark 16:1\u20138!
\n\tWhat \u00abjoy kil\u00adlers\u00bb in faith do you experience?
\n\tWhat kind of resur\u00adrec\u00adtion power expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces do you want in your life?
\n\tHow do we suc\u00adceed in radia\u00adting more joy of faith? How does it work: to see more Jesus with his glo\u00adry in me than my short\u00adco\u00admings and deficiencies?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"