Readings for Easter Sunday

 

 

Prayer: 

O God, thank you for the night – for those who keep watch through long hours of darkness, in the unknowing time, sometimes unsure, stirred up by mystery.  Thank you for the gift of sleep, and the refreshment of our dreams.  Thank you for Good Fridays, and the long vigil til Jesus rises to life in us again – we do not wait alone.

 

Silence/chime

 

O God, thank you for the dawning of a new day – for the songs of birds, the early morning bustle of getting ready, the possibilities that lay ahead.  Thank you for messengers who bring us news:  who stand with us when the news is bad, who celebrate with us when it is good news, gospel, a new creation.  We thank you for Easter morning, and the promise it brings – we do not wait in vain.

 

Silence/chime

 

O God, thank you for the turn of seasons – for the transformation of our Lenten questions and the celebration of our Easter hope.  We are grateful that you have followed up your affirmation of steadfast love with action, that the last word belongs to you.  We thank you for the Easter season, and the promise of new life yet to be revealed in all of our futures. 

 

Silence/chime

 

Amen

 

Easter Readings: For the Wednesday study it always seems too soon to be looking at Resurrection! 

 

READ:  Matthew 28:1-10

 

Look at resurrection on a time line

Belief in resurrection older than Paul

 

Maybe Paul or anonymous hymn found in Philippians 2:8-9 – likely older

he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name,

Not specifically resurrection, not necessarily physical “exalted him”

Paul – originally drew on Jewish apocalyptic tradition

 

1. Earliest written reference to Jesus rising – Paul 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

 

For the people of those regions^* report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

 

Paul was writing to Gentile, not Jewish Christians, considers them becoming more “Jewish” as Christians/or righteous gentiles “you turned to God from idols” – Gentiles who worship Yahweh and live according to watered down code ** This can be seen in the names Paul uses for God, the verbs reflect Tobit, and other intertestamental writings

 

It influences our understanding of what it means when Paul says “Son” of God

            Association with King David (house of David), also called Son of God (2 Samuel 7: 11-17)

            Anointed one/messiah in Hebrew or Christ in Greek

 

“from heaven” meaning comes from God – not necessarily life after death

“whom God raised from the dead” – uses  Jewish apocalyptic imagery (from Daniel)

 

References to Jewish afterlife begin in a time of martyrdom (Greek/Roman persecution) – Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 12:2-3 /Maccabees) 

 

1 Thessalonians purpose is paranesis

– teaching about behaviour not theology, does it matter how they live?

Fellow believer has died, what does this mean for him, for them?

 

¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again (“stood up” - anastenai), even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.4:14^*

Paul’s own experience of the resurrection was spiritual

 

Paul’s next reference is in Galatians – early 50’s -    Angry letter, Paul’s self-defense

 

Gal 1:1 - Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

 

Galatians 1:13-16 - For I want you to know, brothers and sisters,^* that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; ¹²for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. ¹⁴I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal his Son to me,^* so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being,

There is no resurrection without suffering

Phil 3:10-11

 

¹⁰I want to know Christ^* and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

 

No distinction between physical and spiritual appearances of Christ

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (mid 50’s) – no mention of Mary Magdalene

 

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters^* at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.^{* 7}Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me.

 

Was it a physical resurrection?

 

1 Cor 15:44, 50

 

⁴⁴It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.

 

50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters,^* is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

 

Q gospel – found in Mark/Matthew (very fragmented)

 

Pre- Mark (60 AD?) – death by crucifixion, but not “salvific”

Jesus is like the prophets who were true but rejected – is he a returning/resurrected Elijah? Does he need to be resurrected (again)?  Will Jesus come again AGAIN?

 

Synoptic gospels:  MARK

Mark 16:1-8 – 1^st ending:  puzzling, not very conclusive.  The empty tomb is witnessed by women, “angel” gave commission to tell disciples, but they didn’t?

16:9-20 – longer ending  - appeared to Mary Magdalene, who told the disciples; then appeared to other 11.  Jesus condemns non-believers; gives believers power to do signs, divine protection – LIKELY A LATER ADDITION, after Luke and Matthew were written.

 

MATTHEW – 28:1-10, 11-20

Contains details about burial, and the guards set by Jewish authority (with Rome’s permission.)

Earthquake, guards were disabled with fear, angel speaks to women.

Women leave with fear AND joy, are met by Jesus, and commissioned to tell disciples.

Guards go to authorities, are bribed to lie.

Jesus appears to disciples at Galilee.

 

Luke 24:1-12, 13-35, 36-49, 50-53

Mary Magdalene and other women witnessed the empty tomb, there were no guards, but 2 angels.

Emmaus meeting follows – did not recognize Jesus, but he was physical enough to walk and eat.

2^nd meeting with disciples, then a 3^rd at Ascension.

Evidence of resurrection

            Begins with empty tomb

            Then physical witness

            Growing more and more detailed as time moves on…

John – the best storyteller!

20:1-18  Mary Magdalene was alone, then the empty tomb was witnessed by Peter and ?John?

Mary Magdalene afterwards:  “I have seen the Lord” but didn’t recognize him at first.

20:19-23 – In (locked) room – disciples witnessed physical resurrection.

20:24-29 – Doubting Thomas provides more evidence.

21:1-14 3^rd appearance, in Galilee, eats fish on beach.

21:15-19 - metaphorical commission to Peter, feed my sheep.

21:20-25 – an explanation for historical lag??  Did beloved disciple John live to be 100?

 

Josephus – tampered testimony

Original record likely changed by early Christian editors:

93-94 AD “At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them after his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhaps the Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.”

 

 

Josephus confirms the accuracy of the Canonical Gospels (and Acts) in the following recollections:

The time frame that the Gospels place Jesus in,

Jesus had a reputation for teaching wisdom,

Jesus was believed to have performed miracles,

Jesus had a brother named James,

Pilate was Prefect and had Jesus executed,

Jesus was executed by crucifixion,

Jesus was known as a messianic figure,

That the early Christians reported that Jesus was raised from the dead as foretold by the Jewish prophets

 

Closing Prayer: 

When our faith
stands at the grave,
grieving
for a stone that's rolled away,
forgive us.

When our faith
is short of
understanding
though the truth is there to see,
forgive us.

When our faith,
beset by doubt, sees
no further
than an empty tomb today,
forgive us.

Bring to mind
the cry of Mary,
‘I have seen the Lord!'
and grant us faith to believe!

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