John 20:1-18
Somewhere I heard of a Sunday School teacher who had just finished telling her third graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing off the only way in or out. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, and the surprise of Easter morning, she asked: “And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when he came bursting out of that tomb alive.”
A hand shot up into the air. It belonged to a most excited little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly, “I know, I know, I know….”
“Good,” said the teacher, “Tell us.” Extending her arms high in the air she sang out: “TA – DA!”
We are here this morning to celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But did you know that we are also here to celebrate our resurrection too? Yes, you heard me right, OUR resurrection. We are here today to celebrate the “TA – DA” moments in OUR lives. We are here today because of the NEW life we have in Jesus Christ because of his resurrection. Actually, it is not only today we get to celebrate resurrection, but EVERY day of our lives. I believe (that) “Every day is a personal Resurrection Day.” The past whatever that might be is past; new mind and body are risen to life, moving toward the life that is to be. This is the miracle described in the Scripture; rebirth every day, rebirth to Life to Come.
Today, I want to share my stories with you. I encourage you to share your stories with your friends and family today. When I was about 3 or 4 years old, I was lost on a busy street. I was riding a bike that my dad bought me few days ago. Maybe I was too excited to have and ride a new bike on a great spring day. Suddenly, I realized that my dad who had been right behind me and watching over me was not there. “O my Gosh!” He was not there. At that time, my dad equals “almighty” God to me. He loves me, protects me, comforts me, saves me from any situation like this and guides me home safely. But, my “almighty God” was not there. I was all alone on a very busy street. I was so scared. Losing my personal god, whatever that means, I was so scared. I felt like I was already dead. (So) I began to cry looking around desperately for my father. Luckily, in a short while (“TA – DA”), I was found. “Daddy!” “아빠!” I was so happy to be found.
When I think back on it, it was my VERY first experience of fear and the power of DEATH in my life. It was a very brief moment, but it became an ever-lasting memory in my childhood. My first death-experience was a matter of seconds, but it was such a horrible experience for me that I still remember.
Now, many years have passed. I had the same experience…, this time, as a father.
One gorgeous summer evening, when Jonathan was around 3 or 4 years old, Rachel and I took him to the Great Lawn of the Central Park in Manhattan to enjoy Metropolitan Opera singing Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Because there were so many people in the park (more than one hundred thousand, they said), we were very mindful of losing our son. We told him to hold on our hands all the time. But, he was so curious and fascinated by the different surrounding and very excited to be in a huge crowd. As you know, Jonathan is a very active and vibrant boy. He just couldn’t stick with us all the time. One moment, he just let go of his hands and began to run, which of course made both of us fully alarmed. We shouted, “Jonathan, stop! Come back here!” He didn’t listen. He kept running away. As soon as he noticed that we were running for him, he began to run faster. Maybe he thought we were playing a tag game or hide-and-seek. It seemed to me that running away from his parents made him so happy and more excited, because I saw the brightest smile on his face.
Anyway, in a few seconds, we lost him. We were struck by a horrible thought of losing our son forever. We started to look for him desperately, but we couldn’t find him. He was lost in one of the biggest cities in the world! I was so scared of life without him. I felt I was already dead. “O Lord, have mercy!”
Well, as you expected, in about 3 minutes, (“TA – DA”) Jonathan showed up. That was the longest 3 minutes in my life…. We felt we were already dead thinking that we lost our son, but now we felt so happy. We were reunited. He was lost, but (“TA – DA”) he was found.
Isn’t this a resurrection story? It doesn’t have to be breaking news. It can be a story that only you can tell. What kind of resurrection story can you share this morning? I am sure you have many of them. Share them with your family and friends today.
I know…, for some of you, it seems too early to be celebrating Easter. I know for some of you, Easter didn’t come yet. You still live Good Fridays. You are still in the tomb….dark, cold, and lonely tomb. You are surrounded by the harsh reality of death; the death of your loved ones, the death of your marriage, the death of certain part of your body, or the death of hope.
There was a time in my life that I had to skip Easter for a couple of years. I experienced a great tragedy in my life. I lost my first wife in a car accident. For the next few years, I felt great pain and despair. Life did not seem worth living. I wanted to just give up on everything. It was a time of great anxiety and darkness for me. I never felt so lost and alone. One of the difficult things I had to deal with was that I was not sure and actually no one could tell when my Fridays would be over. That was the longest night in my life. Now I can tell that every day is Easter but at that time, every day was a Good Friday – a never ending Good Friday. I had no story to share, because I lost hope. I wondered when the dawn of the new day would come. I wondered IF the dawn of the new day would ever come one day.
I am so glad today because I can tell that the day had come. Hallelujah. The day that seemed like it would never come, came like this (snap fingers). One day I found out that the Friday is finally over. I don’t remember the exact date, but I clearly remember the day. It was a gorgeous spring day. I stepped outside from the dormitory to go to tennis court to play. I had not gone to the library at least for 2 years, even though I had my own study-room assigned to Ph. D candidates who were writing theses. Playing tennis was the only thing I could do to forget about my self-pity. But, that day, for the first time in 2 years, I could smell the grass and the blooming flowers again. I could see the white clouds and blue sky. I could feel the crisp air blowing into my face. And I knew that THIS WAS A NEW DAY (“TA-DA”). That day was so beautiful. More beautiful than I have ever imagined. As I said, the day that seemed like it would never come, came suddenly. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we call this GRACE. I can’t find any other word for my Easter experience: Grace.
Grace comes suddenly. Grace comes unexpectedly. Grace comes like a spring, so hang on, my friends. My church friends know that I am speaking to myself here, because I am grieving again. In January 2015, my 2nd wife, Rachel passed away after a long and very difficult battle against brain cancer. Yes, I am talking to myself: “Hang on, Tom.”
We do not know when death will come. We do not know when the life or the new day will come. But we do know that spring comes. We do know that somehow, somewhere, someway today might become the day that we can smell the flowers again. I hope and pray that today is Easter to everyone. And if not today, then tomorrow, definitely tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, the next day, or the next.
While I was serving the Overlook UMC in Woodstock, NY, I played tennis every Friday with church members (And this Friday has nothing to do with the metaphor that I used in this sermon. Literally, every Friday, I played tennis). My double’s partner is Knud. He was in his late 60’s, but he was a wonderful player and very competitive. Usually, we had very close games. When we lost the first set, we encouraged each other saying “Well, there’s 2nd set.” If we lost the 2nd set, too, our opponents comforted us saying, “Well, there’s always next week.” (Well, that sounded like teasing, but that’s true).
First set, then second set. This week, then next week. Winter, then spring. Despair, then joy. Death, then life. It will happen. It will be more beautiful than we remember. Amen?
God had created all things anew, not just once but repeatedly in our life. If times get difficult, just be patient and wait. God can resurrect your hope too. If darkness settles in, reach out for the light of God’s love and dispel the darkness. As we celebrate Easter today, remember how YOU have been delivered and rejoice! Because Jesus Christ was raised, WE TOO have been raised to new life! Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Where he is present, life is present. Where he is present, not only the power of sin but also the power of death is broken. That is why we are here today, to celebrate the victory of his life over death, and to celebrate the victory of his life in us, over death. That is why every day is a personal Resurrection day to us. That is why every day is Easter to us. Amen!
