Sharing the Good News

Acts 10: 34-43
1 Cor 15:19-26

A few years ago, upon the recommendation of several friends I read the story Lamb by Christopher Moore which is the story of Jesus Christ told by his best friend Bif which is fib backwards. Now Christopher Moore is a funny guy and so I knew that this story would have a lot of irreverent humor in it and perhaps even seem blasphemous in some ways - which it definitely lives up to. It portrays Jesus as a human in ways that a pastor never would or could. While some parts of the book certainly shocked me in how far Chris Moore went to make the reader laugh, I also found myself captivated at the idea of being best friends with Jesus and knowing that his destiny was so much greater than Bif’s ever could have been.

Bif loved Jesus so much. We all know how the friendship had to end, with Jesus dead on the cross and Bif was devastated. In fact, he was so torn apart that he never lived to hear the Good News. And that’s what struck me the most. Bif was Jesus’ best friend and he died without ever hearing what we take for granted each Sunday. That Jesus Christ is NOT dead. That he did not STAY dead in that tomb. That death could NOT hold him. Jesus is alive. Jesus is here with us today. Jesus promises to be with us for all eternity. Bif never got to hear that good news.

How many other people have not heard the Good News that we proclaim today? How many people do we assume know the Good News of the Gospel, but don’t? Or if they know Jesus is Risen – do they know what that MEANS for us; what it means for ALL of humanity?! I was talking to several teachers and some of my students not too long ago and I was shocked at how each of them had a story to tell of a young person that did not know the story of Jesus Christ. In this tiny town and valley where there are tons of churches involved in the community – there are young children, there are young men and women that have grown up having no idea of what we take for granted that everyone must know.

Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby to take on the world’s sins and die a horrific death on the cross, not because he was sinful but because WE are sinful. He took our punishment for himself so that when God the Father looks upon our upturned faces, that God would feel mercy and love for us despite our tendency to be sinful. We proclaim today that because Jesus was no mere man, but was also God’s Son - that death could not hold him. He was raised from the dead and he appears to the disciples and Mary before ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. THAT is the good news we sing ALLELUIAS for today. That is the good news that Bif never gets to hear and so he dies mourning Jesus. That is the beautiful, miraculous news that some people, even our neighbors in this very town have NEVER HEARD.

We need to get the word out. We need to do a better job of proclaiming our beliefs.

A few weeks ago I preached during the Wednesday night services about the belief we proclaim in the Apostle’s Creed about the Resurrection from the dead. In Jesus Christ we are giving a miraculous gift. We are given the ability to be forgiven for every wrong we have committed in our lives so that we may come before God when we die with a clean heart. We will be unburdened with the wrongs we have committed because Jesus willingly took those sins upon himself. But that isn’t all he did.

When Jesus rose from the dead he defeated death. Death is a cold, silent place that scares many humans, but Jesus’ resurrection from the dead reminds us that death is not permanent. We do not stay dead! The reason we know that we are forgiven is that because Jesus died for us, he made us equals in God’s eyes. We are now children of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Think about that for a moment. The blood Jesus shed on that cross not only wiped away our sins, but made us equals with him so that we too could be God’s children.

And all the parents out there know that no matter how much our children screw up, no matter how often they get on our nerves, we will always love them. We cannot help but love our children because they are part of us. That is what Jesus did. He made us a part of God forever. Now when God sees us, he sees his beautiful Son and he loves us very much, faults and all. Jesus tells us in the gospels that all the miracles he performs, all the amazing things he does we can do as well. We are all equal in God’s eyes. Jesus made us God’s children. Therefore, when Jesus was raised from the dead, we are given the promise that we too will be raised from the dead.

We will be given new bodies and dwell on this earth and in heaven with them. These are amazing things! These are miraculous gifts we are given! These are things that some people around us DO NOT KNOW, and this needs to change.

Jesus’ last words to the disciples were to spread the Gospel to all four corners of the world. They did their part admirably. It’s our turn now. We are called to spread the good news. Invite those friends and neighbors to church! Don’t be ashamed to state your views on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. But don’t just say the words; words are empty without actions to back them up. Proclaim them with all the things that you do. When you tell a person you are a Christian, the best thing they can respond with is, “I can tell because of the way you treat me”.

We are Jesus’ disciples now. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us when we don’t know what to say or do. We have been given this church and all the people around us to help us figure out the problems we all face. Life is not easy. Life is dang hard, but we do not do this alone. Jesus is with us and the fact that some people out there do not know that is a shame. It’s our shame.

Today the whole world should be rejoicing that our Lord and Savior is raised from the dead and because he is, we too will be raised from the dead. The whole world needs to know that death is not the end, but it is a beginning to our journey with God. It’s the beginning. Proclaim this message to everyone. Not everyone is willing to listen, but you’ll never know until you take a moment and try. Take that moment and feel your own faith grow and change when you help another discover the blessing of God’s love in their life.

It’s life changing. It’s life changing to know there is such grace and forgiveness. It gives people hope, and we are a world that desperately needs hope. There has been enough judgment and hate. There has been enough despair and unkindness. Today we proclaim the greatest truth, the greatest blessing that is for every person. Jesus Christ is Risen! Jesus Christ has saved us all!

Praise be to God – Father, Son, and Spirit! Amen.