Living life after the resurrection

On Easter Sunday, many a sermon was preached that attempted to convince people that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. Many listeners were reassured and comforted. Many others smiled and remained unconvinced. Still others left the Easter celebration, longing for insights for a life that is abundantly worth living.

As a pastor of churches, I preached about 50 Easter Sunday sermons. I took my preaching responsibilities seriously. I wrestled with every one of those sermons. I still look back and ask if I ever got it substantially right. Did I speak to those who are looking for a life that is truly worth living?

Even though I have kept no sermons, I remember some. One Easter sermon in particular was titled “Living before an Empty Tomb!” I have no idea if the message of the sermon has been remembered by those who heard it on that Easter morning.

Obviously it made an impact on the person who prepared and delivered the sermon. It helped me clarify the meaning of my life.

As a follower of Jesus from Nazareth, I am to live the life that cannot be killed and that will not end in a graveyard. I am to live a life that continues to work for the establishment of the kingdom of God on this incredible Earth long after I die.

The key to understanding the resurrection stories of Jesus is to hook the resurrection stories up with the declared purpose of the teachings and activities of Jesus during his years of active ministry in Galilee.

Mark is the first written of the Gospels. Mark was used by the other Gospel writers as a source document. In the very first chapter of Mark, the writer quotes Jesus as saying “The time is ripe! The Kingdom of God is right here; repent and believe the gospel.” Jesus was not preparing a path for the salvation of individuals in a far distant place at a future time. He was setting a course for the reign of God in this world, in Palestine, in Galilee, beginning right now.

A similar declaration is recorded in the Matthew Gospel. After being baptized by John the Baptizer and after spending 40 days in contemplation, Jesus’ first declaration was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

In the Luke Gospel, the same pattern is reported. After his baptism and his testing, Jesus declared “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me …. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

It is the plain witness of the Gospels that from the beginning, Jesus’ message was about the establishment of the kingdom of God, right now, and in this present world. This is the message to which the resurrection stories ought to be tied.

The apparent tragedy of the death of Jesus was that his efforts to establish the kingdom of God on this Earth had been nipped in the bud and brought to an end. The resurrection of Jesus confronts death and declares “The work has not been stopped; it has just begun.”

In the Mark Gospel, the author quotes Jesus as challenging his listeners to “believe the gospel.” The word “gospel” is correctly understood to mean “good news.”

Attempting to fully understand God’s good news has been a lifelong adventure. Over and over again I have been drawn to the parables of Jesus for understanding. The parables give us snapshot after snapshot of what the kingdom of God on Earth would look like.

Peace (or shalom) is the key goal of the kingdom of God, and justice is the key tool that is used to achieve that goal. Shalom is achieved when the needs of all are met. Justice is the actions that are needed to achieve shalom. Shalom instituted by the practice of justice summarizes the entire program of the kingdom of God on Earth and is the good news needed by the world.

I believe that Jesus was telling his own generation and all future generations that the kingdom of God on Earth is achievable whenever and wherever there are people who are willing to make the commitments and live the life of citizens of that kingdom. History is sprinkled with examples of people who accepted that challenge and have established expressions of God’s kingdom right here on Earth.

The great subversion of the Easter stories of triumph takes place when churches, preachers and priests turn the Easter celebrations into assurances of personal salvation and projections of never-ending comfort in the far reaches of the universe in a place called heaven.

The challenge of every Easter celebration is the reminder that the fullness of the kingdom of God has not yet been established. When people love God with heart, mind and soul, and love neighbors more than self, the kingdom of God is indeed at hand.

Living life in front of an empty tomb is not for the faint of heart. However, it is a life that can never be killed. It just keeps coming back to life. This is the gospel. Do we Christians dare to believe it?