St. Bartholomew's Church

Alleluia, He is Risen!
I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming!

There is an old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” However, in the life of the church familiarity does not so often breed contempt so much as unfamiliarity. What I mean is this: we can become so accustomed to our story that some of the simple details of its magnificence go right over our heads. Jesus’ resurrection is no exception.

Most Christians know that Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus’ rising from the grave. Some can connect the dots to explain how his risen body was the first marker  of God’s new creation bursting forth into our old one. Some can explain the way Jesus’ cross and bodily resurrection are the turning points of human history. Still others can explain the way his “Christ pattern” of death and new life is written into the fabric of the Creation itself. However, sometimes it’s the mundane details of the resurrection that say the most and yet we miss them. Familiarity breeds unfamiliarity and we forget to notice that resurrection overturns the way the world is supposed to work.

Think about it.

In our experience of life in this world there are certain things that we can count on. One of them, sadly, is that everything dies and people that die don’t come back to life. Somewhere, somehow nothing lives forever. This is precisely where resurrection pulls the rug right out from under our expectations. Yes, Jesus died. And yes you know that dead things stay dead and don’t come back to life. But guess what?! The tomb is empty! As the angel says to the women in the garden “He isn’t here!” I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming, did ya?!

And that is the point. The resurrection upsets our most basic assumptions about how the world works. We know that everything dies right? Well, yes – but actually – umm, maybe more like yes and no. Resurrection has changed everything. Do you think there are other places you make assumptions about the way the world works that God wants to upset with resurrection?

Is there a pattern of dysfunction and abuse that you’ve just grown to accept? Is there a family dynamic that just never seems to change? Is there a system of injustice that you’ve given up caring about? Are there attitudes of cynicism that’s you’ve stopped resisting? Are there job expectations that are killing you and you’ve given up trying to change them? Are there compulsive behaviors or addictions you think you just live with?
Will things always be a certain way and never change?

Jesus’ resurrection says no!

Resurrection proclaims that there are endless new possibilities and hopes. Death is not the end of the story. The old way the world works is no longer the true reality - resurrection is! Because He is alive, the tomb is empty and He isn’t here! I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming, did ya?!

This Easter, will you be open to that which you don’t see coming? Can you trade the despair of the way-it’s-always-going-to-be for the hope way it is now and ever more shall be? Will you open your heart to a God that majors in the surprising, unexpected, upsetting, world-changing power of resurrection? I wonder what surprises await you if you do?

Alleluia, He is Risen! I’ll bet you didn’t see that coming!

DDK+