WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:05.440 Well, it is a story that uh most of us are familiar with. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:06.639 It's Easter time. 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.199 This is the Easter story. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:13.599 And Matthew in particular, he likes to build it up big. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:19.440 You know, you might call him like the big picture director of the four gospels. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:28.640 Did you notice earthquakes and lightning and guards, presumably strong guards who are guarding things? 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.199 That's what makes you know why they're guards. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:36.240 They get laid flat by this thing that happens. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:43.200 The only ones who are left standing are these women who have come to see Jesus. 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:45.200 They understand the message. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:49.039 Then they are sent off to do their job of giving that message. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:51.759 But you can feel the confusion, right? 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.399 These people are showing up. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:02.719 They're looking to take care of the body to finish this uh really unfortunate task, and they've got these questions. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:09.599 Uh, so you can see that uh um there's some confusion there of what's going on, and we can have some heart for that. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:25.280 I'd like, in some ways, Luke's version of this story because it it has this one key question that is asked by the angel to the women when he says, Why do you look for the living among the dead? 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:28.719 An interesting question to ask. 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:29.680 Right? 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:34.239 In some ways, you'd think, well, we're looking for Jesus' body. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:41.920 This is what happened, and now we're coming to do the right thing and prepare that body for what it needs to be prepared for. 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:56.159 That's not really a good question necessarily, but it points to something bigger that we human beings, it seems like we have this thing about wanting everything to be big. 00:01:56.159 --> 00:02:01.280 We want a big message, we want something to be amazing. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:08.000 And that is really why he's asking that question, I think. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:16.319 He could be asking, well, why are we looking for Jesus here when the big thing is out there? 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:20.240 The big thing is right under your nose. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:27.039 In some ways, that big thing is is new life, which we celebrate here at Easter. 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:28.240 A new start. 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:30.800 We know about new starts. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:32.960 This invitation to new living. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:35.680 We even have a day for new starts, right? 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:37.360 New Year's. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:38.240 Right? 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:43.039 That day where you get that exercise regimen ready and going, right? 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:47.520 You resolved to keep sweet, keep sweets to a minimum. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:53.120 You resolved on not drink coffee for a day or so, right? 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:59.039 You commit 53 books read this year. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:02.960 One each week, plus the entire Bible, right? 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:04.159 New Year's. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.919 This is what we do. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:11.280 We know new starts, but this is a different kind of new start that's happening. 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:13.840 Easter is a different kind of new start. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:25.039 It's a bit about our spiritual health, about our body and our mind, but it's really about that relationship with God, is it not? 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.960 It's about how we view our connection with God. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:41.439 It's about how we view our connection with others, our family, our friends, the people we don't like so much. 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:42.719 Right? 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:46.400 It's about that kind of uh reflection time. 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:53.520 And isn't it really about how we view and connect with ourselves as well? 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:56.719 Do I like myself? 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:00.240 Do I see myself as worthy? 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:05.599 These are the questions of this new start, this Easter new start. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:11.759 Am I going to be understanding myself in the way that God wants me to understand myself? 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.879 Am I going to understand the world and God in the way God wants all that understood? 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:22.800 To me, that's why this question that is asked in Luke's version is why it's so interesting to me. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:25.759 Why do you seek the living amongst the dead? 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:28.879 What are you looking here for? 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:37.519 Why are you in this place looking for something that's alive, something that's abundant? 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.319 You've been given the answer. 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:47.439 Jesus spent three years giving you the answer. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:05:04.959 While you're waiting for some amazing things to happen here, while you're getting excited, maybe even grounding your faith in whether or not something amazing happens, we're missing the gifts that have been here all along. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:10.560 I would argue from before even when Christ came, even before Christ. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:14.000 One of those is the gift of community. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:28.879 In this community, we're able to serve each other, to experience what service feels like, to love one another, to care for one another, opening ourselves to this amazing way to understand life. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:36.720 We have these gifts of hope and of grace that we understand is coming through a relationship with God. 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:47.519 Hope meaning there there is a good, there is a love that we can work toward, grace being that unconditional love. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:57.360 We keep waiting for Matthew's version of Jesus' resurrection, earthquakes, lightning, guards being knocked out. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:05.360 But the truth is, these gifts, they were available to us all along without all that stuff. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:18.399 Some would even say that Jesus' main point in coming here was that we might realize that there are these gifts that exist well before Jesus was even here. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:30.639 Jesus wanted us to open ourselves to these gifts, to experience these gifts, allow ourselves to be blessed by these gifts. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.759 You want a gift that would put you on your heels, or at least it should put you on your heels? 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:42.879 How about the fact that you are loved even when you are unlovable? 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:48.399 And don't pretend you're not unlovable every now and again. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.240 Come on now. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.759 Only Mark is never unlovable. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:55.279 Am I right? 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:57.040 Okay. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:59.680 Way to work with me. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:00.560 Yes, and. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:12.240 No, anybody can love somebody when they're great and they're doing great work and they're loving God and they're loving others, but what about when they're not? 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:18.319 This is something we understand about the message that Jesus brought to us. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:26.800 We are loved even when we are unlovable, and we can experience that love through a community that embodies it. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:32.480 Those are gifts that should knock us on our heels. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:41.600 Maybe this is why Jesus sometimes is disappointed in people in the Bible, because they're looking for this spectacular thing. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:46.480 Meanwhile, he's saying these gifts, they're already here. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:48.879 They're ready to be experienced. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:53.759 The smile of a loved one. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:58.240 The smell of a flower. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:02.560 The grace in a work of art. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:08.079 The music of a choir on Easter morning. 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:15.600 An arm around your shoulder when you need that. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:24.000 A caring act that brings a lump to your throat. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:30.720 A tear of joy that goes down your cheek. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:34.399 Aren't these the signs we're looking for? 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:38.720 Aren't these the abundant life, the new life that we're looking for? 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.200 The signs of true authentic love? 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:46.159 And they're not that spectacular either. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:51.440 These are things that we can know and we can experience. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:55.919 You're getting an invitation this Easter. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:09:03.440 Why don't you taste and see what Jesus is offering you? 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:14.799 Why don't you give this life that's grounded in love of God and love of others that's grounded in God's grace, unconditional love for us? 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:20.399 Why don't you give that life a test drive here in Easter season? 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:23.039 What if that is your new life? 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:29.759 Christ died that you might be made aware of this life to know that it's accessible to you. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:31.919 Why not give it a try? 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.600 Why not take it off the lot? 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:40.240 We can signal your start too. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:45.759 You guys have been hearing about the surprise for today. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:51.360 One of my colleagues down in Orange County said he saw the video. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:52.559 He had to text. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:54.480 What's the surprise? 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:59.919 Is it pastoral liturgical dance? 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:03.120 No. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:04.480 I said. 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:06.559 Everybody in the provinces. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:08.720 Yeah, no, no. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.600 It's butterflies. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:16.399 I imagine some of you have had that experience. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.440 Where you all come together and we all have butterflies. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:25.360 We are blessed that Claudia West uh felt that in her heart and wanted to share that on Easter. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:34.559 And so we're gonna head outside after worship, and we are going to be setting butterflies free to represent new life. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:44.000 You heard Miss Charissa talk about the life of the butterfly from the caterpillar to the cocoon to the beautiful butterfly? 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.759 Why don't you be that butterfly? 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:53.519 Look at yourself as that litter little caterpillar. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.480 Maybe you're doing fine. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:03.759 Maybe you're doing a little less than fine, but you're looking at something better. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:08.559 What would that butterfly look for you? 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:10.720 What would it look like for you? 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:13.120 What skills would it have? 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.200 What skills might you adopt or or make stronger? 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:24.480 What what personality traits might you take on were you to become that butterfly? 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:30.960 Whose life might be better because of you? 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:43.120 God is hoping to see you embrace the joy and the confidence that comes from knowing that you are loved unconditionally. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.080 Make this a happy Easter. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:49.360 Take advantage of this gift of new life. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:12:02.320 Figure out the butterfly that you're supposed to be, the butterfly that God is creating in you and hoping to see flourish and start to fly. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:09.600 'Cause He Is Risen. Amen.