“Resurrection Is A’Happenin’”

Preached on Easter, 4 April 2010 ~ Dr. D. Jay Losher

Text ~ John 20:1-18

e are going to have a little lesson in Greek, but don’t worry there will not be a pop quiz.  It was a lesson about the word ‘eucharisto’ which means simply “thank you” or “to give thanks” in Greek  It is the basis for our word “eucharistic” or things relating to the Lord’s Supper.  We created this odd word because Scripture tells us at the Last Supper “Jesus gave thanks, and took bread and broke it.”

Well, it seems in some administration or other appointed a real party hack to be ambassador to Greece.  He really was out to sea, way out of his element, in way over his head, but he wanted to make a good impression nevertheless.  So he asked his aides to help him, “How do I say ‘thank you’ in Greek?”  

He remembered the strong impression John F. Kennedy had made in Germany with his powerful “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.  Even though Kennedy had crunched the grammar, and while he had actually said “I am a pastry,” nevertheless, that single phrase had made a profound difference.  And the newly appointed ambassador did want to make a difference.

“How do I say ‘thank you’ in Greek?”

“Eucharisto.”

He tried it several times with no good result.  “I can’t remember that.  Help me out here.”

The aides thought together and suggested “Let’s make it easy.  Just remember a name which sounds like it:  F. Harry Stowe.  That’s close enough to ‘eucharisto’!”

All the way on the flight over, he repeated “F. Harry Stowe.  F. Harry Stowe.”

On the limousine ride to the embassy:  “F. Harry Stowe.  F. Harry Stowe.”

All through the state dinner in his honor under his breath:  “F. Harry Stowe.  F. Harry Stowe.”

Finally came his turn to speak and express his gratitude.  Walking up up to the podium, he thought the words:  “F. Harry Stowe.  F. Harry Stowe.” 

He reaches the podium and what was the first thing out of his mouth?

“Harry F. Stowe!”  and the crowd was certainly bewildered.

Jesus began the last supper by giving thanks and we can do no less.  On hearing the news ~ the awesome good news ~ the greatest news of Jesus’ rising from the dead ~ of our rebirth in wonder ~ we can do no less, no more, than to give thanks:  ‘Eucharisto.’

eter Gomes, professor at Harvard Divinity School in a luncheon talk at a 1999 conference itemized the long series of times God has intervened in the world ~ times when God has changed the world for our benefit:

·         the creation of the universe with the merest word.

·         the incarnation, the divine becoming human.

·         the kingdom of God.

·         and most importantly, the resurrection!!

·         [we could add to his list:  the release of Israel from bondage, Israel’s restoration from exile, Jesus’ healing ministry, the Spirit at Pentecost and many, many other events in the Bible.]

It is a long list ~ and a powerful litany ~ and a list of actions not yet completed even in our day.  Just as in the Passover just celebrated, the litany praises God for action after action on our behalf.  And the response to each is “dayeinu” ~ “it would have been enough.”  Even one intervention would have been more than enough.  But God chose to repeat the action, the interventions over and over and over.

God is all about change for our benefit.  And why would God, ruler of the universe, deign to do this?  God only knows.

ad stuff happens, no question about that:  hurt, pain, exploitation, oppression.  AIDS, strokes, heart attacks, loss.  War, pandemics, SARS.  We can add to this list as well.  And the worst is death itself~ final and inevitable and incurable.

Bad stuff does happen, and our lives are spent trying to avoid the bad stuff and to hold onto, if only momentarily, the good stuff.

Bad stuff happens.  Why?  We don’t know.

The great Religions have all tried to explain why bad stuff happens.  Great religious thinkers spend an inordinate amount of time trying to explain this ~ struggling mightily with what is called the question of theodicy.  Some examples:

·         Taoism:  Stuff happens.  Who gives a stuff?

·         Hinduism:  This stuff has happened before and will happen again.

·         Buddhism:  The stuff that happens doesn’t really.

·         Zen:  What is the sound of stuff happening.

·         Islam (or Presbyterianism for that matter):  The stuff that will happen will happen.

·         Judaism:  Lord, why is this stuff happening to me?

·         Evangelicalism:  Jesus, we praise you and just wanna ask why this stuff isn’t happening to someone else.

·         Catholicism:  Stuff happens because you deserve it.

·         Rastafarianism:  Let’s smoke the stuff.

Bad stuff happens.  Why?  We don’t know.  We may never know.  God knows.

And then really bad stuff happens.  It seems that on balance, in the normal course of things and from our limited human perspective, more bad than good happens.

Bad stuff happens, but good stuff happens too ~ Resurrection happens!!  Victory over death, the ultimate, final terrible thing!!  God’s will is for the good stuff to far outweigh the bad stuff ~ Even death itself, the greatest enemy of humanity, is defeated.

Resurrection happens!!  God’s will is for the good stuff to far outweigh the bad stuff:

“Lo, I will tell you a mystery.  We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed…..

Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where, O Death, is your victory?  Where, O Death, is your sting?”  [I Corinthians 15:51-52, 54-55]

As seen throughout Scripture, God’s original, present and ultimate will is for only good stuff to happen for us.

s Frederick Buechner has said:

            “The worst isn’t the last thing about the world.  It’s the next to last.”

God always has the last word.  And the first word as well.  The first word was “Let there be light.”  And the last word is “The tomb is empty ~ Jesus is alive.”  And the last word and the first word and the middle word is and always has been and always will be  ~  Good News!

Resurrection happens.  Notice that resurrection did happen in the past; that it is happening in the present; and by God’s sure promise it will happen in the future.  Resurrection isn’t just a once and for all event only for Jesus to experience, and then for us sometime in the distance future maybe after we are already buried and gone.  Rather, resurrection is a’happenin’ right now.  Resurrection is a’happenin’ thing. 

The power for transformation of life and death demonstrated in resurrection is available to us right now and forever.  If we don’t like the way our lives are going, resurrection can change all that, does change all that.  It is the power of Jesus’ resurrection for changing lives, real change.  Life in God’s kingdom is living resurrected lives right now. 

John’s term he uses for the kingdom of God is most often translated “eternal life,”  Translated literally, however, it really means “life for the ages” not life after death as we so often construe it.  “Life for the ages” means living life now to the fullest in resurrection power and into a life after this life since death is defeated.

esurrection is a’happenin’!  It did happen.  It does happen.  It can happen for us as well!  It will happen for us as well!  If we accept the Good News and believe ~ if we hold resurrection in our lives and live the love Jesus lived.  That is the greatest form of gratitude:  to live worthy lives ~ lives worthy of the gift already given.

Resurrection is a’happenin’!  And our only legitimate, faithful response ultimately is thanksgiving, an awe filled and heartfelt “thank you” ~ to live lives of grateful praise to God for the ultimate, final last word of “Jesus is alive.  God’s reign has arrived.”

“Thank you, Lord.”

“Thank you, Jesus.”

“Eucharisto!”