Calvary United Methodist Church March 27, 2016 FEED MY SHEEP Rev. Dr. S. Ronald Parks Easter Sunday 8:00 and 11:00 AM Worship Children s Sermon: John 21 The Kingdom, the power and the glory: God s gifts to us on this Easter Sunday. We are going to skip the children s sermon this morning. (Laughter) Come on up! Hey! Happy Easter! (Happy Easter!) Good to see you! How many of you hunted eggs already this morning? Alright! How many of you are going to hunt a little later on today? A lot of fun, right? We had a big Easter egg hunt here last Saturday. Lots of people. Lots of eggs. Lots of cool stuff.
But it reminded me that there are a ton of animals that are connected with the celebration of Easter and while two of them are pretty familiar, the bunny and the chick, there are a lot of them that you may not of known about. So I thought it might be a kind of fun thing (Like a turtle) Like a turtle? The turtle is connected to Easter? (No.) Oh, ok. I thought maybe you were saying I didn t know about that one. So, let s take a little quiz. You guys score at home, see how you are doing. We hunt eggs on Easter morning because they are: Good for breakfast. Fun to throw Pumpkins are too heavy. They look like a tomb or a stone. Now, think about it. It looks like a tomb or a stone. As a matter of fact, if you go by rivers and streams you ll see stones that look just like eggs. Jesus was placed, it s a reminder, in a tomb and the entrance was sealed with a stone. That reminds us of God s sacrifice for us. Number 2: Eggs are a symbol of resurrection because
They are sold in church. By the way, there are still some available on your way out. But they are only Easter eggs until the end of today. Then they become Pentecost eggs, you got what I m saying? Jesus loved omelets. Easter is egg-citing. Or, now think about this, there s a new life inside. Inside that egg there is a new life. It s typically a chick, right? I mean a little chicken, never mind. Jesus s resurrection is the beginning of new life for us. Just like inside that tomb was his new life, inside the egg is a symbol of our new life. Why do rabbits leave the eggs instead of chickens? Oh we never thought about that! Is it because elephants are too slow? They have no pockets or baskets to carry them in? They know that eggs are high in cholesterol. Or They are a symbol of fertility, in other words, they spread fast. Which one do you think? D. It s because rabbits are a very ancient symbol of fertility, which means that they expand and reproduce very quickly, just like the good news of Easter.
Now, see, I didn t make these up. These are actual things that you ll find if you do a little research. Number 4: The whale is an Easter symbol for: Eating too much candy. Self-denial (we should eat fish) Going to a big church. Or repentance for our sins and lack of faith. (D!) D The whale is a symbol of our repentance for our sin and lack of faith because: Like Jesus in the tomb, remember this guy named Jonah who spent three days in the belly of a whale because he refused to do what God asked him. How are we doing? You are 4 for 4, right? Number 5: This Easter animal emerges from a tomb as a new creature. Is it: A poodle. A whale. A rabbit. A butterfly. A butterfly, which is on the Stoll, of course, and the butterfly is a symbol.
And a reminder that Jesus is raised as the first creature in a new creation on Easter day. The peacock is an Easter animal because it is associated with: Royalty. NBC. Renewal. Both a & c. Or e, none of the above. (None of the above.) It s not none of the above. Ahh It s a & c. The peacock was a gift often between kings of neighboring lands. But the really important thing for Easter is: like the peacock s feathers in the Spring, the glory of Jesus, the King is renewed on Easter morning. Every spring the peacock loses its entire backside (No!) Yeah! Get out! Heck, yeah! Easter is the fulfillment of God s promise to raise us up on the Hump of a camel. The head of an ostrich. The back of a hippo. Or the wings of an eagle.
(D, wings ) D, the wings of an eagle. From Isaiah, the eagle reminds us of God s power to raise us up to life Just like he did with Jesus on Easter. Coming down to the home stretch, this animal, which is nature s alarm clock, is a symbol of denial: (Rooster!) Could I put the answers up first? A groundhog. A rooster. An aardvark. A beaver. It is b, of course, the rooster. And even though he denied knowing Jesus three times, after Easter, Peter became the rock on which Christ built his church.
Number 9: The lion at the top of the food chain is called Sir Loin of Beef. Duke of Ellington. Milk of Magnesia. King of the Beasts. (King of the Beasts!) King of the Beasts! And the lion is attached to Easter because it is a reminder that Jesus is the King of Kings. Last one, bonus question, 25 points in the round: What animal is used to describe Jesus in the Gospels? It is the only animal that is ever used to describe Jesus of Nazareth. Is it: The Donkey of Doom. The Goat of Galilee. The Viper of Victory. The Lamb of God. (Lamb of God!) Lamb of God, exactly right.
Now, look up in the window at the very top. What do you see? (The Lamb of God.) You see the Lamb of God and you know it s the Lamb of God because in its paws is a staff with a flag flying from it that is the staff and the flag of the Christian church. This is the Lamb of God. And in the first chapter of John s gospel, John the Baptist points at Jesus and says, There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. So for us we know Jesus as the Lamb of God who gives his life for us. Easter is therefore a remembrance of what Christ did for us. But Easter is also a celebration of what Christ is doing through us. And we don t know about that until after Easter when this conversation between Jesus and John takes place.
From John 21: The Risen Christ, the Lamb of God, asked Simon Peter: You guys ask the question, you know it: (Do you love me?) He replied, Yes, Lord, I love you. And Jesus said, Feed my lambs. And then Jesus asked again: (Do you love me?) And Peter replied, Yes, Lord, I love you. And Jesus said, Then tend my sheep. And a third time, Jesus asked: (Do you love me?) Now, by this time Peter was getting a bit upset because it sounded like Jesus didn t believe him, so Peter replied, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you! And Jesus said, Feed my sheep. And then he told him, Follow me. On Easter, we are reminded that that Lamb of God, Jesus, becomes The Good Shepherd of the sheep! And we all consider ourselves to be sheep in the flock of the Master. That s us. We are the sheep of the Good Shepherd. And the reason that we think of Jesus as a shepherd is because he does exactly what shepherds do. He s always there for those entrusted to him. He always makes sure that they are safe and provides for their needs.
He always shares the gifts that God has given him to give to all of us. He always bears us up when we are weak or when we have fallen or stumbled and can t get up. And he s always there for us, whether the day is great, whether it is a joyous day of celebration like Easter, or whether it is a terrible day. The Good Shepherd of the sheep, however, is more than that. He wants us to be shepherds too. And he has shown us what that means to be shepherds for one another and for all of God s lambs. He wants us to care for each other like he cares for us; not just the people we know, but people we ve never even met. Not just the people we like, but people who maybe have a grudge against us. We are supposed to care for them too. He wants us to share with others what he has shared with us. And you all can do a lot of really great things. You are great disciples and great sheep and all Christ asks is that we share those gifts with each other. He always wants us to bear with one another as he bears with us. Sometimes that means carrying us. Sometimes that means leading us. Sometimes that means just sitting with one another, that we bear each other s burdens.
And he wants us to be there for each other like he s always there for us. And that s what it means when the Good Shepherd of the sheep turns to us and says I want you to be the shepherds of my sheep too. Come and follow me. Now, I thought it might be kind of nice for you to have something to remember this little teaching by, so these are not bunnies of God, these are Lambs of God, and you know that because on each one there is a cross which symbolizes the Lamb of God and there are also lilies around the cross which symbolize the new life that God has given for each of us. Because Easter is a celebration of the Lamb of God who becomes the Good Shepherd of the sheep and who asks us to be shepherds too! Happy Easter and thanks for sharing in our time this morning. The Word in Music: Narration 1: What it meant for them, it means for us? And what is the meaning? The displaced stone, the folded grave clothes and the bare stone slab that once held Jesus s body were but the first signs heralding the beginning of a new creation. The news that The grave is empty is irrelevant without the proclamation HE IS RISEN!!! The joy of Easter felt long ago the joy that calls us here today comes from a far more incredible sight than that of a vandalized burial site. The joy
of Easter is the realization that our God has lifted His Son to new life and fellowship with his people. So like those who met him on that first Easter morning, we too can claim, We have seen the Lord. Narration 2: Even though the love of God revealed in Christ is flawless and without bounds, no human experience is pure or perfect. As Easter people, we know the joy of resurrection because we experience the presence of the Living Lord. But our journey of discipleship involves another companion; one whose voice is quiet, rebellious and disconcerting. This fellow traveler is named Doubt. Thomas knew Doubt as a counselor and a guide, one who would keep him on the path of reason and responsibility. But he wasn t committed to doubt; he was searching for Truth. That s why our witness to one another matters! That s why the proclamation of everlasting life is renewed in the presence of the faithful. For no matter how many times we ve heard the story, we must claim the Truth for ourselves. Only then will we proclaim, My Lord and God! Narration 3: No one is immune from ravages of life. Day by day, the comfort offered the Risen Christ is challenged by the divisions evident in a broken world, the indifference of others, and the weight of countless responsibilities. The only hope that can carry us through the darkest times of our lives is the faith that our God is not only aware of our needs, but is able to graciously respond to them. Therefore, we believe! We believe not because we re smart, righteous or noble. We believe because we know the power that lifted Jesus from the grip of death is the same creative vitality that will bring renewal to our souls as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Because He is Risen, we are born anew into a life of gratitude and peace. Because He lives, we believe. Narration 4: Our Lord is Emmanuel God with us. Easter brings new meaning to that ancient appellation. From Bethlehem to Calvary to the Emmaus road, it is the healing touch of the Lamb of God, the Word made flesh, that brings wholeness and comfort to our hearts. It was the hands of Christ that passed the elements of the Last Supper to the faithful just as it will be the hands of Christ that will pass the sacrament among us this morning. On the final night of his earthly ministry, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke and handed it to his
friends and invited them to Take. Eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Receive the bread and hold it in your hands so that we may all share together in this symbol of our communion with Christ. Narration 5: The Bread of Life is the manna given by God to a people wandering in the wilderness of doubt and fear. It is sufficient for our needs. It s essential for our living. It s the provision that brings us hope. The bread that we hold in our hands is the body of Christ the manna given through the love of the Good Shepherd. Take and eat and celebrate the gift of life renewed and restored. The cup that we share is the symbol of the covenant God has made with us. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus handed the cup of blessing to his disciples and invited them to Take and drink. This cup is the promise of eternal fellowship that will be poured out in my sacrifice on the cross. When you drink this cup, remember what I have do for you, and what I will accomplish through you. May we hold the cup until all have received so we may share it as one. Narration 6: This is the cup of the new covenant God has made with his people through the gift of his Son. It is the cup of the grace and compassion that binds us together in the light of this Easter morning. Take, drink and remember the love of our Lord which makes us one. (Pause briefly as cup is consumed, then proceed) What we celebrate on Easter is God s determination to fill our lives with goodness and grace. Our offering is our faithful response to the One is worthy of our worship. May the joy of this day fill our hearts as we return a portion of our blessings in the service of His Kingdom. Benediction: The Glory Easter is not about an empty grave. It is about a risen Lord. You go forth from this place to encounter him. But more than that, not only to see the Good Shepherd in our lives, but to care for His sheep,
to feed them and to bring them home to the Good Shepherd. Let us go forth on this Easter day, new life in our hearts, new purpose in our souls. Amen.