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| Easter " Ressurection Dialogue" |
Matthew 27:62 – 28:15a JOHN: My friends. We have gathered this morning to thank God for the life and work of our teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. All of us feel the loss, the heartache, the disappointment. We gather together in great pain because just a week ago we heard the crowds cheering, waving palm branches. That was only seven days ago, and yet it seems so far away, almost in another reality. None of us thought it would end like this. None of us. He gathered the crowds around with such ease. He taught with such authority that the reign of God was at hand, that God’s love would turn history around and bring justice and peace to everyone – not the Roman style of justice – not a military peace keeper, but something genuine and good and holy. We all know how the story ended. They arrested him Thursday night, and on Friday they held a mock trial and condemned him to death like a common criminal. So now he’s gone. It’s hard to believe that such a good person could die such a horrible, suffering, bloody death. But we saw him cough out his life up there on that cross. You know, for a moment, when I heard him forgiving the people who had strung him up like that – for a moment I thought something miraculous was going to happen – surely when someone had so much goodness and beauty in them that they could forgive such cruelty – well, it didn’t happen. He died. He is dead. As so we are gathered here to remember this great man, Jesus of Nazareth, who meant so much to us. We are gathering to remember him, but also to say goodbye to him. We shared his dream, and now it is gone. It is gone… PHOEBE: Wait. John. Stop the funeral. JOHN: Phoebe, don’t come barging in like this. We have gathered together to say goodbye to our friend…. PHOEBE: John, you don’t understand. We don’t need to have a funeral anymore. Jesus isn’t dead! We went to the tomb this morning and he wasn’t there…. JOHN: I was afraid this would happen. People are ready to believe almost anything when they are in grief, and now I suppose because some grave robbers came and took his body, all kinds of wild stories are starting up. All we want to do is give him a decent funeral, Phoebe. Can’t you contain your fantasies just till we’ve done that. PHOEBE: John. You aren’t listening to me. It’s not just that his body has gone. We saw him. We talked to him. He said to tell you that he’d be coming to see you too. JOHN: I don’t understand. PHOEBE: I don’t understand either, John. Nobody understands, but that doesn’t matter. Jesus is alive. The funeral is over! Jesus is alive! |