(It's probably 3 sermons in one so some stuff might be best left out / skipped over)
1 Corinthians 15:1-20 (p1155)
John 20:1-18 (p1089)
Our preacher today is … !
Ha ha!
April fool!
(Easter Sunday = April
Fools’ Day: 1956; 11 yrs time)
Would anyone like a
chocolate?
Nothing inside, just the
empty wrapper
April Fool / practical
jokes – a surprise, the unexpected
The true story of Easter quite
a funny story
Full of surprises and the
unexpected
God dying on a cross!
Sad, but very, very
surprising
J frequently predicted the
resurrection, but his disciples don’t seem to have expected it.
It came as a surprise to
them.
Foolish to think that
death could stop the Son of God.
Funny that Pilate and the
soldiers think they can make the stone at the tomb secure.
You can imagine the angels
laughing at that one.
Women: “Who is going to
roll the stone away for us?”
Silly to go to the tomb
with out a plan.
They get a surprise – the stone
is already tolled away
Mary wonders if this is
some kind of trick / practical joke / hoax
A case of mistaken
identity – always funny
Recognise who Jesus really
is
A surprise: The tomb is
empty – just the “wrapper”, his garments there
Tears turned to joy
Without the resurrection
we’d be miserable
This true story has the
ultimate happy ending
To many people Jesus
seemed like a fool
The cross seemed weak and
foolish
But it was the wisdom and
power of God
Jesus and his followers
have the last laugh
Death and the devil are
defeated
Perhaps they think they’ve
won, but the tables are turned on them
Not a hoax or a trick but
good news of great joy
Not a practical joke, but
it is very practical
Paul tells us that without
the resurrection our faith is useless
But Jesus has been raised
from that dead and that changes everything
It guarantees our
resurrection
It gives us hope and
purpose and meaning and joy and a message for the world
May God give us grace
today to rejoice in the resurrection and to live in the light of it.
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