Sermon for the service of April 16, 2017 by Pastor Steve Hopkins[social_warfare buttons=”Facebook”]
Thoughts on Tending a Garden
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18, NIV)
- “In the beginning, God created…” (Genesis 1:1)
- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2, NRSV)
- So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, NLT)
- Humanity’s Exile: “So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden…” (Genesis 3:23, NLT)
- The People of God: The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation.” (Genesis 12:1-2, NLT)
- And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. (Genesis 15:6, NLT)
- Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. (Matthew 1:2, NLT)
- Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. (Exodus 1:8, NIV)
- The People Redeemed: The Lord said (to Moses), “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt…So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3: 7, 10, NIV)
- Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5, NIV)
- A Rudderless Boat: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. (Judges 17:6, NRSV)
- “They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods.” (1 Samuel 8:8, NLT)
- The Kingdom of Israel: “Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16, NLT)
- But Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight…These things happened because of the Lord’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile. (Jeremiah 52:3, NLT)
- “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation, I will help you.” (Isaiah 49:8, NLT)
- And the Word became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:14, NRSV)
- There, they crucified him… (John 19:18, NRSV)
- Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life…He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:22, 57, NLT)