Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Recap
We sometimes sing about the way of the cross leading home.
Heaven is an idyllic destination and we sometimes have the sense that the way to Heaven should be idyllic too.
But then we look around at our own lives and there is a disconnect because our lives don’t seem particularly ideal.
Rather than dismissing the destination, or pessimistically resigning ourselves to enduring the journey, we need to see more clearly what the way of the cross really looks like.
Last week, we saw the first part of that journey: from palms to thorns.
In it, we say Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, blazing a trail for us by:
Experiencing Adoration
Exhibiting Passion
Enduring Examination
Wrestling Misunderstanding
Practicing Submission
Allowing Suffering
We say that the way of the cross does lead home.
But that it will not be all pleasant.
That is just realistic to Jesus’ experience and ours.
There is good news: what is not pleasant is also not permanent.
Introduction
What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
For most people the answer is death.
Of course, there are always nefarious fictional characters that will remind us that there are worse things than death.
But mostly we view death as about the worst thing that could happen.
We view it badly because:
We have a sense that it will be painful
We do not understand what state, if any, it will usher us into
We believe that death is permanent
At best, most of the world placates themselves with nice sounding non-answers while they otherwise continue to live in fear.
Case in point: a couple years ago, Stephen Colbert asked Keanu Reave what he thought happened when we died.
Keanu breathed deeply and then replied, “I know that when we die, the people who love us will miss us.”
That is hopefully true and sounds nice.
Stephen Colbert was clearly impressed by the answer, as are the commenting denizens of Youtube.
But it is not an answer.
Transition
The Easter provides us with a peek behind the vail that separates this life from what lies beyond.
Illumination
The Bible Teaches Immortality
It is something we know but don’t understand
It is something we hear but do not comprehend
In 1 Samuel 28, King Saul was bereft of councillors and facing dire circumstances.
Despite outlawing ungodly spiritual practices and practitioners, he found himself at the house of a medium.
For what it’s worth, most mediums, ancient or modern, deal with a demonic familiar who feeds them information, not the actual people.
Regardless, it is a practice that is sensational because it stretches our comprehension of what lies beyond death.
It is something that is rooted in who we are and how we are created
Without getting too deep into the Theological weeds, we need to understand that we do not have a soul, we are a soul.
Our soul has two vehicles available to it that it uses to navigate very different environments (kind of like people who have a car for roads and a boat for lakes).
Our body is physical and is used for navigating the physical world.
it is, for the time being mortal.
Our spirit is spiritual and is used for navigating the spiritual world.
It is immortal.
While our bodies may die and our experience may change, we will never cease to exist.
Jesus Demonstrated Superior Immortality
Jesus was not the only person in the Bible to return from the dead.
Widow of Zaraphath’s son - raise by Elijah
Shunamite Woman’s son - raised by Elisha
Israelite man who was raised when it touched Elisha’s bones they tried to recycle his tomb)
Widow of Nain’s son - raised by Jesus
Jairus’ daughter - raised by Jesus
Lazarus - raised by Jesus
saints in Jerusalem - raised by God upon Jesus’ death
Tabitha, aka Dorcas - raised by Peter
Eutychus - raised by Paul
Jesus - who, as God, raised Himself
So what does this all mean to us?
We Will Experience Immortality
Conclusion
Jesus faced and conquered what we generally perceive as the worst thing that could happen to us.
Because He did, we have hope—a confident expectation—that the worst thing that could happen to us may not be pleasant but it is not permanent.
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