April 14, 2024

Sermon Title: The Blessing of Resurrection (II)

Scripture Passages: Ephesians 1:15~23

There are many miracle stories in both Testaments. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah helped the son of the widow raise from dead. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha helped a son of the woman raise from dead. Jesus raised 3 people from dead: the 12 year old daughter of Jarius, the son of the widow in Nain, and Lazarus. Peter also raised Dorcas from dead.

This Easter season, celebrating the risen Christ, we mediated on the meaning of courage and that of bearing witness the Gospel (March 31). We mediated on the meaning of peace (shalom) last week as a blessing of the resurrection. Today, we continue to ponder on the meaning of peace as a sign of the Easter blessing.

Paul was telling people in Ephesius: “17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength.” (1: 17-19)

First, the meaning of having the peace of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to taste the Reign of God.

According to Matthew, Jesus preached on the Reign of God that is related to peace. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5: 3)

Then, what is the Reign of God?

It is the world where God reigns, and where people glorify God and listen to God’s Word. It is, however, not quite clear. It is hard to grasp this world so Jesus came to bring God and us closer together. Jesus broke down barriers that keep us from approaching God. Jesus is the concrete example of the Reign of God.

Paul explains this way, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2: 14-18)

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

The fact that thanks to Jesus we are delivered from sins, renewed, and live in the Reign of God means that Jesus is in us, changes our lives and affirms us as the people of God.

It was natural to be afraid when Jesus was killed. Disciples were fearful and hiding from those who arrest them. To them, Jesus appeared and told them not to be afraid, instead, promised the peace to be with them. That is the blessing. This promise, this witness of the risen Christ and this taste of the Reign of God changed them. Truly they became the people of God and joined the world that God reigns.

Likewise, the faith of resurrection made us free from sin, approach God, and joined the world as the people of God.  

Secondly, we know the Reign of God in which we live and that world is not yet here but still coming.

You and I became the people of God as we believed in the risen Christ. However, the reign of God is still coming. We live in-between the two worlds, the world of the Reign of god and that of not yet of the Reign of God. That is why Paul said, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Peter talks about this in this way: “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1: 4).

As we live in not quite yet the Reign of God, we are still struggling to participate in the divine nature. We are sinful and agree with Paul here: “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” (Romans 7: 21-23). That is why we need to work “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4: 13)

This work of redemption also applies to church. The church is holy yet also it is in need of redemption. We know our church is not quite yet the church envisioned in new Jerusalem in Revelations chapter 22. That is why we need to keep our hope up until we see God’s glory: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3: 18)

You and I beholding the resurrected faith wait for the Reign of God, seeking to grow in faith and walk in the way of the Risen Christ.

Thirdly, let us meditate on what we have:

We are living alive and well thanks to the risen Christ. We feel his love as his disciples felt when he appeared and shared peace! (John 20). The risen Christ advised the doubting Thomas have faith. The same risen Christ appeared to the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus and have the conviction of the resurrection and life with courage. These two went to Jerusalem afterward.

Let us know that the same Christ comes to us, those of us who doubt and fear, not to be afraid. The risen Christ continues to encourage those of us who are in despair. That is why the apostle Paul can say that even if “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4: 8-9). In a similar tone, Paul also confessed, “38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38-39) We receive daring faith, conviction, assurance and hope from the risen Christ. We receive protection from God despite the attack of the world. And finally, we dwell in the love of God.

Dear beloved Holy people of Hanshin Church,

Please remember that the risen Christ helped us to taste the Reign of God. We are in the realm of God. Secondly, the Reign of God is here and yet it is not here. Until it comes, let us continue to believe in Jesus Christ, know him and grow in faith fully so that we become mature. Thirdly, let us receive the blessing of God beholding the resurrected faith.

Amen and Thanks be to God.

Translated by the Rev. Dr. Prof. HyeRan Kim-Cragg