EASTER | Jesus is Risen!

In his Easter sermon, Andrew uses the object lesson of a torn and restored piece of paper to illustrate how the resurrection of Jesus possesses the power to take broken lives and make them whole. The biblical narrative deliberately places the empty tomb in a garden to parallel the Garden of Eden, symbolizing God's overarching mission to repair the spiritual disconnection caused by human rebellion. By appearing first to Mary Magdalene—a woman who lived in constant shame—the resurrected Christ demonstrates a divine reversal where the sinful are made holy through grace rather than human achievement. Rather than merely proving His victory to a crowd, Jesus steps intimately into human grief, calling individuals by name to offer healing and hope. Ultimately, the resurrection is presented not just as a historical event, but as an ongoing reality where the life of heaven actively colonizes earth, inviting everyone into a restored relationship with God before the final promise of a renewed Garden City.