Sermon | John 20:1-18 | EASTER - "A New Beginning..." by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana

Sermon | John 20:1-18 | EASTER - "A New Beginning..." by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Grace United Methodist Church in Franklin, Indiana Understand how our 4th Gospel account author is telling this story... There is a new beginning to all of existence. While it was revealing itself through sparks in the work and life of Jesus… Easter morning is when the power of the new creation, the new week, the new beginning burst forth from that tomb. There is a new rule and reign bursting forth from that garden… A new system at work with power in the world… A new king who gives us the power of his name… We need not fear death… We need not fear sin… We need not fear…at all. The most powerful entities in the world—empire and death—are powerless. They are fleeting… They are empty threats… Our biggest adversary—ourselves—are invited into this new beginning… We, who are tired of the grind of the way of the world… striving for success Always scanning the horizon for nicer things Longing for fancier travels Chasing the myth of ever having enough material possession Feeling it deep in our souls that so much of what we are investing our lives in simply doesn’t offer us the meaning we know is out there Tirelessly trying to craft a life of control, security, and comfort The list I just gave is NOT a list of the greatest things available to us as human beings. We can find meaning and purpose as we start to see our deeper calling: to care for each other to care for the earth To nurture relationships To love our neighbors To embrace the image of God with which we were created We need not fear this world. We need not fear the stranger. We can stop fighting for control… We can stop worrying about the next generation… We can stop allowing what we do not understand controlling our emotions… We can stop trying to be right all the time. Instead, we can KNOW the very love of God… We can encounter the risen Christ who KNOWS your name…and invites you into the great family of God Let us believe the good news that the tomb was empty… That the cross did not have the final word… That humanity was raised up from the dirt once more… That God’s system and way of life broke free… That we are ALL invited to live into it right here and now… We can KNOW we are beloved children of God, not because of what we have done, but because what God has done through Jesus Christ’s exaltation: That who we have been won’t keep us from this new beginning… That what we’ve done won’t put it out of reach… That it’s never too late to change our course… That we need not even understand all that this means… We can be like Mary and be lost in grief… We can be like Peter and see the empty tomb and be unsure what to make of what we find there… We can be like the beloved disciple who sees that the body seems to have just disappeared—we might not ever expect an actual resurrection of Jesus… We can be lost in a moment of confusion and not even realize when we are looking directly at the risen Savior… It matters not… Because Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty! The ruler of this world is powerless! You want to know what the greatest things are for our life—then take a leap of faith and follow the Risen King—that you may come to know His Creator as your Creator…His God as your God! There is a new beginning for us all! So let us see and believe. Let us make faith our foundation. Let Jesus open your eyes so that you may recognize him today—that you will see the Lord, too. And Let others see the presence of the Lord in you that they may know the truth of the good news, too.