Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Let’s start this time of celebration by hearing the historical account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, recorded by one of the eyewitnesses, Jesus’ disciple John.

We start early on the Sunday, two days after Jesus’ death.

First readings

Easter Eggsperience

Let’s pause there, and take a chance to reflect on what this experience must have been like for these followers of Jesus.

I’d like to use some Easter Eggs to help us experience this, so if you’re good with milk chocolate, please participate.

The first step is the journey to the tomb.

So if you can come up here, take an egg, and then return to your seat.

As you’re doing that, think about the walk out to the tomb early on Sunday morning.

Once you’re back at your seat, unwrap the egg and then hold it.

Make sure you don’t crush the egg while you’re unwrapping it, keep it whole and then hold it in the wrapper so it doesn’t melt on your hand.

[Time for collecting eggs.]

The next step is to crack the egg open.

Even just poke a hole in it.

What’s inside?

It’s empty, right?

Isn’t it strange how an empty Easter Egg is more exciting than a huge lump of chocolate?

Just like the empty tomb is exciting, although by itself its also confusing.

[Time for holing the eggs.]

The final step is to take a bit of your egg.

What’s that taste like?

It’s sweet and delicious, right?

How sweet do you think was Mary’s realisation that she was talking with Jesus?

Even sweeter than an easter egg!

[Time to taste.]

OK, you can finish the egg now if you want, as we continue with our reading.

Second readings

Story

One of the things that people say you shouldn’t preach about is politics.

Well, we’re in the middle of a federal election, I’m going to talk about politics.

Well, actually, I’m going to talk about politicians.

You may have seen on the news this week that Anthony Albanese, the leader of the opposition and aspirant to the position of Prime Minister of Australia, had a terrible week on the campaign trail.

On his first day he had no clue on the currently value of two of the most important economic indicators, the Reserve Bank cash rate, which sets interest rates, and the unemployment figure, which indicates the health of business.

This was especially embarrassing for his campaign, which was trying to claim that his party, Labor, was a safe pair of economic hands.

Later in the week he messed up again, getting confused about his own party’s immigration policy and whether they would continue with offshore processing of immigrants who arrived illegally.

Again, this was damaging because Labor also wants to be seen as strong on national security.

Of course, this brings Albanese down to Scott Morrison’s level in the public eye.

Scomo hasn’t made any campaign mistakes, but his “I don’t hold a hose” comment during the fires early last year, the accumulated frustration with lockdowns, vaccine rollouts, and his tardy response to the floods have all dented his reputation badly.

And yet, one of these two men will almost certainly be the Prime Minister of Australia in five weeks.

Does that mean we’re forgiving?

Hardly!

It just gives us the opportunity to whinge and complain about our politicians incessantly, right?

Now, people are the same, fallible and frail, no matter what job they’re doing.

It might be hard to credit, but our politicians are generally very intelligent, hardworking, responsible and moral people.

They still make mistakes, and they still occasionally fall into ethical potholes.

And that’s why we have so many checks and balances in our government.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people could just be perfect?

Peter’s experience of failure and redemption

Of course, there’s only been one perfect person in the history of the world.

And the rest of us are so thoroughly imperfect that even the disciples that spent three years living with this man, watching his life, listening to his teaching, still messed up big time.

Even Jesus’ perfect life wasn’t transferable to his followers.

Or was it?

After his resurrection, Jesus spent time meeting with his disciples.

After a range of encounters, he finally he confronts Peter, one of his three closest disciples.

Peter had been especially confident in his own perfection, promising Jesus during their Last Supper that he would never abandon him.

Yet only hours later Peter had denied that Jesus was his master, his teacher, three times.

That makes Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison look like legends!

What a mess Peter was in.

He had been so promising a leader, and now he was a train wreck.

Where would Jesus find a replacement?

But Jesus didn’t find a replacement, did he?

How such redemption is possible: new life

In the brief span of three simple questions and three simple answers, Jesus approves of Peter as a leader in the church.

Given how treacherous Peter has just been, how can Jesus do this?

Isn’t he just setting himself up for a Royal Commission?

Notice the questions Jesus asks:

First, he asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?”

Is Jesus asking Peter if he loves him more than he loves the other disciples?

Or is he asking Peter if he loves him more than the other disciples do?

Either question is a bit weird.

But, remember that Peter had, just days before, said,

So it would make sense for Jesus to be asking Peter to compare himself to the other disciples again, after his failure.

But more important than the comparison is the core question: do you love me?

And Jesus repeats that twice more.

Peter’s answer is plaintive—you can hear the pain in his voice: “Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

And with that, Jesus commissions Peter to care for his followers, the church, “Feed my lambs, shepherd my sheep.”

But how could Jesus do that?

How did he know Peter was up to it?

Years later the apostle Paul explained to the church in Corinth the crucial difference between following Christ and every other belief system.

He wrote:

You see, Jesus’ resurrection is our guarantee that God can, and has given us a new life.

A new life that can be free from the mistakes and messes of the past.

A new life that allows us to care for others in ways we couldn’t do before, because we were too selfish.

What the resurrection has to do with new life

This might sound too good to be true.

And the reality is more complex than many would like.

Let me explain.

When Jesus died on the cross, he died as the God-man, not just an ordinary human being.

His death had so much weight that it could cover for many people’s deaths.

In fact, because Jesus is God, and God is infinite, his death could cover for an infinite number of deaths.

Now, without Jesus’ death, we all face death in response to our rebellion against God—that rebellion is a selfishness that throws the whole of creation out of whack and ultimately destroys everything.

Our rebellion is so terrible, that our death is the only appropriate response.

But Jesus died in our place, not for himself because he never rebelled.

But Jesus’ death only solves one problem: our death.

We still have the ongoing problem our rebellion has caused—messed up, selfish lives.

(Not to mention a messed up world, but that’s the topic for another sermon.)

Jesus’ resurrection shows the solution to our messed up lives: God can give us new lives, just as Jesus has new life from the tomb.

Unlike Jesus, who was already perfect in his heart and life, our new lives come in two separate stages.

The first stage, unlocked by “putting our faith in Jesus,” involves us receiving a new heart from God.