MARCH 31st, 2024 PASTOR DON PIEPER
EASTER SUNDAY Psalm 118:1,14-24,29
The Corinthian Complex Mark 16:2-6a/1 Cor 15:1-10
“PASS IT ON!”
Last week was our Easter Egg Hunt... It brought back some sweet memories, like the year my older brother helped hide the eggs – real eggs, mind you – and he hid one in a rabbit hole. It was the last egg I found – a whole week later! Ooo-eee! I was so proud. It was like buried treasure!
Anyone ever dig for buried treasure? It's become all the craze, with people with geiger counters going at it. When I was little, I was always digging in hope of finding some. Once I actually found some in our front yard – two arrowheads and a dinosaur fossil. Actually, it turned out to be rodent fossil, which was a little disappointing. So was my Dad's reaction to the holes in the front yard...!
I was like young Calvin...
Calvin: I found this ancient map that says to dig here! (both start to dig)
Hobbes: So, uh, why are we digging a hole here again?
Calvin: We're looking for buried treasure. Look, I've found some already!
Hobbes: No kidding?! What have you found?
Calvin: A few dirty rocks, a weird root and some disgusting bugs and grubs.
Hobbes: On your first try?! Wow! Wait – what's this? It's a wallet and it's full of money!
Calvin: Yeah! It's Dad's. I buried it here last week! I'm telling ya, there's treasure everywhere!
We've been exploring Paul's letters to the church in Corinth, one of the earliest writings we have in the New Testament, and hidden deep in Paul's letter we discover buried treasure! 1 Corinthians 15 is the earliest testimony in the Bible of Jesus' resurrection. Our reading from Mark is the first Gospel account, written around 60 AD, but these words from Paul even precede those of Mark's.
Paul initially visited Corinth during his second missionary trip around the year 51 AD, staying there about 18 months, and, “Many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
Later, while in Ephesus, during his third missionary trip, about three or four years later, Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the year 55 AD. That means that these words were written between five to ten years before Mark was written, a mere 18 years after Jesus' resurrection.
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance...” (1 Corinthians 15:3) What follows is an early Christian creed, the earliest Christian confession of faith on record.
In this creed, Paul refers to six distinct resurrection appearances. First is Peter, or in the original Greek, Cephas. Luke refers to it amidst other resurrection appearances, occurring in between Jesus appearing to Mary on Easter morning and to the two disciples leaving for Emmaus later that day. “The two returned to Jerusalem at once. There they found the Eleven, who confirmed their report, saying, 'It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter).” (Luke 24:33-34)
The use of the Aramaic name, Cephas, in Paul's creed indicates that Paul, who always wrote in Greek, copied a creed used in the spoken language of Jesus and first century Israel – that of Aramaic.
“(Jesus) appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve...” (1 Corinthians 15:5) Paul refers to The Twelve, even though Judas was now dead, confirming that Paul is quoting a secondary source. This appearance is validated by three of the four gospels – Matthew, Luke and John, which is also note-worthy as the gospel writers tended to tell different stories from each other, especially John.
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“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, (Paul writes), most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:6)
This sighting is not mentioned in the gospels and is perhaps the most daring evidence presented by Paul. It's an invitation for any first century critic to confirm his report for themselves, talking to any of these five hundred individuals to verify the resurrection claim to their own satisfaction as most of the 500 were still living... Paul's saying, 'if you don't believe me or the Twelve, ask your neighbors!'
“Jesus then appeared to James.” (1 Corinthians 15:7) This James is obviously not one of the original twelve disciples because he's already mentioned them. The original twelve included James, the brother of John, and James, the son of Alphaeus. That leaves one other James of notoriety, James, the brother of Jesus. The gospels report that Jesus had four half-brothers. “Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55/Mark 6:3)
The gospels also report that during Jesus' ministry, his brothers didn't believe in him: “For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5) “They said, 'He's out of his mind!'” (Mark 3:21) Yet, after the resurrection, James became a leader in the early church. Paul identifies him as one of only two men he met with during his 37 AD trip to Jerusalem: “Three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter... The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord's brother.” (Galatians 1:19)
So within four years of the resurrection James had not only become a believer but a recognized leader in the early church. He's also named by a non-biblical source – the historian, Josephus, who writes: “They brought before the Sanhedrin the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, and delivered them to be stoned.” (Josephus)
This citation not only confirms James as the brother of Jesus but also that he was martyred for his faith by stoning around the year 57 AD. It makes one wonder what would have converted James, who certainly knew about Jesus' teachings and miracles during his lifetime but did not believe? What's more, that he went from referring to Jesus as a madman during his life to be willing to die for his belief that Jesus was the resurrected son of God, is profound evidence that Jesus appeared to him too...!
Next Paul refers to still other “apostles”, a word that means sent out ones: “Then he appeared to all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:7) Since he's already mentioned the 12, 'all the apostles' must refer to all of those who'd also been sent out to spread the gospel, like Barnabas, Silas and others – All the others...!
Finally, Paul mentions himself: “And last of all he appeared to me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:8) That took place a year after Jesus' resurrection. Paul's earliest letter in the New Testament, Galatians, reveals that Paul went to Jerusalem just three years after he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, and met with Peter and James, the most likeliest time that this creed was passed on to him.
So Paul obtained this creed just four years after the resurrection! It was virtually hot off the press! All that to say, that Paul's Corinthian creed provides profound validation of Jesus' resurrection! It was on such evidence that the early Christians had taken a stand for Jesus.
Countless others have done the same. As Martin Luther would famously put it: 'Unless you can prove to me based on Scripture where I have erred, I will not recant. Here I stand, I can do no other!' (Martin Luther)
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I think of the students at Columbine High School, who when confronted by gun-wielding class-mates refused to back done and also took a stand for Christ. US Today ran an article a few years ago with the headline, “Kidnapped girl refuses to convert to Islam”. Leah Sharibu, one of 110 girls kidnapped from their school by the Boko Haram in Nigeria, had also stood her ground.
Her mom told a reporter: 'They told her they would release her if she converted, but she said she will never become a Muslim. I'm very sad but also overjoyed because she did not denounce Christ.' (3/28/18 issue of US Today)
Paul's words are as timely today as they were when he wrote them. “I remind you of the gospel ...on which you have taken your stand!” (1 Corinthians 15:1) Most of us do not face the threat of violence but we are faced daily with the temptation to compromise our faith or to be silent in the face of ridicule.
Paul's creed validates the experiences of countless eye-witnesses. On this solid ground we can confidently take a stand and hold firmly to it, no matter what life might throw at us! As Paul notes: “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to (it)...” (1 Corinthians 15:2)
Further, he notes that he passed on to us what was passed on to him. “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me, that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said...!” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
The scriptures Paul refers to are not the gospels but the prophecies of the Old Testament, scores of ancient voices, inspired by the Holy Spirit, pointed to the suffering servant and of the resurrection to come, such as found in Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Job: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand anew on the earth, and that after my skin is destroyed that in my flesh I shall see God!” (Job 19:25-26)
You're here because someone along the way passed it on to you. Nothing is more vital than letting the risen one rule your heart, giving you courage to take a stand, to hold on firmly and to pass it on so that others may share the treasure of Christ, for “he was raised from the dead, just as the Scriptures said! He was seen by (Mary), by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, then by James, and later by all the apostles, (including me).” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)
It's like this precious, award-winning quilt that adorns our worship space here at Redeemer. Skillfully made by Evelyn Kannenburg, it is her inspired testimony to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It contains a cross within a cross within a cross, a visual witness to Scripture's testimony of God revealed as Father, Son & Holy Spirit. But these crosses also point to the powerful reality of Jesus' resurrection, depicted in three ways. One, the crosses are made of flowers, a symbol of new life; two, rays of light shoot out from the heart of the quilt, reminiscent of the open tomb..., and three, it is there..., that a butterfly in flight can be found, the church's historic image of Jesus' resurrection.
Fittingly, you only see it if you look for it. Evelynn and Bud's hope was that others might be inspired to dig, and to explore and to discover the hidden treasure that is ours in our risen Lord, Jesus...!
And so, they passed on this treasure to us, just as Paul passed on this creed.
Last Sunday one of you sent me a skin-tingling text. “Hello Pastor and Claudia! I was SO wonderful to see you both today. I wanted to mention something spectacular that happened today! Pastor Don, you were speaking prior to the last song, then we started to sing, “No Longer Slaves”, when the entire cross quilt lit up like it was glowing on fire! I was speaking to my son about it during that point of the service, just marveling in praise! It was absolutely brilliant!”
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Thank God for those who've gone before us, who were so full of the joy of the Lord and his resurrection, that they courageously passed it on to you and me. Now, my friends, it’s yours and my turn to light up like a resurrection quilt and pass it on as well.
As one of my favorite Easter songs of old put it: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That's how it is with God's love – once you've experienced it; you spread his love to everyone; you want to pass it on.”
I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I've found; you can depend on him, it matters not where you're bound. I'll shout it from the mountaintop; I want my world to now, the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.” (from Kurt Kaiser's song, “Pass It On”)
“I pass on to you what's most important as it was also passed on to me - that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said...!” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field....” (Matthew 13:44)