“TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

: March 26, 1989, Raster Sunday
8:30 ind 11:00 an. Worship Services.
John =M. Buchanan.
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago

fetes Scripture __
» Isaiah 65:17-25
Me OLE

“these. words. ‘seemed ‘to: then ‘al idle tale, and ao
they did not. believe thems"... =Luke 24: eb CY) sos

When: you travel: witha. choir, as J did last summer, you spend a lot”
of time in churches: -And.so! it. was that. I. was in the front. pew of the DOM,
the gorgeous ornate high baroque Cathedral in. Salzburg; Austria, listening»
‘to-the Fourth Church Morning Choir rehearsing, and I had time’ to-look
carefully: fae : soe: Sepsis: ee Dees ae

“seme” po The. high altar, in: the Cathedral — with its. soulpted: saints, bishops.
angels,;. other celestial ornamentation. and Christ victorious, standing. ine
the center.— had to: the left. and to the- right of. -itva pair. of. pleasantly;
plump cherubs sitting, reposing : actually,. whimsically. leaning on, of all.
things,;:a human skull! DL, thought to myself, that's. what all: this. is. about:
the eternal, unrelenting. question of. death; human ‘mortality and. hope.
That's: why these incredible buildings exist, and this music. ~ Instead: of
tending their crops, minding their children,: digging wells, inventing
medicine, or generally working to-make life: easier for themselves, our.
forebears here and elsewhere, invested their precious capital, labor and;
clearly, their: greatest: love in’ these: places.:and; those-whimsical ; chubby:
cherubs reclining on’ a human skull, tell why. Bends Bs ee

My: -sense.is “that this is whys we: are. here: this. morning. It is why, if
you never go to church at any. other time, you come on Raster. A- Michigan
Avenue merchant, said to. me.this week, “Busy time, huh? .We.both do good at
this, time of year, .but not. as good as. Christmas, pight2". -And he “was HES ee
surprised, that. even with: the. overwhelming, quasi- religious: cultural
Christmas festivities, business is better for churches at Easter.

And the reason is ‘that. if a resurrection. has ‘happened. things ¢ are not. :
what. they seem, the, world is a very different. place. .We- come to church =.=
today because at a level: deep: in our. spirits, inhabited by memories of our.
past: and.all the people we have: ever loved; we. want to believe it... We come
because at a level deep in our souls when. we. can hum the tunes. of the gréat
Easter hymns,.note-by note, even though: we only sing: them once, maybe’ twice
a year,: we. want: desperately to believe” it. : : : Bele eee

What- you will not. get for coming to church on.Easter is a tightly
argued ‘rational =proof that the resurrection happened.» You:can choase-ta
believe that-it happened: you can live as if it happened; you can:die for
your conviction that cit happened, But the one. thing -youcannot.:do.is prove
that it happened. That“is true°from the: ‘beginning, when in. the early -light
of dawn, -three-women go to the tomb. to anoint the. dead body with spices
and discover the tomb: empty, ‘ ae ee

But..we almost can't°:resist: giving ite a try; however. Somewhere in
every. Easter sermon the preacher must point out. that*we are a lot less
certain about what-is possible and what’ is impossible in‘this-world than. we
used to be; that science has learned: in our age: that what we know...and
understand ‘is. not-alli: there “is to ‘know and understand.” The ambitious
preacher. can extrapolate from that and: point out..that there-are’ people
making a career studying, researching and writing about out-of-body
experiences; back from=death experiences, extra- “sensory experiences and
how,.:perhaps, what: happened to: Jesus was not too different from the person
who. dies on the: operating table or in a car accident and thén revives
later; etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Or the. Shroud of. Turin,

Me always hot around this time of year... about which the debate will surely

go on longer that the: half-life of the:carbon: molecules; which now ‘seem: to
have gotten into that: fabric in: the tath: or sth, not. the Ist: century...
As if: it could” be» ‘Proved! © oe Pee

tt turns out the Bible doesn't even try. The Bible is smarter than
that... Turns. out the Bible is frankly, pretty confused: on the. whole topic.
There: is no. coherent accounting of what transpired in the early morning of
‘the: first: day of “the week: - You cannot. patch ‘together ‘the’ four different ©
accounts ° presented by: Matthew, Mark, ‘Luke and John. It's not. even possible
to know for sure: who: was: there oe “two: angels. ‘or--one. three women: or ore
two... Peter. and John-— or “just: Peter’ People: that morning are running =
around confused; scaréd ‘to death, ‘excited; one of them bumps into Jesus and
doesn't’ recognize him, Tt Is: monumentally imprecise, gloriously confusing.
In Luke's account, the two men who*are’at--the tomb when the three women
come to anoint the body, which is not there, ask what I believe is one of:
the best questions in the history of religion, “Why do -you: seek: the: living
among the dead?" That is to say, the place’ to look for evidence of the
resurrection is not the cemetery but the world: ‘not in°arguments ‘about
biological plausibility, but in experiences. of life emerging from death, of
hope. and Tove and ‘courage’ defeating despair: ‘and hatred and cowardice.’

“So the three: women hurry back, we assume to a locked room where the:
friends of Jesus “have been hiding ‘out since: ‘Friday afternoon.They: tell
them what ‘they just’ saw and heard and with magnificent integrity Luke says,
“but these. words seemed to them an idle’ ‘tale, and they did “not ‘believe
them." -They. didn't. believe it!. ~The close friends of Jesus who loved: him
enough toosive ‘up? everything they had: the very: ones who were so. over-—
invested in. this: project you could forgive them for grasping at-any straw
however implausible “= these people concluded that it’ was too good: to-be™
true: 2 "Nonsense" “iss a literal’ translation. of the. Greek. :

what cyou don! teget- for. coming’ to ‘church on: Easter: is°-proof..) a
picture.” a formula... an assurance from an. official in a white’ coat ‘and:
clipboard that “lab tests show'.. When I was a youngster we used to get

eee

a cheap hyacinth, ora: bulb? to: plant in’ the hopes | that.somehaw we'd, Bet ‘the
point. ; : ; : : : ree

What, you. do- pet; however, if you take the time to look carefully, is
astonishment. The unarguablée fact..is that.a small ‘group of men and women,
totally defeated -and: demoralized, became convinced that: their dead “leader
was alive and ‘then went. out and-convinced the rest. of. the. world: |

The friends of: Jesus: were convinced that the. resurrection ‘happened, |
even if: they couldn't describe or-explain it very ‘thoroughly. When -you ©
begin to think about that.— what transformed those people, what changed
them: from understandably and: predictably discouraged individuals into a.
community:so-strong and so, dedicated and ‘so. loyal that: they. were. glad, to.
die. for their faith:- you: have to. conclude that whatever it was: that 99.
happened to them; they were” gloriously freeof: the nornal human fears. and.
anxieties which impinge on and inhibit and limit most of-us;

They were ‘free ‘because of. ‘what ‘they, were convinced happened ‘to Jesus;
from. the power of death. ‘free from fear, free: to*be brave and: alive. as.
perhaps no<one-else-in all of history had, been. before. =They-exudeéed:a¥ :
profound joy and freedom from the dread of dying, «which is: quite simply the
major characteristic of:-our humanity.

“Have. you noticed yet that youl will died" asks Andie Dillard: inva:
lovely paragraph about what it) means to be alive. "You step aside from ‘the
dreaming, fast, loud routine and. feel time as avstiliness: about: you and” :
hear the silent air asking in’so thin a voice, ‘Have’ you noticed: yet that :
you: will die?" [An American’ -Ghildhood | | ee : : Be

Literature is full” of it, this poignant. expression of our - mortality,
from the -Psalter to -ancient philosophy to modern poetry. “In his. new: book,
Self Consciousness, John Updike: writes. about: aging: and: the nearness. of:
death. "We. secretly. doubt it; As we. get older we go to more and more
funerals; and sit there in-a stony daze, somehow. convinced that it will
never happen to us, or if it does, we will be essentially elsewhere."

To be alive is to’ know about: death.’ =-It makes ‘no sense whatever te
deny it or disguise it, or to pretend that it is not real. Religion that-
is: all sunshine and: flowers, religion that refuses to acknowledge and.
participatein the pathos,» the tragic)the Beall ty of death, is of: no help
tovanyone. a a oS Ba eh 8 es ee :

The: Bible. is consistent about. that. “The crucifixion: of: Jesus: isat
the center.-of it:.: Before it-gets. to resurrection the: Bible makes the. blunt
point:that: goodness and life and love often end up dead in this world.
Think about ito from. the. perspective of his friends, the: ones -who=were
persuaded’ to-waik away: from their.-jobs,and: families to: follow him. - Those
people were inspired by him but also by his:vision<ofa new: Kingdom, anew:
reality, in which love and.jistice and kindness were the operational >
values. When he died so did the vision,so-did their hopes-and dreams: and
aspirations;.so:did they. Easter begins;- not: with ‘sunny affirmations: about
the innate goodness of the creation, but with the’ exact opposite, with an —
honest; unprotected acknowledgement that bad things happen in this world

and°death “is reals” I've always been tempted: to-take: William WilFimon:
literally when -he suggests that: Christian-churches ought. to” put> on their
“bulletin: boards on Easter, "No-one -gets in wha-wasnit-here Friday." There
is-a sense in which what we celebrate today 3 is good news only insofar as
you know what that cross means. : : : : o = aS =

‘Priday was the day the. friends of Jesus faced reality; that: goodness
and love and. compassion are no match for. cruelty. and indifference. Jesus
diesvand no-one: notices: Friday: is: the? day: when we: aresleftwith
emptiness, with the sense: that we-all Vive out: our days under: the: pall of:
mortality.» We go to Scotland for a reunion’ with old friends. David.
Moffatt,- Oxford. graduate, “ sheepfarmer, strong Scotsman: who loved: ‘Bonhoeffer
and Hans: Kung. + has died’ thirty. years before he should have; and so has |
dear Dollie MacKenzie, pin: the. Highlands; one er iend: and the. one:-to whom
you could: entrust your. ‘own children for a wee while. That's reality,

So-when Jesus died on*a-cross-his friends got a healthy dose of the
reality, which is what°> life in this’ world As about. And it makes no sense
to live with illusion: ‘far better to be realistic. When the women
returned on-Sunday morning the: friends of: Jesus: knew that what they.) were >
hearing. was. too: good” to be-truer cs coe ; ee ae i.

For you see, if: in. some way Jesus didn't. stay. dead;. then as a matter
of: -fact-weslive:sinva® different world, inospite:of:appearances, >If Jesus
didn't stay dead,: death is robbed of its: deadly: power: so:to) speaks Of:
course: it's awful. »Of course: the-end: of: huiian: life is: sad:- It:is‘a:bit=of
histrionic overstatement. to. conclude that Christians welcome death asa
better deal than this world... Even. Jesus didn't:say thati.. But if what»
those women said was true, death has lost its power and we-are free. =
gloriously free ina: way wee didnt: know: before. BS te

You push language. to its limits when * you-try to talk about the
resurrection, Hans Kung. observed, bute then’ he used Lt t beautifully:

“T have” confidence that God. will: have
something further to- say, -that:he: has. the
last:.word as well-us-the first, that he
_ ds the God of ‘the end:.asiWell:as<the
_beginning.. (eternal Life, ‘P- 113; 114) _

: At ae deeply personal ‘level, the Resurrection. of. Jesus “Christ -means
that God's love for you-knows no end... God's loving care for you does not
stop when - you die., Because Jesus christ did not stay dead, we are free,

: “Christians live with a: "cheerful: inpudence” about: the. powers of this:
“world, says David Buttrick [Preaching Jesus Christ: p: 62]. -"What:-you- and: I
are summoned to do? with the good news of this day is-not simply wallow in
it, but allow-it: to stiffen ‘our ‘backbone: cand<f41]l us with resolve’ to live™
for and. fight: for the resurrection = the vision of the Risen Lord's
Kingdon Be kg a are ee : : : ae

: : ‘The. rea 1 summons. of Easter: is. not:.to snoop: around’ an-empty..tomb
looking for evidence, but. to begin to-live with the new reality that

ai

Jesus Christ visealive and. present:-in the. world:and.«that:-inshis name. there
is work Eo -do =

peop lesto loves:
wronps: to right:,
hungry fo: feed..
homeless. to shelter. es mS
and dear, -béloved people near and
far,to hold. tightly. =

Sometimes you. seeoit boldly. On Sunday, April 8, 1945, Dietrich.
Bonhoeffer led a-worship -service and: spoké to: his follow: prisoners: 2: in
the. Nazi prison where. he was held. -sListen-to how: one: of them remembers
Gt. : aoe : PUSS Sad =

“He had hardly finished his last. prayer when: the door opened and two
men:in> civilian clothes came “in and said, 'Prisoner: Bonhoeffer, .get ready
to come with us. -. Those. words, -'come:with- us! for ald prisoners. they had
come to mean only one thing. - the scaffold. Bos ee

"We bade-him- goodbye: — he drew, me aside - ‘This is’ the-end! he: said,
‘for me the beginning.'. Next day, at*=Flossenburg he was hanged." [Payne
Best, The: Verlo -Incident;?-in the. Editor's Forward, Letters and:Papers.
From Prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, bp. 14]. PEO as ee

“Allan Boesak, University Chaplain in: “Capetown, “South Africa, was
leading a worship service. which. the government had banned: because: it. was-a
service of prayer on behalf of those detained: by. the povernment. ~In- barged
the police and ordered him to stop, threatening to. arrest the whole: church.
"Sir," Boesak responded, with knees shaking in fear; “this is the church of
God... I. will not be quiet. “You sit down and: you listen to. the word of
God." And the police. captain. walked out and Boesck proceeded.

A cheerful impudence: is: what the: resurrection gives” US oes
Sometimes-it is publicly heroic: and sometimes, more. frequently, it is
private and quiet, and. eqtally heroic:

at. the: Rehabilitation. Institute; ‘when people confined: to wheel
chairs will-not give up = :

onthe: cancer..floor. where: repeated: surgery. and the debilitation
of chemotherapy simply are unable to defeat the human spirit —

on. the 9th. floar: of. the ‘tenenent; where a mother will not: give in
to the powers of death and keeps loving her teenager with courage and
strength: - ;

the man. who.will] not give in to-.the deadly: power: of his
addiction. -

.the woman -who-will not allow discrimination to: defeat ‘or deter
her: -

“the politician. who- makes’ avcostly ‘and difficult and Ronest”
decision =

on the street; in the office, -the courtroom, boardroom,
laboratory, classroom, where. men and women simply refuse to. accommodate the
-powers of death, preed and cruelty and instead, “stubbornly, cheerfully
insist that-it-is-a different world. ue SS :

It. comes-down-tola-choice finally. -Once-a:-yearwe celebrate it: — And
the celebration involves: looking at the story and the evidence and the
history and: the record of show others. have ‘lived it-out. .

But finally it-comes* to a pergondl choice. Not simply to trot:-it -out
asa “possibility every spring. time and-then- forget about: ito fer another
year: Buta choice to live this and every Gay - in the ‘lorious freedom of
the: resurrection: _ Knowing - S : ae

a that death: has been conquered,
that death's power “over. you and) your ©
-loved: ones-and: your hopes. and dreams:
and aspirations, has _beep_ broken...

We: do push. lanenase to ‘its limits. So may it be celebrated. in the
lave and laughter of this beautiful day... in gorgeous yellow flowers and
-gorgeous ‘music. And celebrated: in that oldest: Christian tradition of
all... The Proclamation. = Please affirm it: with me = Choose it — Proclaim

- Jesus Christ is Risen!
‘He is*<Risen Indeed!

Indeed. ;