Transformed!

Read: John 21:1-19

 

Third Sunday of Easter - April 14, 2013

The Rev. Kenneth R. Elkin

 

Because it is Easter, everything is different!

 

Because it is Easter, the Kyrie is not a hopeless grasping after wind, “Lord, have mercy,” but instead is a song of quiet confidence:

the Lord has had mercy,

the Lord will have mercy

the Lord now has mercy.

It is steady, sure and fixed; we can count on it.

 

Because it is Easter, the Gloria in excelsis is not just a nostalgic reflection of Christmas Eve long ago,

but instead is the song, that, once unleashed, echoes and re-echoes through all creation.

 

Because it is Easter, the one who persecutes Christians is transformed into the church's chief speaker, Paul.

What we have here is not a little intellectual consideration, but a total reorienting of Paul's life.

It does not happen because Paul was looking for God, but because God was looking for Paul, even though he had to knock Paul to the ground in order to get his attention.

It came as a total and unexpected surprise to Paul.

 

Because it is Easter, Annanias, too, is transformed from one who fears and loathes Paul, to the one who welcomes and presents him to the church.

This can only happen because of the power of the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus.

 

Because it is Easter, Christ wipes away the guilt and fear of Peter, the one who thrice denied Christ.

Jesus guides him to declarations of thrice-renewed faith, and also charges him three times with responsibility for feeding and guarding the church.

Peter would not have invented this on his own.

He and his partners had already gone back to their fishing boats when this Easter burst in upon them.

Even though they had not been able to catch anything on their own, with Jesus' direction they had a huge catch.

Some think that the number is to represent the number of every species of fish known at that time, and thus to signify that their mission was to reach every tribe and person.

What a transformation for the fishermen, from empty-handed to super-abundance of fish, and from fish to people!

The emphasis now is not on the power which may be possessed by Peter, but shifts to the service he will be able to give...Tend....Feed...Love.

Peter's model for this is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, ...as we will be thinking about next Sunday.

 

Because it is Easter, the hymn which Isaiah heard when he was called: “Sanctus –Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts....”  which begins with a whisper in the night vision, will swell until it fills the whole earth.

 

Because it is Easter, we can bless God with true depth of feeling and thought:

       Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

And thus take up the song that the crowds dropped on Palm Sunday: Hosanna! = Save, Lord, forever.

 

Because it is Easter, the transformation made with Peter is available to us as well.

In Holy Baptism, we die to sin and rise to newness of life.

We have heard Paul proclaim it to the Romans: We were buried with him by baptism into death so that as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father, so shall we.

And we remember the commission that was given at the conclusion of the baptismal service: Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

 

Because it is Easter, Jesus doesn't just try to make us feel rotten about ourselves so that we shed a few crocodile tears, and then begin to feel proud about being so humble!

God simply kills our old ways each day with kindness, giving gifts and promises until the old ways are finally drowned.

It happens when we finally realize that we don't have to try to impress God or prove our worthiness, but instead can count on God to keep his Word...and that is enough.

 

Because it is Easter, the vision from the book of Revelation is not a crazy dream, but the announcement and breaking in of the completion of the kingdom of God.

 

The irony is magnificent:

       the weak-seeming Lamb is become the ruler of all creation.

The one who allows himself to be done to death by smug and self-centered mankind rules from the cross and empty grave.

The world's chaos, death and destruction shall not win; To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever.

In John's vision, the four living creatures say Amen to this and the elders fall down and worship.

 

With the most profound serenity we sing “Agnus Dei, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, give us peace.”

We are still in the midst of the struggles of life, which threaten to overwhelm us.

 

But even that final enemy death, has been vanquished by Christ.

Because it is Easter, the hymn of the new creation continues.

Because it is Easter, things are different;

we are being transformed

we will be transformed.

 

That's the truth; that's the vision ready for each of us to share.

So let's begin right now, with strong faith and full voice,

let us remind each other:

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.   Amen.