TheNewNormal-outline4-7-13新标准概述

1、.The New NormalEaster 2John 20:19-31April 7th, 2013I. Intro.Reflecting on Easter and its meaning, struck me, it took time for disciples and other followers of Jesus to process what happened , to come to faith, begin to understand what it meant for their lives. We tend to think it happened immediatel

2、y, reinforce this with our big Easter services, suggests everyone got it just like that. Term- new normal. Good term. Any time there is a significant change, it takes time to live into the new normal. Most obvious example is the death of a loved one- grandparent, parent, spouse, child. Absence of th

3、at person changes things. Theres a new normal. Not just the death of a loved one, getting married, moving, sending kids off to school, empty nest, divorce, all lead into a new normal. II. BodyTodays lesson begins to lead the disciples, and us, to a new normal, serving our Lord, based on faith. Just

4、prior to this in John, Mary Magdalene, first to see the empty tomb, and the first to whom the Risen Lord actually appears. First to say theres a new normal here, tells the other disciples. Clearly dont understand this at first. Theyve heard it, Peter and beloved disciple saw the empty tomb, but they

5、ve by no means come to faith and understanding yet. Pick up the story Easter evening, locked in a house in fear.Into this setting Risen Christ appears. First appearance to the disciples, all but Thomas, who is elsewhere. In this first encounter, what he says and does is critical to helping the disci

6、ples understand the new normal they are entering. 4 things happen that begin the process of changing their lives forever.1. Greeting of Peace- Peace be with You, actually said twice in 2 verses. Gospel of John, Jesus is presented as the one who will bring peace, wholeness, and abundance to life. Joh

7、n 10:10 “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” Risen Lord has overcome sin and death, first words- Peace. I am bringing peace and well being to your life. For these disciples, locked in a house in fear, this must have been very good news. Peace. My peace. I am here for you. N

8、othing can take my peace away. Promise of peace is part of this new normal.2. Shows them his hands and side. He reveals himself to them as the one who suffered and died. Been thinking about those scars. Think of new life in heaven, think that all the pain, suffering, scars, limitations of life are g

9、one forever. And I think they are. Resurrected Lord still carried the scars. Fully healed, but scars remain. Why? Why not just take those scars, awful remnants of the cross, away forever. At one level, it showed the disciples that this was really him. When they saw those scars, they knew without a d

10、oubt, this was him. No one else would be so marked. But on a deeper level, it reminds us that those scars are for us. His scars, are our scars. In his scarrewd hands, he receives and takes our scars. All have them. Scars, bruises, trials of life. He has taken them, lifted the burden of them from us

11、to himself. What good news that is.3. Something else about the new normal. They are being sent out. Been following Jesus, not theyre going out to lead. Carry forward the mission begun by Jesus. What Jesus had done, now they will do. Jesus identifies as top priority is to announce forgiveness, and, i

12、n some cases, tough love. It is to let the repentant know that God is love, and to let the unrepentant also know that their lives are not all that God wants them to be. Come back to God, who loves you enough to die on the cross. More to the mission than that, but this is what Jesus first identifies.

13、 We carry on that mission, personally and as a church, forgiving and proclaiming by word and deed in such a way as to bring people back to God.4. Lastly in new normal, Christ goes with in the power and presence of the Spirit. He breathes on them, like god breathed life into Adam, filling them with t

14、he Spirit, empowering them to do what they needed to do, live into this new normal.Well, as I said, its going to take time for them to live into this new reality presented by the Resurrected Lord. The process is beginning, and so, just like Mary Magdalene told them, they now tell Thomas when he show

15、ed up, “We have seen the Lord.” But, of course, Thomas wants more evidence. He wants to see him as they saw him.Well, a week later, the disciples still dont have this figured out. Theyre back in the house again, still shut behind doors, still afraid. Jesus comes to them again, and specifically to Th

16、omas. Thomas is often portrayed negatively, the doubting one, but he wasnt any different from the others. He didnt ask for anything the other disciples hadnt seen. Jesus uses Thomas, who wasnt there at first, to share the message for all that would follow, who would not see the resurrected Jesus in

17、that way at all. Because Thomas is honest about his need to see, Jesus uses him to share the truth for all that follow. Shouldnt put Thomas down, but thank him for his honesty, which Jesus could use to bless us.Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me, blessed are those that hav

18、e not seen, and yet come to believe.” And those words are for us. Only a few were blessed to actually seen the Risen Lord. But truly blessed are those that havent seen, but receive him by faith. New normal is not based on sight, but faith. Every generation since Christs ascension, has had to walk by

19、 faith, not sight.Happen to believe Jesus did not leave us with blind faith alone. He is still here, we can still see him, just not in the same way he appeared to Mary and the first disciples. Beauty of creation, a sunset at night, dawn of a new day. There in the love and caring of family and friends. There in unexpected places, someone in need,