Scripture Revelation 3:20
How many of you
remember at church having a BIG easter breakfast? Bacon and eggs and toast and
pancakes and sausage. Often the men would arrive before sunrise and begin
cooking. People would show up in their very best church clothes (even new
Easter clothes) and hug their church friends and see people they haven’t seen
at church…since Christmas.
You would sit at those old heavy wooden tables covered in white plastic table cloths with a pastel colored center piece. Think about what the tables represented. You sat at a table that symbolized friendship, companionship, fellowship, family, or as we at Ashland like to say; “Belonging”. Is there anything that says you belong more than sitting together for a meal? Think about how we do World Wide Communion Sunday – more than any other worship service – sitting around that communion table, seeing each other’s faces as we partake of the food – the Christ centered meal, says that we belong to Christ, and that we belong to “one another”.
Here are 10 of my favorites “One-Another” verses out of the dozens found throughout the NT.
One-another commands
1. Wait for one another before beginning the Communion (1 Co 11:33)
4. Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
Why
don’t we plan now to do that next year? Not a simple continental – which has
been good in these changing times, but let’s do one year with the whole Chabang.
April 17, 2022.
Jesus reveled who God is every
time a meal was involved.
At his last
supper Jesus showed that he did not come to be served but to serve and give his
life as a ransom for many. Before the meal he washed the feet of 12 dirty men,
including one who would betray him, another who would deny him, 3 who would
fall asleep when he needed them most, and all who would dessert him. Remember he said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this meal with you before I
suffer.” Jesus wanted to eat with his disciples – Jesus wanted his
disciples to be close to him. While eating it is easier to talk because your
hands and tastebuds are busy. As well, you are sharing a common meal which
unites you. Food provides physical nourishment while conversation and breaking
bread provides mental, emotional, and spiritual nourishment.
Luke 24:13-35
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
They stood still; their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. (WAIT – they thot he knew nothing about Jesus, then he used the scriptures to tell them all about Jesus – and they don’t question the turn around???)
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. There is Jesus showing up again at a meal. He used food to reveal himself.
The Easter story continues but guess what – more food!
Luke 24:36-47
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. (why do give “doubting” Thomas such a bad rap -these guys saw Jesus and didn’t believe) And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” Jesus revealed who God is…with food. It proved that he was God in the flesh – but this time, resurrected God in the flesh who could still eat earthly food.
God used food to prove he was God
and to prove he was bodily resurrected. Not a trick – not a 3D hologram – Jesus
was resurrected in the flesh, yet different from Lazarus or others…his body was
also fit for eternity.
He prepared breakfast for the
disciples on the beach – but he also invited them, to provide part of the meal
(that is the best way to teach someone – like Ruth taught me in college – she
did a lot then gradually, without me noticing, had me doing more and more.)
He showed
through food that he wants to be close to us, that he came to serve us, that we
can recognize him, that we can see him, that we can find forgiveness and
restoration with him. Finally, that we can have abundant and eternal life with
him – in other words that he wants to be with us in the every dayness of life
and wants us to be with him in the every dayness of eternal life. All of that
because of resurrection Easter Breakfast – or breaking bread with Jesus.
Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If you open the door, I will come in and eat with you and you with me.” That is resurrection talk and his resurrection makes it possible that he can…in this life eat with us, and eating with him means that we too will one day be resurrected. To eat at his heavenly table. What will that be like?
Isaiah gives us a hint: Isa 25:6-8a On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
All of these food stories that
are part of the Easter story show us one thing above all others (window) about
who God is. God is passionate beyond imagination to have you, me and everyone
who would be willing, to come to heaven and eat with him – to be close to him,
to live life forever with him. YOU still aren’t convinced – here is the final
scripture for Easter Sunday:
Luke 14:16-24
Jesus said: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. Lame excuses.
The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’
I hope to see you next year for Easter Breakfast – till then, let’s invite others to feast with us in the resurrected glory of Jesus Christ.
Rev 3:20 – Behold! I stand at the door and knock – if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he will eat with me!
No power of darkness. No weapon prevails. We stand here in victory
The same power that rose Jesus from the grave.
The same power that commands the dead to wake.
Lives in us.
You would sit at those old heavy wooden tables covered in white plastic table cloths with a pastel colored center piece. Think about what the tables represented. You sat at a table that symbolized friendship, companionship, fellowship, family, or as we at Ashland like to say; “Belonging”. Is there anything that says you belong more than sitting together for a meal? Think about how we do World Wide Communion Sunday – more than any other worship service – sitting around that communion table, seeing each other’s faces as we partake of the food – the Christ centered meal, says that we belong to Christ, and that we belong to “one another”.
Here are 10 of my favorites “One-Another” verses out of the dozens found throughout the NT.
One-another commands
1. Wait for one another before beginning the Communion (1 Co 11:33)
4. Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
They stood still; their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. (WAIT – they thot he knew nothing about Jesus, then he used the scriptures to tell them all about Jesus – and they don’t question the turn around???)
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. There is Jesus showing up again at a meal. He used food to reveal himself.
The Easter story continues but guess what – more food!
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. (why do give “doubting” Thomas such a bad rap -these guys saw Jesus and didn’t believe) And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” Jesus revealed who God is…with food. It proved that he was God in the flesh – but this time, resurrected God in the flesh who could still eat earthly food.
CONCLUSION
Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If you open the door, I will come in and eat with you and you with me.” That is resurrection talk and his resurrection makes it possible that he can…in this life eat with us, and eating with him means that we too will one day be resurrected. To eat at his heavenly table. What will that be like?
Isaiah gives us a hint: Isa 25:6-8a On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
Luke 14:16-24
Jesus said: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. Lame excuses.
The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’
I hope to see you next year for Easter Breakfast – till then, let’s invite others to feast with us in the resurrected glory of Jesus Christ.
Rev 3:20 – Behold! I stand at the door and knock – if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he will eat with me!
No power of darkness. No weapon prevails. We stand here in victory
The same power that rose Jesus from the grave.
The same power that commands the dead to wake.
Lives in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment