Longing for the Unseen: Embracing the Resurrection
Summary
Welcome, everyone. I'm so grateful to have you here today, whether you're joining us in person or online. I understand that coming to church can be a daunting experience, especially if it's your first time or if you haven't been in a while. Rest assured, this is a community of people who are still figuring things out, just like you. We're all on a journey, aiming our lives at Jesus, and we need each other to walk through this life together.
As we approach Easter, I want to remind you that our service times will be different, so please take note of the changes. Easter is a time for creating memories and serving others, and I encourage you to find ways to get involved. This year, we're focusing on the resurrection, the cornerstone of our faith. It's a story that might seem familiar, but it's one we believe in deeply.
Today, I want to explore the idea of longing to know the reality beyond what we see. Just like the YouTube clip my son showed me of a 3D model of Space Mountain, we all have a desire to understand the unseen. This longing is similar to the questions people had about Jesus during His ministry. They were amazed by His actions, often left without words to describe what they witnessed.
Jesus' ministry was not just about performing miracles; it was about revealing a deeper reality, the Kingdom of God. This kingdom is not just a concept but a reality that Jesus invites us to be part of. It's a call to turn our lives around, to repent and believe the good news.
The story of Jesus is not an isolated event; it's the culmination of a family story, the story of God's people, the Israelites. Throughout history, God has used prophets like Moses and Elijah to guide His people. Jesus fits into this narrative as the one who brings the ultimate freedom from captivity, not just from political oppression but from sin and death itself.
In the transfiguration, we see Jesus in His glory, alongside Moses and Elijah, symbolizing the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. This event reminds us that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, the intersection of the seen and unseen. He is the visible image of the invisible God, and we are called to listen to Him.
As we prepare for communion, let's reflect on the voices we listen to in our lives. Jesus invites us to hear His voice, to know Him, and to follow Him. May we find comfort in His presence and strength in His power.
Key Takeaways:
1. Community and Journey: Our church is a community of people on a journey, aiming our lives at Jesus. We don't have all the answers, but we support each other in our walk of faith. This journey requires us to be open to being challenged and to grow together. [00:00]
2. Easter and Resurrection: Easter is a time to focus on the resurrection, the cornerstone of our faith. It's a story that might seem familiar, but it's one we believe in deeply. The resurrection is not just a historical event but a present reality that invites us to experience new life. [29:50]
3. Longing for the Unseen: We all have a longing to understand the unseen reality beyond what we experience. This longing is similar to the questions people had about Jesus during His ministry. Jesus' actions revealed a deeper reality, the Kingdom of God, which invites us to turn our lives around. [36:02]
4. Jesus and the Prophets: Jesus is the culmination of the story of God's people, the Israelites. He fulfills the roles of the prophets like Moses and Elijah, bringing ultimate freedom from captivity. This freedom is not just from political oppression but from sin and death itself. [41:06]
5. Intersection of Seen and Unseen: Jesus is the intersection of the seen and unseen, the visible image of the invisible God. We are called to listen to Him, to hear His voice, and to follow Him. This requires us to reflect on the voices we listen to in our lives and to find comfort in His presence and strength in His power. [52:14]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:45] - Introduction and Gratitude
- [02:30] - Easter Service Times
- [04:15] - Creating Easter Memories
- [06:00] - Serving at Easter
- [07:30] - The Resurrection Focus
- [09:00] - Longing for the Unseen
- [12:00] - Jesus' Ministry and Miracles
- [15:00] - The Kingdom of God
- [18:00] - Jesus and the Prophets
- [21:00] - The Transfiguration
- [24:00] - Listening to Jesus
- [27:00] - Communion Preparation
- [30:00] - Closing Prayer and Blessing
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Mark 9:2-9
2. Exodus 24:15-18
3. 2 Peter 1:16-18
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Observation Questions:
1. In Mark 9:2-9, what significant event occurs on the mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John? How do the disciples react to this event? [41:06]
2. How does the description of Moses' experience on Mount Sinai in Exodus 24:15-18 compare to the transfiguration of Jesus? What similarities can you identify between these two events?
3. According to 2 Peter 1:16-18, how does Peter describe his experience of witnessing the transfiguration? What does he emphasize about the nature of the event?
4. In the sermon, what analogy is used to describe our longing to understand the unseen reality, and how does this relate to the questions people had about Jesus during His ministry? [36:02]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does the presence of Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration signify about Jesus' role in the fulfillment of the law and the prophets? How does this event connect Jesus to the broader narrative of the Israelites? [41:06]
2. How does the concept of the Kingdom of God, as mentioned in the sermon, challenge the secular mindset that seeks to explain away the mysterious aspects of Jesus' life and ministry? [36:02]
3. In what ways does the transfiguration reveal the intersection of the seen and unseen, and how does this impact the disciples' understanding of Jesus' identity and mission? [52:14]
4. How does Peter's reaction to the transfiguration reflect human tendencies when faced with divine mysteries? What does this tell us about our own responses to the unknown? [41:06]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the voices you listen to in your life. Are there any that might be leading you away from the teachings of Jesus? How can you begin to prioritize listening to Jesus' voice more intentionally? [55:23]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of community in our faith journey. How can you actively support and encourage others in your church community as you all aim your lives at Jesus? [29:50]
3. As Easter approaches, consider how you can focus on the resurrection as a present reality in your life. What specific actions can you take to experience and share the new life that the resurrection offers? [29:50]
4. The sermon discusses the longing to understand the unseen reality. How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence in your daily life, even when you can't see it clearly? [36:02]
5. Reflect on the idea of Jesus as the intersection of the seen and unseen. How does this understanding of Jesus challenge or affirm your current beliefs about His nature and mission? [52:14]
6. The sermon encourages us to serve others, especially during Easter. What are some practical ways you can serve your community or church during this season? [29:50]
7. Consider the concept of repentance as turning your life around. Is there an area in your life where you feel called to make a change? What steps can you take to align more closely with the good news of the Kingdom of God? [36:02]
Devotional
Day 1: Community as a Journey of Faith
Our church is a community of people on a journey, aiming our lives at Jesus. We don't have all the answers, but we support each other in our walk of faith. This journey requires us to be open to being challenged and to grow together. The church is a place where individuals come together, not as perfect beings, but as people seeking to understand and live out their faith. It is a space where questions are welcomed, and growth is encouraged. As we walk this path, we lean on each other, learning from one another's experiences and insights. This communal journey is not just about reaching a destination but about the transformation that occurs along the way. [00:00]
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your church community can you reach out to this week to offer encouragement or support in their faith journey?
Day 2: Resurrection as a Present Reality
Easter is a time to focus on the resurrection, the cornerstone of our faith. It's a story that might seem familiar, but it's one we believe in deeply. The resurrection is not just a historical event but a present reality that invites us to experience new life. The resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian belief, symbolizing victory over sin and death. It is a reminder that new beginnings are possible and that life can be transformed through faith. This event is not confined to the past but is a living truth that impacts our daily lives, offering hope and renewal. [29:50]
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to experience the resurrection power of Jesus today?
Day 3: Longing for the Unseen Kingdom
We all have a longing to understand the unseen reality beyond what we experience. This longing is similar to the questions people had about Jesus during His ministry. Jesus' actions revealed a deeper reality, the Kingdom of God, which invites us to turn our lives around. This kingdom is not just a distant hope but a present invitation to live differently. It challenges us to see beyond the physical world and to embrace a spiritual reality that transforms our values and actions. [36:02]
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18, ESV)
Reflection: What is one way you can shift your focus from the seen to the unseen in your daily life?
Day 4: Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Prophets
Jesus is the culmination of the story of God's people, the Israelites. He fulfills the roles of the prophets like Moses and Elijah, bringing ultimate freedom from captivity. This freedom is not just from political oppression but from sin and death itself. Jesus' life and ministry are the fulfillment of the promises made throughout the Old Testament. He embodies the hope and deliverance that the prophets spoke of, offering a new covenant and a path to true liberation. [41:06]
"For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV)
Reflection: How does understanding Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophets change your perspective on the Old Testament?
Day 5: Listening to the Voice of Jesus
Jesus is the intersection of the seen and unseen, the visible image of the invisible God. We are called to listen to Him, to hear His voice, and to follow Him. This requires us to reflect on the voices we listen to in our lives and to find comfort in His presence and strength in His power. In a world filled with noise and distractions, discerning the voice of Jesus is crucial. His words offer guidance, peace, and truth, inviting us to align our lives with His teachings and to trust in His promises. [52:14]
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take this week to better discern and follow the voice of Jesus in your life?
Quotes
"Now we get a clue at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, at least according to this guy Mark, who's writing, chronicling Jesus' ministry. The very beginning of Jesus' ministry, Jesus says these words, the time has come, the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe the good news. Now, all that he's saying, Jesus is saying is there's this moment now that we're in, this time, where this thing called the kingdom of God, which had all kinds of debates and questions about it at the time of Jesus, all that he's saying is that somehow or another, and the Bible keeps pointing us to this more and more, is that Jesus seems to be connected to this thing called the kingdom of God. And his response to this thing called the kingdom of God is that people should just turn their lives around. And that's good news. Like, you don't have to keep living the same way. The Bible word for that is the word repent. Just you're going in one direction, you can turn around. That's a good news according to Jesus." [00:31:47] (42 seconds)
"Jesus is actually the culmination of a family story. So God has said it in the Bible, like, his intent is to bless the whole world through a kind of an extended family called the Israelites. And Jesus has to fit within that story, that somehow whatever Jesus is doing must fit within the language of the story of the Hebrew scriptures, this sort of ongoing saga of God through these people, the Israelite people. Now, to tell that story, you can tell the story of God's people, the Israelites, through something that you could just simply say is the periods of captivity and exile. They're either held captive, like as slaves, for instance, that's probably one of the most, you know, poignant examples. They're held for 400 years. The Israelites are held as captives, as slaves in Egypt, or in other cases where there's a foreign army that comes into their land and kicks them all out and they're in exile." [00:38:05] (45 seconds)
"Throughout Jesus' ministry, over and over again, there's the intersection of what is seen and unseen is where you find miracles, where the reality of pain and suffering or sorrow or sadness or whatever else it might be meets the power of God in a moment. This is where the unseen meets the seen. But it's also the place where there's tons of confusion. Over and over again, people encounter Jesus' kind of working through whatever it is that he's doing, and people are like really confused by it. Sometimes when they see a person who's healed, their reaction isn't just, this is wonderful. Sometimes you can read about this. People have fear about it, like, oh my gosh, we don't know what to do with this. We're really scared about it." [00:52:14] (37 seconds)
"Now, Jesus of the Bible, you have to understand, is not an isolated historical moment. When I was like, look at a lot of high school students in here, when I was like in high school and junior high, my impression of Jesus was that this is a person who just, there's some stories that kind of go with Jesus from before, but then also there's this Jesus, which is its own isolated incident. And what the Bible, what's so important to keep in mind is Jesus is not an isolated historical moment. Jesus is actually the culmination of a family story. So God has said it in the Bible, like, his intent is to bless the whole world through a kind of an extended family called the Israelites." [00:37:42] (33 seconds)
"Now, there's one more question that the disciples have to ask, which I'm just like, just let it go, verse 11. And they asked him, why do the teachers of the law say Elijah must come first? Like, oh yeah, we saw Elijah there. What's that about? And they know that Elijah's the last of the prophets. Okay, now they asked the question, Jesus, this is a complicated answer. I'll do my best to kind of work through this here. Oh, sorry, back it up. So Elijah must come first. The reason why they ask this, because like I said, they know he's the last of the prophets. Here's Malachi, the last couple of verses of the entire Hebrew scriptures, what we call the Old Testament right here at Malachi." [00:47:35] (34 seconds)
"Jesus is the intersection of what is seen and unseen. He's the intersection of what is seen and what is unseen, and seeing the reality sometimes behind the reality is actually a scary thing for us. Some of us don't know what to do with that. For some of us, Jesus, you know, we just want, we can believe in Jesus, but we have to subtract all of the mysterious, inexplicable stuff that's there. If that's you, what you're going to end up with at best is Jesus, who is a semi-delusional teacher. That's all you get. Because he might have said some wonderful things, but he actually believed, he seemed to be trying to convince people that he's going to rise again from the grave." [00:53:10] (39 seconds)
"Because the Bible does a lot of trying to help us to understand that he's really up close and he lived among us and lived like us. And it's like, oh, he understands what it is to be like us. At best, for most people who are longing for a spiritual experience without the grounded reality of something like Jesus, more often than not, what they're longing for is a kind of high affirmation for the way in which I just want to know and feel like I'm connected to something transcendent or beyond. But with very low accountability. Like, you don't have to do anything different. Just live however you want and be connected to this particular thing." [00:54:59] (31 seconds)
"See, the only thing left for a person who's only got a sort of a secularized mindset, which, again, this might be you, the only thing left regarding faith is a better explanation. Well, there are these things that happen. Well, the only thing that we need then is an explanation for why people thought that. There can be no mystery. There can be no, it's just we just simply haven't found an explanation. Now, on the other hand, the other category of things when we encounter this sort of stuff, the other hand, there's sort of this, there's some indication that secularization is actually slowing down." [00:35:10] (26 seconds)
"Jesus is actually the culmination of a family story. So God has said it in the Bible, like, his intent is to bless the whole world through a kind of an extended family called the Israelites. And Jesus has to fit within that story, that somehow whatever Jesus is doing must fit within the language of the story of the Hebrew scriptures, this sort of ongoing saga of God through these people, the Israelite people. Now, to tell that story, you can tell the story of God's people, the Israelites, through something that you could just simply say is the periods of captivity and exile. They're either held captive, like as slaves, for instance, that's probably one of the most, you know, poignant examples. They're held for 400 years. The Israelites are held as captives, as slaves in Egypt, or in other cases where there's a foreign army that comes into their land and kicks them all out and they're in exile." [00:38:05] (45 seconds)
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