Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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"Jesus Himself did not try to convert the two thieves
on the cross.
He waited until one of them turned to Him.'
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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After Easter
Since Eric told it to me about 20
years ago, here’s one of my favorite Easter stories.
Peter greets three people as they
approach the gates to heaven.
He says they can enter if they can
answer one simple question: “What is Easter?”
One says, “Oh, that’s easy! It’s the holiday in November when everyone
gets together, eats turkey, watches the Detroit Lions play somebody, and we’re
all really thankful.”
“Wrong!”
The second person says, “Easter is
the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, act nice
to each other, and celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.”
“Wrong!”
The third person says, “Easter is
the holiday that is something of a fulfilled Passover. Jesus and His disciples were observing
Passover and then Jesus talked about Himself as the Passover lamb and then He
was turned over to the Romans by one of His friends. The Romans decided to crucify Him. So they mocked Him, beat Him, made Him wear a
crown of thorns, and then pounded nails through His hands and on to the
cross. Then He was buried in a nearby
cave which was sealed by a big stone.”
Smiling broadly, Peter says, “That’s
great! Go on!”
“Well,” the person continues, “every
year the big stone is moved aside so Jesus can come out; and if He sees His
shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.”
Psst.
Can you say Watters’ World?
Get it?
Some don’t.
Lots.
Obviously.
I’m always glad to see so many folks
show up in church on Easter Day.
O.K., I don’t know many of ‘em; but
it’s great to see ‘em.
Never know.
Maybe, like the parable of the
sower, something said about Someone may hit paydirt and, ya know, they’ll be a
little more regular between C&E.
Yet, truly, I’m glad to see ‘em.
God loves ‘em; so sooooooo must
I in a John 3 kinda way.
I’ll make a confession.
My least favorite time of the year
is the first Sunday after Thanksgiving until the first Monday after Easter.
It’s not that I don’t, uh, like Advent,
Christmas Eve, Christmas, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.
It’s just that there’s so much, uh, drama
around those seasons.
My counseling load goes through the
ceiling; because people are so excited with such high expectations of sugar and
spice and everything nice that…
Well, I think you know what I mean;
because if you’re like me, you’ve got those same expectations.
Truth is it doesn’t always happen
that way.
Truth is there’s always somebody
peeing on our parades.
You know what I mean; and if not, I
praise the Lord that you’ve been spared…unlike the rest of us.
So after the tinsel and Moravian
Star and egg nog and Santa and manger scene and bonnets, baskets, bunnies, and
all of the rest are stored away for next year between the first Sunday after
Thanksgiving and first Monday after Easter, the only thing that’s really
important is…
Jesus.
For as I recall in the book that’s
about Him, that/this is what it’s all about anyway for every day forever and
ever and ever.
Jesus.
I know you’ve read and heard it many
times over; but it’s all about Jesus as so clearly, concisely, and conclusively
summarized in John 3:16-17.
Go ahead.
Read it again.
Recite it if you remember it.
That’s it.
He’s it.
When we know that/Him, nothing nor
no one can separate us from the joy of every day; even those days from the
first Sunday after Thanksgiving until the first Monday after Easter.
So I’m happy on Easter Day.
Not because Easter Monday is hours
away.
I’m happy because Jesus is Lord.
I’m happy because Jesus is Savior.
It/He really helps on those days
when…
You know what I mean; and if you
don’t, call me.
Eternally better, call Him…now.
That’s/He’s when every day turns
into a holiday…with heaven awaiting the rest of our days.
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Blessings and Love!
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2 comments:
I like Wolfhart Pannenburg's take: "The evidence for Jesus' resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live."
Thank you for the reminder. I use it for the following letter. Peder
Dr. Bob Kopp, a Presbyterian minister renewed this old story. St. Peter stands at the golden gate as three people seek to enter.Peter says they can enter if they can answer one simple question: “What is Easter?" One says, “Oh, that’s easy! It’s the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, watches the Detroit Lions play somebody, and we’re all really thankful." “Wrong!”
The second person says, “Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, act nice to each other, and celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.” “Wrong!”
The third person says, “Easter is the holiday that is something of a fulfilled Passover. Jesus and His disciples were observing Passover and then Jesus talked about Himself as the Passover lamb and then He was turned over to the Romans by one of His friends. The Romans decided to crucify Him. So they mocked Him, beat Him, made Him wear a crown of thorns, and then pounded nails through His hands and on to the cross. Then He was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed by a big stone.”
Smiling broadly, Peter says, “That’s great! Go on, with the answer”
“And,” the person continues, “every year the big stone is moved aside so Jesus can come out; and if He sees His shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter."
Of course, the story is not true. The real question is "Who am I?' which will not be asked by Peter, but by Jesus. (Matthew 16:15-17.)
True Story. On the Monday after Easter, while serving a rural church, I sent a letter to the congregation telling them I made a serious mistake, and last Sunday was not Easter. I went into great detail about the equinox, and concluded with the wish to see them all come back to celebrate this grand day. This congregation in Schapville, Illinois, like many rural congregations, celebrated annual family reunions, and in order to remember the date and avoid duplication, the various dates were set by the number of weeks after Easter. Since I changed the date for Easter, everyone was confused about the date for their reunion, and one of them was the week after Easter. With the confusion came anger, and a number of heated visits and phone calls. Since then I have found better ways to respond to the joy of Easter Sunday. God have mercy. Peder, and not always like a Saint.
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