I Believe Jesus Rose

SERMON TITLE:   “I Believe Jesus Rose”
SERMON TEXT:    Matthew 28:1-10
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           January 27, 2019, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                Do you remember the movie Bucket List?  That’s the 2007 movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.  The characters they play are two very different men who meet each other in a hospital room, as they’re both being diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Before Carter and Edward leave the hospital, they come up with a list of things they want to do before they “kick the bucket.”  Because their cancer is under control for a while and Edward has lots of money that he’s willing to share, the two men are able to sky dive, visit the pyramids in Egypt, and climb part way up Mt. Everest.  Early in these adventures, while they’re traveling on an airplane, Morgan Freeman’s character Carter looks out the window and makes a comment about the beauty God has created.  Carter is a man of faith, but Jack Nicholson’s character Edward isn’t so sure that he believes in God.  The rest of the movie is a search, of sorts, for what the men do believe and how they will act on that belief before their lives come to an end.
                Since the beginning of January, I’ve been preaching a sermon series on the centuries-old Apostles’ Creed.  So far in this “I Believe” series, we’ve talked about what it means to say, I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, and I believe Jesus suffered and died.  This series on The Apostles’ Creed will continue into March, and I hope you’ll be here for each installment.  Our lives are challenging—and when our world is rocked by health crises, conflicted relationships, uncertainties at work, financial stress, natural disasters, loss and grief, or any number of other threats to our well-being—it’s really important for us to have a strong source of hope.  That’s why, today, I’m inviting you to consider what it means to say, “I believe Jesus rose.”

Continue reading