the stations of the resurrection€¦ · the stations of the resurrection in the name of the...

The Stations of the Resurrection

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

All Amen.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

All He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Jesus said in John 6:

‘This is indeed the will of my Father,

that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life,

and I will raise them up on the last day.’

John 6.40

The service is introduced.

Let us pray.

Lord of all life and power,

who through the mighty resurrection of your Son

overcame the old order of sin and death

to make all things new in him:

grant that we, being dead to sin

and alive to you in Jesus Christ,

may reign with him in glory;

to whom with you and the Holy Spirit

be praise and honour, glory and might,

now and in all eternity.

All Amen.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

All Dying you destroyed our death,

rising you restored our life:

Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Ninth Station: Jesus commissions the disciples

Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

All Those who believe in him shall never die. Alleluia.

Reading

A reading from the Gospel according to John (20.21-23)

Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so

I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven

them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Reflection

The New Testament books are not organised by when they were written.

Generally, Paul’s letter to the Galatians is considered to be the oldest

book. He starts that letter in this way: “Paul an apostle—sent neither by

human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus

Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” [...]. Paul as

apostle was sent through Jesus Christ and God the Father. This agrees

with what we just heard where the Father sent the Son, the Son sent the

apostles and breathed the Holy Spirit on them, and they receive the

power to forgive and retain sins. The apostles’ witness to the

resurrected Jesus and that power to forgive sins has been passed on

through the generations. Today we are in the most fortunate position to

study the reliability of the apostle’s witness to the resurrection - to see

whether it holds up to scientific scrutiny. And even more blessed, we can

be forgiven of our sins.





Tenth Station: Jesus reveals himself to Thomas



Reading


Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them

when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’

But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and

put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not

believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas

was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood

among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put

your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my

side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my

God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Reflection

Sherlock Holmes famously said: [...] “when you have eliminated the

impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

What did the apostles, and indeed all citizens of Jerusalem, make of the

empty tomb – of the rumours of angels speaking – and Jesus re-

appearing after he had died? Various reasons were given: perhaps Jesus’

body was stolen, perhaps people suffered hallucinations, but quite likely

many people simply couldn’t care less. Life was full and busy enough,

thank you very much. Thomas perhaps didn’t want to get his hopes up,

he had been damaged and hurt enough before. But now he sees, now he

believes after all, and the blessing he receives from Jesus is not just for

him – it’s for all of us: “blessed are those who have not seen and yet

have come to believe.”





Eleventh Station: Jesus appears at the lakeside



Reading


When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it,

and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just

caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of

large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so

many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have

breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’

because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and

gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

Reflection

Up to a few decades ago, many serious and learned scholars seriously

doubted whether an actual - historical - Jesus had actually existed.

Today, with the help of early Roman and Jewish sources, virtually all

scholars are convinced that Jesus of Nazareth actually lived. Indeed,

most agree that the rumours of his resurrection, miracles, and divinity

were a part of the earliest tales told by his followers. Now they might of

course be just that: a tale, a legend, a fable. But the historical reliability

of the four Biblical gospels is such that it is hard not take them serious as

historical biography. One of the reasons many scholars think accounts

such as Jesus’ appearance at the lakeside might be historical, is that the

disciples don’t come off very well - indeed they are full of doubt and

mistakes, and most of them would eventually die because they believed

Jesus rose from the dead. All it needed to save their life was for one of

the apostles to acknowledge this was all made up – but none did. It

seems as if they really believed they had seen and known the Lord - in

spite of their initial doubts. And so we come, full of doubts or none, but

we come – and Jesus meets us and invites us to sit with him.





Twelfth Station: Jesus confronts Peter



Reading


When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of

John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know

that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said

to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you

know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the

third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he

said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you

know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my

sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten

your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you

will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you

and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind

of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow

me.’

Reflection

If you would like to create your own religion and become a powerful and

wealthy leader of it; writing stories of the many failures of the most

prominent disciple Simon Peter would hardly be the way forward. But for

our encouragement it is true: the most prominent disciple did fail dismally

and seriously on several occasions, and not in the least by abandoning,

and denying his Lord three times. But there is forgiveness for Peter’s sin:

there is forgiveness for his wilful turning away from him who is Love

himself. And if that is the case then all that we offer including our failings

can be used by our Lord. For Jesus’ death and resurrection open the way

for us to receive his forgiveness, and to forgive others.





Thirteenth Station: Jesus and the beloved disciple



Reading


Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he

was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said,

‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ When Peter saw him, he said

to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he

remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’ So the rumour

spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not

say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I

come, what is that to you?’

Reflection

As anyone who has ever played ‘Chinese whispers’ knows - information

and rumours spread quickly, and is easily distorted. Although John’s

gospel was written by an eye-witness, he already has to refute one of

these rumours: that the beloved disciple was promised by Jesus not to

die. Very quickly and early on, alternative ‘gospels’ appeared on the

scene - written sometimes within a century of two of Jesus’ life. Many of

them are fascinating - do read them if you like - though none of the

other non-Biblical gospels hold up to historical and scientific scrutiny –

and none indeed are written by eye-witnesses. In the so-called gospel

according to Peter, for example, the cross of Jesus both moves and talks.

The early Christians were understandably very careful in assessing which

accounts were reliable testimonies to the real life of Jesus, and thus

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were considered reliable and useful for

teaching (2 Tim. 3:16) whereas others were not. And so we learn: Jesus

really did rise from the dead.





Fourteenth Station: Jesus appears to over five hundred at once



Reading

A reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians (15.3-6)

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received:

that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he

was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the

scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he

appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time,

most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Reflection

About 7% of people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, have

hallucinations of that now deceased person. Those hallucinations

happen to all sorts of people, and many of the hallucinations can seem

very real and convincing - even when they are clearly not. So how do we

know that Jesus’ followers weren’t just suffering from hallucinations? A

full answer is too long for now. But Paul - in this letter of 1 Corinthians

written before any of the gospels were written down - refers his

audience to over 500 people who saw the Lord together. Some of them

have died already when he writes this, but most of them are still alive. A

mass hallucination on that scale isn’t just unheard of, and has never

happened - but the Corinthians are welcome to go knock on their doors

and learn for themselves that Jesus really did rise from the dead. Ask the

hundreds of people who saw him together.





Fifteenth Station: Jesus commissions the disciples on the mountain



Reading

A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew (28.16-20)

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus

had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some

doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on

earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Reflection

Even after all the occasions the disciples had seen the Lord since his

resurrection, and even though they worship him on the mountain,

Matthew tells us “but some doubted.” Sometimes what we need are

convincing arguments for why something happened. Sometimes we

need experiences such as the disciples had to believe. And sometimes,

even those things are not enough - and not fully convincing or satisfying.

That still doesn’t stop Jesus from still sending his disciples out to make

disciples of all nations. He still calls and uses them. And as they go, and

as they teach, they learn that it is true what he said: “Remember, I am

with you always, to the end of the age.” They learn ever more fully who

the risen Jesus is, and so do we.





Sixteenth Station: Jesus appears to Saul (Paul)



Reading

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (9.1-18)

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,

went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at

Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or

women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going

along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed

around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul,

Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply

came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the

city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling

with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.

Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see

nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For

three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. […] So Ananias

went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother

Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me

so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And

immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was

restored. Then he got up and was baptized.

Reflection

Jesus appeared to Paul years after he had ascended up to heaven, and long

after the Holy Spirit had come on Pentecost. It is a most encouraging

story for us nearly 2000 years after these events. Jesus still comes, he

still shows himself to some of his followers now. Not to all of us

physically, but enough to encourage one another of how God works in

our lives - today. Through the ages countless apostles, martyrs, and most

‘ordinary’ Christians have testified that they truly believed that Jesus has

really risen from the dead. He is risen indeed - alleluia.





Conclusion

Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the words our Saviour

taught us.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God,

whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:

raise us, who trust in him,

from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,

that we may seek those things that are above

where he reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All Amen.

May God the Father,

by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead,

strengthen us to walk with him in his risen life;

and may the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among us and remain with us always.

All Amen.

the stations of the resurrection€¦ · the stations of the resurrection in the name of the...

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