I Will Never Ask You What You Weigh

Resurrection Sunday

Resurrection scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Our journey through Matthew: Matthew 7:24-28 (a house built on rock or sand... Jesus speaks with authority)

• Come to church on Easter to hear good news: 

I will never ask you what you weigh.

Who says what you should weigh?
Weightloss & maintenance are difficult. 

Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail.
Sometimes I feel like that's how I'm evaluated, measured, weighed.

• Where have you had success, failure in other arenas? Lenten discipline? Study, devotion? Behaviors: lying, laziness, uncleanliness. Bad habits or practices, drugs, alcohol, smoking, porn.

Success, failure, up and down?

I can't do it on my own. 

I can't lead a life perfectly pleasing to me, 

or perfectly pleasing to God on my own. 

When I weigh myself against God's standard I don't measure up.

• But Jesus can. 

Jesus can and Jesus did live a life perfectly pleasing to God. 

When God weighs Jesus, he measures up exactly right. 

When God looks at his Son he gets the biggest smile on his face you ever did see.

• And here's an amazing thing: 

Jesus takes all my shortcomings, every area where I don't measure up... Jesus took all the sin the world had to offer, took it and died with it. Took it away from me, removed the guilt of sin from me, took my sin and died with it on the cross.

• And God's heart burst with pride at the selfless love of his Son – that Jesus wanted to relieve people where they didn't measure up, even if it cost him his life. Jesus the Son of God would rather die than witness the sin-guilt-death of his people. Yes, God's heart burst with pride at the selfless love of Jesus.

And that perfect selflessness could not be contained by death.

And hallelujah, Christ arose!

• In his sacrifice my value, my weight is made perfect.
There is nothing I can do to earn this grace, and there is nothing I can do to make God love me less. I am changed by Jesus. I cannot do life alone, but with Jesus I can do anything.

And I want to praise him, love him, learn from him, tell about him.

I want to build my life on him (Matthew 7).

• Jesus rose, and he goes on before us (Matthew 28).

Alleluia, praise the Lord, thanks be to God.

• We read in Luke 24 that on the day of resurrection Jesus walked with some disciples but they didn't recognize him. Not until Jesus broke bread for them. 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... They returned to the other disciples and told how Jesus was made known in the breaking of the bread. In the breaking of the bread you are made known, you fill our souls. In the blessing from the cup you life us up, you make us whole. 

(Distribute Holy Communion)