Eastertide The Resurrection of Jesus Life zoe denotes

Eastertide: The Resurrection of Jesus

Life = zoe = denotes the “physical vitality” of living beings = liveliness, life, energy, spirit, vivacity, exuberance, buoyancy, bounce, elan, verve, vim, pep, brio, zest, sparkle, dynamism, passion, fire, vigor, drive, punch; get-up-and-go

My friends, we are Easter people! We stand on resurrection ground. Easter is not only our greatest party (much greater by the way than Christmas—whatever you do on Christmas you ought to do ten times as much at Easter) Easter is the only reason we are here at all! St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “If Christ is not raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ” Without Easter, Jesus of Nazareth would be a curious historical footnote. Without Easter, the world would still be divided into waiting Jews and puzzled pagans.

So why, when we get to Easter Day, do we not celebrate wildly, lavishly, gloriously, at great length, and with studied disregard for normal propriety? . . . We should meet regularly for Easter parties. We should drink champagne at breakfast. We should renew baptismal vows with splashing water all over the place. And we should sing and dance and blow trumpets and put out banners in the streets. And we should invite the homeless people to parties and we should go around town doing random acts of generosity and celebration. We should be doing things which would make our sober and serious neighbors say, “What is the meaning of this outrageous party? ” - N. T. Wright

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. Romans 6

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6: 14

A person who receives New Life in Jesus no longer lives UNDER the power of sin but UNDER grace.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6

Baptism is an important part in the process of us living out our Faith in Jesus

Eastertide is also called Paschaltide

Eastertide is also called Paschaltide Pascha = Feast of Passover

Passover = the major Jewish spring festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses.

On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free. Exodus 13: 4

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6

Romans 6

Eastertide is about Celebrating the Freedom that Comes from Living under New Management

… all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Romans 6: 3

… all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Romans 6: 3 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 1 Corinthians 10: 1 -2

Baptize = to dip or submerge, to immerse (from bapto, "to dip")

Baptism is a reminder of my commitment to Live under Jesus

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church Ephesians 1: 22

Only way for me to “get over” the things that “keep me down” is to “get under” the person who is over “all things”

“Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. ” Joshua 24: 14 -15

Baptism is a reminder that I must die to myself in order to live under Jesus

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6: 11 -13

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for selfindulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ” Galatians 5: 13 -14