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No Idle Tale

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20 April, 2025Pastor John Strelan

23 Easter Sunday C

Lost connections and unfamiliar histories are revealed as celebrities trace their family trees. That’s the tagline for the popular television series Who Do You Think You Are? now into its 21st season. What makes the series so watchable, I think, is that people aren’t just given a list of facts about a particular ancestor, they are also presented with a story. And, it’s the story that brings the person to life, both the ancestor and the celebrities who invariably become animated (= instilled with life) as they hear the story of their ancestor. The story gives life.

When the women arrive at the tomb on Easter morning what they are confronted with is not a body, but a story. An amazing story: “He is not here, but has risen! Remember how he told you.” The women don’t get to see Jesus right away, but they are animated by the story as they remember Jesus’ words. It’s a story they just have to tell others as they too become part of the story, this life-giving story which we hear and tell again this weekend. This story that becomes our story too.

Eventually the women do see Jesus, and so will we.

 

Luke 24:1-12

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”’ 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

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* The above comments should not be taken as personal financial advice. Before making any decisions I recommend you obtain your own advice and consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Services Guide. However, I take full responsibility for any perceived spiritual advice and recommend it heartily. Unfortunately, yours and my past performance is a reliable indicator of future performance which is why it’s worth investing in Jesus. He’s a good saver.

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