Sermons from 2020 (Page 4)

Today we call Trinity Sunday, and we think about God. You or I understand God fully, we can? No, we can’t. Why?  God is very big and our minds are very limited.  But Jesus gave us some ideas.  His last words to us are:  “Go around the world; baptize everyone, how ? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus was a good Jew with a strong Jewish faith. He believed there…

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles happened on Pentecost Sunday.  It talks about the Holy Spirit coming and touching the followers of Jesus. (For the words of the reading, click here.)  Because the Holy Spirit came on them, they are totally changed.  Remember: before this, they were all together, afraid, hiding, praying that the Lord protect them.  Then they felt the Holy Spirit like a great wind, like a strong fire, all around them.  They all became…

Jesus rose to new life on Easter Sunday; forty days later Jesus went back to heaven; it is called the Ascension.  This is a story about it: Jesus arrived in heaven. He still had the marks of his suffering on his hands and feet and all over his body.  The chief angel came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do the people on earth know how much you suffered for them, how much you love them?”  Jesus said, “Some of them…

Today we celebrate the strong wish of God the Father and His Son Jesus; they want to be very close to us. (To see the words of today’s Gospel, click here.)  We know they want to be with us because they give us so much. Sometimes I think God the Father and His Son Jesus are a little crazy.  Why?  The Father and Jesus have a passionate desire, a very strong wish, to be close to us.  They even want…

Interesting story in the gospel today.  Remember: Jesus is at the Last Supper.  He knows soon he will die, suffering an awful death.  Jesus comes together with his closest friends in a special last meal, the Passover.  It is a meal celebrating the freedom of God’s people.  (For the words of today’s gospel, click here.) During the meal Jesus tell his friends he is leaving them.  They are upset, feel sad.  Jesus says, “Do not worry, why? I go to…

Today we look at Jesus the Good Shepherd who cares for all, cares for us..  (To see the words of the Gospel today, click here.)  You and I have much experience with sheep or shepherds? No. But the idea of shepherd and sheep is in the Bible very often. Here are some ideas about sheep and shepherd; then we will see how we have the same relationship with Jesus.  Sheep depend on the shepherd a lot.  The shepherd is close…

On Easter Sunday afternoon two followers of Jesus, walking to a town called Emmaus, meet Jesus alive, risen from the dead. (To see the words of the gospel, click here.)  It is a lovely story.  So let me tell the story and then give you some ideas. It is Easter Sunday afternoon. Remember:  Before, on Friday Jesus suffered awfully dying on the cross.  All his friends and followers were very sad, depressed; all hope was lost.  Then early on Sunday…

Today the story of Jesus visiting his followers on the first Easter Sunday is in the Gospel of John 20:19-31. (To see the words of the Gospel, click here.) It is the first day, Easter Sunday; the whole world has changed.  Look at the close followers of Jesus. What are they doing? They are hiding and thinking and worrying, why?  On Good Friday they all ran away. They left Jesus to suffer and die an awful death; nailing to a…

Easter Sunday, the story of the resurrection of Jesus is in the Gospel of John 20: 1 – 9.  The story gives some interesting ideas about the first Easter. The first person coming to the tomb is who? Mary of Magdala. Why?  She saw Jesus die on the cross. She saw the men take his body down from the cross. She saw them wrap the body in a white cloth. She saw them carry the body and put the body…

On Good Friday the story of Jesus’s suffering and death is the Gospel of John 18:1 -19:42. Notice one very important thing in this story: Jesus is controlling it always.  Everything that happens to him, Jesus allows and influences how it happens. There are many important ideas in this story; let me pick a few ideas and talk about them. The story begins in the garden. The soldiers come in and look for Jesus and he says, “I am.” A…