Easter (A): La Otra Maria

[Music] Welcome to "Same Old Song" the weekly "Lectionary Podcast of Mockingbird Ministries." I'm Aaron Zimmerman, your co-host. I'll be joined by Jacob Smith as we break down the Bible passages for the upcoming Sunday. Whether you're in the pulpit or in the pews, we always bring it back to the good news of God's grace. For real people, like you. [Music] Hey, "Same Old Song Listeners." This is, you know what that sound is? You know what that sound is? Jacob, you know what that sound is? You sound your slow internet. What did it, did it skip or something? It's just like your blurry. But my voice is crystal clear and that's what matters. So, but the sound is the sound of hitting 400 episodes of "Same Old Song," which for Easter Sunday are Lord is risen from the dead. And we've hit 400 episodes. How those things are connected? I don't know, but it's like a pipeline plan. Our planning is a pipeline plan. It's our planning. It's invaluable. Yeah, so who knew 400 episodes ago that we would be here? All the way. We were like, I did. So, smarter, better looking than when we started. It's good. More successful. Yeah, it activates. Yeah, it activates. So, I think also we don't have yet our winner selected. I think that's going to happen, you know, one of these days. Very soon from our contest from Episode 399. So, we will have to figure that out. And the powers that be, as Jake and I pointed out in the pre show, Prep. He and I are just basically middle management in Mockingbird. Then maybe even that is too exalted for us. Yeah, that might be. We're the talent, which is to say not that important. The good looks. Yeah. We'll see if we can figure out who the winner is. And maybe that'll be a second Sunday Easter announcement. But for now, we got to get you the Easter goods you came for, which means we're going to be talking about the first reading, which could be either Acts chapter 10 or Jeremiah at 31 versus 1 through 6. And then for the second reading, you have an option of including Colossians 3, 1 through 4. Or you can then include the ax less than there. So it's either going to be Jeremiah Colossians. And we'll give you a bit. We'll give it a lot of axles. There's so many crazy. So, but basically before you get to the gospel, there's three possible readings. Acts 10, Jeremiah 31. And then we'll win the plan and Matthew this year. Yeah. So John 28, 1 through 18 is an option. We've done that in years past. So you can search for your crimes for what we say about Mary Magdalene when she meets the gardener who's not really the gardener. But we're going to talk this this year about Matthew chapter 28. For those not watching, Jacob just did a great eyebrow race, double eyebrow race. It was fantastic. Okay. So Jake, let's start off. Let's start off with the Old Testament. We'll go and sort of chronological order here. We'll do Jeremiah 31. And then we'll talk about Acts 10 and Colossians 3. So Jeremiah 31, 1 through 6, which the word on the street is you might be preaching on this passage of Calvary St. George. I'm contemplating that. Well, it's because of the bag. Yeah, it's this powerful line that you're that I mean, it really speaks to me. And I don't, you know, I haven't quite figured out why to speaking to my inner child. But it says the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness when Israel sought for rest. But they found grace in the wilderness and that really. That really, I think highlights what kind of resurrection is all about. Resurrection. So oftentimes people, you know, where they are with our Easter finest on and all the best flowers and. And by the way, preachers just before we dive into this, I just want to say quick word. Remember. Take a look. This is the time not to preach your longest sermon. This is the time to, you know, I usually have three points on Easter Sunday. I'm going to have three real quick points. And so, I think that's very important to articulate and convey this is not your time to give everybody as much feed as possible because they're not coming back to Christmas. This is the time to really woo them in. But so often we, yeah, we think that resurrection. You know, we think in light of our current Easter situation with all the peeps and, you know, and trumpet fanfare that resurrection begins with strength. But what we see right here from Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31 is not written from a place of victory. It was written from people who'd survived exile and destruction. They're traumatized. They're dislocated. They're ashamed. Jerusalem is in rubble. The temple is gone. You know, all of God's promises seem to be completely broken. But it's there in the wilderness. It's there at the end of the sword that God says they found grace. And this is really, I mean, what we believe about the gospel insists that God does not wait for strength before he acts. He always meets people in their lowest point. And for a lot of people that maybe this is their first time back to church in a while. Maybe they were like, we better go to East, you know, they're in God's office right now. And they're like, that's why they've come to come to church. And what this text reminds us is that Easter does not erupt from religious momentum. It erupts from a sealed tomb. You know, I mean, those ladies, they came expecting a corpse. Israel expects permanent exile in Jeremiah, but God speaks life precisely where death seems definitive. And so that is, I think that is one of the reasons why I loved Jeremiah. The other thing is that it says, I've loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you. You know, and this, this is covenant language. And this isn't sentimental love. This isn't peeps love. I mean, Lord knows I love me some peeps. Shout out to Teresa Hardwick for restocking my supply. God's love, God's love comes from his faithfulness. And you know, it's not you returned to me. You proved yourself to me. You know, I've loved you. Therefore, like it's I have loved you. And therefore I have continued. And we see that fulfilled in the empty tomb. You know, it's revealed in God's faithfulness to all of his promises revealed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so I think that's another thing. And then the third point that I would take from Jeremiah is that God always rebuilds what was destroyed. Again, I will build you and you shall be built. Again, you shall take your tambourines. Again, you shall plant your vineyards. That repetition again, again, this isn't mere survival. This is restoration because with it comes joy, dancing, planting and singing. And so I think, you know, I think that this is just a reminder that God has an everlasting love for you. But it's not an abstraction. It's demonstrated in the resurrected Christ for you. And so that's I think Jeremiah is just a beautiful Easter text that I've never really noticed before until this last year. I agree, Jake. And you know, until we had this conversation, I probably would not have thought about preaching on this as well. But it is, as you've converted me, you've changed my mind, I'm sold. Thank you. And one of the things that's going on here as I did a little prep for this is the people that are in view here. You know, a lot of times people think Israel just means, and it can and does at times, the whole people of God, all 12 tribes, etc. But this is specifically thinking about the northern kingdom, the, you know, Israel was those 12 tribes. They had a civil war. They split into the northern kingdom, which was still called Israel and the southern kingdom, which was called Judah. And this is basically saying that the northern kingdom that was attacked and exiled by the Syrians, that, you know, a lot of them were killed. But some of them were not and were in the wilderness. And so God, as you're saying this message, Jake is like in your difficult time in the difficult situation in the wilderness. God finds you. But one of the other things that is really beautiful is if you do a little time, and you probably, it's probably not a good idea on Easter Sunday. I don't know to get into the biblical languages. But when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away is the translation, which is okay. But I would say not as a Bible scholar, but the little reading I've done. I think the first word in that verse in Hebrew is far away. And it can mean both far away in place and far away in time. And so the valid translation would be from very far away, like when you were far away, the Lord made himself known to you. So when you were, when you were lost, when you were, when you had blown off course, when you found yourself like David burn and talking heads is song, how did I get here? My God, what have I done? How did I get to this place? In the distant place in the far away land, God shows up makes him so clear to you comes to you and your place in need. If it's from a distant time, this, you can hear this as like being from forever ago. God has always been kind of making himself clear to you, even when you're lost, even when you're struggling, even when you're far away. So all that. And yeah, Jake, what you said about the everlasting love. I love it. There's a YouTube song about that. There's also, I think something that the ever brothers one could draw on. But I don't think I'll say. Yeah. Is this the, I mean, who doesn't want to talk about tambourines and Mary makers? Absolutely. And I feel, I mean. Finally, the thing I really want to say. But with that, with that really quick, you can veer into optimism. And Easter Easter is not optimism. Easter isn't positive thinking, you know what I mean? Easter, because that all puts it back on you. God is a protagonist in Easter. And this is God who speaks again, again, again, again, again to your shame, again to your grieving, again to your, you know, this and that all manifests that again is a possibility because the stone has been rolled away. Yeah. And so the final thing, I think, well, I mean, there's always more. But the final thing that I would say about this is just again, you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. So this is why we know it's not all of Israel, but the Northern Kingdom, in particular. And you know, the Samaritans, by the time we get to Jesus' day or seen as second-class citizens, they have a huge beef with the people of Judah, the kind of the folk, as the woman at the well tells Jesus, you know, Jews do not talk to Samaritans. And so Jesus, specifically when he shows up goes to the Samaritans to say, Hey, you know, I'm for you guys as well. And that the story that if folks were in church a few weeks ago, they would have heard that story about the Samaritan woman. So Samaria is a way of saying, another way of saying like you are, you have ended up in a place you didn't think you were going to be. You've, you, you kind of lost your way a little bit. And again, just saying like I'm going to, to me, this is talking, like this is talking about the ministry of Jesus in Samaria. I mean, it's, it's like all scripture operates on many levels. But there's just, there's something, yeah, Jake, as I said, you've converted me. There's so much here about God reaching out to people who think they're lost, who feel lost, who feel confused. You can talk about looksmaxing. If you want to talk about people who maybe are, they're lost. I don't know if there's any looksmaxers in your congregation, maybe a lot of listeners slash viewers, Jake, there was a new, interesting New York Times about this, but it's a huge trend. You should ask your son what looks mask looks, maxing is and you will find out it's basically a community of young men online that try to maximize their physical appearance, whether it's through hormones purchased from other countries overseas in questionable legality, whether it's taking drugs, whether it's injecting oneself, also tapping your jaw with a hammer to cause micro fractures, so that your jaw goes back better. Jesus. It's all kinds of stuff. I know for real. And I heard this interview with a prominent looks, Max, and it was just, it felt like talking to some, hearing somebody who was sort of missing life had too much time. Like could not even, they were talking about how it can be hard for looks, maxers to find relationships love because they have to spend so much time looks, maxing. And it's like you want to be attractive, but you've taken so many hormones that you're now sterile at a very young age. And you've, you don't have time for relationship. So all that to say is whatever example of the human condition you want to find. And I'm not, I say that without judgment. I use a lot of hair product, you know, I want to look good too. But I do think that there is, yeah, today's today's podcast brought to you by various men's hair products. The thing that I think that the thing, whatever example you choose, human beings or folks who are all a little bit lost. And we need God to find us in the wilderness. We don't need God to find, I mean, it's great. If you can find God in church, it's great. If you can find God in the happy times and he's in those places too. But I think you know, the message of Easter is, you find a resurrection in a tomb, you find God's grace when you're a sinner. And that's a great and powerful message to those, so that those who are far away and cast off, they can still go up to sign because God has come down to them. So Jake, you really got me in a tear there about Jeremiah. I'm glad you did. Let's talk about Psalm 118, just kidding. Let's talk about Colossians chapter three versus one through four. Oh no, we say we do acts first. That's the other possibility. Acts chapter 10. This is Peter talking to Cornelius. We did this sort of recently. This came up a few Sundays ago in Lent. Now we're talking about the preacher thing. The Iowa preacher's project. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, maybe that was another thing we did. Yeah. Sorry about that. Okay. So Cornelius is this Gentile and he has through a miraculous encounter that God has arranged. He's had Peter come speak to him. And he receives the Holy Spirit. He starts speaking in tongues or whatnot and Peter. That's why he says, oh my gosh. Now I say that God shows no pressure out it because I see you being folks who received this gift of God. And he describes the message and the reason this is an Easter reading is because it talks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on a third day. A lot of them to appear. So a lot of the historicity is here that he appeared to a lot of people. A drink with them wants to make that point that this is not a metaphorical resurrection, but a real one. And we receive forgiveness of sins through him. So Jake, it's a lot there. We know you're preaching on Jeremiah, but if you had to preach on X 10, if the bulletins were misprinted and the Jeremiah reading was not in there, and you had to preach on X 10, what do you say about Cornelius? Gosh, well, I would say that this is really the scene here from X chapter 10 verses 34 to 43 is really the powerful fruit of what the Easter resurrection, what Jesus' resurrection has accomplished. You see, Jesus is the king, the Messiah and in conquering, in conquering sin, in conquering death, and in ultimately conquering the devil. What happens is that and this was prophesied by like Zachariah and Jeremiah and all of these folks, but that by his kingship, his peace, not only, not only goes forth from Judea, but it goes forth to all the nations. And you see this beginning to happen now. So first of all, it goes to everybody, Cornelius, you know, a Gentile is there, you know, and this is what Peter begins to see is that God shows no partiality. And as we said about Jeremiah that this peace and this resurrection Easter hope is not sentimental, but is actually historical. This is the point of Peter like he's rooting this story, the resurrection and the power of this peace in history. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. So if I was to hammer this home, I would say one, this is, this is like actual history to in history now God's peace historically goes out to all the nations. And it accompanies not just Jews, but also Gentiles, all of us. And that this message now comes to you through preachers. And and this just didn't happen as a blip in history, but all of the prophets have been looking forward to this. But whoever believes in him receives, you know, forgiveness of sins through his name. And so what this has said is that this peace has gone out. And you know, we can forgive things and we can like, you know, do all sorts of things, but the scar oftentimes remains, but this gospel piece is so powerful that is beginning to unravel all of the damage in the world, all of the damage actually in your life. It is beginning to cover it and unravel it and begin to make it new. That's what God's forgiveness actually does is that it says, man, your mistakes, your problems, your sin is not the final answer. And that this isn't an abstraction, but it's actually broken into real human history. God is broken into real human history in order to save you. Yeah, this forgiveness thing is such a key thing. And it is something that I think was, um, was kind of this aha moment for the disciples. Peter himself is preaching obviously had received and needed a lot of forgiveness from Jesus. And they are folks who saw him forgive lots of people. But it wasn't the first thing that people thought that the Messiah was going to be about. And it's often not what a lot of people think he's about today, that he's about telling people to get their act together and us kind of trying to behave better. You know, yeah, this idea here that, you know, we hear that phrase right before it. He commanded us to preach to the people and testify. He is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. And so that fits with what we think judgment is like judgment is to, you know, God to get, get us an order and not necessarily a little bit. Give us a strong talking to. And but then right in the next breath, Peter is in this, in this sermon says that the prophets testify that this one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead, that all who believe in him received forgiveness of sins through his name. So yes, to be a judge of the living and the dead means that Jesus is the one that sees rightly. He sees through me. He sees through you. He sees my posturing. He sees my insecurity. He sees my self absorption. He sees all of that that we all have to be a judge is to see clearly. And the response of this judge when he sees us, like I said, is not to throw the book at us, but to forgive our sins in his name. And this is why people like Cornelius, I like to think about, I like to picture Don Cornelius from the host of Soul. train. But whoever you picture here forgiveness comes to him. I'm trying to get Jake to smile and if you're watching this you see that it did not work. I'm gonna keep working as we go now. This is the first day of spring and like everybody is cruising around you know we're having nice weather outside and so everybody's cruising around outside and so I was just playing with you guys. I'm thinking sevenies riding the rocket ball music. I was a soul-trinket guy. You were Laurence Welk guy. That's totally fine. It's cool. All right. Well anyway. So Colossians chapter three one through four. If you how would you how would you tie this all in? Yeah. How would you tie this all into what Peter's just been going through an axe or into the Jeremiah reading. Maybe you picked Jeremiah and Colossians this week. So this is three verses and again nobody's no no preacher listen to this or or person that uses gonna hear all three of these. It depends on which ones you pick. But if you're bringing in the Colossians reading you know this very strong. You better set your mind on Christ. Of resurrection. Yeah and it can it can be many people hear this as law. It says if you've been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Well what are what are those things above? What's probably just clean living and Bible reading. All those spiritual to-dos that make smoke or cheer. That's right. When you dance leave room for the Holy Spirit. And only do the Christian side hug all those things set your mind on things above. Not on things that earth we make this so moralistic. But what are the things above Christ who is the forgiver of the sins of the world. What are the things above the gospel the one who who loved us while we were yet sinners. The things above are the ways of God the kingdom of God where the last are first and the first are last where the poor are filled with good things and the rich are sent empty away. The things above are the way that's opposite to the world's performance based law based achievement based hustle for your worthiness kind of approach. So to seek the seek the things above is to seek the gospel is to seek the love and grace that comes from the throne of heaven. The throne that we can approach boldly because of what Jesus has done for us. So when it says set your mind on things above. It's not saying set your mind on Bible reading and not watching reality TV which you know maybe don't watch reality TV but still it's not saying that it's not saying be moralistic. It's saying set your mind on the gospel. Set your mind on because the earth is about the law. The earth is about performance and judgment and about all kinds of standards that you have to love to to have any sort of worth value acceptance of belonging. And the things that are above says you already love you have died meaning you're over with this stuff. Your life is hidden with Christ and God you are loved and he's taken care of you. That's that's that's a that's a very good and important word that Paul says your life is hidden with God in Christ you know because the fact of the matter is is that indeed I am a new creation right now. I have been resurrected from the dead right now. However you know the truth of the matter is is that there's I'm getting older you know what I mean I'm you know my pants don't fit like they used to be or whatever it is every day. And so when he says if you've been raised with Christ I mean this is descriptive so everybody in your congregation has been raised with Christ and seek the things that are above where Christ is that isn't seeking things that you should be but seek the thing who you already are you're already a resurrected creature you're already born again you've already been made new this is a thing that we're looking forward to we're looking forward to hope who we already are and the fact of the matter is is that so often when we use the laws the lens to understand Colossians chapter three we separate ourselves into good guys and bad guys people who are really seeking things that are above and doing things and climbing the ladder versus versus you know those of us who aren't but the fact of the matter is is that there's only two types of people you know dead sinners and race sinners and and we seek the things that are above that what that is is that is understanding who you already are and the gospel and being refreshed with the gospel which should be all about Easter because what the gospel ultimately does is the gospel creates commitment you know what I mean the gospel create it's not we commit in order to get the gospel as it's being taught by so many like spiritual peddlers today but rather we've been given the gospel in this total giving of Jesus Christ puts our minds upward it creates the commitment to go forward and and live in faith for the day when our life will be truly revealed in all of its glory yeah well and so speaking of glory let's turn to Matthew 28 versus one through 10 and this will encounter that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary oh how I'm not to see that she's like the other Mary you know when you like the host of the host of the mocking cast Dave's all Sarah Codden and that other host right this is this is a true fact like I just well I'm not gonna never mind forgive it okay oh yeah so exciting well just you know just you know like if you ever like hang with a lot of Mexicans they will name you after some sort of like feature you know what I mean like whether you're like wedo or like Gorda or Flaca or like they name you Joker chuckles dimples like they they will name you based on a feature my wife's a Mexican nickname is tech and so because when she was a kid she had big eyes and so it's short for tech alote and so anyway they just got a lot it's a well it's the yacky word for owl so anyway but that's like the Spanish but the Spanish man so anyway but well it's Spanish it's an Mexican Spanish well for the more textbook Spanish speakers it's the word for Alan's and Buhl so I'm using it as a tech well as the half of the number of this podcast I will I want to say a couple things Jake grew up in Arizona he's in some ways more Mexican than I will ever be second of all he's 100% correct and I just want to give him some cover because he is a white man I don't want him to get any trouble for what he just said but yes everybody like while my aunts uncles cousins yes very very common to name so it's like I just kind of I just kind of like except what is the the other Mary like yeah it's right La otra Maria otra that's right yeah yeah and Maria Sita yeah so Maria Otra yeah that's right yeah the extra Mary so anyways that was not helpful to anyone let's move on so we think it was kind of funny it was hilarious okay so there's an earthquake an angel appears and and it's incredible he looks he's he's looking like Jesus on the amount of transfiguration frankly like his clothing and white snow his appearance like lightning and the guards who are there to guard the tomb to make sure no but there's no body snatching going on nobody steals the body they pass out because they're terrified and then the the women don't pass out women are strong y'all and the angel says to them don't be afraid I know you're looking for Jesus he was crucified he ain't here he's been raised and then go look where he lay they he like takes them like check out the tomb he's not here I'm not I'm not lying and so they it's cool they would have just seen like they approached the tomb they see these Roman guards so you already know that these are some pretty strong women because they approach and the stone is still blocking the entrance it's sealed the guards are there and then of course just boom Macho Manor any savage like the angel comes down guards fall out rock is moved away the stone is moved away and because he rolls back the stone and he's sitting on it which is kind of a cool move he's like I'm just sitting down here and then they go and look to see where Jesus lay he wants them to see that Jesus has risen from the dead he already wasn't there so it's like Jesus has risen from the dead left the tomb while the guards are still there it's just bananas it's awesome it's just like the power of God to do all these things but the angel really wants to see like this is not some sort of fib like he's really not here he says quickly go tell the disciples he's raised from the dead and he's going to Galilee you'll see him there and he says this is my message for you so they leave quickly with fear great joy they run to tell the disciples Jesus meets them on the way and says greetings and then they worship him Jesus says don't be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee there they will see me so I think yeah Jake take it away here angel sitting on the rock Jesus telling them to be afraid what do you what do you draw out from this after you're done preach on Jeremiah what's your point you're gonna draw from that to 28 I would draw on the fact that so you know if Aaron you abandoned me to you know me and the Tecters you abandoned me to like Roman soldiers and you know religious authorities and I was crucified and then I rose from the dead my a word to the two the ladies would not be hey man don't be afraid I'm word to the last day everybody it's all right my word to the later the bridge let's buy guns with by guns but notice he doesn't say that he's not like water under the bridge either it's like dude he raises from and do brightly so they are terrified they are terrified because if it was you know resurrected Jacob Christ I would be shooting laser beams from the palm of my hands they're just like you you you you you you're this rating every like Superman with the super powerful wind breath you'd like blow them all be a tough day in Jerusalem let me tell you especially for the fun gas Peter but anyway but uh who's dropping a rock when I was arrested All those dudes would be like, get ready. I'm about to fry them. But this is not what he says. He says, do not be afraid. I know that you're looking for Jesus who is, he's not here. He's been right and he says, come see. And there it is. And the other thing that is said in this passage that is so powerful is peace be with you. You know, this is the thing. So they left the tomb quickly with fear, but great choice because they're like, what the heck's going on? I mean, these aren't sluckers. And this is a myth. I mean, nobody has seen a person actually raised from the dead. There's been one. And these people, I mean, it's just speechless. But then Jesus meets them and he takes, you know, he says, do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers. I mean, really the guys that just betrayed me, and they will see me. So the fruit and the, what do you want to preach on here is like, this is once again the fruit of the resurrection. What Jesus' resurrection tells you is that God is, is somebody got hurt. Dude, that was like the angel causing an earthquake and the guards falling out. I don't know if they're making that up, but it was like, no, yeah. So anyway, that is scaffolding. But anyway, not or not the, not the lighting. But anyway, but the point is is that the themes here, the resurrection of Jesus, what this tells you, is that God is not angry with you. God is, God is not like upset. God is not up there keeping score or any of that, like Jacob Christ would do. But rather the score, the tally has been like, it's done. It's done. And the only word coming out of that tomb to the disciples, the only word coming out of the tomb to those ladies, and the only word coming out of that tomb to you from God is, do not be afraid. What is coming out is that God now declares you about children and brothers and sisters. And our only response in light of that is just like the ladies, pure and total unadulterated worship. And so I would say that that is like, this is the fruit of the greatest your message. One has broken the mold and risen from the dead. And he doesn't come hunting you down and keeping score. Rather the score has been settled. And because the score has been settled, God now says to you, peace be with you. Greetings, he says. Yeah, it's like, what's up? Hey. Yeah, it's great. Yeah, and I think I love that he calls the disciples his brothers. Again, as we've talked about, Jacob Christ would be like, go tell those so and so's. But this is just so much grace. And yeah, I love it. I love that. The other thing, the other thing too, is that Jesus raised you on early in the morning, sorry. I mean, but it's just kind of, it's early morning on the first day. This is a big deal. I mean, what is being told to you is that this is the end. This is the end. This is the beginning of the first day of the week. Jesus rising on the first day to demonstrate one that the law is finished. And he is stepping foot in the beginning, the first day of a new creation, this second atom. It's wonderful. All of this. Jesus has fulfilled it all for you, even the Sabbath, perfectly by being dead. Yes, 100%. Reminds me, there's some clip that comes out every year and makes the rounds. I believe it is a Roman Catholic church that believes that to make these principles, the stories really pop. You have to kind of reenact them a little bit with a lot of-- some stagecraft of with questionable production value. So there's this clip of like, there's kind of a cave that's built inside the church. And there's a stone that has probably made a styrofoam but looks like a stone. It rolls away. And Jesus comes out and then is like lifted up. There's pyrotex techniques like the fireworks go off. And he's sort of raised up and like, the light shines on him. And it's just very impressive. It's almost like when a wrestler comes out from the wings and walks down the river by the cheers. And what's amazing about that is that that's actually-- it's not how it happened at all. So again, the women get there, the guards are there, the tomb is sealed. The angel does roll the stone away. But Jesus isn't there. This would be a perfect time. Again, if Jacob Christ or Aaron Christ would have like, this is the big reveal. Like, ha, ha, ha. Like I come out like Jack in the box. I take care of those soldiers. And then I'm like, yes, please clap. And so that's not what happened. Yes, he's already left. He's already left because this is what the angel says. He's like, he's like, angel, stay here. And when they get here, tell them this. And so he gives them the message. He's a very good messenger. And he says to them, he's not here. He's been raised. And then he's going to Galilee. So Jesus is-- he needs to get there. He wants to get there. And he's so urgently motivated. He doesn't need to show off the resurrection. It's not the pyrotechnics that matter. Is that he's going to meet the people that need to hear this word of grace. And he wants them to get there, too. He says, tell my brother, so do the alley. So like, he's coordinating a reunion so that he can let them know that they are forgiven. He does not want to settle scores in Jerusalem. He wants to go back to where they're from, where it all started. And he wants them to know that they're forgiven. And this is just the beautiful thing. But he's like, let's go. Like, time to go. Let's go all go to Galilee. Angel, tell them I'm going to Galilee. Oh, then I'll meet them. And I'll let them know, by the way, you guys tell them to do that. There's something beautiful here, too, where the angel gets a message to deliver. And the women get a message to deliver. It shows God in Christ, sort of elevating these human women, just incorporating them in the ministry that Christ has in the world. We get to the messengers. And angel, the word means kind of messenger, like the one that is sent. And so we, too, get to have part of that ministry as well. The last thing that if you wanted to add kind of a footnote to this is the contrast between the risen Christ and the Roman soldiers. So the powers of the world that thought they could kill God in Carnot, these soldiers fall down and it says they became like dead men. So there's a great contrast between this powerful living Christ, the son of God, the King of Kings, and Caesar and his forces who are just so terrified they pass out and they're like dead men. There's a new way of interacting in the world. And it's a beautiful thing to see. So that's all I got. Jesus is the travel planner getting everybody to Gatallie, setting the itinerary, all these things. Jake, what do you want to add? PS corrections or-- No, I think we've got to keep it short like our sermons. So I think we're good. Thank you, set at the beginning. Well, thanks everybody. I've gotten word from, you know, not Machikard Middle Management, but Machikard at the very highest levels that the entries, so the contest that we posted for episode 399, it will be running by the time you listen to this, it'll be over. But basically, we're going, I think, until next Wednesday. We're giving it a full week. So until, let's see, Wednesday, April 1, the day when our new assistant director at St. Alvin Sutton Lo will be starting. So shout out to Sutton, first, Samuel Seng, shout out. That day, Wednesday, April 1 is when the entries close. So you can keep commenting if you haven't yet. Now, multiple comments don't get you more entries. It doesn't work the way. But if you'd like to comment on the last post on Machikard's socials, then you'll be entered in the contest to win in celebration of our 400 episodes. Free registration for the Machikard Conference in New York City. Also a free ticket to the seminar that RJ Heyman, the other Mary, and I will be giving before the Machikard Conference. And a whole bunch of Machikard merch, so which I think is like a bunch of old teachers that Jacob wrote Machikard on. So you'll get that as your prize. And so go ahead and comment on our social media. And we'll see you there. Until then, God bless you and keep you, Jake, Austin, Oego. Peace to you. What's your Mexican nickname? We haven't figured out. I had a couple. So I'm OK. Maybe another time. Another time. [MUSIC PLAYING] Thanks for listening to Same Old Song. Hope you found some gospel nuggets for the pulpit or for your life. If you like what you heard, leave a review or rating in Apple podcasts. Dave Zoll will be sad if you don't. Thanks to TJ Hester for audio production. And remember to keep that Bible by your bedside ready to rock and roll. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC]