Sermon

A Living Hope

Theme

Praise to God for a living hope; 2nd Sunday of Easter

Object

A hollow chocolate Easter bunny

Scripture

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Did you ever get a bunny like this for Easter? He looks good, but once you bite into him, you realize that there isn’t much to him. He’s hollow. There’s nothing inside him but air. Beauty can be like that, only skin deep. What is really important is what’s inside. It’s what’s inside that really matters both to the people around you and to God. What I mean when I say inside of us, I mean what kind of people are we? Do we show love to the people we love and more importantly to the people we don’t love? Do we help people who need our help? Do we carry God around in our heart? These are the things that make us like good solid Chocolate Christian Easter bunnies and not just a hollow look alike.

What’s in your heart? Are you kind to others? Do you share what you have with a joyful heart? Do you obey your parents and teachers with a smile? Do you try your best to get along with your brothers and sisters? Do you pray, asking God to help you make good decisions?

The next time you consider whether or not you should do the right thing in a certain situation you find yourself in, remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for you. Jesus loved you so much that he died a terrible death, a death on the cross, so that we would not be separated from God. Is it too much for him to ask you to love others and bring them closer to him?

There is a song we sometimes sing that goes like this:

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

How about you? Does Jesus live in your heart?

Prayer: Risen Savior, help us to love you with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole body. Help us to love others as you love them. Help us to want to be close to you and bring others closer to you, too. Amen