April 5, 2026                      Resurrection of Our Lord                              John 20:1-18

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

John 20 is far and away the most well-known of the four resurrection narratives in the Gospels. Everything that has occurred thus far in the Fourth Gospel has prepared us for the amazing occurrences of chapter 20 and the birth of the new humanity. Jesus’ death as depicted in John 19 was the end of the old moral order. Jesus was vigorously mocked as being Messiah/King to drive home the point that his death destroys all levels of hierarchy, rank or domination. There is no mention of Saturday, the Sabbath in either John 19 or 20, but it is inferred in 19:42, “Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation,” which meant preparation for the Sabbath. John 20 begins with the words, “Early on the first day of the week,” meaning Sunday, the first day of the Creation. This is followed by the phrase, “while it was still dark,” reminding us that each day according to Genesis 1 begins not at dawn, but at sundown the evening before (“and there was evening and there was morning, the first day”). Also, “while it was still dark” reminds us of chapter 3 when Nicodemus came to see Jesus “by night” which carries far more meaning than simply the time of day; e.g. the world still resides in darkness but light is about to shine. 

Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb alone, different from the synoptic Gospels’ depictions, and discovers that the stone has been removed. She returns to where the disciples were to fetch Simon Peter and “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” The two run to the tomb but “the other disciple” arrives first but doesn’t go into the tomb. Remember that the author of the Fourth Gospel uses Lazarus as “the other disciple” as a literary technique of writing the reader/hearer into the story. Because Lazarus had had a personal tomb experience, he was reluctant to enter this tomb. Peter arrives a moment later and barges into the tomb. He sees the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head (soudarion) rolled up in a place by itself. Recall from John 11 above that the soudarion represents the veil that Moses used to cover the “God-light” shining from his face in Exodus 34. Also, Genesis 1:26-27 states that humanity is created “in the image of God.” In other words, the veil covering Jesus’ face has fallen away so that he, as a new human being, is free to reveal God’s image and bear God’s light to all the world. In verse 8, “the other disciple” finally enters the tomb, sees and trusts. Because Lazarus himself had been raised from the dead, had had a similar tomb experience, he’s able to trust without understanding everything whereas Peter cannot. 

Mary remains in the garden alone and when she looks into the tomb, she sees two angels who ask her why she’s weeping. Mary states that someone has taken Jesus away and she doesn’t know where they’ve taken him. Just then, Jesus appears behind her but she doesn’t recognize him because he is a new human being whose veil (soudarion) has been removed. She thinks that he is the gardener. This is a direct reference to Adam who was a gardener. Suddenly now, a man (ish) and a woman (ishah) together in a garden is intended by the author to draw us back to the two Creation narratives of Genesis.

Jesus says her name, Mary, she suddenly recognizes him and says, Rabbouni, which doesn’t mean Teacher as the text indicates (that would be Rabbi). Rabbouni means “head, lead or primary Teacher.” Jesus tells her, “Do not hold onto me.” Many have tried and failed to interpret this odd statement. It only makes sense when we think back to the curses of Genesis 3 pronounced to the man and woman after they ate the fruit. The man was told that “he is dust and to dust he shall return,” yet here is Jesus, a man who had died but did not return to dust. The woman is told, “your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you.” Jesus’ statement to Mary released her from the curse. No longer is the man to dominate or rule over the woman. In the new humanity, men and women shall be one people, equal partners where there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female for all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Mary is then sent as an apostle (apostolos – one who is sent) to proclaim the good news to the disciples whom Jesus now calls “brothers” because in his resurrection all hierarchy has been destroyed. No person within the new humanity will stand over another, we stand as one. 

Key preaching points: 

Easter, like Christmas, is perhaps the best opportunity the church has to proclaim God’s vision of oneness for the world. People who will not be in worship the rest of the year will come to worship on Easter Sunday. The message must be delivered in a manner that is easily grasped and understood. The preacher must be aware of all of the dogmatic and doctrinal lenses that contaminate the meaning of the resurrection story for most, if not all, worshipers. The substitutionary atonement theory is perhaps the most commonly held lens tied to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This theory holds that humanity is grossly flawed from conception (see Augustine’s Doctrine of Original Sin) which angers God and hence humans deserve eternal punishment through eternal condemnation into hell. However, because God is gracious, God provides an “out” for humanity by sending the sinless Jesus who does not deserve condemnation yet submits himself for death on the cross in order to appease God’s anger and desire for human sacrifice. The theory holds that when human beings believe rightly in Jesus our sin is imputed onto him and his righteousness is imputed onto us so that we get to go to our heavenly reward after we die. God raises the innocent sacrificial lamb from the dead as a sign that God’s anger has been appeased. However, for those who do not believe rightly, they still must answer to God for their sin and face the judgment of eternal punishment in hell. 

Because of substitutionary atonement theory, some see Easter as the happy ending to a terrible story while others reject the idea of God, Jesus and church all together. The preacher must navigate these turbulent waters by casting a different vision for who the risen Jesus is while casting a vision of love and life for all independent of right practices or beliefs. In other words, the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus isn’t so much about what happens when we die but about the people we are today (God’s children) and how we’re called to be the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world so that all may experience real life. The best way to do this is to draw distinctions between the world’s story of fear, hierarchy, division and domination and God’s story of love, inclusion, hope and peace. 

It’s important that the preacher invites the worshipers to participate in God’s vision through the water and the meal, both of which we experience every time we come to worship. By being immersed in God’s love through the water and practicing the vision of communion with all in the meal, we are equipped to go and live God’s vision in every aspect of our lives. God entrusts us, the church, with the mission of transforming the human culture into one that is conducive to life for all. That’s how the death and resurrection of Jesus is to be received. That’s what it means to be the church. We live now as the heart, hands and feet of the risen Jesus in the world so that all may experience real life.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

April 12, 2026                                  Easter 2                             John 20:19-31

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

The Second Weekend of Easter always brings the story associated with “doubting Thomas,” however, that’s a poor label for all that occurs in this story. If I were going to give this a title, I’d call it, “The Birth of the Church,” or “The Raising of the New Humanity.” The significance of this narrative is Jesus sharing the Holy Spirit with the disciples, the Church, along with the commission, “As the Father sent me, so I send you!”

Our passage begins on the same day of Jesus’ resurrection following the episode in the garden with Mary Magdalene. It is now evening and both Mary, along with Peter and the beloved disciple, have been able to deliver the accounts of their experiences to the other disciples, sans Thomas. The NRSV says, “While it was evening on the first day of the week,” which presents a logical problem. If it is actually “evening”, meaning after sundown, it would no longer be the first day of the week. Remember that according to Jewish tradition, the new day begins at sundown. The Greek term opsios,  although it can be translated as evening, literally means “late”, which in this context given that it is still the first day of the week (Sunday), would indicate it being somewhere between 3:00-6:00 pm.

Jesus suddenly appears in the locked room having not come through a door or window and says, “Peace be with you.” The Jewish phrase, “Shalom Aleichem” (“Peace be upon you”) is a common greeting which holds great significance. Shalom is not to be interpreted as the absence of violence or distress. Quite the contrary, shalom means a complete and utter wholeness, wellness which transcends the ordeals, struggles, challenges of life. The greeting is delivered with a smile to indicate a deep desire that all is well with the other person. The typical response to the greeting is “Aleikhem Shalom” (“And upon you Peace”). When Jesus delivers his greeting, the disciples do not respond. Many have interpreted this lack of response to the disciples’ shock in seeing a raised dead man. However, such an interpretation demonstrates a lack of understanding of the Fourth Gospel. Recall in chapter 9 when Jesus healed/recreated the blind man that no one, not even his parents, could recognize him. The disciples are now frozen because they don’t recognize Jesus. That’s why the very next verse describes Jesus showing them his hands and his side, recognizable marks that prove his identity. The disciples then are not shocked to be seeing a dead man, it says “they rejoiced when they saw (idou from eidos) the Lord.” The Greek word “idou” is linked to “oida” which means “to know” and thus “idou” is a kind of empirical seeing, in other words, to see and gain some level of understanding. Perhaps it would be helpful to interject at this point the meanings of the four different Greek words for “see” used with great precision within the Fourth Gospel:

• • Theasthai/qeasqai – occurs 6 times; “to look intently in order to size something up or figure out”, the word “theatre” comes from this term
  • Blepo/blepw – occurs 17 times; “to see beyond sense perception”
  • Theoreo/qewrew – occurs 24 times; “to observe in order to analyze”
  • Idou or eidos or horao – occurs 67 times: “to see empirically with understanding”

Once the disciples experience Jesus’ wounds, then they can definitively “see” him. Jesus then begins again with “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me so I send you.” Just as Jesus came as the enfleshment of the Logos, now they will become the enfleshment of the Logos drawing all people into communion with God and one another. In order to achieve this, they require the re-creative power of the Holy Spirit which resides for the moment solely in Jesus. Thus Jesus proceeds to “breathe” on them accompanied by the words, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word used here for “breathe” is enephusesen/enequshsen which occurs only once in the entire New Testament and is the precise Greek term used in Genesis 2:7 when God created Adam from adamah and enephusesen (breathed) into his face the breath of life so that he became a living soul. The author of the Fourth Gospel is driving home the point that the disciples are becoming “new creations” through this act of Jesus breathing on them. This is not simply a transference of the Holy Spirit but an act of re-creation. Through this action, the disciples become new human beings. From now on and according to John 3, baptism becomes the primary means by which the Holy Spirit is to be transmitted and new human beings are re-created. Jesus continues his statement by telling the disciples that they have the power to release people from being captive to sin, just as they experienced Jesus doing with the woman at the well, the man who had been born blind, Lazarus who was in the tomb. Sin, hamartia, is to be understood as missing the mark in our humanity. Jesus is NOT commanding the disciples to retain sin in others. He’s making the point that only they, only the Church, only new human beings can set others free from whatever holds them back from their true-identity and purpose to be children of God. If THEY don’t release them, no one else can or will.

It’s at this point that we get the passage about Thomas. First of all, Thomas doesn’t doubt, he refuses to trust (pisteuo). He is digging his heals in and refusing to trust God and be birthed into a new human being until he personally experiences the risen Jesus, the first fruit of the new humanity. And so one week later, on the first day of the week (Sunday) which is the day of creation, Jesus appears once again to the disciples, greets them and directly approaches Thomas in the same way that he did the disciples by showing him his hands and side. Then he says, “Do not have distrust, but trust” (apistos alla pistos). Thomas replies, “My Lord and my God.” It is critically important that we understand that Thomas’ statement not to be directed at Jesus, but toward God. Thomas is proclaiming trust in God as a result of experiencing the risen Jesus. Remember: the new humanity does not trust IN Jesus, we trust INTO Jesus; we trust IN God as Jesus did and thus are transformed into the enfleshment of the Logos, which is Jesus within our world today. Jesus then gives a profound statement directed at the hearers/readers of the narrative: “Have you trusted because you have seen (horao) me; Blessed are those who have not seen (idou) and are trusting.” 

Verses 30-31 read like the end of the Fourth Gospel indicating that chapter 21 was most likely a later redaction, probably written in Ephesus, a Christian community believed to have been established by the disciple John. Chapter 21 seeks to align the Fourth Gospel with the synoptic Gospels by raising the role of Peter and providing for Peter’s redemption for denying Jesus, introducing the sons of Zebedee (James and John are not mentioned in the original 20 chapters of the Fourth Gospel), and including a story about the men fishing (a detail excluded in the original 20 chapters) using the familiar synoptic story of casting their nets on the other side of the boat. The terminology, flow and substance of chapter 21 is in no way similar to the first 20 chapters. The authentic Fourth Gospel (20 chapters) was most likely written in Alexandria, Egypt in two editions: one edition intended for established Christian communities and one edition aimed at those who had not yet joined the Christian movement. The evidence for this lies in verse 31: “These are written in order that you begin to trust that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God, and by trusting have life in his name.” The NRSV as well as other translations will have some form of asterisk or notation at the point of “come to believe” because there are equally reliable manuscripts of this text from the same periods that differ by only one letter. Pisteuete means “to continue to believe”, whereas, pisteusete means “to begin to believe.” The confusion with these two terms is not merely a transcribal error because the use of each in equally reliable manuscripts also occurs in John 6:29 and again in John 19:35. Because we have equally reliable manuscripts containing both terms (“continue to trust” and “begin to trust”) indicates that the author of the Fourth Gospel created two editions of the text aimed at different audiences, those within the church and those outside the church. This demonstrates an intentional vision to draw all people into the new humanity. As a result, whether we are preaching to those who already trust God or to those yet to trust God, our focus should always be to reach out in a loving and inclusive manner to all people so that all may live in intimate relationship with God and one another to experience real life.

Key preaching points:

Trusting God does not mean that we have figured out beyond a doubt every aspect of God. Quite the contrary, we trust God because we trust God’s message as revealed through the risen Jesus that love and life win. We are called to trust God’s warning and promise that hierarchy, division, domination do not build humanity but destroy humanity and that only a way of life built on love, inclusion, oneness can set humanity free. Thomas didn’t doubt, he distrusted. We can still trust God while doubting certain things. I seriously doubt the virgin birth, but I trust God. I seriously doubt that Jesus was never married, but I trust God. People have been beaten up by the church throughout millennia over the issue of doubt, and this has become a particular sticking point for Millenials. We need to help people to be set free from strict adherence to doctrinal statements that make no sense and instead draw them into a way of life that produces life; the way of the new humanity focused on relationships, service and generosity. 

When the risen Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the disciples, they are birthed into new human beings (this a good place to make a baptismal connection) who are called to love and serve others. The entire aspect of “forgiveness” in verse 23 is not about moral judgment, running around and telling people when they are right or wrong (that’s dogmatic/doctrinal nonsense), but about setting people free to be the children of God they are created to be. This requires getting to know someone, entering into their broken places with them, and serving them in a way that builds and raises them. If we don’t do it, who will? The miracle of this way of life is that when we orient ourselves toward another person in love (agapao), we benefit, we thrive, we are transformed. Our intent is far from selfish, but in laying down ourselves for the sake of others, we live!

Because this passage takes place in close proximity to the death and resurrection of Jesus, this needs to be a major theme in both the liturgy, music and preaching. The disciples don’t “graduate” into being new human beings, the enfleshment of the Logos, as a result of three years of instruction. The crucified and risen Jesus, the first fruit of the new humanity breathes the Holy Spirit into them (Genesis 2:7) and they are recreated. Jesus had to die in order to put an end to the old moral order and he had to be raised from the dead in order to be recreated. We now as baptized children of God live as new human beings, however, we must take seriously the pressures of the world to draw us back into the old story of fear, hierarchy, violence and death. We need to continually come together as the church, to have our baptisms renewed, to participate in the eschatological feast, to be continually rebirthed as new human beings so that we can live as children of God bringing light and love to all. For it is through relationships, service and generosity as the new humanity that we and all people experience.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

April 19, 2026                         Easter 3                   Luke 24:13-35

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

The third week of Easter takes us into our only experience with the Lukan depiction of the resurrection narrative in Year A. This passage about Jesus’ journey on the road to Emmaus typically occurs each year in Easter 3. While the passage is well-known, it is often misunderstood. There are subtle, yet profound points throughout the narrative that point us to the radical nature of the new humanity. It’s important that we raise up these points as we help the worshipers to achieve a deep connection into their own rebirth and call to be the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world today. 

The passage begins with the words, “On that same day”, a reference to it still being Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection, the day of the new creation. “Two of them were going to Emmaus”, it doesn’t say “disciples” but many make that interpretation. Jesus comes and walks alongside them yet “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Why? Not because of their grief, not because they looked down the whole time, but because he is a new human being, unrecognizable until he discloses himself to them. In verse 18 we learn the name of one of them, Cleopas (from Cleopatros which means “Celebration of the Father”), why don’t we learn the name of the other? Could it be that these two are husband and wife? We find out later that they live together because they invite Jesus to come and stay with them. It would be a reflection of the new humanity for Jesus to be teaching a woman in the same way that he teaches men, for in the new humanity there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28). 

When Jesus first encounters the two, he asks them what they are discussing. Surprised by the question, Cleopas asks how Jesus could not be aware of all of the things that had happened. Jesus asks them, “What things?” We don’t know if it’s Cleopas who goes on to explain the details of Jesus’ crucifixion from his perspective or Cleopas’ companion. In verse 21 the person speaking says something particularly poignant, “We had hoped that he (Jesus) was the one to redeem Israel.” The Greek word lutroo/lutrow means “to release” or “to restore something back to the rightful owner.” This is a bit of a different connotation than we might draw from the word “redeem.” Cleopas is talking about setting Israel free to be who they were designed or created to be from the beginning. Also, by him saying, “We had hoped,” implies that their hope is now dead, gone, no longer exists. Is there anything more sad or pitiful than defeated hope?

Something that makes me think that the companion, quite possibly Cleopas’ wife, is doing the majority of speaking is because much of what is said in verses 22-24 is about the women who had discovered the empty tomb. If she wasn’t one of the women who went to the tomb, it sure reads as though she spent significant time with those women throughout the day. The speaker goes into great detail about what the women had experienced and how they shared it with Jesus’ community. In verse 25, Jesus responds to what he has heard with a critical remark, “Oh how foolish you are, and slow of heart to believe/trust all that the prophets have declared. Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” What Jesus means by this is NOT that the Messiah should suffer as an atoning sacrifice to an angry God on the part of humanity. The Messiah should suffer in order to put an end to the old moral order of hierarchy, division and dominance so that he could enter the glory of the new humanity in which all may have life. This is a critically important distinction and why he then goes forward using the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew scriptures) and the Prophets to explain about himself and all that has taken place. 

As they get near to their home, they strongly urged Jesus to come in to stay with them. He accepts. While at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them, clearly an enactment of the eschatological feast, the Eucharist. They recognized Jesus suddenly in the breaking of the bread and then he was gone. The two returned to Jerusalem to find the disciples telling the story of Peter’s experience with the risen Jesus and they in turn shared their experience. 

Key preaching points: 

Could it be that Luke depicts the two people on the road to Emmaus as regular folks so as to include the hearers/readers into the context of the story? These are not members of the twelve disciples yet followers of Jesus. It very likely is a man and a woman who had had their hopes quashed in the crucifixion of Jesus. Each of us can relate to a time when “we had hoped.” Perhaps a loved one had been diagnosed with cancer and we had hoped that through treatment the cancer would move into remission, however, the loved one worsened and died. Maybe we made a big move in life by taking a new job or relocating in the hope that we would find our true calling and experience fullness of life; however, things didn’t work out and we found ourselves regretting our decision. Or for teens, maybe we had hoped that a special person for whom we cared a great deal would return the affection, only to discover that they don’t share the same interest in us. These moments of lost hope are painful, yet, through the risen Jesus we know that life and love win. We, as new human beings, are called to see beyond the pains, struggles and deaths of life recognizing with God there is always a tomorrow. It’s difficult to do this alone and so we need each other as the Jesus community to walk alongside, like on the Road to Emmaus, to help open our eyes so that we can experience real life together. 

The two people in our Gospel text were in deep conversation about the occurrences of the day in Jerusalem. How often do we turn off our phones, iPads, computers, or TV’s so that we can talk to one another about things that truly matter? Service and generosity are important, but talking about our serving or giving is what helps us to be changed, transformed into the heart, hands and feet of Jesus. The transformation of the people in our passage came through conversation with Jesus and then a shared encounter at the meal. Imagine making time to serve together and then having a meal to discuss the service and generosity. Give it a try and see what happens. We might experience real life. 

Finally, we continue this third week of Easter with the occurrences of Easter Sunday. When Jesus died on Friday the old died with him, everything that separates and divides us from God and one another was put to death. In his resurrection, God birthed a new day, a new creation, a new humanity, it’s why Jesus was not recognizable. But when he blessed, broke and shared the bread, suddenly the two people could see him, the true Christ, and recognize that a new creation had been birthed. When we come together at the table, we participate in a vision (eschatological feast) for unified humanity where there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, straight or gay, rich or poor, American or foreigner, Republican or Democrat, continue the list. We are all one in Christ Jesus at the table which then transforms and equips us to go and live that vision at home, work, school, neighborhood and throughout the world. When we love and serve as the new humanity, we and all people experience real life. 

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

April 26, 2026                         Easter 4                             John 10:1-10

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

Easter 4 is always the Good Shepherd Weekend in which chapter 10 of the Fourth Gospel is divided into three parts. Since we are in Revised Common Lectionary Year A, we are using the first 10 verses of chapter 10. It’s important that when reading any passage in the Fourth Gospel, we remember first that Jesus is the enfleshment of the Logos; and second that through his death and resurrection he inaugurates the new humanity and generates a new human culture that is conducive to life for all. Chapter 9 ends with Jesus having an exchange with the Pharisees about “being blind.” Chapter 10 appears to flow naturally out of chapter 9 and so we assume that the Pharisees are still the audience for Jesus’ address in chapter 10. 

When Jesus refers to himself as “the shepherd” he is directly referencing his identity as the Logos, the idea in the mind of God for humanity through whom “all things happened/came into being.” Since Jesus is the source of life for all, it follows that all sheep (human beings) recognize his voice. He knows the names of all sheep. He is the only true leader of the sheep and the sheep follow him because his voice is what brought them into being. Ultimately, the sheep will run from the voice of strangers because they have never before encountered those voices within the core of their beings. The audience, which we assume to be the Pharisees, do not understand what Jesus is saying because they are foreign to his true identity and mission. 

Jesus gets raw by identifying himself as “the gate for the sheep” and proclaiming that all who came before him were thieves and bandits who only sought “to steal and kill and destroy.” Jesus came so that humans “may have life and have it abundantly.” The Greek word perissos means abundantly, continuously, extravagantly, vehemently. It’s a very strong word that when coupled with zoe means the very fullest that human life can be. It’s important that this is not a reference to life after we die, but life today, here, in this realm. Many worshipers will hear this passage and immediately think it’s referencing going to heaven after we die. That assumption will need to be addressed in the sermon.

Jesus is making the very clear point that those who have come before him have created a human culture that drains, saps and takes life. The hierarchies, divisions, dominances within our world are killing people and robbing them of real life. Even the rich, successful, and dominant are dying because they follow a lie and live in perpetual fear of losing their dominance. Only Jesus, the Logos, the source of life, the gate for the sheep can restore human culture to a place of equity, peace, opportunity for all people. When the sheep hear his voice they know it’s true and they want to follow it. However, the thieves continually break in to steal, kill and destroy by spreading more lies and by holding the sheep hostage through means of violence and domination. We, the church, stand as the new humanity who hear Jesus’ voice, follow in his ways and live as the heart, hands and feet of Jesus proclaiming his Word and setting all free to be children of God. 

Key preaching points: 

Jesus isn’t the “designer” of human life, he IS the DESIGN. If we want to know what it means to be fully human, we look to Jesus. What we see in Jesus is the fullness of human life. He loves everyone. He heals the sick. He feeds the hungry. He welcomes the stranger. He breaks down all barriers. He pours himself out in service and generosity so that all may have life; and all means ALL! Jesus even cares for those who live counter to his way of life because he realizes that they are not fully alive. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that we not only march to free the oppressed but to free the oppressor also. He made the point that the oppressor is just as captive to fear and violence as the oppressed. One of his better known quotes from his Letter from Birmingham Jail states, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We must remember that the perpetrator of injustice is also a victim, having learned the practice of injustice through immersion into an unjust culture. When we seek to set human beings free to be children of God, our aim must be on ALL human beings for salvation is the restoration of all into intimate communion with God and one another. 

Finally, Jesus is the only “gate for the sheep” because he, as Messiah/King, is the only one who can bring an ultimate end to the old moral order of hierarchy, division, dominance. Through his death on the cross, he destroys the old and through his resurrection he inaugurates a new way of life. We stand as the heart, hands and feet of Jesus called now also to be “the gate for the sheep.” When we love as Jesus loved, we are the gate for the sheep. When we serve as Jesus served, we are the gate for the sheep. When we are generous as Jesus is generous, we are the gate for the sheep. As children of God, baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are now entrusted to creating human culture. Will we participate in maintaining a culture that steals, kills and destroys? Or will we lay ourselves down as living sacrifices to create a culture of love so that all may have life and have it abundantly? May we live as the heart, hands and feet of Jesus so that we and all people may experience real life.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

May 3, 2026                     Easter 5                         John 14:1-14

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

The fifth weekend of Easter takes us back into the Farewell Discourse of the Fourth Gospel which is where we will stay until Pentecost weekend. This first passage in John 14 is often misunderstood and misquoted. Jesus states:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust into God and trust into me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places (monai – from meno which means abide, remain, stay), if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare your place? And if I go to prepare your place, I will come and bring you toward myself, so that where I am, you might be also. And you know the way to where I go.

Very often this passage is chosen to be read at funerals because many interpret it to be referring to what happens after we die. They believe that Jesus is saying that God dwells in heaven which has many rooms and that Jesus is going there to get it ready for us and then he’ll return to get us and take us there to dwell forever. That is not the proper interpretation of this passage. Jesus is indeed talking about the dwelling place for God, where God abides, remains, stays. At this point in the Fourth Gospel, God dwells only in Jesus as was reflected by the words of John the Witness (Baptizer) in John 1:32-33 that he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain (meno – abide, dwell) on/in Jesus. However, Jesus is now informing us that God’s house has many places for God to dwell, abide, or remain. The disciples don’t quite understand what this means but it will finally be revealed to them following the resurrection when the risen Jesus stands before them and breathes the Holy Spirit into them. At that point, God will dwell, abide, remain in many places. As new human beings are birthed through baptism in which they die and are raised with Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit, the number of dwelling places for God continues to climb. This passage is not about what happens after we die, it’s about where God dwells today, which is in us in order to use us to create a human culture of life for all people. 

In verse 5, Thomas raises the question regarding Jesus’ comment that “you know the way,” saying, “We don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Jesus then delivers the line in verse 6, “I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This verse has been used to beat up people of other faith groups or people who lack faith in God as a way of saying that the only way to heaven is to believe in Jesus. Such an interpretation misses the point of what Jesus is saying here. The Greek construct of the sentence could result in a translation such as: I AM the true way of life or I AM the true and living way. The point being that Jesus, as the Logos, is saying that he isn’t the designer of human life, he IS the DESIGN for human life. When we see Jesus, the enfleshment of the Logos, we see what human life is intended to be. In order to understand his statement about “no one comes to the Father except through me,” one needs to have knowledge of Middle Platonism which teaches that the Logos is the barrier between the Divine (Creator) and the material (the created). Platonism holds that if the Divine (Spirit) were to come into contact with the material, the Divine would become contaminated and no longer exist as Spirit. Thus, there must be a barrier through which the ideal (exemplar) within the Divine becomes materialized and yet does not contaminate the Spirit. This barrier is the Logos. However, Jesus is now saying that the Logos is “the way” in which the Divine (Creator and Spirit) connects or encounters the material (the created), a concept foreign to both Jew and Greek alike who believe that the material world contaminates the Divine. This is a far more radical concept than some formula for how humans go to heaven. Jesus is revealing that the Creator desires to be in communion with the created and that the created is WORTHY to be in communion with the Creator. 

This line of thinking continues with Philip asking then to see the Father (Creator). Jesus responds by saying that they have seen the Father because he dwells (abides, remains) in Jesus. He points to the works that he has done as proof that God/Creator/Father dwells in him. He goes on to say that the Father/Creator/God will soon dwell in them and in turn they will do even greater things than Jesus ever did. The phrase in verse 12, “Because I am going to the Father,” may actually be the beginning of the first sentence in verse 13. Read it this way beginning with verse 12: “Very truly I tell you, the one trusting into me will also do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these. Because I am going toward the Father, whatever you ask in my name I will do this, in order that the Father in the Son will be glorified. If you ask it of me in my name I will do it.” 

To ask something in the name of Jesus is not simply to say, “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer. It’s to ask for things that align with the vision, identity and mission of the Logos enfleshed in the person of Jesus. As the new humanity, we must constantly be discerning what it is that we need to do to create a human culture conducive to life for all. When we pray, we are to pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. It’s theologically erroneous to pray to Jesus. Jesus is our human brother who opens the door for us to pray to God/Father/Creator/Source of life and by praying in Jesus’ name, i.e. in alignment with the vision of the Logos, we have confidence that God hears our prayers and aids us in the mission of drawing all people into full communion with God and one another. As new human beings, God dwells/abides/remains in us and empowers us through the Holy Spirit to be the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world creating a new human culture where all may experience real life. 

Key preaching points:

The early Church was called “The Way” because of the lifestyle, the culture that the Jesus community created and maintained. They loved, served and lived generously toward the vision of creating a new human culture in which all might experience real life. This is who we are called to be as the Church within each of our contexts. God is counting on us choosing to live in a manner that produces life for all and that can transform the culture of death that’s all around us. When we seek to know “the Way”, it’s not a formula or some 5-step process, the Way is Jesus. God dwelled in Jesus and used every aspect of his life to bring new life to the world. When we were baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, we received the Holy Spirit and became vessels, dwelling places for God. God now dwells in us and desires to use every aspect of our lives to bring new life to the world. We are the heart, hands and feet of Jesus at home, at work, at school, in the neighborhood and across the world. When we live as the Way, we and all people experience real life. 

Jesus shared today’s Gospel message with his disciples the night he would be betrayed, arrested and begin his journey to the cross. As this was the last evening before his death, he spoke to his disciples about the things that were the most important to him, things that he yearned for them to know and remember. He concluded the message by telling them that they would do greater things than he. But how could this be? How can we exceed all the amazing things that Jesus did? Easy…he was one person, we are billions. When we share our gifts with one another as the Jesus community, we can heal more, feed more, raise up more than Jesus ever did. Jesus never intended for us to go through life alone. Even while he was dying on the cross he called for his beloved disciple and mother to care for one another. When he was raised from the dead, he breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples while they were gathered together. As new human beings, we must understand our identity in relationship to God and to one another. We don’t stand as individuals but as brothers and sisters called to join our gifts and resources so that together we can transform human culture in the Way that produces life for all.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

May 10, 2026                          Easter 6                             John 14:15-21 

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

We pick up this week in John 14 where last week’s text ended. Jesus begins in verse 15 saying, “If you love (agapao) me, you will maintain (tereo means “to keep watch over”) my commandments.” In John 13:34-35 Jesus gives a new commandment to love one another as he loved us. Therefore, the mandate of John 14:15 to maintain his commandment is again the mandate to love one another. As a result, Jesus will ask the Father for another “Advocate” or paraklete from parakaleo which means “to be called alongside.” This is a term often used in the Greek to mean one who comforts, encourages, consoles. The Church has understood the Paraklete to be the same as the Holy Spirit and hence sometimes this passage is used on the Festival of Pentecost. Verse 16 uses the term “Spirit of truth” which Jesus says the cosmos cannot receive because they neither see him nor know him, much in the same way that the cosmos could not see or receive Jesus as the enfleshment of the Logos (John 1:10-11). We, as new human beings, however, can see and know him because he dwells in and among us. 

Jesus then tells the disciples that they will not be orphaned, meaning that even though he is leaving, they will not be abandoned. After his resurrection when he breathes the Spirit into them, God will dwell in them. Since God dwells in Jesus and also in them, they all dwell in one another. Again in verse 21, Jesus reiterates that the way we love him is by loving one another (keep his commandments) which includes being loved by the Father/Creator and by Jesus. Furthermore, when we love, we get to see and experience Jesus for 1 John 4 reminds us that God is love! 

Key preaching points:

This is by far the shortest Gospel text we’ve had through Easter. The key points are rather simple:

• • We keep/maintain Jesus commandments when we love one another.
  • Jesus helps us with this by sending an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to continually pour love into us.
  • As a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, God who dwells in Jesus now dwells in us which means that we dwell in one another.
  •  When we love, we experience God and see the enfleshment of the Logos (Jesus).
  • As the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world, love is to be our way of life. 

The preacher can challenge the congregation about being generous with love. Are we lavishly generous in loving our spouses, especially when they don’t return the love? Are we generous in loving our children, not in a way that spoils them by giving them everything but in a way that raises them to be children of God? Are we generous in loving our neighbors/coworkers by breaking down the barriers, disagreements, resentments that separate us? Such generosity is how we maintain Jesus’ commandments. 

In the death and resurrection of Jesus, we see what true love and generosity look like. Even while dying Jesus continued to be generous with his love toward those killing him, the thieves on either side of him, his mother and beloved disciple, and he even continued to be generous in his love toward God. He never gave in to fear or anger by turning on others, cursing others or seeking to destroy others. When we are baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are set free from the fear of death, the fear of suffering, the fear of rejection, the fear of failure. We live now as children of God called to generously love whether we feel like it or not. When we love, we experience God. When we love, we see Jesus. When we love we are the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world bringing new life to all.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

May 17, 2026                                Easter 7                             John 17:1-11 

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

This week’s passage again flows directly from last week and continues the trajectory of remaining focused on God’s reign while not getting distracted by the issues swirling around us. Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, are important players throughout the Gospel narratives. It’s clear that this family had a special relationship with Jesus. As a guest in their home, Jesus is teaching while Mary sits at his feet listening. Martha, doing what all good hosts do, is working diligently, probably preparing a meal and making space for her guests. The problem occurs when Martha approaches Jesus in an apparently upset tone saying that she is being left to carry the burden of the tasks herself while her sister does nothing.

Jesus’ rebuke to Martha is not intended to minimize the important things that Martha is doing. Nor is Jesus denying that such things need to be done. Jesus is again (like in Luke 9; see Pentecost 3) drawing the focus back to the reign of God. If our hearts and minds are focused on being one with God and one another, then all of the tasks we do are done in love. We are created to serve. We are created for hard work. But the service and work we do is not the point in and of itself; our service and work have value and meaning when it supports God’s reign of love in the world. That’s the point that Martha missed. It’s also the point that we often miss when we allow ourselves to be so focused on things, on doing, on success, on accumulation that we forget that the real gift is life. It’s in the cross and resurrection that we are clearly reminded that we are here to be God’s gifts to the world, not to achieve for self.

Key Preaching Points: The now-deceased Buddhist leader, Thich Naht Hanh, often spoke of the value of mindful presence or having heightened awareness for each moment. Thay, as he was known by his followers, would say that if you are making tea but thinking of the rest of your day, you are not really making tea. He encouraged his followers to be mindfully present in each moment, to be aware of what they are sensing, thinking, doing. Within contemplative circles we call this “being present to self and context.” Jesus didn’t challenge Martha for cooking or cleaning. He challenged her because she was missing the joy of her service. Imagine if Martha was humming as she cooked and cleaned, giving thanks for her ability to serve her family and friends in this way. What a blessing this sort of mindfulness would have been to her and how her joy would have spilled over into her guests, instead of being contaminated by resentment and anger. She missed such a wonderful opportunity due to her negative thoughts and feelings in the moment.

Nowhere in the New Testament am I aware of a passage that says that Jesus laughed. But you can’t convince me that he didn’t laugh a lot. He had to have had a joyful spirit and presence about him. He wasn’t only some itinerant preacher dishing out fire and brimstone everywhere he went. He held children. He loved to share meals and attend parties. He raised several people from the dead, including young people. Surely there was laughter and joy in such moments. Jesus possessed the ability to “see” people. He didn’t just walk past nor did he deal with people transactionally. He would stop, listen, hear their pain and concerns. Often he would ask people, “What would you like me to do for you.” He didn’t assume. Jesus was present in each moment. Even though he knew that he was journeying to Jerusalem and the cross, he didn’t let his future crucifixion rob him of his ability to be present in each moment with each person he encountered. We must resist the temptation to see life as a compilation of moments so that we can instead see life WITHIN each moment. How does your focus on the past or future rob you of the opportunity to experience real life in every single moment? 

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

May 24, 2026                           Pentecost                             John 20:19-23 (Acts 2:1-21)

(Written by Rev. Dr. Doug Hill)

Last week we heard Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer for the oneness of the new humanity, that we might live in full communion with God and one another. This week through the reception of the Holy Spirit, especially as described in the Acts 2 narrative, the barrier of language separating humanity is overcome as people hear the proclamation of Jesus in their own native tongues. To be clear, one person speaks in his/her native tongue while every other person receives the message in their own native tongue with even the correct accents. It would be like someone speaking Chinese yet I receive their words in English with a Pittsburgh accent. This is a reversal of the impact of the dispersing and confusing of the people in Genesis 11:1-9, the story of the Tower of Babel (“balal” means “to confuse”). In this story, the people desired to build a tower reaching into the heavens in order “to make a name for themselves” and thus God thwarts their efforts by confusing them with different languages. 

In the Pentecost experience of Acts 2, the opposite occurs. In the Lukan account, Jesus spends forty days with the disciples following the resurrection (Acts 1:3), and then as he ascends he tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for “the promise of the Father” which would be the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is on the “fiftieth day” (Pentecost means “fifty”) after Passover, NOT after the Resurrection, that the Holy Spirit sweeps through the room and fills the disciples. The Pentecost experience of Acts 2 is intended to draw the hearer/reader back to the creation narrative of Genesis 1:2 in which “the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, and a wind (“ruach” meaning wind, breath, spirit) from God swept over the face of the waters.” It is the same creative wind, breath, spirit that sweeps through the disciple’s room recreating them into new human beings. The tongues of fire take us back to Luke 3:16 during the story of John the Baptizer announcing, “I baptize you with you with water; but one more powerful than I is coming…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Fire is a source of refinement, destroying all impurities so the true material can be set free to shine forth. Those hearing/reading the Acts 2 account will recall John’s proclamation in Luke 3 which also announces that the wheat will be set free from the chaff. All of John’s prophecies come to fruition in the Pentecost event of Acts 2. 

After the dramatic event of receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples run into the streets to proclaim the inauguration of the new humanity through the death and resurrection of Jesus. As they speak, the Spirit translates their message into each hearer’s native tongue. Confused by the spectacle, some begin to ask questions because they don’t understand what is happening. They initially think that the disciples are drunk, why wouldn’t they be, the last weeks have been quite stressful. This creates the opportunity for Peter to preach the Gospel, to let people know that a new day has dawned and all are to be included. It’s good to read the remainder of chapter 2 (even though the worshipers will not hear it) in order to have a grasp of the flow. Acts 2:41-47 describes the first activities of the new humanity and can be a source for unpacking the significance or outcome of the arrival of the Holy Spirit. 

It’s always a bit messy when we read both the Acts 2 text alongside the “other” Pentecost text of John 20:19-23. First of all, we just heard John 20:19-23 a few weeks ago (refer back to Easter 2 for commentary on this passage) which means creating another sermon based on this text can be a bit troublesome; secondly, the two stories oppose one another. Luke/Acts depicts the Holy Spirit arriving 50 days after the Passover while the Fourth Gospel has Jesus transmitting the Holy Spirit on the day of the resurrection. As such, you might forgo using the John 20 passage and focus entirely on Acts 2:1-21. 

Key preaching points:

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. Whether we identify with the Fourth Gospel’s depiction of John 20 where Jesus breathes the Spirit directly into the disciples, or with the dramatic narrative of Acts 2 where wind and flame fill the room, the responsibility for the continued enactment of the missio dei (Mission of God) shifts on Pentecost from Jesus to the Church. We are now to be the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world drawing all people to God. When we were baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, we received our true-identity as children of God and the call to pour ourselves out for God’s mission in the world. We gather not as Americans or Lutherans or any other worldly designation; we gather as God’s baptized people, the new humanity, raised up and called out (ekklesia – translated as “church”, literally means “to be called out of”) to be the vessel of the Holy Spirit bringing new life to all. Everything we do as the church must be grounded in this mission. It is our true north, it is our guiding star. The missio dei keeps us grounded in both identity and purpose and should we lose it, we become lost. Think about all that we do as Abiding Hope, our focus on relationships, service and generosity, our huge amounts of outreach, our work to create a culture of life for all people, our inclusion of all and all means ALL! Each of these is guided and driven by the missio dei to draw all people into full communion with God and one another. This commission was given to the Church on the Day of Pentecost, transmitted to us through our baptisms, and is to be taken with ultimate seriousness as our true and only way of life. 

Without the death and resurrection of Jesus there is no Pentecost experience. Jesus is only free to transmit the Spirit to us following his resurrection as a new human being. As such, we are rebirthed through baptism and called to be the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Pentecost is a passionate celebration of energy and fire. The disciples run into the streets without fear in order to share God’s good news with everyone. Do we carry the same energy and passion of the Spirit for bringing new life to all? Have we reduced faith to a cognitive exercise? Do we truly care about our world and see the way of Jesus, the way of love, service and generosity as the only means by which to set it free? What will it take for us to be set on fire for God’s mission of life for all? What will it take for us to present ourselves as living sacrifices at home, work, school, neighborhood and around the world? How much longer will we wait before we run into the streets proclaiming the risen Jesus? It’s our turn, right now, to be God’s delivery system of love and life for all. May we be so filled by the Holy Spirit that we give ourselves to the missio dei so that all may experience real life! 

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill