The Eighth Day

John 20: 1-8

We gather this Sunday to celebrate Resurrection Day; Easter.  I often talk of Resurrection Moments, and I believe these moments are easily distinguished, but very hard to define.   Thus I am going to share three such moments.  I would say that if a gathered group of Christians started naming such moments we would have millions to share and probably greater.

The first I want to share is that of Ottist Murduck’s death.  He was 99 and a great Christian as well as an active member at First Christian Church of Durant.  He had a Do Not Resuscitate order, but it was not on file correctly at the hospital, so when he went Code Blue on Thursday the doctors and nurses kept him alive.  I talked to Ottist’s son on that Friday, and at first his son was unhappy about that glitch.  Yet that Friday his son was able to be with Ottist as he passed away as well as friends and I was able to pray with him as well.  With the DNR misfiled Ottist had family near him, and I believe that is a resurrection moment. 

The second example seems so less deep and even silly, but I know for me this example was very important in my life.  I was not sure where I was going in life and I felt very far from God.  I happen to be living in Manhattan, and if you know anything about taking the Subway, it is rare to pass the turnstile and have your train be right there.  The subway is the best way to travel in the city, but generally you do need to wait for your train for a few minutes.  If your train was there right when you entered the tunnel it would probably be the first thing off your tongue when you arrived (not unlike a parking spot right in front if you drive into the city; you will need to take my word).  Well this one week I seemed to be charmed for the trains were always on hand.  By Wednesday, I felt like I could walk to the edge of the platform and on Thursday I felt like if I did not know where I was going in life I knew God was with me.  That was the moment.  It is not that God makes sure I travel quickly and easily, simply try to fly through New Orleans with me, but that week made me know God’s presence.

The third, is a story of my mom.  She survived and battled ovarian cancer.  She was still wearing her wig months after her last chemo therapy, and she was driving the two hours to visit my family.  During the drive a semi kicked up a large piece of metal that went through her windshield, missing her by inches.  Luckily she had her eyeglasses on as the glass from the windshield was all over her.  Somehow she made it to the median, and two men who witnessed the accident pulled over to offer help.  She reports that they were more freaked out then she was, she even asked if they thought she could continue her trip.  She was trying to brush the glass of her clothes, and finally told the men not to laugh, as she removed her wig and used it to brush of the glass.  It was the last time she wore that wig, she looked death in the face twice that year; resurrection.

Again we can tell stories for days that I would say are resurrection moments and we know what they are even if we cannot define it.  Sometimes the moments are seen as the moment after the fact, such as all those above I shared.  Each of those moments were seen as being part of the Kingdom of God, Resurrection, afterwards.

Let me share with you this story of the Hebrews on their journey from slavery in Egypt to the promised land.  They were wining about being thirsty.

I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.  Exodus 17:6

Well that is a miraculous story, but let us look at how Paul interprets this same story.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.  1 Cor. 10:1-4

Well Paul sees that the rock was Christ, that the Hebrews were given water by Christ.  A resurrection moment.  The Gospels of Mathew and Luke share the birth of Jesus and so does the Gospel of John in verse 14 where John writes the Word became flesh, but even before that John makes it clear that Christ was with God in the beginning. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:1-5

Thus according to John, Paul is correct to interpret the great events such as the water from a rock is the work of Christ, as Christ has been with and is God from the start.  These resurrection moments have been happening throughout history and are not only for humanity but for all of creation.

John writes that there were many signs of Jesus and could not be contained in his book, not unlike our own moments we know.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31

This also makes us look at the signs that John does include and we discover that there are seven signs.  Water into wine, healing of the noble man’s son, healing the lame man, feeding of thousands, calming the storm, blind man receives sight, & the resurrection of Lazarus.  Seven is an important number and you cannot help think of creation, so Jesus’ resurrection will be the eighth sign, the eighth day. 

There were Jews in Jesus’ day that were waiting for the “eighth day,” and for them it was the Last Day, the resurrection.  However, Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that the Kingdom of Heaven does come and touch this earthly world.  We do have resurrection moments where God, Christ, the Holy Spirit,  allow us to know God today. 

Jesus is our Rock, Jesus is the living water, and we get to live the eighth day even when we go through our normal week.