April 16, 2006

Easter Sunday

Motels, Marathons, & Messages

Motels

In 1976, the Eagles, a rock band, wrote a song called “Hotel California.”  The lyrics tell of a man driving across the desert and then getting to a beautiful hotel, where he checks in for the night.  But what at first seemed lovely becomes dangerous and evil.  And the song writer sings, “and I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be hell.”  And when, toward the end, he finds himself “running for the door,” in order to “find the passage back to the place I was before,” he is told: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

There have been many rumors about what this song meant.  Most of the rumors said that “Hotel California” was really another name for Hell.  A place that you can never leave.  Well, it turns out that isn’t what the songwriters had in mind. But it isn’t far from the truth.  “Hotel California is an allegory about hedonism and greed in Southern California in the 1970s.  It presents California as a gilded prison the artists freely enter, only to discover that they cannot later escape.  It is a metaphor for the west coast music industry and its effect on the talented by unworldly musicians who find themselves ensnared in its glittering web.” (-Barbara Mikkelson)

But being caught up in a web of greed, materialism, and life without God is very much what hell is all about.  So that song does contain some truths about hell – which is separation from God.  Eternal separation from God.  A place that you can never leave.  There is a place like that!  Call it a hotel that you willingly check in to.  A seemingly beautiful hotel!  “Such a lovely place.”  It ensnares us with its beauty, fame, riches, wine, dancing, and feasting.  And there’s plenty of room at this hotel.  Any time of year.  There is always vacancy.  Yes, there is a place like this.  A motel.  A place apart from God.  A place where you would never see God’s face again.  A place that you can never leave.

And you know what?  You and I have been working with travel agents, we have been on the phone, we have been online…booking reservations for this hotel!  That’s right, we have been arranging time off work, time away from our families, time away from church, to plan, prepare for, and set up our vacation from God!  We have been making reservations for “Motel Hell.”

Are you looking forward to a vacation like that?  A vacation from God?  No more rules!  No more depending on someone else.  No more moderation.  You can live it up!  Everyone can do what they want!  What’s right for you is right for you.  No more being told what to do.  But also… no more mercy.  No more life.  No more light.  No more joy.  No more comfort.  No more rest.  No more love.  No more God.  Would you want to spend time in a place like that?  Of course not, right?  Well, We have made reservations for hell!  We have booked a trip there!

You’re thinking: You can’t really be talking to me.  Oh yes, I am!  I am talking about you and me.  We have made reservations in hell, reservations in a place apart from God, every time we put ourselves first.  Every time we have been selfish.  Every time we put ourselves before God, we’re even asking for an upgrade: “Give me a room with a view!”  We made reservations in hell when we have been mean to others.  When we have hurt those close to us.  When we’ve had such short tempers with people who get under our skin.  When we feel like strangling the person who is making life difficult.  When we explode on our co-worker, classmate, or spouse, we are saying, “I would like the king-sized suite, Satan.  Does it come with HBO?”  We have made reservations in hell with our lustful thoughts and actions.  “I’ll take the honeymoon suite, Devil, can you make up the beds?”  We have booked our stay with bad decisions and poor attitudes.  With our pride.  With our greed.  With every time the material goods of this world become more important than God.  “Can we have the room with all the extra amenities, please?”  We have made reservations in hell with our lack of faith.  And if you have abandoned God, if you have decided that you don’t need Him, that you don’t believe in Him, you are already in that hotel and have placed a sign outside your room that says, “Please do not disturb!”

Well, one morning, as all these reservations were streaming in, the Devil and all his demon managers and bellhops were sitting behind the front desk, answering the phones, filing the online reservations, and counting the profit.  They were cackling with wicked glee!  Winking at each other because they know once these people check in, they can never leave!  They were beginning to celebrate their certain victory with pink champagne, when suddenly, someone walks right in through the front door.  The Devil turns and says, “Who in my hotel is that?”

This solitary figure walks up to the front desk with a swagger, rings the service bell with his nail-pierced hand, and says, “Excuse me, Lucifer, but I am here to let you know that I have CANCELLED all the reservations for this place.”  Friends, on Easter morning, Jesus went to hell, dropped in on Satan, and cancelled those reservations we had made! 

We confess in our creed, “He descended into hell…”  Our text is the one verse that tells us about this: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” (1 Pet.3:18-19).  Jesus lived the perfect righteous life for us.  Then He died to pay the punishment for all our sins, once for all.  On Easter morning, He rose again to life, to prove that God was satisfied with the work He did, and that as a result, we are forgiven by God, and at peace with Him!  And the first thing that Jesus did, before He ever physically left that tomb, was to descend to hell, march in to Satan’s headquarters, and proclaim the victory!  Jesus was dropping in on Satan to cancel all of our reservations in hell!  Friends, all those reservations you made by the way you have lived have been cancelled!  Jesus freed us from the place that we could have never left!  By the victory of his resurrection.

Jesus descended to hell simply to proclaim his victory!  The ultimate victory!  He had to go and deliver the message!  He had to go and cancel those reservations, to let the devil know where he actually stood.  Your and my vacation plans have been changed!  We aren’t going to be going to hell, where we can never leave.  We are going to heaven, where we will never want to leave!  And we’ll never have to!  Because: Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won!

Marathons

Years ago, there was another victory when all the odds were against it.  In 490 B.C., the Greeks won the victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon.  The joyous victory was unexpected by the people back in Athens.  So, a soldier named Pheidippides carried the news of the victory all the way from the town of Marathon to Athens, running the whole way, almost 26 miles.  As legend has it, when he arrived in Athens, Pheidippides delivered the momentous message: “Niki!  Victory!  Rejoice, we conquer!”  Then he collapsed and died from exhaustion.

So a man runs almost 26 miles with a message.  And it kills him.  Do any of you find it strange that today, 2500 years later, we copy what he did?  “Hey, remember that guy that ran 26 miles and then died?  We should do that!  Let’s make it a race and call it a marathon!”  Today, there are hundreds of marathons run every year!  And thousands of people are running in them!  In a month, there will be one right here in Mississauga!  You won’t find me there. I’d be too worried about the keeling-over-at-the-end part.  But people run marathons all the time!  It’s been a world event since 1896.

Here is what I don’t get. I have seen marathons end on TV.  I have seen reporters interview people as soon as the runners cross that finish line, exhausted.  I am sure you have seen footage of runners finishing a marathon and then nearly collapsing.  And maybe you’ve heard them being interviewed.  They just finished that 26 mile run, like Pheidippides ran, but you know what?  They don’t even have a message!  None of them have a message!  They’re just running to run!  They didn’t run to deliver a message.  At least Pheidippides delivered a message!

Messages

Christ died to bring us a message of victory, too.  But He also rose again.  And because of that, we have a message to run with!  Our life is like a marathon.  Like Pheidippides, but unlike modern runners, we DO have a message!  What is it?  The message that came to us on Easter morning.  Jesus Lives!  The Victory’s Won!  Our sins are forgiven!  We are at peace with God!  Death is defeated!  Our reservations in hell are cancelled!  So friends, run with that message!  Live with that message!  When the Devil is trying to drag you down into guilt and despair, remind him of the message Jesus delivered on Easter!  “Satan, I know you are trying to fill me with guilty thoughts.  I know I am guilty before God.  I haven’t been perfect.  But SO WHAT?  What of it?  Christ cancelled my reservations with you!  He has won the victory for me!”

That message fills your life with joy!  That is the message that gives you hope, that gives you a purpose and calling in life, and gives you a reason to run!  Don’t run through life without a message!  Run with one!  Live with one!  Run with the certainty of that message for you!  Proclaim your message to others! With your words!  With your acts of love.  With your patience and kindness.  With your attitude.  With the way you parent, the way you act with neighbours, the way you help others.  Even if it is with your dying breath, share the good news of Easter’s victory: Jesus Lives!  The Victory’s Won!  Your enemy holds no more power over you!

In 1930, the Communist leader Bukharin addressed a huge assembly in Kiev. His subject, atheism. For a solid hour he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity, hurling argument and ridicule. At last he was finished and viewed what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men's faith. "Are there any questions?" Bukharin demanded. A solitary man arose and asked permission to speak. He mounted the platform and moved close to the Communist. The audience was breathlessly silent as the man surveyed them first to the right, then to the left. At last he shouted the ancient Orthodox greeting, "CHRIST IS RISEN!" The vast assembly arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of an avalanche, "HE IS RISEN INDEED!"  That’s the victorious message of Easter!  Now go and run with it!   Amen.

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