John 10:1-10

 This passage is read on "Good Shepherd Sunday" the fourth Sunday in Easter.  In the Revised Common Lectionary, chapter 10 is broken up over three weeks and paired with Psalm 23 (link to commentary).

Summary

Key words:

θυρα (meaning "gate", 10:1,10:7 and 10:9).  This has always been a puzzling metaphor for me.  Jesus comparing himself to a gate, which divides and keeps out, seems contrary to some of my basic notions of Jesus.  What amplifies this is that in John's Gospel, the disciples lock the gate/door (same word; 20:19, 26), showing that yes, indeed, this word is associated with fear and protection.

In terms of Old Testament references, the word "gate" or "door" appears just about everywhere, so it would be hard to make a compelling case that Jesus is clearly referencing something in the Old Testament.  

Amplifying the challenge is that Jesus employs two of his εγω ειμι ("I am", 10:7,9) statements here.  To review, Jesus uses "I am" statements throughout the Gospel of John, such as "I am the resurrection" or "I am the way."  In Greek (and Hebrew) these have a particular force because verbs already include the subject in their conjugation, meaning the inclusion of "I" or "You" is unnecessary and done for emphasis.  In short, the could be translated, "I, I am."  In this case, it is often left as "I am" because the "I am" harkens back to the name of God in the Old Testament, in which God declares the name of God to be "I am who I am." 

All this to say, Jesus is trying to say something important here, but I am not sure if I fully understand. Perhaps I can offer this:  Jesus does not say he is the fence or the wall.  He says he is the gate, the entrance.  He is the one who intends to make a way for us into the pasture.  

κλεπτης ("thief", 10:1,10:8,10:10)  I do not offer any big Greek insight here, other than to say that this is used three times.  There are thieves who come into the pasture.  This might be the Pharisees (with whom Jesus is speaking); it might be Judas (who is referred to as a κλεπτης).  Regardless, it is clear that there are thieves in the pasture.  Just because we have Jesus, doesn't mean we don't face opposition, even in the holy spaces.

περισσον ("abundant", 10:10)  I am not sure if Greek parsing of this word is particularly helpful, other than to say:  When 21st century Americans read the word "abundant" they most likely associate this with individual wealth and prosperity.  Furthermore, this "abundance" likely means that they are independent of others, in that they no longer need to borrow a neighbor's egg.  For most of human history, each person lacked all the resources they needed for the day, but with the help of their neighbors (child care, food, water, protection), they have found and continued to find their way through the day.  If abundance means financial independence from others, then basically, we had to wait until the industrial revolution for more than 1 percent of the population to reach this point.  

My sense is that the metaphor of the sheep (προβατα) suggests some directions for interpreting "περισσον", that is abundant living

- Dependent on God

- Needing the whole herd

- Purpose of life is to always give away what we have, especially our excess (wool, warmth, milk and ultimately life)

Therefore, I would offer that for Jesus, the abundant life is one of deep connection to him and others, in lives of service and mutuality.  In short, the very opposite of 

θυρωρος ("gatekeeper", 10:3)  While this may also sound like a terrible metaphor for the 1st or 3rd person of the trinity or even a leader in a religious community, I did find that Trayer offered the translation of "janitor."  I found this kind of cool to think that God is portrayed as a blue collar worker.  

Reminds me of a Martin Luther King Jr quote that may speak to what abundant life means:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

νομνη ("pasture", 10:9)  Just a reminder - in the best pastures there are both weeds and piles of poop.  The good life still has bad guys, bad grass and poop.

Luke 24:13-35

This passage occurs in the RCL during Easter (Year A, B and if you like, C).

Summary:
A very moving piece of Scripture.  You might argue it is the "ultimate" piece of Luke's Gospel, bringing together so many themes:  importance of hospitality, completion of OT salvation and vitality of worship to name a few.  

A reflection on this passage and Holy Communion:  The disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread and the ties to Holy Communion are obvious.  However, a few curiosities.  First, Jesus does not use the word Eucharist here, which he does at the last supper.  Furthermore, the resurrected Christ shows up to the disciples not in the breaking of the bread, but in the proclamation of the Word as they tell each other Jesus is risen! (Vs 36!) Finally, when Jesus first gives them the bread, it is not after the breaking but after the distribution that their eyes are opened.  They had to know that Jesus was for you in order to know Christ.  Ultimately though, this theological masterpiece cannot be used against communion, but I want to point out that for Luke, everything good and wonderful (including praise, the power of the Word and the importance of intimacy, even relationship with Christ and the community) is included!  To put it more potently  :  This passage is about way more than breaking bread.  Likewise, Holy Communion is about more than breaking bread, it is about praising God in Glory, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus and finally, by the Holy Spirit, recognizing Christ did this for me and my brethren.

Key Themes:  

1)  Intimacy and fellowship

The story shows the main two ways in which humans are involved in intimate conversation:  taking a walk together and enjoying a meal together.  Here are some other hints about this 'togetherness'

συν (preposition meaning "with"; but it can also be combined with verbs to slightly change their meaning; three such verbs appear in 24:14,15)  By using these words Luke plays on the sounds the words make; he also subtly suggests those on the road were together.  In fact, even the word for converse (ομιλεω) has 'homo' as a root word, which means 'of one.'

ωμιλουν (form of ομιλεω - important to note there is a rough breathing accent here; 24:14)  This word is literally:  homoleoo, from which we get homiletic, as in sermon.  Ironically, this word often comes to mean a sage on stage, but the root of the word is conversation, in this case conversation on the road together!  How is your preaching like a conversation?  For me, my delivery has a few ways to engage the listeners, but the main way in which it is a conversation is the Bible studies that I do during the week surrounding the week's preaching text(s).

παροικιες (from "παροικεω" meaning "temporarily dwell", 24:18)  I love that Jesus is described as only temporarily living in Jerusalem.  There is such truth to this -- He was an outsider in the extreme! 

μενω ("abide," used twice in 24:29)  Although often associated with the Gospel of John, this word still carries import here.  The disciples invite Jesus to abide with them.  Not in their heart, but at their table!  Also the one who was an outsider becomes the ultimate insider!

ηθροισμενους (perfect passive form of "αθροιζω", meaning gather, 24:33)  This word for gather comes from noise.  Like when you gather people, you get noise.  Imagine a house full of people joyfully saying that Jesus was alive!

κατακλιθνηαι (from "κατακλινω", meaning "lie down", 24:30)  Jesus is lying down on their floor!

2)  Faith and Sight

ηλπιζομεν (imperfect form!, meaning hope, 24:21)  This word is not in the perfect (nor aorist) tense.  It is in the imperfect tense.  They are still hoping.  They have not lost hope.  They just cannot see!

εκρατουντο (imperfect for of κρατω, meaning "seize", 24:16)  Most English speakers should be familiar with this root - it comes into English as "democracy" - power of the people.  Luke does not clarify -- what is the power seizing them?

εγνωσθη ("know" aorist form of γινωσκω 24:35)  I point this verb out because Luke changes it from the earlier "recognize" (επιγινωσκω).  I cannot figure out why Luke draws this distinction, other than to say: If you know Jesus, you will recognize him; if you recognize him, you know.  To put it in familiar Lutheran terms:  To know Christ is to know his benefits.  When it comes to these words, I am not sure if I know the difference, even though I recognize it (haha).  

It is worth putting this word in play with two other words that Luke uses: 

ειδον (see, 24)  The early disciples did not see Jesus; more importantly, they did not recognize what this meant. You cannot see what you do not believe, even when it is right in front of your eyes.  Until we have internalized a new story, we will reject new data.  (See COVID reaction in America for this.  We cannot emphasize this enough in our post-consensus-truth society.  People like and agree with facts that coheres with their worldview).  I would argue that someone has to translate the Biblical story into our lives in a way that we can see something new.

εξηγουντο (imperfect form of εξηγεομαι, 24:35) This word comes into English as "exegesis"; it literally means "to lead out."  What I find interesting here is that Luke acknowledges that their telling of the story is also an interpretation.  There is no "neutral" story telling.  Story telling is an act of interpretation.

ανασταντες (raise up, 33).  Once they did recognize the risen Lord, they themselves "rose" up -- they experienced resurrection.  Even though at that point he was invisible!

κλασει ("breaking" dative of κλασις 24:35; in a verb form κλασας 24:30; also sounds like the name Κλεοπας)  It is in the breaking of the bread that the disciples recognize Jesus; worth pointing out, however, is that it is also in the proclamation of Jesus resurrection (vs 35-36) that Jesus shows up.  Luke does not neglect a theology of the Word!  It is also worth pointing out that the first time they recognize Jesus, they do so, not in the breaking of the break, but while the bread is being distributed.  Based on the verb tenses you get:  Taking the bread he blessed it.  After he broke it he was distributing it.  And their eyes began to be opened (or became opened).  The point here is that breaking the bread may not be the only "magic" moment when Jesus shows up.  In other words (I know I am pushing it here), it was only when they heard the for you that the recognized Jesus.  If you don't know Jesus is for you, you can't see him in the world!

3.  Salvation - roots in the OT
λυτρουσθαι ("redeem," present infinitive form of λυτρομαι, 24:21)  This verb means redeem in a the "ransom" sense of the word.  The Bible uses this word to talk about people redeeming property with payment.  People can also make a redemption payment to God to avoid punishment for their sins (see Number 35:31).  In Exodus, in fact, the people must pay a ransom to God to avoid a plague (30:12).

A few other points:
- Redemption can avoid punishment but not ultimate death:  Psalm 49:8-9 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice that one should live on forever and never see the grave.  (NRSV)  The idea of redemption into eternal life seems a human impossibility and a new testament novel development.

- God was not the only one from whom redemption could be sought.  For example, God redeems (same verb) the people from slavery in Egypt (2 Sam 7:23, Deut 13:5).  In this sense, God redeems from an agent hostile to God's will for the people.

- It is worth point out that Luke employs the idea in a different manner here than in Mark 10.  In Mark, Jesus is the redemption (the thing paid to do the redeeming, 10:45).  Based on the structure of this sentence in Luke, Jesus is the one doing the redeeming.  This small distinction raises great question for Christians:  Who was Jesus redeeming Israel from (Rome?); why was Jesus redeeming them?  What was the payment (his suffering?)?  Who did God possibly have to deal with?  But if you don't want to go there, keep it simple:  Jesus gave his life that you might be redeemed, namely, set free from sin and death.

- There is another complex way to think about redemption looking at the book of Numbers. I wrote about this word extensively in a post on Mark 10.  In that post, I delve into the truth that a transactional sense of Jesus' work on the cross has clear biblical roots...but is not the best way to understand the data. 

δοξαν ("glory" accusative of δοξη, 24:26)  This word has many layers; originally meaning "opinion" it can also mean "splendor."  In the Old Testament, the glory of God was revealed in God's presence and thus, the two became inter-connected.  So in the New Testament, borrowing from the OT, "glory" also means the amazing presence of God!  Luke uses this word at some key passages to point toward the glory related to the presence of God and his kingly splendor:  Glory of Christmas Angels (2:9/2:14); Devil's promise (4:6); Transfiguration (9:32); Palm Sunday (19:38); Second coming (9:26/21:27)\

καιομενη (present passive participle of καιω 24:32)  While God often makes things burn out of his anger, I think the best recollection for this verb is the burning bush -- it was not consumed, but the Word of God kindled it brightly!

Lastly...

προσεποιησατο ("pretend" aorist of προσποιεω, 24:28)  So, can Jesus pretend?  Yes!!

Grammar review:  Negative questions
Greek shows questions with a ";" mark.  Some sentences can be very tricky because we miss this!
Also, in Greek, a question can include a negative.  Depending on the wording, the question expects either a no or yes answer.  In English we have something similar, in that a question can expect a yes or no answer, but it is the word order, if not inflection, that reveals this information in English:
"You don't think that is a good idea, do you?" (Expects a no answer)
"Don't you want you some ice cream?"  (Expect a yes answer)
In Greek, the distinction is easier!  When they use "μη" they expect a no answer. When they use "ου" they expect yes.
So, for example, when Jesus asks the question, "Grapes are not gathered from thorns, are they?" the Greek uses a μη (7:16, technically μητι). 
Again, if it has a "ου" it expects a "yes."  The only challenging part is that ου can show up as ουκ when it appears before a verb; also ουχι is a more intense form, like "REALLY PEOPLE, the answer must be yes..."

In this 24:26, Jesus asks the question about the necessity of his suffering:
ουχι ταυτα εδει παθειν τον χριστον και εισελειν εις την δοξαν αυτου;
Because the sentence (really a question!) begins with ουχι it expects a "yes" answer:
"REALLY PEOPLE, wasn't it necessary for the Christ to suffer this and then enter into his glory?"

Preaching in the age of AI

A friend of mine shared with me a CNN about how AI (ChatGPT) can write a sermon.  My initial comment was "my job is safe!"  But I decided to see for myself what it could do.  I asked it to develop a sermon about the Prodigal Son.  I confess, I was rather impressed.  The more I explored the capacity of the ChatGPT "playground", the more I did breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that my job was safe.  That said, I did walk away from my experiment inspired, reminded of what good preaching is all about and why I love and am constantly humbled by this craft!

AI can "copy" but not "steal"; but that is still useful.

Pablo Picasso once said that good artists copy, but great artists steal.  In essence, ChatGPT is not a good thief, it is a master copier.  It takes words and sentences from the internet about a given topic and figures out how to coherently put them together in sentences and paragraphs.  It is not seeking to be original in its synthesis per se; it weighs the effectiveness of content by frequency of usage in the existing corpus of material, in this case internet sermons, devotions, commentaries and likely lyrics to Christian songs.  It is sifting through words with neither a creative nor theological lens; it simply wants the highest probable coherent word.

ChapGPT is good at this!  In the short sermon on the Prodigal Son I asked it to produce, it gave some historical context, reviewed the salient features of the story and then moved to a rather gracious conclusion:

"This is the message of the prodigal son. No matter how far we have strayed, God is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back into His loving embrace. We should never fear to approach God, because He is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back.

My brothers and sisters, let us never forget the lesson of the prodigal son. No matter what we have done, God is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back into His loving embrace."

I can imagine a human saying and even a pastor preaching something like this.  In fact, I would guess the outline of the content it produces could work as a good skeleton for many sermons.  I have a hunch that some pastors will utilize ChatGPT as an effective tool for understanding the broad "hive" mind of the internet.

I even asked it to write a sermon on the very challenging words of Jesus: “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”  I don't think I could have used that sermon it produced; but it certainly wrote something that one could use as a starting point for reflection.

So should I just use ChapGPT for a rough draft of my sermon?  There are likely worse places to start, but we should be well aware of its limitations.

ChatGPT lacks fire

In the CNN article, a (Lutheran) professor Ken Jones offered that the ChatGPT would unlikely be able to offer the "For you", necessary for good preaching.  I agree with him, but let me unpack this.  To apply ancient Scripture to our lives, the preacher necessarily must make things abstract.  The prodigal son story cannot simply be about that one particular son getting is inheritance prematurely, but must be about all of us who have turned away from God to seek our own pleasure and glory.  However, if you make the meaning too abstract, the message becomes platitudes rather than proclamation.  Those listening to (or reading) a sermon must be able to hear the Word of God for them, individually and collectively, not as abstractions about life as a whole but as a Word of guidance and grace for their lives.  

Concretely, this means that ChatGPT will lack fire when preaching about moral conduct.  Here are words from a sermon it wrote about "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a stream."  (These words were spoken by a fire-brand prophet of ancient Israel against religious hypocrisy and aristocracy nearly three millennia ago).

These powerful words from the prophet Amos remind us of the importance of justice and righteousness in our lives. We live in a world where injustice and unrighteousness are rampant. We see it in the streets, in the news, and even in our own lives. It is often difficult to stand up against these oppressions, but it is something we must strive for.

Of course, who isn't against injustice?  But if one doesn't have to name the injustice, one doesn't have to do anything about it.  Good preaching ought to have some bite, some fire that challenges us, ideally stirring us to action.  Bereft of specifics, ChatGPT more or less repeatedly various wordings of the same paragraph over and over, which less impact each time.  In fact, if we pushed the argument in a Lutheran direction, the preaching ought to have enough fire that it kills the old sinner in us, forcing us to cry out "Lord have mercy."

Where AI really struggles with Sermons

Just as law that ChatGPT is offering becomes an abstraction stripped of its ability to convict us, the grace it offers also becomes an abstraction unable to heal. Here is the best of what ChatGPT offered about the words "that even the dogs have scraps." (From Matthew's Gospel, a brutally uncomfortable interaction between Jesus and a foreign woman).

Let us remember that no one is excluded from God’s grace and mercy. Let us come to him and accept his love and grace.

While certainly fine and dandy, the story's raw interaction between the woman and Jesus might make one question Jesus' commitment to inclusion. When confronted with the raw data of life (in the Bible and in our everyday), in which people often treat each other without much grace and mercy, in which exclusion is the norm, we need more than words about a gracious God. We need to have our eyes opened to the action of God's grace in the Bible and in our lives. This is done in three ways by preachers, all three of which will be impossible for AI.

Proclamation of the cross and empty tomb

Preachers move beyond talking about grace to explaining what God has done, out of grace, for you, particularly in the story of Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the grave. As I continue to play around with ChatGPT, I observe the underlying word pool that it draws from is American pop Christianity. This is really a cesspool of "TMD" - therapeutic, moralistic, deism. In this understanding of God, which surveys continue to show is what most Americans actually believe, God created the world, provided laws and numbs our pain. While all true, it is only a half truth. This is the God that loves, cares and guides, of course, but this is the God that never demands all; it also the God that never gave all on the cross. As long as AI draws theological inspiration from the general pool of English speaking Christianity, it will struggle again and again to free itself from an understanding of God shaped by TMD. The age of AI, whether Social Media algorithms or ChatGPT, will amplify messages that function like sugar. Sweet at first, perhaps toxic after a while; definitely not up-building. Preaching must strive to present God as something beyond the thin claims of TMD; presenting a Jesus who actually calls a person to lose their life and who then proceeds, before we were ready, to lose his life for us.

Good story telling

Good preachers can make the Bible stories sing and resonate in our souls. However, a good preacher also shares stories from real life that show God's grace, poured out on the cross, interrupting our lives. The more these stories amplify the biblical story and point toward the hidden and mysterious power of forgiveness and resurrection, the more powerful the preaching. The more these stories reflect the actual experience of the congregation and their context, the more resonate they become. An AI that gathers enough data to speak the language will not gather the data from one's particular community. A good preacher, especially in the age of AI, must spend less time listening to the hive mind and more time listening to actually stories of the individuals in one's community. How might the ancient stories be playing themselves out in the lives of our people? This is a question AI seems ill-equipped to answer.

Consolation of the Brethren

I put this is really old school language, but Martin Luther argued that the community of fellow believers serves as a means of grace, as we listen and proclaim good news to each other. In a world drowning in content, people are less and less hungry for sermons of historical information. I offer that they are deeply desiring a holy space and time, and moreover, an authentic community in which they can share the junk of their lives and try to make sense of it in light of a living God. As much as I love church, I wonder if the real spiritual lifting in people's lives likely happens in car rides to basketball practice, at the kitchen table, over tears before bedtime or on a barstool. Nobody wants friends that preach to them; but all of us hunger for a friend who can deliver the honest truth about our mistakes and about God's redeeming love. The AI world challenges us to equip our people to be such bearers of the word for each other. The age of AI means we can let go of proving our expertise on the Bible and embrace the role of one who fosters a community grounded in the word.

Stealing is the fun part!

There is so much I didn't cover that this brief experiment has brought to mind. So before I tempted to say much more, a toast to stealing.

When I first got out of seminary, I had a couple of packaged sermons ready to go.  Certain insights of my professors needed to be shared with the world!  While I enjoyed preaching those "pre-packaged" sermons, I believe my second and third time around on preaching those biblical stories produced much better sermons.  This was not because I had disregarded  the original insight, but because I had finally let go of it just enough to apply it to the particular context in which I served.  It was no longer copied, but stolen, that is, made anew based on the lives and stories in my community.   

For me, "stealing" is the fun in preaching.  Hearing a good idea or "take" somewhere and then playing with it and molding it to the context in which I preach.  In a world swimming with words and content, grounding the Word of God with in a particular context and the stories of a community will still be a "value add" for people.  This ultimately, I maintain, is the challenge and joy of preaching: Not figuring out the absolute singular truth about a passage or a word but prayerfully discerning what message from this ancient passage God is calling me to bring to a particular group of people.  Maybe one day the Lord will outsource this to AI, but I really don't see that happening any time soon!

John 20:19-31

In the RCL, this passage appears on Easter II

Summary:  This is a rich enough story to preach on every year.  There are so many directions!

What stands out to me this year (2019) is that Jesus wounds do not go away with the resurrection.  They are healed, but still present.  Furthermore, the disciples, AFTER having seen the risen Lord, still lock their doors.  In short, the changes brought by the resurrection are more subtle, more of a dialectic: "crucified AND risen", "afraid AND hopeful", "doubting AND believing."

Key Words:
λεγει ("speak", 20.19)  The verb here for "speak" is the present tense, which suggests repeated action: He continually was saying to them, "Peace be with you."

υμιν ("you all" in the dative, 20:19).  The Greek leaves out the word "is" in the sentence, simply declaring "Peace to you."  Hence, the Greek is a bit more ambiguous here as to whether Jesus is offering a blessing or making a statement: "Peace is with you" could work. All that the Greek has is "Peace to/for/with/by/in you."

Always worth addressing to an American audience:  This you is a plural you.  The peace is among, with and for the whole group, not just an individual.

θυρα ("gate", 20.19)  The word for "door" or "gate" here is θυρα; this word is used in other Gospels to talk about the entrance to Jesus tomb.  It can be hard to make cross-Gospel connections, so a bit simpler:  Jesus calls himself the θυρα, or the Gate in John's Gospel (10:1-9).  See also:

κεκλεισμενων ("locked", 20.26) The text literally reads: "The Jesus of locked doors/gates came stood into the middle of them." This is a very odd placement/case of the expression "locked doors/gates."  It may modify the circumstances under which Jesus came (ie, Jesus came in after the gates were locked), but it might also modify Jesus.  This is the more exciting possibility.  As in, it could (and probably should) read "Jesus came while the doors were locked."  But it could read "Jesus of locked gates came." The former is the more likely translation, but John seems to suggest the latter through his narrative.  My point with the "locked gates" Jesus is that Jesus is very good at breaking down barriers that we establish.   

αποστελλω vs πιμπω ("send", 20.21) Jesus here will use different verbs for the father's sending and his sending of the disciples, αποστελλω vs πιμπω .  Don't read into this.  John just likes to use variety. See 8.29 and 17.18 for examples of Jesus using these verbs interchangeably.  The big deal is that Jesus sends the disciples.  Don't buy the idea that this is a core Johannine theme; this is a core New Testament and whole Bible theme!

ενεφυσησεν (aorist form of "breath-in", 20.22)  The verb "breath-in" is a rather rare verb in biblical Greek, appearing once in the NT and nine times in the OT Greek.  Significantly, in the OT it shows up in Genesis 2:7, when God breathes into the humans; in 1 Kings when Elijah revives a boy and also in Ezekiel 37, when God's Spirit breathes into the bones.  The disciples are coming alive! 

COVID-19 reflection.  It wasn't enough for Jesus to be raised from the dead.  It was also not enough for them to hear the news.  Jesus had to physically interact with them.  We are incarnate creatures.  Which means that the spiritual is also the physical.  The spirit itself is associated with breath, not internal mystical feelings.  We are inspirited creatures, something not opposed to incarnate creatures. 

αφεωνται & κεκρατηνται (perfect forms of αφηιμι & κρατω, meaning "forgive" and "hold", 20.23) The verb tenses of "forgiven" (αφεωνται) and "bound" (κεκρατηνται) are in the present for the disciple's actions, but in the perfect tense for the result -- the effect is lasting. Actually, the tense for forgive is in the aorist and the tense for bound is present.  This suggests that binding/retaining a sin takes energy -- we have to keep it up...I think this is true on an individual level, where retaining a sin takes energy as we hold a grudge. I think this also is true on a societal level, where calling something a sin and continuing to claim it as such takes energy too. 

τυπος ("mark", 20.25)  This word can mean "wound" or "mark" but clearly comes into English as another word:  "Type."  A τυπος originally meant a mark created by a blow or impression.  Eventually it came to mean a mold or form into which something could be made (you make such a form by impressing or blowing something!); then it came to mean example, often related to a set of teachings.  For example Paul writes in Romans 6:17 (NIV)
"...you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted."

The idea being that Christ's teachings made an impression and formed a mold.

So what is the mold and form of the Christian teachings?  Resurrected wounds from the cross!!  Death that leads into life through the Spirit!  This is the substance of the Christian proclamation.

ου μη ("no-no", 20.25) The ου μη that Thomas uses is a strong future denial meaning "ou meh," as in "will never."

οκτω ("eight", 20.26) The number eight here is a reminder that Christians gather on the 8th day, the day after the (Jewish) Sabbath, the day of resurrection.  Baptismal fonts have eight sides...

απιστος ("unfaithful", 20.27)  Thomas never "doubts" as a verb. The word doubt is not used, but rather, unfaithful! Jesus says literally, "Do not be unfaithful but faithful."  Side note:  I've often wondered if Thomas struggled to believe the resurrection more emotionally than intellectually because he knew exactly what it meant if Jesus had been raised -- they would all have their lives totally changed...exactly what happened to Thomas, even traveling to India to proclaim Jesus is Risen!

Matthew 28:1-10 (Easter)

Here are links for Greek commentary on all four Resurrection Gospel accounts.
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-18

Special note for 2020 and COVID:  "Afraid yet filled with joy..."  This passage definitely has a great deal of fear, change and uncertainty.  Yet at the heart of it is joy and resurrection.  I think this passage, while seemingly not as a emotional as John's Gospel, gets at the heart of the emotional ambiguity that Easter 2020 is bringing for all of us:  Afraid, yet filled with joy.

Note in 2023:  It is interesting to see this note from 2020.  While we no longer live under the veil of the pandemic, the narrative and culture of fear continues.

Summary:  The angel tells the people "no longer be afraid."  This command concerning fear is in an on-going tense.  We should never be afraid any more!  Jesus has won.  I would offer a pastoral way to hear the command to no longer be afraid.  As Christians, we can no longer be afraid of grief.  Not that we will avoid grief, but that we do not have to fear visiting the tomb.  We can "go there" and mourn and even mourn with others.  The power of the resurrection is revealed as we let our hearts experience the sadness of our goodbyes.  Only one who knows they will say hello again can give a proper good-bye and miss a person!

All in all, what strikes me this year about Matthew's account of the resurrection is still how chaotic is seems.  I have always pictured Mark as the chaotic writer, but Matthew's account seems very unsettled.  It does not even seem to calm down once Jesus shows up.

Key Words:
ταφος ("grave," 28.1):  The translators get this word right.  I point it out because I find a pastoral nugget in this: Amid the midst of grief and sorrow, the women want to look at the grave.  In our culture, we are often taught, especially as Christians, to avoid the grave, to avoid reflecting on grief.  We are taught to live in joy of resurrection.  This is true, but I sense that in order to experience the power of resurrection, we must also go to the grave and be confronted by the power of death.  Furthermore, I think our encounter with the news of the resurrection, even of our loved ones, produces a mixture of fear and joy, echoing the emotions of the first disciples.

σεισμος ("earthquake," 28.2):  We've had this idea before in Matthew...during Palm Sunday the whole city shook with the cheers of the people!  Also, after the crucifixion, an earthquake caused the centurion to confess his faith.  Interestingly, σεισμος can also mean storm.  Jesus slept in the boat during the storm in Matthew 8:24; he emerges from the hull to calm the storm and disciples.  Likewise, Jesus will emerge from the tomb to calm this σεισμος, including the disciples.  Perhaps in both stories the disciples remain of little faith...

See also εσεισθησαν ("shake," aorist passive of σειω, 28.4).  In this case, the guards were shaken.  The resurrection will shake everyone and admittedly cause fear.  The world has been turned upside down!

φοβου ("fear," 28.4 as a verb in 28.5):  While Matthew's portrayal of the resurrection is perhaps not as stark as Mark's, Matthew still has fear!  Worth noting is that the imperative verb (do not be afraid) is in the present tense:  "Stop being afraid and keep not being afraid."  The resurrection means we have nothing to fear, truly, nothing to fear.

φοβεισθε ("fear", as a verb, 28:5)  The verb here is the plural, something we do not observe in English. These are words to the community of faith, not just the individual.  They are also present tense, suggesting the disciples were afraid and that they are no longer to be afraid.

εσταυρωμενον ("crucify," passive perfect participle of σταυροω, 28.5):  The perfect tense in Greek implies that the action still results in a current state.  Jesus has been and still is in the state of crucifixion:  Resurrection did not negate crucifixion.  Jesus was and is eternally crucified!

ειπεν ("said" from λεγω, 28:6)  I would argue here that you could translate this verb as promise.  Why?  Well, for starters, we have a language problem.  Hebrew doesn't distinguish between "say" and "promise."  God and humans have the same verb for speech, and so the English authors translate - from Hebrew - God's speech as "promise" because what God says God will do, God does.  Admittedly, Greek does distinguish between the words.  BUT:  The authors of the Gospels never use the verb promise to describe Jesus' words, except the explicit promise of the Holy Spirit at the end of Luke's Gospel.  Functionally, when they writes Jesus "says" this means "promise" because what he says will happen.  So, I think you can go by the Old Testament/Hebrew rule:  Everyone speaks, but when Jesus speaks, you can translate it as promise...

It is also worth noting that the angel emphasizes that Jesus is risen, "just as he said."  The angel is challenging them to have faith, not just in the resurrection but in evidence of God's faithfulness.  Even the story that should be about all the proof in the world is still about trusting a word, the word of Jesus, the word of the angels and finally the word of the women.

αστραπη ("lightning," 28.3):  This word would be uninteresting to me except that it also appears in 24.27, "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."  Jesus also predicts earthquakes in the second coming (σεισμος in 24.7).  While Jesus has not returned a second time, lightning and earthquakes suggest a dawning of a new age in the resurrection.  As Jesus said,
"Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."  (16.28)"
The Son of Man has come in his Kingdom.

υπηντησαν ("meet," aorist of υπανταω, 28:9)  This word can mean meet, but it is also used in Matthew 8:28 (also in Acts 16:16) to mean confront or oppose.  This is an interesting idea of Jesus confronting them here!  It is also interesting that Jesus does better than his promise; he meets them long before Galilee!

χαιρετε ("rejoice," 28:9)  It means rejoice -- but it can be used as a greeting.  A few things to note.  First, in the LXX or New Testament, whenever it is used in the plural, it is a command, "Rejoice" and not a greeting.  However, I humbly suggest that in Matthew 28, Jesus is actually saying "Rejoice!"  He is meeting women at the crossroads of fear and joy - he commands them to rejoice.  And what do they do?  They fall down and worship!  If you think this is too much of a stretch, you can note the profound difference in the scenes of greeting in the last chapters of Matthew's Gospel:
Matthew 26:49  Judas says, "Greetings (χαιρε), Rabbi."
Matthew 27:29  The solider mock him saying, "Hail (χαιρε), King of the Jews."

εκρατησαν ("seize", from κρατω, 28:9)  This word actually comes into English in Demo-cracy.  The people (demo) seize/hold (krato) the power!  What is worth noting here is that there are only two times people seize Jesus:  soldiers to arrest him and now women to worship him.  There is something gripping -- literally -- about this scene.  They are suffering trauma and now comes along Jesus.  They hold him because they don't want to let him go.  (In 2020, I wonder how many of us will hold loved ones the first time we can see after this COVID lock-down is over!).

Grammar and translation:
There are two things you shouldn't waste time tying to learn in a dead language:  numbers and dates/times.  Why?  Because translators don't get these wrong!  For example, in 28:1 you have the phrase: εις μιαν σαββατων.  The literally means "the first of the sabbath."  Which means, as it turns out, on the first day after the sabbath (akin to Monday being the first day of the week).  It doesn't mean "the first thing on the Sabbath!)  Similarly, I would want to translate, οψε δε σαββατων as in "late on the Sabbath" but it really means, in this case, "after the Sabbath was over."  When it comes to time/dates, just trust the people that spend their lives translating.  There is nothing theological at stake; they just spent time learning the ancient idioms!

John 20:1-18 (Easter)

Here are links for Greek commentary on all four Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-18

Summary:  The big story in John is that Mary needs to hear Jesus call her by name.  At that point, she recognizes Jesus.  In our grief and sorrow, we can over look Jesus and his resurrection until we hear Jesus call us by name, which he does in our Baptisms.  But if you already preached THE John sermon, here are some other ideas.

Key words:
μνημειον ("tomb", 20:1)  This word comes from the Greek for memory (like English "mneumonic" is something that helps you remember).  The complaint almost reads, "They have taken Jesus out of my memory!"  There is something to play with here, about memory and loved ones.  Jesus isn't just a memory; your loved ones aren't just a memory.  Jesus is alive!

οιδαμεν ("know" from ειδω, 20:2, 9 and 13).  This word comes from ειδω, which means to see.  In the perfect sense (I have seen), it means I know.  The point here is that John is subtly combining the ideas of knowing and seeing; and there is a lot more of seeing going on than first anticipated.  Also, this verb is in the plural, suggesting that Mary is not alone (hence synchronizing with the synoptics).

εθηκαν ("place", from τιθημι, 20:2) This verb is all over John's Gospel, most importantly in chapter 10, when Jesus discusses himself as the Good Shepherd who will lay down his life.  No one lays down Jesus; only Jesus himself does this.  Jesus also praises one who lays down his life (John 15:13) and asks if the disciples will lay down their life (13:37)

οθονια ("fine linen", 20:5, 6 and 7)  I never realized it was high quality linen they put around Jesus!  Interestingly, this can refer in ancient Greek to a sail.  Okay.  Back to reality.  The point is that Jesus had the finest stuff that he even took time to roll up!

αυτους ("themselves", 20:10)  This word here is translated as "home."  But the Greek doesn't say home.  It literally reads, "They went back to themselves."  I think one can picture them simply going off to ponder what had happened rather than simply going back to life as it were.  The resurrection was not expected -- it was the entirely surprising event.
 
ο κηπουρος ("gardener", 20:15)  The big deal here is that Jesus is THE gardener.  Where is Jesus after the resurrection.  GARDENING!  Also worth noting is that like in the OT, when angels speak the Word of the Lord, the Lord shows up.

Grammar note:
20:9  Infinitive phrases:  subject takes accusative
Just a quick reminder that in infinitive phrases, the subject is found in the accusative case.  Hence "it was necessary for Jesus to rise from the dead" and not "it was necessary for him to raise Jesus from the dead."

Easter (RCL and NL)

Here are links for Greek commentary on the resurrection accounts in all four Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-18

Note:  All four Gospels do not portray an entirely resolved emotional situation.  Our anthems on Easter project robust celebration and confidence.  The Easter Gospels show fear, confusion and the dawning of the entirely unexpected.

A teaser from the posts on Luke 24:1-12
προς εαυτον ("to himself"; 24.12)  Most translators take the phrase, "to himself" to mean "to his possessions," namely, Peter's house (including BDAG).  Hence they translate it "Peter went to his house."  Yet, Peter does not necessarily go to his home. It literally says, "He went away to himself." This could just as naturally read, "He went away by himself." As the KJV puts it "wondered in himself."  Most translators likely base their translation on John 20:10, where it is more clear that the disciples went home.  But Luke's imagery is of Peter walking away by himself, pondering these events, likely without any real direction in his wanderings.
Luke's presentation of the Resurrection story gives us permission to struggle with the Good News.  It is so good, so amazing, that even the first disciples struggled with it.

A teaser from the posts on Matthew 28:1-10 and Mark 16:1-8:
εσταυρομενον ("crucified"; 6).  This word is also in the perfect, meaning an action happened in the past that still describes the state of affairs.  The angel declares that even though he is risen, Jesus is still in the state of being crucified.  You are seeking the crucified one; he is risen.  Jesus is alive but he still has the wounds in his hands.

My pastoral thought, reflecting on the Greek, is that the women have the courage and compassion to go to the tomb.  It can be easy to make Easter into a day when we criticize those who focus on the grave; who focus on grief.  I think as Christians we have the power to grieve because we have hope.  In short, we can say good-bye and miss them because we will see them again.

A teaser from the post on John 20:1-18:
μνημειον ("tomb", 20:1)  This word comes from the Greek for memory (like English "mnemonic" is something that helps you remember).  The complaint almost reads, "They have taken Jesus out of my memory!"  There is something to play with here, about memory and loved ones.  Jesus isn't just a memory; your loved ones aren't just a memory.  Jesus is alive!