Wait...Jesus said what?!

Did you know that we have words of Jesus that are not in the four Gospels? It’s true. Did you also know that we might have words of Jesus that don’t appear in the Bible? That’s also true (possibly). Below are a few phrases attributed to Jesus from different sources. Give them a read. Then think to yourself, “Does this sound like the Jesus I’ve come to know?” The answer may be yes or it may be no. Regardless, it’s a fun little exercise. Then, below, I give you the source of the quotes. Enjoy!

1 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

2 “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me...This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

3 “As you show kindness, so kindness will be shown to you.”

4 “Woe to the Pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the oxen’s manger, which neither eats nor allows the oxen to eat”

5 “But take care lest you also suffer the same things as they; for the evil doers among men receive their reward not among the living only, but also await punishment and much torment.”

6 “I, the Gospel, came not to take away from the Torah of Moses, and not to add to the Torah of Moses."

7 “O children of Israel. Of a truth I am God’s apostle to you to confirm the Law which was given before me, and to announce an apostle that shall come after me whose name shall be Ahmad.”

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1 = Acts 20:35

2 = 1 Corinthians 11:24-25

3 = 1 Clement 13:2. A letter written by a church leader in the early 2nd century.

4 = Gospel of Thomas, saying 102. This is a non-canonical gospel associated with the disciple Thomas.

5 = The Oxyrhynchus Papyri sayings, 840. A papyri fragment found in Egypt and dating to the 4th century.

6 = The Talmud, b. Shabbat 116b. The main source of Jewish law, dating to the 4th century.

7 = Suratu’s Saff 61.7. An Islamic writing.

Easter isn't over!

Did you know that Easter morning kicks off 50 days of feasting? Starting on Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost, we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection… with feasts! But why are there 50 days of Easter?

Thanks to the assimilation of local religions into Christianity over our church's long history, many of our traditions have little explanation for why we do them. (Apparently Easter eggs are supposed to represent the empty tomb?)

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

In this case, the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost have a simple explanation: Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekonta, which means 50!

Jesus spent 40 days on earth after his resurrection, and then Pentecost happened 10 days later.

And what did Jesus do after his resurrection? For one, he ate with his friends. The author of the Acts of the Apostles writes,

During the forty days after [Jesus] suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive (Acts 1:3).

In fact, it was when Jesus broke bread with some disciples that they first recognized him (Luke 24:30-31). And when he ate a fish in front of others (Luke 24:41-43), it proved that he wasn't a ghost or an apparition; they had seen him die, and now here he was, eating and alive.

We can get emotionally twisted up about eating, especially food that feels indulgent. So, we cling to Lent, when we can restrict ourselves and feel bad about falling short of our goals, and then we abandon the feasting and celebration of Easter after just one day. But Jesus' actions are a reminder that eating with people we love is an important part of being alive.

Go grab some discounted post-Easter candy! It’s feast time.

Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter Message

Have you read Justin Welby's Easter message for this year? No?! Well, here you go: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/speaking-writing/sermons/archbishop-canterburys-easter-sermon-2021