Easter 4
ABUNDANT LIFE
The Fourth Sunday of Easter 30 April, 2023
St Bene’t’s and Corpus Christi College 8am and 10am
The Reverend Dr Matt Bullimore Chaplain, Corpus Christi College
Acts 2.42–47; John 10.1–10
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I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
I had a recollection that the Assemblies of God church in Wakefield, near where I grew up, was called the Abundant Life church. It was in a prominent position on a hill overlooking the South of the city and had large white letters proclaiming – I thought – Abundant Life.
A quick look at Google Maps reminded me that, actually, it was the New Life church. However! I spotted there was an Abundant Life church just north of the city. I zoomed in. Abundant Life church. Permanently Closed.
I can only suppose that this was because they have had to move to bigger premises.
St John, it has to be said, has no truck with an abundance of life that could be permanently closed. Rather, he opens and ends his Gospel with what the Gospel is all about throughout: Life. It begins with the Word bringing all things into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
And, made flesh, the Word walks the highways and byways to bring life to those whom he encounters. He walks to Bethany to tell the grieving Martha this: I am the resurrection and the life.
And tells Thomas, who is getting a bit lost: I am the way, the truth and the life.
At the end, St John turns to us directly: I could have said more but what I have written is 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.
Life. Abundant life. Freely on offer. From Jesus, the risen Lord. To the grieving and to those who have found themselves getting lost. This is the Good News: Jesus coming to us as the shepherd calling our names. Calling you by name. Just as in the garden the risen Jesus speaks into grief and pain with one word to a woman weeping: Mary. He calls her into life again.
The sheep, he says, hear his voice. And they follow. If we pay heed to that call and, if we respond, if we follow again, it’s the beginning of a calling into life for us, a calling into life that will, he promises, become abundant.
We’re going to need to do quite a bit of listening for that voice, that call, I think. Going to need to find ways to respond and to follow. Going to need all the resources of grace to trust that promise. It’s a promise he makes without compromise one day whilst walking in the portico of Solomon in the Temple:
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
The risen Jesus – he’s got us – and he isn’t letting go.
So what do we need to get on with doing? How are we going to listen well? Let’s turn to St Luke who has some words he’s written for us:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
We devote ourselves, dedicate ourselves, offer ourselves by doing what we’ve been taught so well to do. We meet together, we soak in the Scriptures, we hold one another in love, we share today’s meal where we taste the life that is placed right into our hands, and we pray. We open ourselves up to God: listening intently and giving him every burden that we know to be on our hearts without compromise or half-measures. We pray hard.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
We trust that in doing all this we are going to be awed because the wonder of grace outpoured upon us is going to surprise us. We are going to expect signs of life that are going to floor us.
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
And we are most certainly not going to spend all of our time looking inward because we’ve been taught well that the Gospel is Good News for the world, Good News for Cambridge, Good News for any who come to us with need. We keep up the work we do here to see the Kingdom grow.
Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
At home, at work, in joy, in sorrow, we are going to thank God for so many gifts. We are going to take these broken hearts and, though I’m not going to be glib about this, because they’re pretty well shattered right now, we’re not going to close them off, we’re going to open them, vulnerable and exposed as they are – we’re going to open them up so that Jesus can begin to fill them with gladness, and then we’re going to be generous with that gladness. We’re going to pray for that life, abundant life, to heal us, forgive us, save us, redeem us, form us. We’re going to listen, together, for Jesus calling us, calling us into abundant life. Because that’s the promise. That’s the Good News.
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Amen.