{"id":614443,"date":"2022-03-25T18:04:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T22:04:57","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:20:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:20:08","slug":"st-peters-story-the-great-vigil-of-easter-april-16-2022","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/st-peters-story-the-great-vigil-of-easter-april-16-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter&#8217;s Story, The Great Vigil of Easter (C) \u2013 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[RCL] Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21; Psalm 114; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-yellow-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-yellow-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=DFMS6185644854&#038;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-yellow-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-yellow-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/EV-2022-Cover-FB-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-264448\" style=\"width:512px;height:268px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A \u201cdramatic\u201d Easter sermon, as told from the perspective of St. Peter. Inspired by Luke 24:1-12.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I want to tell you about how Jesus changed my life. Long before I was called \u201csaint\u201d anything, I was rash, overly zealous, and enthusiastic (and not always in a good way). I often blurted out the wrong things at the wrong time. My wife was used to it and loved me anyway, my kids tolerated it, but Jesus turned it into something useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My brother Andrew was a fellow fisherman, and we had a pretty decent business going in Lake Gennesaret. But when we heard about John the Baptist, we had to go and see him. Much to our surprise, he pointed us in the direction of someone else, someone named Jesus. I will never forget the day my brother introduced me to Jesus because something inside me changed and opened up in his presence. Jesus possessed a kind but gentle authority that was unlike any rabbi I had ever encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I followed Jesus around for a little while at first but then went back to fishing. I couldn\u2019t quite figure out what God wanted me to do, and like so many of us, I was still searching. But then the call came. And when it came to me, I had a moment of clear decision, and I knew my life was never going to be the same. Jesus called out, \u201cCome and follow me and I will make you fish for people.\u201d My heart said, \u201cYes\u201d and I dropped my nets then and there to follow him. I sometimes wonder: If I had known exactly what he meant and if I had known all that was in store for me, would I have accepted his call? It\u2019s hard to say. I guess that\u2019s why God only lets us see so far down the path of life; it\u2019s usually better to just take it one day at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, I may not have been the smartest or most eloquent of the disciples, but I beat them all in enthusiasm. When Jesus called out to me one afternoon, beckoning me to walk out on the water to him, I jumped out of the boat immediately. And for a few glorious seconds, I was on top of the water\u2026 walking on water! You should have seen it! All was well, as long as I kept my eyes on Jesus, but as soon as I looked away, I began to sink. Remember not to take your eyes off Jesus, especially when times are tough, because he is the one who will get you through and keep you afloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walking on water aside, like most of us, I had my good days and my bad days. When Jesus asked us, \u201cWho do you say that I am,\u201d I blurted out, \u201c<em>You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!\u201d<\/em> And Jesus called me \u201cblessed\u201d and told me that God had revealed this insight to me. That was definitely a good day. Not long after that, however, when Jesus started talking about his death, I revolted and shouted out, \u201c<em>Never Lord! That will never happen to you!\u201d<\/em> Then Jesus looked right at me and said, \u201c<em>Get behind me Satan\u2026 you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.\u201d<\/em> That was a less than good day. Back then, I thought I was ready to do battle and to fight to the death for my master. I guess that\u2019s why I was so surprised by what happened that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. I was still confused back then, and Jesus wasn\u2019t the kind of Messiah that I \u2013 or any of us \u2013 really expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the garden that night, Jesus was praying and was clearly in anguish. It scared me, so I tuned out. I still regret the fact that I slept through Jesus\u2019 ordeal in his hour of need. My spirit was willing, but my flesh was so weak. Then when Judas, the leaders, and soldiers arrived to arrest Jesus, I thought it was my chance to prove myself. In my zeal, I cut off the guard\u2019s ear. But violence isn\u2019t Jesus\u2019 way, and I realized my mistake quickly as he healed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, you know what happened next. Jesus went away willingly and was tried and condemned unjustly. And while he was suffering, I denied even knowing Jesus three times. Three times. I even went and hid while he was being tortured and crucified. Yes, I was faithless and afraid. We all thought we too would be killed. And I wasn\u2019t ready to face my own death\u2026 not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Jesus died, the sadness and despair I felt were overwhelming. I had left everything to go and follow him and then I denied him when it really counted. Grief and shame washed over me in waves. I didn\u2019t know what to do. I was utterly confused \u2013 like we all were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wish I could say that I put the pieces together when the women burst through the door after finding Jesus\u2019 tomb empty that Sunday. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary were beside themselves with awe and explained that an angel had appeared to them and commissioned them to tell us the good news: that the Lord was not there \u2013 he had risen! Initially, everyone was dismissing their words as nonsense. But something in my mind sparked and I had to know for myself, so I jumped up and ran out the door impulsively. I ran all the way to that old tomb, and I didn\u2019t even pause when I saw that the stone had been rolled away. I ran inside headfirst. I don\u2019t know what I was expecting to see, but I understood when I saw it: he was really gone. There was nothing in there but the empty cloth that had once been wrapped around his dead body. There were no angels either, just an emptiness\u2026 an emptiness filled with promise. I was amazed and too stunned to think clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I walked slowly back home in silence. Jesus had been truly dead, I knew that, but was it really possible that he was alive again? Was the impossible actually\u2026 possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m here to tell you that, yes, the impossible really is possible with God. Jesus appeared to us not long after that. And he was no ghost, this was the living, breathing Jesus, with the scars still in his hands, feet, and side. I couldn\u2019t believe it, but I had to, Jesus was really alive! He had risen from the dead just like he\u2019d said!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But then my excitement gave way to fear: would he be angry with me for having denied and abandoned him? Suddenly my shame came rushing back with force. But Jesus didn\u2019t leave me in my shame. A few days later Jesus looked right at me and asked three times, once for every time I had denied him: \u201cDo you love me?\u201d And I answered him with all the feeling I had in me, \u201cYes Lord, you know that I do.\u201d And each time he responded, \u201cGo and feed my sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s what I did. Jesus forgave me and restored me, despite everything. I know that all of us make mistakes, sometimes terrible mistakes, and we all betray Jesus at some point. Shame can trap any of us in the way it did me. But Jesus didn\u2019t hold my failings against me, and he doesn\u2019t hold them against any of us. His love transformed me so that I could go back into the world and do God\u2019s work and feed God\u2019s sheep. That was my personal redemption and resurrection. Jesus transformed me from a cowardly and sinful man into the redeemed and faithful man I became. His wounds healed my wounds and by his death and resurrection, he freed me from my sin. Jesus has freed us all from the power of sin, death, and shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesus changed my life. He will change yours, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Life can never be the same once you have met the resurrected Jesus. He is alive and he is risen! Alleluia!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This sermon was written by<strong> the Rev. D. Rebecca Hansen<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-24d0a698-9b3d-472c-bcf3-513514af6463\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sermon-Easter-Vigil-English.docx\">Word \u2013 Easter Vigil Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sermon-Easter-Vigil-English.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-24d0a698-9b3d-472c-bcf3-513514af6463\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-d97565d5-d365-4cd2-aca0-831de9375a3d\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sermon-Easter-Vigil-English.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Easter Vigil Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Sermon-Easter-Vigil-English.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-d97565d5-d365-4cd2-aca0-831de9375a3d\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] Exodus 14:10-31, 15:20-21; Psalm 114; Romans 6:3-11; Luke 24:1-12 A \u201cdramatic\u201d Easter sermon, as told from the perspective of St. Peter. Inspired by Luke 24:1-12. I want to tell you about how Jesus changed my life. Long before I was called \u201csaint\u201d anything, I was rash, overly zealous, and enthusiastic (and not always in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1955,43,52,1953],"tags":[470],"class_list":["post-614443","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-easter","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-easter-vigil-c"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1955,"label":"Easter"},{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":1953,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":470,"label":"Easter Vigil C"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/614443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/614443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3475254,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/614443\/revisions\/3475254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=614443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=614443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=614443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}