Resurrection Sunday! 20 April 2025
20 04 25 Filed in: Sermons | The Chosen Suppers
The Loud Supper: Resurrection Sunday
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Chosen Suppers
April 20, 2025
John 16:20; 20:1-20
Series Big Idea: The Chosen depicts profound scenes of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Big Idea: Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
Scripture Reading: John 16:16-20
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” (John 16:16)
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” (John 16:17-18)
Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:19-20)
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Welcome to Easter Sunday!
My name is Kirk, and I realize that might not have seemed like the most obvious video clip to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The Last Supper? That happened Thursday!
But leading up to that Upper Room—where Jesus shared the Passover meal with His followers—so much had already unfolded. It was there that He modeled servant leadership by washing the disciples’ feet, identified His betrayer, Judas, and taught profound truths about God’s Kingdom. In that sacred space, Jesus told His friends:
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20)
When Jesus spoke of grief turning to joy, He was describing something God has been doing since the very beginning—and still does today.
We’ve all been there. Maybe it was the heartbreak of a close game. The sting of election results. A dreaded call from your boss—or worse, the doctor. Maybe it came in the form of a late-night phone call or an unexpected knock on the door. Grief.
I get it.
I’ve stood beside my dad and mother-in-law as they passed away. Our family has endured estrangement, mental illness, hospitalizations, and a host of other challenges. And since February, I’ve attended more funerals than I have in any other year of my life.
You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20b)
From the very beginning, God has been in the business of turning grieving into rejoicing. We see it over and over in the Old Testament. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God still promised that one day the enemy would be defeated (Genesis 3:15). Abraham and Sarah rejoiced with a miracle child—at age 100! Job, Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, David—all of them could tell you stories of heartache turned to celebration because of God. The psalmist put it beautifully:
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12)
The process was rarely instant. It often involved mystery, loss, and waiting. But throughout Scripture, God’s heart is revealed: to bring joy out of sorrow, hope out of despair.
Let’s return to that Upper Room, portrayed in the clip from The Chosen. Jesus said:
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20)
Jesus knew what was coming. His death wasn’t an accident; it was part of God’s plan to bring us forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life.
Many of you know “the rest of the story,” as the late Paul Harvey used to say. Jesus died on Good Friday, but He conquered sin and death—and rose again on the day we call Easter Sunday.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:1-2)
The story unfolds with panic, confusion, running disciples, and an empty tomb. But then…
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). (John 20:16)
Grief turned to joy in an instant.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20)
Death was defeated. Joy triumphed.
Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
I know—we all want to skip the grieving and get straight to the joy. But even in the process, in the waiting, in the heartbreak, God is at work.
Think about this:
Last year, the world celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day—the decisive battle that turned the tide of WWII (June 6, 1944). This year marks 80 years since VE-Day—the final surrender and total victory (May 8, 1945).
Easter is like D-Day. The decisive moment. Everything changed.
VE-Day is coming—when all grieving ends. And until then, Jesus, the Risen One, continues to transform sorrow into celebration.
Revelation gives us a glimpse of that future:
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:6-7)
This is what the future holds for every follower of Jesus—endless celebration, perfect peace, eternal joy, a loud supper filled with delight and rejoicing.
But like any invitation, you must respond.
Jesus is calling you. He’s inviting you.
He offers forgiveness, purpose, peace, and life. He’s waiting for you to say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” When you take that step—when you surrender—you begin an incredible journey of hope, transformation, and joy. You become a new creation. You experience resurrection power!
But so many people today are missing it. Either they’ve never heard the story, or they’ve chosen to ignore it.
Don’t miss it.
Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
God’s love is real. His power is real. His peace is available—right now. No matter what you’re going through, He sees you. He’s working even when you can’t see it. Easter proves that your story is not over.
The next chapter may just hold the breakthrough you’ve been praying for.
And one day, grieving will be no more. Only joy.
That’s the Victory Day we’re waiting for. And it’s coming.
So What?
No matter what you’re facing today, there is hope. Jesus turns deep grieving into rejoicing. He turned the horror of the cross into the glory of an empty tomb. He transforms death into life. He changes your name—from sinner to saint.
That’s Easter. That’s Jesus.
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Credits: some ideas from The Chosen and Outreach, edited by ChatGPT
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Chosen Suppers
April 20, 2025
John 16:20; 20:1-20
Series Big Idea: The Chosen depicts profound scenes of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Big Idea: Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
Scripture Reading: John 16:16-20
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” (John 16:16)
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” (John 16:17-18)
Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:19-20)
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Welcome to Easter Sunday!
My name is Kirk, and I realize that might not have seemed like the most obvious video clip to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The Last Supper? That happened Thursday!
But leading up to that Upper Room—where Jesus shared the Passover meal with His followers—so much had already unfolded. It was there that He modeled servant leadership by washing the disciples’ feet, identified His betrayer, Judas, and taught profound truths about God’s Kingdom. In that sacred space, Jesus told His friends:
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20)
When Jesus spoke of grief turning to joy, He was describing something God has been doing since the very beginning—and still does today.
We’ve all been there. Maybe it was the heartbreak of a close game. The sting of election results. A dreaded call from your boss—or worse, the doctor. Maybe it came in the form of a late-night phone call or an unexpected knock on the door. Grief.
I get it.
I’ve stood beside my dad and mother-in-law as they passed away. Our family has endured estrangement, mental illness, hospitalizations, and a host of other challenges. And since February, I’ve attended more funerals than I have in any other year of my life.
You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20b)
From the very beginning, God has been in the business of turning grieving into rejoicing. We see it over and over in the Old Testament. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God still promised that one day the enemy would be defeated (Genesis 3:15). Abraham and Sarah rejoiced with a miracle child—at age 100! Job, Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, David—all of them could tell you stories of heartache turned to celebration because of God. The psalmist put it beautifully:
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. (Psalm 30:11-12)
The process was rarely instant. It often involved mystery, loss, and waiting. But throughout Scripture, God’s heart is revealed: to bring joy out of sorrow, hope out of despair.
Let’s return to that Upper Room, portrayed in the clip from The Chosen. Jesus said:
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. (John 16:20)
Jesus knew what was coming. His death wasn’t an accident; it was part of God’s plan to bring us forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life.
Many of you know “the rest of the story,” as the late Paul Harvey used to say. Jesus died on Good Friday, but He conquered sin and death—and rose again on the day we call Easter Sunday.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:1-2)
The story unfolds with panic, confusion, running disciples, and an empty tomb. But then…
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). (John 20:16)
Grief turned to joy in an instant.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20)
Death was defeated. Joy triumphed.
Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
I know—we all want to skip the grieving and get straight to the joy. But even in the process, in the waiting, in the heartbreak, God is at work.
Think about this:
Last year, the world celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day—the decisive battle that turned the tide of WWII (June 6, 1944). This year marks 80 years since VE-Day—the final surrender and total victory (May 8, 1945).
Easter is like D-Day. The decisive moment. Everything changed.
VE-Day is coming—when all grieving ends. And until then, Jesus, the Risen One, continues to transform sorrow into celebration.
Revelation gives us a glimpse of that future:
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:6-7)
This is what the future holds for every follower of Jesus—endless celebration, perfect peace, eternal joy, a loud supper filled with delight and rejoicing.
But like any invitation, you must respond.
Jesus is calling you. He’s inviting you.
He offers forgiveness, purpose, peace, and life. He’s waiting for you to say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” When you take that step—when you surrender—you begin an incredible journey of hope, transformation, and joy. You become a new creation. You experience resurrection power!
But so many people today are missing it. Either they’ve never heard the story, or they’ve chosen to ignore it.
Don’t miss it.
Jesus, the Risen One, turns our deep grieving into rejoicing.
God’s love is real. His power is real. His peace is available—right now. No matter what you’re going through, He sees you. He’s working even when you can’t see it. Easter proves that your story is not over.
The next chapter may just hold the breakthrough you’ve been praying for.
And one day, grieving will be no more. Only joy.
That’s the Victory Day we’re waiting for. And it’s coming.
So What?
No matter what you’re facing today, there is hope. Jesus turns deep grieving into rejoicing. He turned the horror of the cross into the glory of an empty tomb. He transforms death into life. He changes your name—from sinner to saint.
That’s Easter. That’s Jesus.
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Credits: some ideas from The Chosen and Outreach, edited by ChatGPT