You're Feeling Sleeeeepy

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written 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.

A new pastor wanted to find out how much the congregation knew, so she asked them to tell her about Easter. One guy asked, "Isn't that the holiday with the big turkey?" "Uh, no," the pastor says, "That's Thanksgiving." A second guy chimes in, "Isn't that the one with the tree and presents?”   "Uh, no. That would be Christmas.” Finally a young woman comes up and says, "Isn't that the holiday when they put Jesus on a cross?" "Yes," says the pastor, noticeably relieved. "Anything else?" "He died, right?" "Yes."  "They took him down."  "Yes. Then what?" "Then they put him in a cave, right?"  “Right, keep going,” “And they rolled a stone in front of it?" "Yes. Do you know anything else?" “Oh Yeah! When he came out, he saw his shadow, and winter went on for 6 more weeks."

Today is Bright Sunday or Holy Hilarity Sunday or Risus Paschalis if you want it in Latin.  It started in the 15th century when priests would insert humorous stories into their sermons on this second Sunday of Easter.  Of course, since it was fun, the practice was eventually banned by Pope Clement X... but I won’t tell if you won’t! I like this tradition, because unexpected endings are what make jokes funny and Jesus’s resurrection is probably the MOST unexpected ending of a story EVER!  But like all jokes, not everyone got the resurrection right away.

Speaking of jokes, there was this young priest who was really unhappy with how little money his congregation put in the plate each week. So, one week he went into the case that held the beloved former Rector’s priceless pocket watch and during the sermon, used it to hypnotize the congregation. Fully hypnotized, he told the congregation to put $5 in the plate that week and to his surprise it worked! Inspired by his success, he upped the amount to $10 the next week. The following week he decided he was going to ask them all for $20 but just as he finished hypnotizing them but before he told them this week’s amount, he accidentally dropped the watch and shouted, “CRAP!” It took the janitor two weeks to clean up the church. You laughed, so I’m assuming you got that one.  But like I said not everyone gets every joke right away and since the disciples at first locked themselves in a room in fear, they obviously had trouble getting it.  

See if you get this one?  A man was leaving church one day, and went to shake the preacher’s hand. The preacher pulled him aside and said, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.” “Well then, how come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" asked the Pastor. The man whispered back, "I'm in the secret service.”

Like I said, not everyone gets every joke right away but it’s so important that you get the great Easter joke... that I’m going to break a cardinal rule of comedy and explain this joke to you.  We’ll start with the punch line first.  Are you ready? CHRIST IS RISEN!  Really and truly risen from the dead!  He is totally and fully alive after being totally and fully dead.  He had pulled the pin, he was pushing up daisies, he had bought the farm, he was swimming with the fish, had kicked the bucket, he was six feet under, he had bit the dust, shuffled off the mortal coil, croaked, cashed in his chips, and gave up the ghost.  Jesus was dead... BUT... NOW HE IS ALIVE!

It IS the best punch line EVER, but even the best punch line needs a great set up and the set up for this joke goes all the way back to that time when Jesus was tested by the Devil.  The devil wants to give Jesus power over everything on earth…but there’s a catch.  Jesus would have to bow down and worship the devil.  Jesus says no and after that, the devil decides that he’ll get Jesus the same way the devil gets everybody…the devil will have him die!  Plot, plot, plot…scheme, scheme, scheme and then you arrive at Good Friday and Jesus is dying on the cross.  People around him are laughing at him, just like the devil.  “Should have taken my offer" says the devil, "then you wouldn’t just be HANGING AROUND on a Friday night!”

You see, the devil, empire, sin, darkness, evil and death ALL thought that they had won. One more person dead, one more victory for death.  BUT WAIT!  Just when the devil, empire, sin, darkness, evil and death thought that they had pulled a fast one on God… Just when they THOUGHT they had killed God’s Son, it turns out, the joke’s on THEM!  With that one punch line... CHRIST IS RISEN!...  God has taken the horns off the devil, turned the world up side down, forgiven sin, banished death and shined the zillion watt light of Christ into every dark spot in every place and in every time.  With that one punch line... CHRIST IS RISEN... God not only gave Jesus life… BUT also gave life to YOU and ME and ALL OF CREATION… and not just ANY old life either but an abundant life that is meant to start now and go on for all eternity!  And that's what makes this the biggest and best joke of all time.  Death and the devil snatched defeat right out of the jaws of victory!

So, do you get it?  Because there’s one more thing about this joke I’ve got to tell you… and really, it’s true of every good joke… and that is, when you hear a really good joke and you get it, you’ve really GOT to pass it on.  That’s what the disciples went and did... they passed it on. It took Thomas and the guys a little bit to fully get the joke… they were a bit slow on the uptake you know… but eventually they got out there and told the story! So, on this Holy Hilarity Sunday, watch out for whoopee cushions in the pews, keep an eye out for church jokes that make you groan and especially watch out for rectors with shiny pocket watches… BUT then get out there and share the joy of this abundant life we’ve been given with the whole, wide, world simply because of that wonderful punch line… Christ is Risen! Alleluia!  Amen.