The Gospel
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Sermon
The stone has been rolled away and the
tomb is empty. What an emotional roller coaster ride those days
must have been. There was the joy of entering into Jerusalem and
being hailed as the messiah and then the crushing agony of Jesus'
execution. And then...then the tomb is empty. He has risen from the
dead.
Put yourself in the place of Mary. She
was one of Jesus' first followers and she was all in with her
devotion to him. She was there through it all. The teaching, the
miracles, the love, the trauma, the death, Now the resurrection.
Jesus appears to Mary first and I think that is how it should be.
Imagine yourself in Mary's place. You
see your teacher, the son of God alive again. What would you feel.
What would you do? What would you say to him?
Mary had a deep personal relationship
with Jesus. She loved him and he loved her. It is clear from the
writings of the New Testament that there was a strong spiritual bond
between these two. Mary Magdalene was all in! I only wish that we as
followers of Christ can all have that strong spiritual bond with
Jesus as well.
I ask myself and I ask you, are you all
in? Are you holding back?
There are deniers out there. Some say
none of this ever happened. I however, am a believer. I have faith
that Jesus died and was resurrected.
Jesus was changed after his
resurrection. He was able to change how he looked until he wanted to
be recognized. He was able to suddenly appear. We will read about
these events in the coming weeks. Easter season is always an
exciting time for me because Jesus is back and he is the pure being
who is sending his followers out to change our world.
Our world, today's world, still basks
in that change that started so many thousands of years ago. Jesus
words did not die with his crucifixion. Jesus resurrection empowered
his followers to spread his message of love to all the world.
The seed that was planted did die but
became a new shoot that erupted from the soil and it has born much
fruit. That fruit is you and me.
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