Easter Sunday
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.
We’re all here for different reasons this morning--and yet we’re all here for the same reason.
Some of us are here because it’s Sunday. You’d be here whether it was Easter or the third Sunday in August, which is just Sunday. Every time the doors are open, you are here. You’re probably mad that we let the blizzard call off church two weeks ago. You’re here because it’s Sunday and you are here. And we are delighted that you are here.
Some of us are here because it’s Easter, and, well, you try to come all the time, but for Easter--you’re definitely going to make it on Easter. You’re here because it’s Easter and we’re really glad you’re here.
Some of you are here because your momma or your grandmamma wanted you here, and God bless you for coming. You be nice to Mom and Grandma. You’re gonna miss’ ‘em some day. You’re here because you are good children and grandchildren, and we are so happy you are here.
And I’m here because, well, this is my job. Welcome to my job! I’m here every Sunday, too, though in times past, I’ve gone especially because it is Easter, and I’ve also gone to church to make my Mom happy.
And we’re all here because a frightened and disheartened young woman named Mary Magdalene went down to the cemetery in the dark--and we all know the dark. We all know the dark places of life.
Somewhere last week, a group of workers was told that the company was closing the plant, and they would all be out of jobs.
Somewhere last week, a woman was told by her husband that he didn’t love her anymore.
Somewhere last week, a soldier’s husband received word that his wife was coming back from Iraq--in a casket, and that he would now raise his children on his own.
Somewhere last week, some of our neighbors lost their fight to stave off foreclosure, losing the only asset they had.
Somewhere last week, five of our neighbors were killed in an accident.
We know the dark places. Somewhere, sometime, we’ve all been there--in despair--for different reasons.
Mary was in the dark place because she had lost all hope. She and the others who followed Jesus had placed their hope in one who came at life in a different way. The world wanted a king who would dominate with might, and Jesus talked about the blessings of meekness.
The world wanted a messiah who would bring justice by way of the sword, and Jesus spoke of loving your enemies.
The powers spoke of punishment and retribution, but Jesus said forgive until you lose count.
The power structure spoke of containing God in a box in the temple with restricted access, and Jesus said, “the kingdom of God is within you.”
And now, those same authorities had taken Jesus and killed him--silencing him, and boxing up so that he could be managed and contained. And Mary had come to the garden tomb in the darkness to finish the job of embalming his lifeless body which had died along with all her hope.
She’d come to finish caring for the body of her Lord, but it was gone.
She ran to get the others.
They ran back.
Then they ran away.
They ran away because they didn’t understand it what the resurrection meant. The empty tomb was just an idea they couldn’t comprehend--a concept that had no meaning for them. Craig Barnes writes that we still run around when we don’t understand something.
So, they ran.
But Mary stayed. She cried, and bent over to look into the tomb. And in the tomb, two angels. The word angel simply means a messenger. But, these angels ask her a question, and she shows that she doesn’t understand what she sees.
Then the gardener asks her the same question, and she again demonstrates her total lack of comprehension.
And then, the gardener calls her by name, and the gardener is no longer the gardener, but Jesus. And by calling Mary by name, this is no longer a trip to the cemetery, but an encounter with the Risen Christ.
This is important--none of the disciples understand or comprehend what is going on. The resurrection as an idea is a failure. The resurrection as a concept doesn’t work. The resurrection as a theory has no validity whatsoever.
But, the resurrection as an encounter with Jesus is something else entirely--even if Mary still doesn’t completely get it. She wants to hold on to him--in her own way, to keep Jesus boxed up and under control, but that won’t work--not in the new world of the resurrection.
And that’s instructive for us. We’re not here because we are certain of our hold on Jesus Christ. We’re here because in Jesus Christ, we’re certain of God’s love for us.
We’re all here for the same reason--but not just because Mary had an encounter with the risen Lord, but because she told someone else about that encounter, then they encountered the risen Lord, and shared that with someone else. And all those encounters have become relationships.
And down through the last 2000 years, women and men have encountered the risen Lord, and shared that encounter with others.
And we are here today because we have all encountered the risen Lord, and we want to celebrate it together. Today, if not before, we have encountered the risen Christ in the waters of baptism. We have encountered the risen Lord in the singing and the praying, in the organ and the bells and in the choir. We have encountered him in the promises made with infants. And we will share the most intimate encounter with the risen Lord in the bread and the wine.
The resurrection is not an idea to be comprehended, or a doctrine to be believed. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a reality to be experienced. It is an intimate encounter.
We sing “In the Garden,” not because it’s sweet and sentimental, but because when we do so, we acknowledge that Mary Magdalene’s story has become our story--that’s what that hymn’s about! And we are now part of an ongoing and unfolding story of Jesus Christ.
Now, after having this encounter with the risen Lord, we have a job to do. Now, though we’ve already established that you are at my job, this job belongs to everyone. We are called to share the good news that this encounter is available for all.
The good news is, there’s a savior on the loose--not boxed up all neat and tidy--but out there in the real world, coming up along side us in all our dark places. And he knows all our names.
