Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev, Debra May Cerra
April 4, 2010 – Easter

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. 2 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." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 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. 13 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." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 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." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). 17 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.'" 18 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.

“When Do We Understand?”

Every year the 20th chapter of John is listed as the Gospel reading for Easter worship. Though it is known to be a later recording of the resurrection, John’s account has held great influence throughout the ages. The details, the dramatics, and the dialog all add to its allure. “Countless hymns have been composed and pictures painted about this scene at the tomb. So John’s Gospel message remains the Easter classic.”
          There are three characters that dominate John’s accounting: Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple. Each has an important role in the drama; each brings a faith lesson to the reader.
          The story begins with Mary Magdalene introducing the two disciples. When she found the tomb empty, “she ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, ‘They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him.’” (2)
          Think about what happens next: When Mary told the disciples about her discovery and said she had no idea where they had taken Jesus’ body, immediately the beloved disciple jumped up and ran to the garden. In fact, we are told that he and Peter ran neck and neck but this disciple beat Peter to the tomb.
          We are not privy to why this beloved disciple needed to go to the tomb. What we do know is that the Gospel of John depicts him as one who always responded to Jesus with respect and care. He was the one who asked Jesus of whom he was speaking when Jesus said someone would betray Him. (John 13:23) He was also the one who cared for Mary, the mother of Jesus. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son,” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27) This disciple was with Jesus to the bitter end. Why would he not want to see what Mary was talking about?
          Don’t we know people like this today? Think about that “person who has no evidence to believe that the boy who messed up the sound equipment will be anything but trouble, yet insist that he is headed toward a brilliant career in sound engineering. What about the people who see service possibilities in broken-down playgrounds and faded fellowship halls. Or how about the people who require no proof that eternal life trumps death and smile inwardly every time they hear the word ‘resurrection.’” Though their continual optimistic outlook can annoy us at times, we see these folks as pillars of faith who trust God and God’s perfect plan.
          The second character in the spotlight is Peter. Peter’s reaction to Mary’s news is a bit confusing. There is no reason given why he enters into a footrace to the tomb. If there was one disciple who was always dodging Jesus for the days leading up to the crucifixion, it was Peter. Nancy Clare Pittman speculates that maybe Peter was jealous or maybe he wanted to prove he was a good disciple. Maybe Peter wanted to find Jesus so he could say he was sorry for denying Jesus, for not being present at the cross, for running away when the chips were down. Maybe Peter was remembering when Lazarus was raised from the dead and hoped that the same had happened to Jesus.
          Aren’t we all a bit like Peter? We feel jealous when people talk about their deep faith and abiding relationship with Christ. We resent the success of others. We are disappointed in our inability to stay the course, to trust in God in the tough times, to overcome our shortcomings as Christians. Maybe, like Peter, we hope that the good we have experienced will resurface in our lives; that a new life in Christ is possible even if we are conflicted in our faith and our beliefs.
          And finally, the one who brought the news of the empty tomb gets front stage. Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb after the disciples left. She wept for what was; for what she was missing; for what she would never again have. She came to mourn, to say goodbye, and to prepare Jesus’ body. But the tomb was empty. Jesus was gone. Even when she saw the angels in the tomb, (12) Mary didn’t change her way of thinking. When the angel asked her “Woman, why do you weep?" she answered, "They took my Master, and I don't know where they put him." (13) Mary Magdalene never thought about the impact of seeing angels at the empty tomb. She only knew the impact she felt over the death of Jesus.
When Mary finally turned around and saw Jesus, she didn’t recognize Him. She thought he was the gardener so she implored Him for answers saying, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.” (15) It was when He spoke her name, “Mary!” that she recognized Jesus. Calling Him “Teacher,” (16) she reached to hug the Master.
Mary’s world broke open when Jesus called her name. The One who was dead greeted her right there in the garden. The old way of thinking was overruled. A new day has dawned.
We, too, want to put aside our grieving and claim the good news of Jesus Christ – we want to believe that Jesus is alive! But we have our doubts: we don’t trust what we see and hear; we don’t trust what we say and do. Like Mary, we need to be reassured so we, too, can say “I have seen the Lord!”
          Today we are invited to the Lord’s Table, a table set with love and hope, joy and peace. It is at this table that we meet Jesus. It is at this table that The Word becomes real. Jesus said: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
Friends, come! Come to the table and meet the Risen Lord. Come so that, like Mary, you will know: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Amen and amen!