John 20:1-18
A few years ago Nancy and I went to New Orleans
While we were there ---we decided to go visit some of the famous cemeteries of the city.
Because New Orleans is built on a swamp, the deceased must be buried above ground in elaborate stone crypts and mausoleums.
Over time the cemeteries, with elaborate sculptures and other decorative artwork embellishing the tombs, have come to resemble small villages.
They are known by the nickname of “Cities of the Dead.”
Just north of the French Quarter is the most famous cemetery, St. Louis Cemetery #1
It is the burial place of Marie Laveau, the legendary “voodoo queen.”
Believers and non-believers alike make pilgrimages to her tomb to make offerings to her spirit in return for what they hope will be blessings. The many “X’s” scrawled on the tomb attest to the power she is believed to wield, even long after her death
But by far, the most interesting was a trolley ride away at the Metairie Cemetery.
It is built on a former horse racing track, and is the site of some of the most elaborate monuments and tombs to be found in New Orleans.
I could show you pictures for hours --- but the most interesting is that of the weeping angel.
It is a copy of a sculpture that originally was made as a grave stone for the artist, William Story and his wife, in Rome.
It is --- to put it mildly --- beautiful!
Our world seems to be filled with weeping . . .
The horrific war in the Ukraine is beyond our ability to comprehend
Fires are burning out of control in New Mexico.
Earlier this week there was the shooting on the subway in New York City
Friday was the 1-year anniversary of the Fed Ex shooting here in Indianapolis in which 8 people died
And Friday evening we gathered around the cross to remember Jesus’ crucifixion
Sometimes it seems as if evil is winning --- doesn't it?
Every time you open the newspaper or turn on the TV it seems that there is more and more evil in the world.
But today we gather to say to the world that while evil seems strong ---
seems stronger than good sometimes
--- today we gather to say that love always overcomes evil!
That love is stronger --- stronger even than death!
But NOT without Easter
Without Easter --- we wouldn’t be here this morning ---- and I don't think we would be proclaiming that love is stronger that death!
If Jesus’ story had ended with his murder by crucifixion,
his body left to be eaten by the birds and dogs
--- my hunch is Jesus would have been forgotten, remembered only by a small few who viewed him as a failure.
Jesus would have been just another Jew crucified by the Roman Empire,
an empire that executed thousands upon thousands on a cross.
Maybe the Roman—Jewish historian Josephus would have left us a word or two about this itinerant preacher who was executed, but I kind of doubt it
in all likelihood you and I would never have heard of him.
Or can you imagine if the Disciples had just gone home?
What if they figured that the guy that they had been following, well, they decided that he wasn’t all that they had expected him to be?
Where would we be today?
I have thought about that a great deal this week . . .
One of the things that has always amazed me --- maybe even frustrated me --- is that It seems pretty clear from the gospel stories that the disciples never really understood what Jesus was all about.
They are constantly confused about what Jesus mission was
In Mark’s Gospel (the earliest Gospel) we find that after Jesus was dead that: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come to the tomb with various spices so that they could embalm Jesus.
In other words --- they didn't come looking for the resurrected Jesus
They came looking for a dead Jesus
And in Matthew, Luke and John ---- when the encounter the resurrected Jesus:
In Matthew they think it is an Angel
In Luke they think it is two men
And in John --- Mary thinks it is the gardener
They were not expecting to find Jesus resurrected!
And where were the disciples?
All the disciples are nowhere to be found.
Matthew, Luke and John all tell us that the Disciples were in hiding, because they were afraid that what happened to Jesus was going to happen to them
John goes so far as to tell us that on resurrection day, after Mary has already come and told them that she had encountered the risen Christ, that they were still hiding.
(John 20:19 The Message) Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house.
What is amazing to me is that this frightened group of people somehow once they encountered the resurrected Jesus --- were totally transformed by the experience.
No longer were they afraid, ---- now they were willing to go out and proclaim Jesus and his Way --- even when it ultimately may have lead to their own martyrdoms.
Without a doubt, one of the reasons Jesus was resurrected was to transform this ragtag group of peasants into the strongest force the world has ever encountered.
Not an army that would change the world through weapons,
but an army that would change the world through the sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated throughout his life and through his death!
But is that why Jesus was resurrected?
To straighten out the misfits who had failed to understand him?
Again, I am just not sure. . .
Or one other possibility ----maybe, just maybe, Jesus was resurrected for us
--- for all of humanity that followed.
Maybe Jesus was resurrected so that we could understand that Jesus is not simply some historical figure from the ancient past, but that Jesus is an ever present reality --- seeking to be present in our lives --- in a very real way.
Unfortunately, I think that we sometimes just like the disciples ---- we too are confused about the meaning of Jesus' resurrection.
We think that because Jesus was resurrected that our circumstances will change.
IF WE BELIEVE in the resurrection then no harm will come to us
We will be protected from evil
Cancer or other illness will not rage in our bodies
Our marriages will be secure
We will get into heaven
If only we believe . . .
But that is not the way that it works
The resurrection doesn’t change our circumstances
--- what the resurrection changes is our perspective
Resurrection gives us hope!
There is an apocryphal story about a town that was suffering through a severe drought.
It was a farm town, and their crops (and thus livelihood) was being destroyed
The local pastor called all the townspeople together for a prayer meeting so that together they might ask God to bring rain.
He asked all those who believed that God had the power to send rain to gather with him at 4 pm on the designated day.
When the hour came ---- the church was filled and overflowing with the faithful.
The Pastor got up to start the meeting ---- but looking around he instead said:
"Go, home there is no faith here!"
As you can imagine, the people were all perplexed at the pastor's sudden attitude and began to clamor, wanting to know why? Why was he sending them all home --- Why didn't he believe they had any faith?
Again he told them to go home ---- but this time he added:
"Where is your faith? I don't see a single umbrella here!"
Jesus death and resurrection reminds us that
The light of Jesus is stronger than the darkness . . .
That Love is stronger than death!
Jesus was resurrected to remind us that sometimes things that appear to be dead ends really aren’t.
When we turn the light on them, sometimes, they lead us around through another way
Most of us probably wouldn’t pick the resurrection story that is found in the Gospel of Mark if we had to choose just one.
It ends so abruptly.
They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished.
He said, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; he's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, exactly as he said."
They got out as fast as they could, beside themselves, their heads swimming. Stunned, they said nothing to anyone.
That’s it!
No entrance of Jesus into a locked room
No road to Emmaus
No story on the sea of Galilee
Mark just ends and leaves us hanging.
Almost bewildered.
It is as if Mark is leaving the ending up to us ---- along with the Jesus, followers to figure out.
They disciples quickly discover that Easter was not about them — instead, it’s about God.
It’s about God filling the empty places in our lives with new and unexpected life.
Filling our broken and battered cups
He did it for the first followers of Jesus, . . . and he offers to do it for us.
The good news is that we don’t have to earn or deserve this gift of new life.
What we have to do is be willing to journey with Jesus into the future he’s preparing for us.
But it is John’s resurrection stories that are my favorite.
And in our text this morning we have three disciples who all have a different reaction to the empty tomb.
First, we have Mary Magdalene
Early the morning after Jesus is executed ---Mary goes to the tomb alone.
We are told that it was still dark.
What is the first thing she does?
Mary runs to tell Simon Peter and the “beloved disciple” that the stone was rolled away.
I love the image of Peter and this other disciple running to the tomb.
The “beloved disciple” is the better runner and beats Peter to the tomb --- but we are told that he does not go in.
When Peter arrives, no doubt out of breath, he sticks his head into the tomb and the beloved disciple follows him.
John tells us that both “see and believe,” yet they head home as if nothing has changed.
Mary waits patiently behind, and after they leave, she enters the tomb and finds it empty.
Well not completely empty.
While Jesus was missing --- she saw two angels --- they were where the body of Jesus should have been.
Did Peter and the other disciple see these angels?
We don’t know, and I doubt that they did.
The angels asked Mary: “Why are you crying?”
I love her answer, because it is so genuine:
“They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”
We are then told that she sees another person there at the tomb and this person asks:
“Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Mary assumed he must be one of the caretakers of the garden replies:
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.”
Jesus calls her by name and her eyes were opened and she saw that Jesus was alive!
What I love about this story (and the resurrection stories that will follow) is that Jesus meets us right where we are.
Peter and the beloved disciples may have believed --- but they clearly didn’t understand yet that Jesus was alive.
So Jesus goes to them and we have the story of Thomas.
The disciples are locked up and hiding --- and yet Jesus comes.
Jesus is persistent with the disciples and Jesus is persistent with us in showing up.
Easter is the reminder that Jesus is a cup that never runs dry.
Easter is the reminder that no matter how battered and broken our cup is, God is filling it will love and forgiveness.
Each of us experience resurrection differently --- just as the disciples did.
For Mary it was hearing Jesus call her name
For Thomas it was seeing the nail holes
For the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and for Peter and many of the other disciples it was in the breaking of bread once again with Jesus.
When Jesus calls Mary by name, she finally recognizes him as her beloved “Rabbouni!”
Immediately, Jesus tells Mary not to hold onto him because he has not yet ascended to God.
Jesus also sends her to spread the good news to the other disciples.
Like a flowing river or fountain, Jesus is alive and on the move – not an object to be possessed (held onto) or simply a doctrine to be believed.
Just as water flows, Jesus, our living water, moves
and moves us with him!
The response Jesus asks of Mary is to get moving and spread the good news.
So on this Easter morning, I pray that you experience the living Christ --- and that you have the courage to allow Jesus to fill your cup and share it with those you encounter.
Maybe that means asking for forgiveness
Or showing grace to someone who has hurt you
Regardless --- Jesus invites us to allow our cups --- our broken and battered lives --- to be filled to overflowing with the love and grace of God.
Jesus Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
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