SERMON FOR EASTER DAY, APRIL 12, 2020
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NEW LIFE
Text: John 20: 1-18
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New life. These days we have all been learning the hard way what it is like to have a new life – a new life that is uninvited and unwelcome, crippling and confusing, demoralizing and depressing. We do not like this new pandemic life. No doubt this Easter will be remembered as the strangest one in our lifetime.
When the pandemic is behind us, we will all have stories to tell, accounts to give, learnings to share. What will we have to say about this new life? Some changes will endure; others will fade away. Clear and constructive commitments can continue in post-pandemic days. Prioritized values may still govern our lives. What we do with our life and faith experiences matters – more than we can ever know.
Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb where the body of Jesus has been laid to rest. To add to her sorrows, in addition to the traumatizing memories of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, the horrific images of His suffering and death on a cross which are embedded in her mind – those shocking images alone will be difficult to recover from – her grief is suddenly compounded by the discovery that the body of the Lord is missing from the tomb. It is too much to bear.
And then – the light of God’s truth breaks through the darkness of despair. The resurrected Lord stands before Mary – a reality which is confusing for her to behold and absorb at first, as well as it will be and is for many others who encounter the Risen Lord in their life journeys. First, Mary sees two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They speak to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
As an aside, in the Gospel story of this encounter between Mary Magdalene and the two angels, there is no mention of Mary’s reaction towards these heavenly beings. Perhaps in biblical days, it was not that out-of-the-ordinary for people to have conversations with angels. Even in our times, we know of people who have had encounters and conversations with angels. Mary Magdalene had witnessed many miracles of Jesus firsthand, and she herself had experienced such a dramatic conversion from her old life to a new life that one might call the transformation miraculous in nature. Thus, maybe it did not strike Mary as so surprising or strange to have a conversation with angel messengers in the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid to rest.
When Mary turns and sees Jesus, at first she thinks that He must be the cemetery gardener, for who else would be there so early in the morning. Mary speaks to the stranger whose identity is not yet known, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” The resurrected Lord Jesus calls her by name – “Mary” and then she recognizes Him.
Each year at Easter we hear this amazing story. The telling of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead started with one faithful woman – Mary Magdalene. Let us never forget that the one whom God chose as the first person to behold the resurrected Lord Jesus was Mary Magdalene – a woman known for having a past history hidden in the light of day. Prior to the Lord’s resurrection, Mary Magdalene has already encountered the power of Jesus to change lives – to save us from sin, to deliver us from the principalities and powers of evil and darkness that threaten to bind us and separate us from loving God and one another. Mary Magdalene has already known God’s power to restore and heal us – body, mind, and spirit – for God’s glory and kingdom purposes. Now, after encountering the Risen Lord, she has a clear message to share with the disciples, until the day comes when they, too, will encounter the Risen Lord –“The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!”
“I have seen the Lord!” Mary announces, truly good news for them – and for us - to hear! In our lives, especially during these challenging times, what news do we tell? What words do we share? What are the faith stories to proclaim?
The pandemic has brought many people together in our world. For the majority, people are building stronger relationships with family and friends, reconnecting with people from the past, and reaching out to connect with neighbors and strangers in need. Depths of creativity have been discovered. Resources are being multiplied and shared. Resilience is leading to encouragement for one another and renewed hope for our future together in this world. As we change our usual and customary ways of living and being, signs of new life are emerging, growing, and developing. Some will endure; some will fade away.
The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Rise up – O people of God! Rise up and rejoice!
The good Lord invites into His presence – and when we accept the invitation, He welcomes each one of us as if we were the most beloved, amazing, and precious person ever created in the universe.
Jesus Christ offers us resurrection, too! here and now – in this life - and for eternity. We may or may not have conversations with angel messengers on this side of heaven’s gates, yet the Risen Lord still shows up – sometimes in angels unaware – in disciples who reflect the love of God in ways that transform our ways of seeing, thinking, and living.
The Resurrected Lord offers transformation and healing of body, mind, and spirit. In this life, in our shared mortal days, there is no promise that there will be miraculous cures for serious illness of the body, or that we will have conversations with angel messengers. Nevertheless, there are many believers who report clear evidence of spiritual transformation, people who related stories of:
Let us consider some “what if’s” – for the sake of reflection. What if Mary Magadalene doubted her encounter with the Risen Lord and did not talk about it? What if Mary kept the spiritual experiences to herself? Still – the Risen Lord appeared to others, not just to Mary, so the story of His Resurrection would not have been lost forever. The weight of Christ’s glory did not rest on Mary Magdalene’s testimony alone. God always finds a way to get through – sometimes through people you and me, despite our sins, flaws, and limitations – thanks be to God.
Each and every day we are invited to have a new life in Christ – a new life in which we are welcomed into the Kingdom of God forevermore, a new life in which we are called to invite and welcome others to the great celebration of resurrection life in the Lord. We are invited to a new life in which people are resurrected: resurrected from death to life, from darkness to light, from sorrow to joy, from sickness to health, from weakness to strength.
People are hungering for some good news during this pandemic. Disciples of our Risen Lord are sharing Good News in word and in deed – even within our faith community. This weekend some of the disciples of our own congregation brought Easter joy to our homes. Thank you Joy, Jay, Cheryl, and Sue, and others involved who helped to spread good news this weekend. Like Mary Magdalene and the first disciples, they let us know that they have seen the Lord. We have seen the Lord, too, in you and through you.
Let us all hold fast to the promise of new life in the resurrected Lord – even as we are transformed for His kingdom purposes while we yet live. The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Thanks be to God. Amen.
Text: John 20: 1-18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New life. These days we have all been learning the hard way what it is like to have a new life – a new life that is uninvited and unwelcome, crippling and confusing, demoralizing and depressing. We do not like this new pandemic life. No doubt this Easter will be remembered as the strangest one in our lifetime.
When the pandemic is behind us, we will all have stories to tell, accounts to give, learnings to share. What will we have to say about this new life? Some changes will endure; others will fade away. Clear and constructive commitments can continue in post-pandemic days. Prioritized values may still govern our lives. What we do with our life and faith experiences matters – more than we can ever know.
Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb where the body of Jesus has been laid to rest. To add to her sorrows, in addition to the traumatizing memories of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, the horrific images of His suffering and death on a cross which are embedded in her mind – those shocking images alone will be difficult to recover from – her grief is suddenly compounded by the discovery that the body of the Lord is missing from the tomb. It is too much to bear.
And then – the light of God’s truth breaks through the darkness of despair. The resurrected Lord stands before Mary – a reality which is confusing for her to behold and absorb at first, as well as it will be and is for many others who encounter the Risen Lord in their life journeys. First, Mary sees two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They speak to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
As an aside, in the Gospel story of this encounter between Mary Magdalene and the two angels, there is no mention of Mary’s reaction towards these heavenly beings. Perhaps in biblical days, it was not that out-of-the-ordinary for people to have conversations with angels. Even in our times, we know of people who have had encounters and conversations with angels. Mary Magdalene had witnessed many miracles of Jesus firsthand, and she herself had experienced such a dramatic conversion from her old life to a new life that one might call the transformation miraculous in nature. Thus, maybe it did not strike Mary as so surprising or strange to have a conversation with angel messengers in the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid to rest.
When Mary turns and sees Jesus, at first she thinks that He must be the cemetery gardener, for who else would be there so early in the morning. Mary speaks to the stranger whose identity is not yet known, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” The resurrected Lord Jesus calls her by name – “Mary” and then she recognizes Him.
Each year at Easter we hear this amazing story. The telling of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead started with one faithful woman – Mary Magdalene. Let us never forget that the one whom God chose as the first person to behold the resurrected Lord Jesus was Mary Magdalene – a woman known for having a past history hidden in the light of day. Prior to the Lord’s resurrection, Mary Magdalene has already encountered the power of Jesus to change lives – to save us from sin, to deliver us from the principalities and powers of evil and darkness that threaten to bind us and separate us from loving God and one another. Mary Magdalene has already known God’s power to restore and heal us – body, mind, and spirit – for God’s glory and kingdom purposes. Now, after encountering the Risen Lord, she has a clear message to share with the disciples, until the day comes when they, too, will encounter the Risen Lord –“The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!”
“I have seen the Lord!” Mary announces, truly good news for them – and for us - to hear! In our lives, especially during these challenging times, what news do we tell? What words do we share? What are the faith stories to proclaim?
The pandemic has brought many people together in our world. For the majority, people are building stronger relationships with family and friends, reconnecting with people from the past, and reaching out to connect with neighbors and strangers in need. Depths of creativity have been discovered. Resources are being multiplied and shared. Resilience is leading to encouragement for one another and renewed hope for our future together in this world. As we change our usual and customary ways of living and being, signs of new life are emerging, growing, and developing. Some will endure; some will fade away.
The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Rise up – O people of God! Rise up and rejoice!
The good Lord invites into His presence – and when we accept the invitation, He welcomes each one of us as if we were the most beloved, amazing, and precious person ever created in the universe.
Jesus Christ offers us resurrection, too! here and now – in this life - and for eternity. We may or may not have conversations with angel messengers on this side of heaven’s gates, yet the Risen Lord still shows up – sometimes in angels unaware – in disciples who reflect the love of God in ways that transform our ways of seeing, thinking, and living.
The Resurrected Lord offers transformation and healing of body, mind, and spirit. In this life, in our shared mortal days, there is no promise that there will be miraculous cures for serious illness of the body, or that we will have conversations with angel messengers. Nevertheless, there are many believers who report clear evidence of spiritual transformation, people who related stories of:
- unexpected strength in the face of adversity,
- deep calm in times of trial, tribulation, and intense turmoil,
- even joy – radiant joy – in the midst of suffering, grief, and sorrows.
Let us consider some “what if’s” – for the sake of reflection. What if Mary Magadalene doubted her encounter with the Risen Lord and did not talk about it? What if Mary kept the spiritual experiences to herself? Still – the Risen Lord appeared to others, not just to Mary, so the story of His Resurrection would not have been lost forever. The weight of Christ’s glory did not rest on Mary Magdalene’s testimony alone. God always finds a way to get through – sometimes through people you and me, despite our sins, flaws, and limitations – thanks be to God.
Each and every day we are invited to have a new life in Christ – a new life in which we are welcomed into the Kingdom of God forevermore, a new life in which we are called to invite and welcome others to the great celebration of resurrection life in the Lord. We are invited to a new life in which people are resurrected: resurrected from death to life, from darkness to light, from sorrow to joy, from sickness to health, from weakness to strength.
People are hungering for some good news during this pandemic. Disciples of our Risen Lord are sharing Good News in word and in deed – even within our faith community. This weekend some of the disciples of our own congregation brought Easter joy to our homes. Thank you Joy, Jay, Cheryl, and Sue, and others involved who helped to spread good news this weekend. Like Mary Magdalene and the first disciples, they let us know that they have seen the Lord. We have seen the Lord, too, in you and through you.
Let us all hold fast to the promise of new life in the resurrected Lord – even as we are transformed for His kingdom purposes while we yet live. The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Thanks be to God. Amen.