Easter Evidence

Acts 10:34-43; I Corinthians 15:1-11; John 20:1-18

I must congratulate those of you who, since Palm Sunday have attended all of the worship services that have taken place in this church, plus Friday's service at the Baptist Church. And I say this, not just because I wanted to see a nice crowd at each of those events, but I say this because I know that what we celebrate today is very much linked to each of those other events which took place throughout the week. In other words, I believe that Easter is much more meaningful, or becomes more real, for those who have taken the time to prepare themselves by being a part of the drama of Holy Week. Those of you who attended Palm Sunday Services, the Maundy Thursday Service, the Good Friday Service, the Sunrise Service, and then this one, are like the ancient Christian pilgrims who visited Jerusalem during Holy Week to share in the drama of the events surrounding Jesus' last days and hours.

Indeed, during the first centuries after Christ's death and resurrection, Christians from all over the known world would flock to Jerusalem for events which took place under the auspices of the Church of Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday Christians would line the streets, waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna!" as the bishop of Jerusalem, playing the role of Christ, would ride into the city on a donkey. Then, on Maundy Thursday Christians would gather together for the Lord's Supper, often gathering around tables arranged in the shape of a cross, just like we did. Then, on Good Friday, crowds of Christians would follow the bishop of Jerusalem who, playing the part of Christ, would carry a cross, following the footsteps of Christ as he was led from judgment to crucifixion. On the way to the place where Jesus died, the procession would stop at various places and recount the scriptures that tell about important things that happened to Jesus at that particular point. And then, on Easter morning, before the sun came up, the Christian pilgrims would gather at the tomb where Jesus was laid. There, the wonderful drama of Jesus' resurrection would be retold and celebrated. Then, finally, that evening, there would be another gathering to celebrate the actual appearance of Christ to his disciples as they were, yet, hiding in fear.

When I went to Jerusalem several years ago, I was exploring the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Housed within that large building, located in a place that what was once outside the city of Jerusalem, is the traditional site of the Lord's tomb. But, as I had a little extra time, one day, I decided to see what the rest of the building looked like, especially the part that most people don't get to see. So, I went through some doors and down some stairs. As I was walking through a corridor, I met a priest who seemed to know what I was looking for. And, so he took me on a tour of the lower parts of the building. He showed me the room where the knights of the crusades would put their horses. And I noticed that on the stone walls were etched some unusual crosses. And the priest explained to me that those crosses were the mark of those who came on the pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The cross became known as the Pilgrim's Cross and represented the gospel going out to persons from the four corners of the earth. As pilgrims left Jerusalem after Easter and went back home, they would carry this cross with them as an emblem of their experience.

For those of you who became pilgrims this week by attending all those services, or who just feel as though you are pilgrims because you feel that in some way you have experienced the resurrected Christ, through any of these services, that emblem is now available on the table in the narthex for any of you to take as you leave today.

Our gospel lesson for this morning is the climax of the story told by John about the life of Christ. I dare say that it is the most beautiful and most emotionally laden account that has ever been written. For, indeed, who among us has not felt the eye moisten a bit and a lump in the throat form as we have read these words, or as we have seen that event acted out?

Let's go back to that event for a moment. We're told that early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus and saw that the stone had been removed and saw that the body was no longer there. For her, this was, no doubt, a moment of heart wrenching panic.

We wouldn't have any idea of how terrible this must have been for Mary Magdalene, unless we knew who Mary was. In fact, Mary, as her name implies, was from the Palestinian trading city of Magdala. Scriptures imply that before she became acquainted with Jesus she had been very ill, either physically or mentally, we can't be sure. All we know is that she was described as having had seven demons driven out of her by our Lord. And, so, in gratitude and love, she devoted the rest of her life to following the Lord. Possibly being a wealthy woman, she contributed, financially, to Jesus' ministry, went with Jesus and the rest of his disciples to Jerusalem, was present at the crucifixion, and came, as our gospel lesson says, to the tomb to anoint the body of our Lord. But, finding that the stone had been rolled away and realizing that the body was missing, it was her task to run back to where the other disciples were to share the news.

How many of us have had the solemn task of having to share bad news about a loved one with others who we love? It is probably one of the hardest things that we may be ever asked to do. As a pastor I have often sat quietly in a room while others have had to do it. A mother or a father has died. A son or a daughter dials a number on a telephone, and then agonizing tears of sorrow and grief roll down as the news is shared. As sobs often overcome the person with the awesome task of sharing the news, another loved one must sometimes take the phone and complete the call, giving more of the details, before they are overcome, as well.

It was such a task which Mary had as she went back to the disciples. Not only had her beloved teacher died, but it appeared as though his body had been stolen, as well. So, we are told that she went back to the disciples and said, no doubt, amidst great sobs and tears: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

If only Mary had known the truth of the matter! If only Mary had known that Jesus had actually risen from the dead! Then her news would have been news of victory, instead of news of sorrow. Certainly, there would have been tears, but they would have been tears comforted by the knowledge of our Lord's resurrection.

I remember one occasion when I sat with a family whose grandfather had just died. One of the sons, a Sunday School teacher was there. It fell to him the task of calling the rest of the family on the phone with the news. And I remember how he shared the news. Certainly, the tears rolled down his face as he said it, but as he spoke on the phone I can still remember his words of victory: "Dad's gone to be with Jesus!"

Peter and John were in the room when Mary shared the news. As you know, Peter was the one who had denied Jesus three times after promising Jesus that he would die on a cross before he denied him even once. Of course, Jesus had told him that he would do it. But, nevertheless, his failure to be faithful to Jesus was tearing him apart.

All of his life, Peter had thought he was tough. He had joined the party of the Zealots who believed in the violent overthrow of the Roman backed government of Israel. Peter was a tough fisherman. Peter had bragged about how he would defend Jesus with his life. And, yet, as strong as Peter thought he was, he denied Jesus three times in one night. And when Peter realized what he had done, when he realized how weak he truly was, the Gospel of Luke tells us, "Peter went outside and wept bitterly." It was this same Peter, who, along with John, ran to the tomb of our Lord, upon hearing Mary's news.

In a way, there is something a bit ironic about the fact that both Peter and John ran to the tomb together. Peter had denied the Lord three times. But John had been faithful and true-blue all the way. John had even been with the women at the cross. So, it is interesting that faithless Peter and true-blue John went together to the tomb.

And, my friends, we have to ask, "What is this saying to us?" My guess is that in this congregation we have persons who are a lot like Peter who have denied our Lord, who have failed, again and again, in their calling to be disciples of Jesus. And, I would also venture to guess that there are some in this congregation who are perhaps a bit more like John, admired by all for their ability to stick with the Lord through thick and thin. Most of us would tend to fall somewhere in between one extreme or the other. But, the wonderful thing about it is that the miracle awaiting at the tomb wasn't just for John, the faithful, but it was also for Peter, the unfaithful, as well.

Likewise, the miracle awaiting us at the tomb isn't just for those of us who, like John, are true-blue; but it is also for those of us who have been weak, as well. The miracle at the tomb isn't just for those who go to Sunday School every week, but it is also for those who stay home and watch cartoons. The miracle awaiting at the tomb isn't just for those who have memorized half the verses of the bible, but it is also for those who can barely recite the Lord's Prayer. The miracle awaiting at the tomb is for every one of us sitting in here, today.

Ever once in a while I bump into persons who tell me that they don't take communion because they don't feel they are worthy. They, like Peter, may have denied our Lord a few times, and so they figure that they don't deserve to partake of the fellowship of Jesus. What they don't realize is that the miracle awaiting at the tomb is for them. What they forget is that the grace of God makes them, just as it made Peter, worthy of the miracle awaiting at the tomb, worthy of fellowship and communion with the risen Lord.

When Peter and John got to the tomb, John got there first, being younger than Peter. But, he stopped, and only looked inside. When Peter caught up, he went inside the tomb and saw that the grave cloths were lying empty in the tomb. Now, to Peter, this must have been a strange sight. Normally, if someone was going to steal a body from a grave, they would have left the burial cloths wrapped around the body. After all, who would want to carry a dead body without the burial cloths? But, there they were: The grave cloths lying exactly where Jesus' body had been lain, as though his body had passed right through them, leaving the cloths flat upon the stone. That sight, alone, was good enough for Peter. Joyfully leaving the tomb, he knew what had happened.

John must have seen the smile on Peter's face a he came out. John must have wondered what he had seen that made him look like that. So he went inside the tomb, as well. And the scripture tells us, "He saw and believed." And, together, Peter and John went back to their homes.

Mary, on the other hand, having followed the two disciples back to the tomb, stood outside the tomb and wept. And looking into the tomb she saw what must have been an amazing sight: two angels dressed in white. And they asked her why she was crying. And she answered, just as she had told the disciples: "They have taken my Lord away and I don't know where they have put him."

Now, in all of this, I hope you can see some heavenly humor in all of this. Mary, so blinded by her tears, can't recognize an angel when she sees one! And, isn't that so often the case with us? The evidence seen by Peter and John was also there for Mary to see, and yet, her tears kept her from seeing it. Even angels from heaven were there to share the news, but her sorrow muddled her senses. God, himself, was probably wondering what it would take to get the message across to Mary.

Have we ever experienced this in our own life? Has the confusion of life, the tragedies, the sorrows, the pain, and depression of our experience, ever been so great that we were unable to see the ministries of God in our life? Have we ever become so blinded by sorrow or bitterness that we were unable to make sense of the Easter evidence presented to us? Have there been times when God, himself, may have wondered what it would take to get the message across to us that even out of pain, sorrow, depression, and tragedy comes God's promise of abundant life? What does it take to get us to the place where we can see it with our eyes or understand it in our heart and believe?

Mary stood there in the garden crying. And, here we have it. The most beautiful recognition scene ever written. She turns and sees Jesus and thought he was a gardener, because her eyes were so blinded by her tears. She even asked him if he had taken Jesus' body away. But, Jesus answered her with only one word, "Mary!" And immediately she knew who it was.

Perhaps that's what it takes for us to know God's promise of life. And, indeed, I believe that God does it. In the midst of all that we experience in this life, in the mist of the confusion and turmoil of living, Christ calls our name. And, if we are listening with the ears of faith we will hear him. He calls our name, and we know that it is Christ.

One of the most important lessons of Easter is what Mary did after she realized that she had seen the risen Lord. She went from the garden and told the other disciples what she had seen and heard. Certainly, if we have experienced the risen Christ, that is our mission, as well: to share with others the good news of Jesus.	In the early years of the church, bearing the pilgrim's cross, the Easter Pilgrims would go home from their Easter experience in Jerusalem and share the good news with people as they went. My friends: Are we not pilgrims, too?

Amen.