John 20:18

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

           

            Movies, and now the video cassettes and disks give us a fun and delightful opportunity.  You can run the picture backwards and watch as things jump and run and return to the way they were at the beginning.  It satisfies that desire we have of restarting our lives, or even a portion of it.  We remember the “good old days,” and in certain respects want things to return the “way they were.”  What happens is there are certain events and feelings and joys that we would like to hold on to forever.  But life isn’t quite that way, we cannot run it in reverse and return the way we started.

 

Jesus had just died a merciless death on the cross.  The events beginning Thursday evening through Friday were so quick, so unavoidable, and so devastating to the disciples and followers of Jesus.  They had committed their lives, their hopes and dreams on Jesus.  And now he was gone.  He was dead as we too read from the accounts on Calvary.  He was no longer with them.

 

Yes, he had raised others.  Yes, he had promised he too would overcome the grave.  But a promise is just that, a promise.  They were waiting, hoping against hope that this last promise would be true.  Not unlike you or me, they wanted to return to the joys of being with their Lord as he was teaching them.  They wanted to return to the countless times he performed the miracles that brought such joy and such faith to the hearts of so many.  They wanted to return to the quiet times of prayer and devotion that he led them.  But they could not rewind the movie to its start. 

 

And there was Mary Magdalene, so certain someone had taken away even the body of Jesus, leaving an unimaginable emptiness far beyond the grief she had been going through since early Friday morning when news of the betrayal, trials, and crucifixion were unfolding.  As if death doesn’t leave enough uncertainty to the survivors, the empty tomb just compounded it all.  She couldn’t feel any worse.

 

            Meanwhile, Peter and John have hurried back to the other disciples and those gathered with them.  They were reporting what they had seen, the evidence in the empty tomb.  As John records about himself, “He saw and believed.”  As bold as those two were, they were flabbergasted with the hope they now had again.  But there was one thing left.  They had not seen Jesus.  What happened to him?  What does he look like?  Will he talk to us?  Or did he evaporate back into heaven?  He said he would send his spirit, the comforter.  How will he communicate that to us?  What are we to do?  Will anyone else ever believe this? 

 

            Mary Magdalene even sees the angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where Jesus had been laid and her mind is still not changed.  But she is very brave and confident as she looks up at the gentleman who has quietly come up behind her.  “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”  Like the movie in reverse, she wanted things back the way they began for her that morning.  And, hope against hope, she really wanted things back the way they had been since Jesus had driven the demons out of her and restored her life to a beauty she had never known.

 

            “Mary.”  It took only one word.  The joy and excitement Peter and John felt is now surpassed by an even greater joy, Mary gets to actually see Jesus.  He is alive.  His body is whole again.  He is like he was and even then some.  It is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.  Imagine the excitement now as she follows Jesus command to tell the others.  “I have seen the Lord.”

 

            What a joy it is on Easter morning to great each other,

                        Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

                        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

 

            What a joy it is at the end of a funeral service to reassure each other in that faith as we lift up our hearts to each other with those words of hope and promise,

 

                        Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

                        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

 

            Easter joy is like no other joy on earth. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, we too will live with him. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, in our own flesh we will see God. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, he is preparing a place in his father’s house for us.

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, our names are written in the book of life.

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, he will come again in the clouds, just as he left, accompanied by all the angels in heaven to gather up all believers to be with him in eternity. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, we no longer need to fear death as a sentence to us, but it is the victory over sin, death and the devil so that we too shall live again in the kingdom of glory that has no end. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, there is neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” [Romans 8:38-40]

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, those faithful even to the point of death will receive a crown of life. 

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, we have a joy that is unlike any other joy and is a joy that has no end as we are gathered singing Alleluia’s without end.

q       We know that because our redeemer lives, he has sent us like Mary to go and tell all of the others

 

Amen!

 

Alleulia!  Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!