Easter Sunday

Easter Morning, 2019 – John 20:1-18

Christ is Risen – He is Risen indeed, Alleluia – Amen

Mary thought she was going to a funeral. That's what Easter morning was going to be for Mary Magdalene (and all the other women with her, but John's Gospel just focuses on Mary). That's what the women were doing at the tomb. There had been no time for properly burying Jesus that Friday night – the day of Sabbath, the day of rest had been coming and there was no time. Joseph and Nicodemus had hurriedly buried Jesus, but understand the culture. They didn't have funeral homes back then, and it was the duty, the honor of the family, the women of the house to tend to the body. And these women were Jesus' family, His friends, and by George they were going to see Him properly buried. And all weekend they had thought about how they hadn't done their job properly, so they planned and worried and fretted. Then Sunday comes.

And they get to the tomb, and the stone is rolled away. And the first thought is that something has happened, some sort of vandalism, some act of desecration and destruction – and it was done by someone strong. That big old stone was taken away from the tomb – not just a rolled a small crack to let one person in – it was moved. Whoever opened this tomb was strong – so Mary Magdalene runs to get help. She finds Peter and John, the two old friends, and she announces that Jesus has been taken out of the tomb.

Peter and John thought that they were going to a robbery. They thought that they were going to a fight. Think about the emotions that Peter and John would have had over that weekend. Peter had wanted to fight – as a friend he knew in his gut that he should fight for, that he should stick by his friend. Instead, he fled, and he denied the Lord three times. As for John, John fled too, and then he stood at the cross, and Jesus told him to take care of His mother – and the first thing that Mary wants to do while John is supposed to be taking care of her – it's messed up. Already, John has failed Jesus' request. He failed on Thursday night, he's failed already. So they both run to the tomb, knowing they have failed and wanting to fixing things.

And they get there, and nothing. John runs faster and sees the tomb open – I'm too late. Peter, older and slower but brasher and bolder, barrels on into the tomb. Empty. The cloths lying there. Which is odd – because the cloths were how you carried a dead body. You wouldn't unwrap them first. And they are stumped. And they are once again crushed. They just go home, as failures again.

That's how Easter morning started to play out. That's how life plays out when there's no Jesus. Nothing but a never-ending string of fights and failures that always end with a funeral. And we might try to talk about the fights we won, the successes we had – but the failures still tend to loom large, however much we bluster about positivity. And then death comes. And we bury people, people we know and love, until the day comes when we get buried. And when there's no Jesus to be seen, when there's no Jesus around, that's a pretty dour situation. And as we are finding out as a society, all the wealth and all the meds in the world can't change that situation.

So that's where Mary was. She figured that she was now in a world without Jesus. That's it, that's all she wrote. And Mary is just standing there by the tomb, and everyone has run off, and all the folks who could possibly help her are lost in their own misery, and she stoops in, and there are angels. And they ask, “Woman, why are you weeping?” This is not meant to be a serious question – the Angels, who had been waiting for this, for the triumph of the King are there, and this should be the great celebration... and there's a gal crying despondently. Um, ma'am why? They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. She's crying because – no Jesus. And then she turns and walks off, leaving the Angels stone cold.

And fortunately for her, she turns and Jesus is there. The angels have to be watching this play out slack-jawed, but she turns and Jesus is right there, Jesus has come to her, and He says, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Um, uh, um, why are you crying? Um, were you looking someone? And Mary is upset, so befuddled, so convinced that there is no Jesus anymore that she doesn't even see Jesus standing in front of her – If you've taken the body, I'll go get it, I'll go drag it off myself.

And now, my friends, the turn. Now my friends, the most joyous words spoken in the Scriptures, the biggest shift there is. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” Her name. And that's when Mary sees Jesus, only when He has called her by name. And then the joy, then the wonder, then the turning and the world is different and where there was only death and failure and sorrow – there stands Jesus, Risen from the dead, death defeated, sin atoned for, failures covered. There stands Jesus, and that old stinking story of sin and failure leading to death is done for. There's a new ending. It doesn't stop at “and He died” - it goes on to “then He rose.” And He says “Mary.” Jesus doesn't rise and go away from Mary – Jesus rises for Mary. He rises and comes and finds Mary– next week we'll hear how Jesus goes and finds the disciples on Easter evening. There stands Jesus, and it has all changed.

My friends in Christ. The world is going to try to keep you from seeing Jesus. The world is going to tell you over and over that there is no Jesus, or that you don't need Him. The world will try to entice with wealth and success, or lull your senses with drugs and entertaining pastimes, or even just grind you down to nothing – whatever it takes to try to tell you that there is no Jesus for you. Doesn't stop Jesus from coming to you to be Your Savior. Think about this – with all the powers of sin and Satan and death swirling around – Jesus has come to you and He has called you by name. Many of you right here at this font – by your name baptized into His name. You, you're with Me now. That's what your Baptism is. Jesus comes to you and calls you by name. And He comes again in His Word, to proclaim over and over that He has risen victorious over sin and death, that He has forgiven you – you! Not just that there is some forgiveness floating around out there and maybe you can find it – no, He comes to you and declares you forgiven in His Word. He sends Pastors to declare His forgiveness for you – that's my job. He comes to you in His Body and Blood to forgive you and give Himself to you. By name. Slight confession time – I'd prefer to distribute Communion saying, “so-and-so, the Body of Christ” - but I can't even keep my kids' name straight half the time and I don't want to be up here saying, “um, ah” in the middle of distribution, so “the Body of Christ.” But my absent-mindedness aside – this is Christ Jesus coming for you. You don't have to go on some quest to find God, Jesus comes to you, you personally, and He redeems you. I might be forgetful, but He's not.

Because the fights that we lose, and the tasks that we mess up – Jesus doesn't. He does them all, completely well and good – and He does them for you. And even all those funerals, all the times we try to do right by the dead, do what is proper – well, Jesus does that well and good too. We can only bury the dead, but Jesus raises them. And the day is going to come when you yourself will hear something as joyous and wondrous as what Mary heard Easter Morning. The day is going to come, maybe even long after loved ones have laid you in ground, but the day is going come when Jesus will say your name, and you will stand, you will rise, and you will see Him, and there will be only joy. Because you are His, and He loves you. And nothing in the world can change that fact – not even death could. See, there He stands risen, there He stands risen for you. Amen. Christ is Risen – He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia + Amen.