It's Resurrection Sunday

Easter, if you'd like. But give me Jesus.

Happy Easter to you. Thank you for taking this journey with me. May the Resurrected Christ be at work in and through you. And a good nap to you as well. Happy Easter.

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Let’s just let the gospel text speak today.

John 20:1-18

Early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him.” Peter and the other disciple left to go to the tomb. They were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and was the first to arrive at the tomb. Bending down to take a look, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he didn’t go in. Following him, Simon Peter entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head. It wasn’t with the other clothes but was folded up in its own place. Then the other disciple, the one who arrived at the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. They didn’t yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.

Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her.

Psalm 118:22-24

The stone rejected by the builders is now the main foundation stone!
This has happened because of the Lord; it is astounding in our sight!
This is the day the Lord acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

Prayer

God,

Thank you for new life.

I am grateful for the resurrection of Christ some 2000 years ago. Really. But I wasn’t there. And though I try to live my life as though it’s true (this is how I define faith), that event is inaccessible to me.

So God, make the resurrected Christ alive today. In me. In situations through me. In the contexts around me. There’s a lot going on. We need the resurrected Christ.

I ask it by your Spirit and in his name,
Amen.