20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been
removed from the tomb.
20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the
one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord
out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the
tomb.
20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first.
20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying
there, but he did not go in.
20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.
He saw the linen wrappings lying there,
20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the
linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.
20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went
in, and he saw and believed;
20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must
rise from the dead.
20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb;
20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of
Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.
20:13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to
them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they
have laid him."
20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you
looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him,
"Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him,
and I will take him away."
20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in
Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not
yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them,
'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
God.'"
20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have
seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to
her.
The First Sunday After Easter (April 18th) is also Holocaust
Remebrance Day, as well as the Sunday before Earth Day. The
lectionary texts for that day don't seem particularly appropriate
for these occasions. Does anybody have ideas on alternative
scriptures to use, or perhaps on ways to use the lectionary texts in
a sensitive manner with these "holidays" in mind?
Grace and peace, California Preachin'
What is the significance of the other disciple? He reaches the tomb
first - so? He later goes in the tomb and believes - believes what?
The scripture says they did not understand. What is the business
about not holding onto Jesus before he has ascended all about? PH in
OH
PH in OH Whenever I picture Mary turning to see Jesus I picture her
then running to embrace him, and I see him holding her back because
his body had been bruised and broken and began to decompose. His
physical resurrection was complete -- but his body was the same as
it had been. I read a commentary once though that suggested that the
correct translation was "do not CLING to me" and that commentator
believed we are not to cling to the human Jesus, but to the eternal
Jesus. We'll wait for the scholars to log in and see what they
think! I'm also curious about the disciple Jesus loved getting to
the tomb first though. Luke doesn't mention that -- he only talks
about Peter. It find it interesting that Mary and John were hesitant
to go inside the tomb but Peter goes right in. Janel in ND
Easter morning began with confusion: the stone was moved and the
tomb was empty. Disciples arrive, then angels, and finally Jesus
himself. Out of the confusion, hope emerges, and a weeping woman
becomes the first to confess her faith in the risen Lord.
Califonia Preachin', you might try the National Council of Churches
web site for suggestions on an earth-day liturgy. Sorry, I don't
have the web address- use your search engine. -AEA
Sigmund Brouwer's book, THE CARPENTER'S CLOTH,says this about the
folded cloth: "During Jesus' time there was one way a carpenter let
the contractor know a job was finished. A signature, so to speak.
Imagine a hot afternoon in Galilee. Jesus has completed the final
pieces of a job he has worked on for several days. The hair on his
strong forearms is matted with sawdust and sweat. His face is shiny
with heat. He takes a final ...drink of cool water from a leather
bag. Then, standing to the side of his work, he pours water over his
face and chest, splashing it over his arms to clean himself before
his journey home. With a nearby towel, he pats his face and arms
dry. Finally, Jesus folds the towel neatly in half, and then folds
it in half again. He sets it on the finished work and walks away.
Later, whoever arrives to inspect the work will see the towel and
understand its simple message. The work is finished. Christ's
disciples, of course, knew this carpenter's tradition...." They see
the cloth and know the work is finished. Hope this helps. ps in or
ps in or
Thank you so much for your citation from THE CARPENTER'S CLOTH. It's
wonderful. I know I'll make use of it.
JG in WI
I'm not sure I'm going to do much with this "beloved disciple," but
his presence throughout the gospel has intrigued me and others. Is
there any real literary support that this is John, or is it just
conjecture? When it says in verse 8 that he saw and "believed," does
this mean in the resurrection, since verse 9 says they "did not
understand the scripture that he should rise from the dead?" Or does
this mean he simply believed Mary's guess that someone took the
body? If he does believe in the resurrection, then at least in John,
he and not Mary Magadalene is the first true believer. Personally, I
don't think he is actually the historic John, but give credence to
the fictional model disciple, perhaps placed in John's stead,
created as a literary device by the writer of the gospel. TC in NY
PH in OH
More learned people than myself have understood Jesus' comment to
Mary as meaning, "Do not cling to me." Mary may have been clinging
to Jesus as if to say, "Don't ever leave us again," and it is as if
Jesus were saying in reply, "You cannot keep me here. You cannot
hold onto me. I have to eventually ascend to heaven." While Jesus
has returned from the dead in resurrection, she cannot retain Him
here.
A meaning I get from this is that as glorious as the resurrection of
Christ is, we cannot cling to this fact alone, but we must now go
and tell our world that He is risen and ascended to the Father.
TC in NY
Clearly, as one reads the closing chapters of the Gospel, the
beloved disciple is, of course, a disciple, and the last verses of
the Gospel (John 21:24) strongly imply that it is the author of the
Gospel. Whether it is John or not is a matter of historical
examination into church tradition but the author was a disciple and
eyewitness. Once that is realized, his specific identity becomes
almost moot, at least in my view (though I strongly support John's
authorship).
JG in WI
ps in or, thanks for your comments, I had never heard that one
before, but will use it in my sermon. I'm doing a first person
narritive as the Disciple whom Jesus loved and was wondering how I
would speak of the cloth. I note too that he only saw the linen
wrappings when he "Bent down to look in" but when he followed Peter
in he saw "the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with
the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself." and then
belived. Makes a lot more since now thanks to you and Sigmund
Brouwer.
MM in OH
I purposely chose the John account rather than the Luke because I
want to concentrate on Jesus sending Mary out of the garden, away
from the tomb & her risen Lord, to tell the others of her
experience. The congregations I serve love the hymn "In the Garden"
yet very few know that it tells the story of Mary's Resurrection
morning encounter with Christ and his sending her away from him to
tell the Good News. We will sing the hymn & then I will begin
talking about the necessity of leaving the paradise personal
encounter with Christ in order to be his disciples and to witness to
what we have experienced. Title is "Leaving Paradise."
Robbie in KS
I was intrigued by Mary's statements that "they" had taken away her
Lord. Undefined pronouns always bug me. She seems to be evoking the
paranoid fear that all of Jesus' disciples must have been feeling
after the capture and execution of their leader (see how the next
section begins with the disciples in a locked house). Mary seems to
be frantically suggesting that "they" were human enemies who had not
only killed her Lord, but had apparently stolen his body. On Easter,
I'll be preaching that the "they" she refers to can actually be the
worldly powers of sin and death. Mary walks toward the tomb more
faithful than ever in the power of those two ancient enemies.
Earthly sin caused misguided and fearful religious leaders to have
Jesus killed. And death is what takes all of our loved ones away
from us, if we are not taken away first. The Good News which Mary
learns is that Jesus has conquered those two ancient and seemingly
undefeatable enemies. Sin could not kill him and death could not
take him away. Since Jesus conquered "them", those who believe in
him no longer need to fear them. Through the power of God's Holy
Spirit, sin need not hold sway over our lives. Through the grace of
Jesus Christ, we need not die, but are offered eternal life. I'd
appreciate any ideas or suggestions anyone could make. I know it's
late, but they don't call it the Desperate Preacher's Site for
nothing. zombywoof
Can you imagine Mary's excitement? She has seen the Lord, and now,
at Jesus command, she goes to tell the others that he is alive!!
Sounds exciting to me! p. jon in Emmitsurg, MD
As we have followed the events of bombings and terrorist actions all
around the world, perhaps we can all get a better sense of what Mary
is experiencing as she seeks the body of Jesus. In Oklahoma City, at
the World Trade Center, in war, the remains of many are not
recovered and it seems to be that there is a double sense of loss.
First the person who was loved is gone. Secondly even that bit of
the person which is represented by the body is gone. Perhaps, with
these experiences, we can better understand Mary's double loss. Mark
in WI
I've recently had the experience (as many of you have had)of going
to visit someone in hospital, and finding only an empty bed. What
happened? The bed doesn't say - all it tells you is that the one you
were looking for is not here. Maybe they got better, and went to a
different ward or even back home. Maybe they got worse, and went to
ICU. Maybe they died. One way or another, all of us ultimately will
leave an empty hospital bed for someone else to find. I find that
empty hospital bed a powerful symbol, like a broken robin's eggshell
or an old shed snakeskin. It is a sign that the life that was once
confined within the hospital bed has broken open. The power of
Jesus's resurrection makes this possible for all. Happy Easter,
desperados and desperadas! LF
Did anyone see or hear rather, the author of a new book... about
"paradigm shifts"... how some things that happen in our lives,
change our "world view"... they interviewed a lady... or I dreamed
they did. She thought she was SET in her beliefs... I can't remember
for the life of me what changed her mind... but it was the idea of
being OPEN to the change. I know it is late posting... for Easter...
My personal favorite Jesus movie is "The Greatest Story Ever
Told"... the made for TV Mini-series... I will play the resurrection
scene tomorrow in church. (Yes, I have a license to do so!) ;?)
I dreamed last night that after sharing my understanding of Satan,
or lack thereof, the person in my dream... changed her mind.
I don't believe in Satan... evil yes... Satan no... anyway, in my
dream the person thanked me for "she had never looked at 'Satan'
that way before.
I'm rambling... still, I think there is something to be said about
our need to be the "first one home"... the first one to know GOD...
the almost childlike way the Disciples Peter and the faster runner
thought to be John, the one whom Jesus loved.
In the world, we want to be the ones who "KNOW THE TRUTH"...
I listened to Condoleeza Rice as she spoke in front of congresses
investigative committee of 9/11. Senator Bob Kerry...
KERREY: It worries me. And I wanted to make that declaration. You
needn't comment on it, but as I said, I'm not going to have an
opportunity to talk to you this closely.
And I wanted to tell you that I think the military operations are
dangerously off track. And it's largely a U.S. Army -- 125,000 out
of 145,000 -- largely a Christian army in a Muslim nation. So I take
that on board for what it's worth."
OK, ok... I'll stop... still, to "change the world" as Christ did to
those of us who are Christian doesn't mean we need to make the world
believe as we do...
A final thought...
In a pub in England, this mornings paper read..."And the 11th
commandment is..."
The Methodist Church, together with Christian Web site
shipoffools.com, invited drinkers to send in mobile phone text
suggestions for an 11th commandment, leaving details of the unusual
competition on beer mats in pubs around the nation.... the #1 was
"thou shalt not worship any more pop idols"... but other top
submissions for a new commandment were... "Thou shalt not kill in
the name of any God", "Thou shalt not be negative", and finally
"Thou shalt not consume thine own bodyweight in fudge." (or might I
add, Chocolate Easter Bunnies)
Thanks for listening with your eyes... ;?)
A blessed Easter to you all,
pulpitt in ND
My sermon title is... "The First One... Home!"
I doubt anyone else will read this, as there can be no greater fool
than I, cobbling together and Easter morning sermon on the evening
of Holy Saturday.
"Don't cling to me." There is a mountain west of Jerusalem. The
crusaders called it "Montjoie," because from that joyous mount the
pilgrim got a first glimpse of the holy city. There was a famous
hostel there, and a city that built up, trading with the pilgrims
bending their way to Jerusalem. Many pilgrims and merchants never
actually set foot in the muslim-held city, but were content to view
it from a distance.
We like Mary, want to cling to the first sight, rather than begin
the march to the heavenly city. But even the journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step. We must leave the garden, if we are
ever to share it's glad Easter tidings.
Joe in TX
To Joe, I read your note, and it has helped this also late-at-it
preacher. I pray God bless you and me as we preach under the total
power and control of the Holy Spirit tomorrow. I KNOW God will do
it.
We probably should understand Jesus' words in verse 17 in light of
14:1-3, 16:5-7. etc. The moment has come that, precicely by his
going away [having glorified the Father by triumphing over all
darkness on Good Friday and now, by opening the door of death from
inside the realm of death, cf. 10:18], the Paraclete will be given
to his church.
Jesus does not tell Mary that He is going to ascend, but, though He
had not - up to that point in time - ascended to the Father, He was
now ascending, i.e.in the very process of ascending.
Mary should not cling to Him, try to hold Him back,because it was
quite unnecessary. Jesus was going onward, forward, for her sake,
and ours. She was not going to lose Him at all, but was on the verge
of receiving Him in a new and most wonderful way.
From now on, the disciples would also know God in a new way, more
directly, more intimately than ever before.
These are the things that Mary should go and tell the others, i.e.
not that He had risen [a fact which Peter and the beloved disciple
should by now have made known, cf. v. 3-10], but that He was
stepping into the new future God had created through Him, calling
the Church to follow in his slipstream.
Debbo, South Africa
