John
20:1-18
Today’s
reading could take us in a number of directions: the “thick” disciples who see
the empty tomb and walk away; the curious case of women who first proclaimed
the Good News of the resurrection…but were later (4th Century) silenced
by the Church; the angels—two in John and one in Matthew—and what their real
purpose was; or my favorite, underappreciated moment: “Thinking [Jesus] was the
gardener….” What? The Risen Savior, the King of Kings, the Author of Life
mistaken for the gardener? Beautiful… 😊
WHAT
IF… Mary had gone that
morning…and the body was still there. She might have wept again, said a prayer,
and then gone home. The disciples? Peter, James and John would have gone fishing.
Perhaps through the years they would recall moments, incidents—the clearing of
the temple, feeding the 5,000, or even the mountain-top transfiguration.
They
may have even tried to share with others what Jesus had said…but it would sound
a bit hollow because of those promises of ‘resurrection’ and ‘return.’
Paul
would have risen through the ranks of the Pharisees, maybe sat on the Sanhedrin,
and perhaps made ‘high priest’ at some point. His life may have stayed very
centered in Judea.
And,
we would have no Gospels, no letters to churches, no letters to community
leaders—nothing of what we call the New Testament today. Just
imagine, we would never have read or heard words such as….
Come
to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest….
Love
is patience, kind, long-suffering….
If
you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you….
Our
Father, who art in heaven….
For
God so loved the world….
These
three remain—faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love….
BUT… something tipped the balance, something
changed everything.
Mary
Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the
Lord!”
This
changed everything! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, because he came
back to life, because the tomb did not contain him, history was forever
changed.
Because
Mary asked questions and stayed around...and talked with “the gardener.”
Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John wrote their Gospels...their memories and stories about
Jesus. Paul encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life
and letters changed the world. And, somewhere along the way, we experienced the
loving-kindness of God in Christ Jesus, and our lives are forever changed—we
have faith in God’s goodness, we have hope for the days to come, we live lives
of loving kindness because God poured out His loving kindness towards us in the
life, teachings, person, and resurrection of Jesus.
On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection. John writes, “...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31) Today, we can decide to believe, to trust, to put of faith and confidence in what God has done through Jesus the Messiah, and may we find life in him! May we like Mary know and proclaim that … He is risen! (He is risen, indeed!).
Sunday, April 5, 2026
New Beginnings – Jesus
Watch/Listen: HERE
