John 20:1-18

John 20:1-18 (NRSV)

 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. 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.” ³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples returned to their homes.

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 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.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 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.’ ” 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.

John 20:1-18 (All Years, Easter Day) is a story of the discovery of the empty tomb. 

Introduction

John tells the story of the empty tomb through combining two separate traditions, one concerning Mary (v. 1-2, 11-18), stressing the restoration of relationship with the risen Lord, and Peter and the Beloved Disciple (v. 3-10), stressing the apologetic value of the empty tomb. The point of the passage is to establish the empty tomb as a fact. The message of the resurrection that the disciples brought back to Jerusalem could not have survived a single hour if anyone could have shown the body to be in the tomb.[1] Yet, would resurrection require an empty tomb? A negative answer is implied in the view of Herod expressed in Mark 6:14, 16, namely, that Jesus was the beheaded Baptist risen again. However, the re-embodiment of a dead person in someone else is different from an eschatological resurrection of the dead and transformation into a life that is vastly different from existence on earth.[2] Thus, the empty tomb still has its place in the story of Jesus. It seeks to prove the reality of the resurrection of Jesus by the fact of the empty tomb.[3]

Verse-by-verse study

In verses 1-2, early Sunday morning, before sunrise, her grief cause Mary Magdalene to come to the tomb. A difference from the Synoptic Gospels is that she is alone, John wanting to focus on the experience of one woman. Since Nicodemus has already fulfilled the ceremonial custom of bringing spices to anoint the body, she does not have that reason to come. Although John does not mention the positioning of the stone, he notes that it has been removed by someone showing that the tomb is vacant. She does not investigate, running back to Peter and the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved, who according to tradition is John, but many think the text of John itself suggests Lazarus, informing them that someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb, showing that an explanation for the emptiness of the tomb other than resurrection is possible. In saying that “we” do not know where this unknown person has taken the body, John might imply the presence of other women. Conspiracy theories abound regarding the emptiness of the tomb, which in the case of Mary, involves opponents of Jesus disgracing the body of Jesus even more because they would not want the tomb to become a place for his followers to gather. All this has the ring of authenticity. She returned with alarm to Peter, convinced the corpse of Jesus had been stolen, for it was unusual for the governor to release the body of a man executed for treason and fanatics could have remedied this decision by taking the corpse under cover of night to one of the graves set aside for criminals (Sanh 6.5-6. This makes the account in John plausible, suggesting it might preserve the earliest form of the tradition.[4] This report sounds credible. Were it fabricated, the first appearance would not have been said to be to a woman, as women were not qualified to give testimony. It also has a ring of truth, for no one believed her and does not put the disciples in a good light.[5] However, the race to the tomb in verses 3-10 seems to be an expansion of Luke 24:12, a brief and matter-of-fact account.[6] Its apologetic and legendary character is obvious, especially its transference of the rise of Easter faith from appearances of the risen Lord to the fact of the empty tomb.[7] Who is this mysterious disciple? He knew the high priest, allowing Peter into the courtyard (18:15-16) and he reclined next Jesus at the supper (21:20). In the Gospel of John, he has the function of legitimating the community that arose around John, which developed characteristics distinct from the Jewish-Christian community and the communities established by the missionary labors of Paul. In any case, he and Peter went to the tomb, although the other disciples outran Peter, bending to look in through the low entrance and seeing the linen wrappings, not entering because of the awe he felt,[8] while Peter is the one who first enters the tomb. The unnamed disciple believes. Although this could mean he simply believes when Mary said about someone taking the body (Augustine in Tractate 120 in his commentary on John), it seems more likely that he believes because a grave robber would not unwrap the body of Jesus and neatly leave the burial clothes behind, while Peter remains confused, and later Thomas will doubt the witness of the other disciples who saw him. The disciples return to their homes. Yet, since belief in John rests upon a form of revelation, even this other disciple did not understand fully because he did not connect what he saw with the fulfillment of scripture. The tomb is empty, the discovery leaving behind confusion, fear, desolation, and depression. The implication is that John offers a meditation on the ministry of Jesus and its significance for his day, a portrait, a statement of conviction concerning the unique role of Jesus and its importance as seen with the benefit of hindsight and faith.[9] In verses 11-18, John shifts attention to Mary, who remains outside the tomb weeping. This story is not part of the enumeration of witnesses in I Cor 15:5-8, although one could explain this by the fact that the testimony was not acceptable. In any case, Paul does not give a complete list. This account suggests Mary of Magdala made her way alone to the tomb to lament. Although all the appearance narratives have the apologetic motive of proving the resurrection of Jesus by the appearances,[10] we also have the important theme of the restoration of relationship between the risen Lord and Mary. Here transformation from weeping to joy fulfills the promise in 6:20-22. John heightens dramatic tension through mistaken identity, the crowning example of Johannine misunderstanding, which in the Book of Signs is usually by those who do not believe, but in the Book of Glory is expressed by those who are followers of Jesus. She sees two angels in the tomb, differing from the Synoptic Gospels who have only one. They ask her why she weeps, and Mary responds that unknown persons have removed the body of her Lord. She then sees the risen Lord but does not recognize him. Throughout the tradition of the appearances of the risen Lord, the risen Lord is the one who comes to the follower. Supposing him to the be the gardener, a reference unique to John, she asks that if he has taken the body of Jesus away, let her know where he has taken it and she will take it away. John is stressing the ambiguity presented by the discovery of the empty tomb. Although Mary will see the risen Lord, it will take her time to recognize him as such, which will be a consistent theme in the appearance tradition. Of theological significance is his account of the appearance of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene, which points back to 3:13, 6:62. Only when Jesus says her name does she recognize him, following what Jesus said in 10:14 that the good shepherd calls the sheep by name and they recognize him. Her response is to call him Teacher (Ραββουνι or my dearest master; Διδάσκαλε or teacher). We might expect a stronger affirmation of faith from Mary, but in context, John will show a progression of titles that will culminate in the affirmation by Thomas, which is consistent with how John begins his gospel in the steady progression of titles. Mary clings to Jesus out of her joy, but the risen Lord reassures her that she does not need to cling to him because he is not going anywhere yet, since he has not ascended to the Father, indicating that the risen Lord has not returned to an earthly life. The risen Lord is stressing that no one can hold down the resurrected one. At this stage, his earthly journey is not over since further appearances of the risen Lord will establish the early Christian community. The ascension is beginning now but will have a progression through the appearances of the risen Lord to the disciples. The glorification of Jesus, which began with the cross, will not be complete until the risen Lord ascends to the Father. The relationship between follower and the risen Lord will be different from what it was before. The divine man presented in the Book of Signs and in the Synoptic Gospels, to which Mary would like to cling, is a figure of the past.[11] Mary returns to the disciples and proclaims, announces or reports[12] that she has seen the Lord, telling them what the risen Lord had said. This action by Mary makes here a witness to the truth regarding Jesus and a model of what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus.

Practical Application

As modern persons read a passage like this, we often assume that it was somehow easier for these ancient disciples to believe in the resurrection of Jesus than it is for us. Yet, this passage reminds us of the doubt and confusion the first Easter had for the disciples. They had the Bible. They had the words of Jesus. Yet, the resurrection was not something they found easy to believe. The emptiness of the tomb puzzles them, making them assume someone has stolen the body. Even when Mary first encounters Jesus, she assumes that he is a gardener. She does not recognize the risen Lord until he says her name. She took a second look and saw Jesus; even as she least expected it.

As important as Easter is to the church, to Christian belief, and I hope to us, it never gets easier. The confession of Mary, “I have seen the Lord,” makes her a witness to its truth and a model of faith. We believe the witnesses, not because we have such wonderful insight, but because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes. We now see who Jesus is as the King of kings, Lord of lords, our Savior, and the Son of God. Christians now know that all that we hope to know of God, we know in Christ. 

No planet knows that this,

                  Our wayside planet, carrying land and wave,

                  Love and life multiplied, and pain and bliss

                  Bears, as chief treasure, one forsaken grave.[13]

 

We often want helpful hints for the difficulties we face today. This story says that what God has done in Jesus Christ is far more significant to us than we may realize. Do we believe? Have we seen the Lord? If so, then our lives are neither more nor less than living in relationship to him, receiving the strength he gives for the journey and going where he leads. 

For many people today, death and nothingness are the final word. The resurrection of Jesus is a sign that life and light may well have the final say. As a boy, Robert Louis Stevenson, living in a time before light bulbs, was intrigued by the work of the old lamplighter who went about with a ladder and a torch, setting the streetlights ablaze for the night. One evening in Edinburgh, Scotland, as young Robert stood watching with childish fascination, his parents heard him exclaim, “Look, look! There’s a man out there punching holes in the darkness!” Yes, God has punched a hole in the darkness with the resurrection of Jesus. Those who turn to this light with faith could reflect that light in their world. 

Bedazzled is year 2000 movie of a modern rendition of Faust, in which the devil, in the form of a beautiful woman, played by Elizabeth Hurly, wants the soul of the naïve Elliott Richard, played by Brendan Fraser, in exchange for seven wishes that she will grant him. Of course, every wish goes wrong. He goes through six wishes, all of which begin to sound much like the seven deadly sins. He wants the love of Allison. He wishes for her to love him. He wishes for wealth and power. He wishes to be the most sensitive man in the world, but Allison gets frustrated. He then wishes to be a great professional basketball player. He wishes for popularity. He finally considers doing something for others, which starts with being President of the USA – Abraham Lincoln. At one point, (1:10:42 to 1:15:35): he goes to church, telling a minister that he needs to talk to God. When he tells the minister about his contract in which he sells his soul to the Devil, the minister has him brought to jail because he sounded so crazy. The Devil is an officer who places him in his cell. His cellmate says she is the Devil. Then he asks, “What are you in for?” “Eternity.” “Why?” “I sold my soul.” “I hope you got something good for it.” “I got nothing for it.” “You got a bad deal. But it doesn’t matter anyway. You cannot sell your soul, because it does not belong to you in the first place.” “It doesn’t? Then, who does it belong to?” “It belongs to God, the great unifying force that holds everything together. The Devil will try to confuse you. You will make mistakes along the way, everyone does. But if you just open your heart and your mind, you will get it.” “Who are you?” “Just a friend, a really good friend.” In the end (1:15:36 to 1:27:00), he decides that he does not want another wish. In fact, he cannot think of anything he wants, at least nothing the Devil can give him. He has spent his life wishing he were something else. He realized that it was not so much where we end up in life, but how we get there. He finally wishes for Allison to have a happy life. This wish breaks the contract with the Devil.

My guess is that all of us have a story in which, at some point in our lives, we became confused. We lived more with darkness and pollution than with light and health. Yet, for many of you, the light has dawned upon you.

You are in the position of Mary today. You may need to take a second look. Have you ever found yourself in a distressing circumstance, when the sky seemed to come crashing down on you, and Christian that you are, you immediately forgot all the promises of God? You felt sorry for yourself; you became anxious and upset. I have. We so quickly forget the promises of God. You need to take a second look.

We have perhaps had it all. It is not that we have never understood that something is more important than success in a career. We have simply taken the wrong path to find it. You need to take a second look at Jesus.

Lloyd Douglas, in his book The Robe, has this scene with Marcellus, the Roman centurion who had the robe of Jesus.  He becomes a Christian and tells his fiancée the story of Jesus.  She responds, "It's a beautiful story, Marcellus, but we don't have to do anything about it, do we?  Let's leave it just where it is."  "That's just it," says Marcellus, "I cannot forget it.  Because it happened, things can never be the same for me again."  It goes that way.  People keep getting their lives tangled up with this man Jesus.  He changes their lives forever. How about you?

---

[1] (Moltmann, The Way of Jesus Christ, 1990)p. 222.

[2] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, 1998, 1991)Volume 2, 357-8.

[3] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958) 287.

[4] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971) 301, 304-5.

[5] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971) 306.

[6] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971) 305.

[7] (Fuller, The Formation of the Resurrection Narratives, 1971) 135-6.

[8] Michaelis, TDNT V, 815.

[9] (Dunn, Christology in the Making: A New Testament Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation, 1980, 1989) 32.

[10] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958) 288.

[11] (Fuller, The Formation of the Resurrection Narratives, 1971) 136-9.

[12] Schniewind, TDNT I, 61, the only occurrence in the NT of this Greek word.

[13] Alice Meynell

Acts 10:34-43

Acts 10: 34-43

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-- he is Lord of all. ³⁷ That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹ We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹ not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Acts 10:34-43 (All Years, Easter Day, Year A, First Sunday After the Epiphany) records the message of Peter to those gathered at the home of Cornelius. This exploration weaves together literary structure, historical context, theological depth, and practical applications in a way that I hope feels both scholarly and accessible. My intent is that this study becomes a compelling call to live out impartial love in a divided age. The speech of Peter becomes a pivotal moment of radical inclusivity, bridging Jewish roots with the universal call of the gospel. I will first present a literary and historical analysis that will lead to a practical application.

I offer a summary of this study.

Literary and Historical Analysis

This passage is set within the broader narrative of Acts 10:1–11:18, which recounts the conversion of Cornelius and his household. It marks a pivotal moment in the early Christian church’s history. Up to this point, the church’s mission had been directed primarily toward Jewish communities and the Samaritans. This echoes the broader arc of Acts as a "sequel" to Luke's Gospel, emphasizing the Spirit's outward momentum (Acts 1:8). In this scene, Peter—who had been leading the mission to the Jewish people—serves as a bridge to the Gentile world.

The significance of this event cannot be overstated. By extending God’s fellowship to the Gentiles, the church breaks through previous boundaries, embracing inclusivity and universality. It is often called the "Gentile Pentecost" for paralleling Acts 2, with the Spirit falling unbidden on non-Jews (10:44-48). Historically, this reflects the early church's tensions around circumcision, dietary laws, and purity (echoed in Galatians 2, where Peter later wavers). Cornelius, as a Roman centurion and "God-fearer" (a Gentile sympathetic to Judaism but not fully converted), represents the porous boundaries of 1st-century Judaism in the Roman Empire. Your point about enabling urban growth is key—Christianity's spread to cities like Antioch, Ephesus, and Rome owed much to this inclusivity, fueled by trade routes and diaspora networks. Scholars like F.F. Bruce note that without this shift, Christianity might have remained a Jewish sect rather than a global faith. Peter's realization ("God shows no partiality," drawing from Deuteronomy 10:17) challenges ethnocentric barriers, aligning with Jesus' own boundary-breaking (e.g., the Samaritan woman in John 4). This shift paves the way for the ministries of both Peter and Paul among the Gentiles. The result is the rapid urban growth of the Christian movement throughout the Roman Empire.

 

Literarily, the passage is the fifth scene in the conversion story, highlighting the progression from Jewish exclusivity to Gentile inclusion. It functions as the climax where divine visions and human obedience culminate in Peter's proclamation. Literarily, Peter's speech mirrors early Christian kerygma. It has a creedal structure: announcement of peace (v. 36), Jesus' ministry (vv. 37-38), death and resurrection (vv. 39-41), commission to witness (v. 42), and prophetic fulfillment (v. 43). This concise summary serves as a microcosm of the apostles' preaching, making it a "speech within a story" that propels the plot toward the household's baptism and the Jerusalem council's validation (Acts 11, 15). It's a masterful narrative pivot, underscoring Luke's theme of reversal—where outsiders become insiders through faith. Peter’s speech is both a theological declaration and a practical demonstration of the church’s expanding mission.

I analyze the speech as a bridge between Jewish tradition and Gentile inclusion. I link the passage to the “great commission,” stressing that the church’s mission is global. I explore the meaning of “acceptability” before God, focusing on faith and righteousness rather than heritage. The speech is a bridge, linking Old Testament promises (e.g., Isaiah 56:6-8 on foreigners joining God's people) to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). The emphasis on "acceptability" through fear of God and righteousness (v. 35) shifts salvation from ethnic covenant to personal response, prefiguring Paul's theology in Romans 2:6-11. Theologically, this underscores soteriology: forgiveness through belief in Jesus' name (v. 43) is universal, not gated by heritage. The connection to the "word" (λόγος) as both Jesus' message and embodiment is an insight that resonates with Johannine themes (John 1:1-14). It also highlights Christology—Jesus as "Lord of all" (v. 36) asserts his sovereignty over Caesar's empire, a subversive claim in a Roman context.

Practical Application

The story’s practical implications are profound. 

It teaches that faith communities should be open to all, regardless of background or previous boundaries. Peter’s role as a bridge encourages leaders and members to act inclusively, welcoming those who may have previously been considered outsiders.

For contemporary readers, this passage invites reflection on personal and communal openness. Are there boundaries—cultural, social, or religious—that need to be reconsidered? The expansion of the early church’s mission serves as a model for embracing diversity and fostering growth through inclusion.

I challenge established religion to reconsider boundaries and litmus tests. I call for communities to embody the radical inclusivity modeled by Peter and Jesus. The analysis concludes that “God shows no partiality,” and that true love and acceptance transcend all human qualifiers. Extending this to institutions is a prophetic notion in that churches today often erect "fences" via doctrinal litmus tests, cultural biases, or exclusionary practices, much like the early circumcision debates. The call to embody radical inclusivity resonates with ongoing discussions in theology (e.g., liberation theology's focus on marginalized groups). In a polarized world, "God shows no partiality" critiques divisions over politics, race, sexuality, or class, urging communities to prioritize heart-level judgment by Christ (v. 42). Peter's evolution—from rooftop vision to preaching—models humility: even leaders must adapt when the Spirit moves. This invites self-reflection: How do our "qualifiers" (as you list) hinder the gospel's reach?

The passage has pastoral relevance. The practical application moves from exegesis to practical theology, critiquing three forms of “partial love”: Loving the lovable: Love limited to those who are easy to love. Reciprocal love: Love based on mutual benefit or scorekeeping. Controlling love: Love that seeks to dominate or manipulate. I show each to be incomplete compared to the biblical ideal of love, which is unconditional and inclusive.The reflection on "partial  love" forms—loving the lovable, reciprocal love, and controlling love—feels like a modern echo of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48), where love extends to enemies without qualifiers. These categories rely upon psychological insight: loving the lovable risks superficiality; reciprocal love invites transactionality (as in "scorekeeping" marriages); and controlling love mirrors codependency or abuse dynamics. Biblically, they contrast with agape love—unconditional, self-giving, as modeled in Jesus' life (v. 38: "doing good and healing all"). The application to freedom from the past as a "prison" ties beautifully to forgiveness (v. 43), offering hope for personal transformation. In practice, this challenges believers to audit their relationships: Am I loving conditionally, or reflecting God's impartiality?

Key Insights

Inclusivity is a Core Theme: I argue that the heart of the Christian message is radical inclusivity, breaking down barriers of ethnicity, tradition, and social status. Inclusivity is the heartbeat of the passage, aligning with God's Abrahamic promise to bless "all nations" (Genesis 12:3). This is not relativism but invitation: faith in Jesus opens the door for all.

I offer a Critique of Human Limitations: By dissecting forms of partial love, the text invites readers to reflect on their own limitations and aspire to a more complete, Christ-like love. It invites introspection, even spiritual exercises like examining one's "love inventory" through prayer or journaling.

I offer a Challenge to Institutions: The analysis is not just personal but institutional, urging religious communities to move beyond tradition-based boundaries and embrace all people. This extends to ecumenism—how can denominations collaborate without "scorekeeping"? It also speaks to social justice, where partiality manifests in systemic inequalities.

I offer Scriptural Grounding: The study is rooted in the biblical narrative, using Peter’s speech as a lens for both historical change and ongoing spiritual challenge. The study avoids eisegesis. T

Summary:

Acts 10:34-43 is a turning point in the early church, where Peter’s message at Cornelius’s home signals the opening of God’s fellowship to Gentiles. This event catalyzed the spread of Christianity beyond its original boundaries, offering a timeless lesson in inclusivity and the transformative power of welcoming others.

Here is my detailed study.

It is the fifth scene of the larger story of the conversion of Cornelius and his household that we find in Acts 10:1-11:18. At this point in the story of the early church in Acts, we are seeing an expansion of the mission of the church. It has focused upon witnessing to the Jewish people and the people of Samaria. With this story, we see that Peter, the same man heading up the mission to the Jewish people, acts as a bridge to the Gentile world. This extension of God’s fellowship to the Gentiles is a truly momentous event, as it opened the door for the Gentile ministries of both Peter and Paul, which led to the urban growth of the Christian movement throughout the Roman Empire. 

Peter then says in verses 34-43: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. What Jesus has taught him as a Jewish person is that God does not lift one group of humanity over another. In referring to the acceptability of those in every nation who offers proper respect to God and to other people, he is speaking of the acceptability of those without knowledge of the covenant of the Lord with Israel. 36 As for the word (λόγον) that he sent to Israel, used for the preaching of Jesus in the same as it is of the message of the apostles, for as Jesus speaks the Word, by Jesus it is spoken, a usage so natural one is astonished at its frequency (Mk 2:2, Mk 4:33, Lk 5:1),[1]preaching good news of peace (εὐαγγελιζόμενος εἰρήνην) through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), an affirmation that arises out of the experience of what the Father has done in the sending of the Son. This affirmation reminds the reader that the mission of the church of the community is not simply that of passing on in words the preaching the Father had given him, for Jesus is more than a prophet or teacher. He even has another version of the great commission. He will stress that the mission of the church embraces humanity. 37 You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed. To this Gentile audience, he does not quote the Jewish scripture, yet he still offers a powerful witness. Instead, he focuses upon the way Jesus lived his life in care for others. What he shared was the heart of the early preaching, its kerygma: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses (μάρτυρες) of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised (ἤγειρεν) him on the third day and made him to appear (ἐμφανῆ), 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses (μάρτυσι), who ate and drank with him, an act that verified that it was Jesus of Nazareth whom they saw after he rose from the dead (ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν). Luke then offers his version of the great commission: 42 And he commanded us to preach (κηρύξαι) to the people and to testify solemnly (διαμαρτύρασθαι) that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” This preaching is consistent with the prophetic testimony, so that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins. All people may receive forgiveness. The past can hold us in bondage, like a prison. We can carry our prison around with us wherever we go. We need freedom from the past when it has become a prison for us in the present. He sees the new direction the Spirit is leading the church.

 

I offer a brief practical application.

Established religion has many gifts. It can offer expertise based upon centuries of experience and tradition. Yet, it can also develop practices that limit the gospel message. However, I think this passage today opens the door for an important discussion. It shows that institutional religion, as it develops expertise, also tends to put limits on its mission and more importantly on God. When Peter saw that God showed no partiality, he also saw that it meant a change in the mission of the church. The love of God for human beings has no limits. 

There are many examples of partial, limited love. Three examples of limited love come to mind. 

Loving the lovable. Such love is important. It would say something dreadful about our character if we treated the easily loved as if they were weak and therefore easily abused physically or emotionally. However, too often, the only love we can manage loves the lovable, by which we usually mean the attractive, pleasing, and gifted that easily wins the affection of others. By definition, a lovable person is not hard to love. Yet, even here, some people are of such twisted character that they cannot even do that! However, we need to ask, Does God call us only to love the lovable? Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." He does not add the exception, "that is, if your neighbor happens to be lovable." A love like that would be shallow. Therefore, that is one type of partial love: loving only the lovable.

Reciprocal love. Another type of partial love is all about gauging our love according to the possibility of receiving love in return. This is reciprocal love: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Many human relationships are like that. It is a fine and helpful thing for two people to decide they are going to come together and meet each other's needs. Often, we refer to this sort of love as a "partnership," highlighting the even exchange. The ability to practice such transactional relationships is important. It shows awareness of the needs of others and a need within oneself. Yet, this, too, is only a partial love. What happens, for example, if one partner gets sick and is unable for a time to care for the partner's needs? Does the love-partnership fall apart at that point? Some do. An important relationship that has this dimension is marriage. It would be a sick marriage if one partner carries the weight of the relationship in giving love but never receives. A marriage needs to have that mutuality of love, friendship, and affection. However, any marriage that gets into keeping score is already heading for trouble. There are times and seasons, in some marriages, in some deep friendships, when one partner does end up carrying more of the weight of the relationship. God did not intend marriage or friendship to be that way, of course, but sometimes that is just the way it is. The truth is that, if we are in a reciprocal relationship, there is always the temptation to engage in scorekeeping.

Controlling love. The final type of partial love is controlling love. A positive side of this is that such love exhibited from parent to child is part of educating the child. The parent teaches practical matters such as the danger of crossing the street or the danger of fire and knives out of love. Yet, we know people who seek control through love: a spouse or a parent or someone else. An element of control often makes its way into human relationships. In such relationships, one offers love for a time, free and clear, then abruptly snatch it away. Afterwards, one usually keeps such love in storage, bringing it out the next time the controlling lover has need of it.

Controlling love, too, falls short of the full measure of love, the biblical ideal. Controlling love is not the type of love we see God exercising in the Bible. You would think it would be just that way, in the uneven power-relationship of an omnipotent God and a frail and flawed people. Nevertheless, it is not. The track of God's love for Israel -- several millennia long but still in effect -- has had some rocky interludes. Even on their epic journey through the wilderness, the people of Israel sometimes acted foolishly and disobediently. God had to dispatch the prophets, one by one, to call them back to faithfulness. Were God's love controlling them, that never would have happened. However, God's love is never a controlling love. The Lord values human freedom, knowing there are going to be times -- lots of times, to be perfectly honest -- when we will greedily snatch up that freedom, then go out and abuse it.

Therefore, Peter now perceives that the chosen people include everybody. 

 

“I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10:34-35

 

Each of these forms of love may have their place. They are examples of love. Human beings universally recognize love as a good thing to have, give, and receive. Even in partial form, they are good. Loving the loveable is shallow, but as far as it goes, it remains love. If both partners in reciprocal love deliver, it remains love and is good. Even controlling love may act to keep a loved one out of danger and contribute to a sense of self-worth. So, if these are all partial forms of love, what does complete love look like? 

 

³⁶ You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. ³⁷ That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.-Acts 10:36-38

 

            Jesus gets at this when he teaches, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Can there be a more difficult teaching than that?

In the church today, confessing that Jesus is Lord is mostly a foregone conclusion, but usually with substantial qualifiers attached. “Well, yes,” we say, “of course Jesus is Lord of all, but people have to believe thus and so before he will actually be their Lord.” Or, “He’s your Lord if you are willing to be baptized by immersion.” Or, “If he’s really your Lord, you’ll be tolerant and open-minded.”  Or, “Jesus is Lord doesn’t apply to [choose your hated group fanatics / homosexuals / Republicans / Democrats / lazy people / reactionaries / liberals / the deluded / the bigoted / Pharisees] unless they first [your favorite qualifier].” We have fences to maintain. We have litmus tests to administer.

That God shows no partiality means that nobody has the edge, that all people are equal before God and none are “more equal” than others; nor is there any hint of a “separate but equal” doctrine, rather, the only litmus test that counts is whatever Jesus administers in the human heart. As Peter preaches it that day, “the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead” (10:42). 

At its best such an approach to religious community means that we take what God has revealed to us and put it into practice.

---

[1] Kittel, TDNT, IV, 120.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

¹ O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

his steadfast love endures forever! 

² Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."

¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my might; 

he has become my salvation. 

¹⁵ There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: 

"The right hand of the LORD does valiantly; 

¹⁶ the right hand of the LORD is exalted; 

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly." 

¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live, 

and recount the deeds of the LORD. 

¹⁸ The LORD has punished me severely, 

but he did not give me over to death. 

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness, 

that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD; 

the righteous shall enter through it. 

²¹ I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 

²² The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 

²³ This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes. 

²⁴ This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118 is a pre-exilic psalm of individual thanksgiving. However, the reference to the nations and the battle imagery of verses 10-16 suggests a victory song. I offer a detailed literary, historical, and theological analysis, referencing both Jewish and Christian traditions, scholarly opinions, and scriptural cross-references with Exodus 15 and the New Testament. I focus on the steadfast love of God, covenant loyalty, and the motif of reversal emphasized in the text.

Introduction

The psalm is a powerful testimony to the direct help of God and joyful surrender to God who can overcome all afflictions.  The Talmud says worship leaders read it antiphonally in the liturgy.  Proselytes are part of the service.  Jewish tradition relates it to the feast of tabernacles, while many moderns relate it to the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, since Ezra 6:15-16, Nehemiah 8, nor I Maccabees 4:54ff refer to it.  Dahood sees a king giving thanks for deliverance from death and military victory. Dahood sees associations with the ancient hymn of Exodus 15, thus being pre-exilic.  This provides the conclusion to the Hallel portion of the psalter that began with Psalm 113.  Leaders recited these psalms at the great Jewish feasts, including the Passover.  This may have been the psalm used in Nehemiah 8:13-18, which refers to the post-exilic celebration of the festival of booths, where the people were to gather branches and construct booths on their roofs and courtyards.  See Ezra 3:4, Zechariah 14:16 and Exodus 23:14 for the observances of festivals. Death is a formidable power, which wants to take control; but the Lord will not let it happen.  The day of rescue is a day for joy. 

Verse-by-verse study

Psalm 118:1-2 form the introduction. ¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good (tov); the steadfast love (hesed, lovingkindness, mercy, faithful or loyal love) of the Lord endures forever! The abiding goodness of the Lord is the theme of the psalm. He holds the Lord in highest esteem, as one whose qualities worshippers ought to desire. Jewish piety had the thought of the goodness of the Lord underlying the summons to praise and offer thanks in prayer, as here.^[1] One can understand hesed as covenant loyalty, graciousness, and kindness. The Lord honors covenants made with us human beings, sometimes even when we breach them.  ² Let Israel say, “The steadfast love (hesed) of the Lord endures forever.”The repetition of participants provides intensification via the various groups' repetition of this phrase. We see a similar pattern in Psalms 107:1, 117:1-2, and especially 136 (all); I Chronicles 16:34, 2 Chronicles 5:13, Ezra 3:11.

In verses 14-16, using imagery from Exodus 15:2, 6 and Isaiah 12:2, the poet affirms that ¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my might; the Lord has become my salvation. We see no pride here. We see only submission to the victory of the Lord. ¹⁵ There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly; ¹⁶the right hand of the LORD, which the Lord uses to defend Israel against its enemy, is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly." The Lord is the mighty hero. ¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live and recount the deeds of the LORD. The king views his future life and the time of suffering considering the Lord with whom he has had such a powerful experience. ¹⁸ The LORD has punished me severely, but the Lord did not give me over to death. Verses 19-20 are an allusion to entrance rituals whereby the righteous gain admittance to the temple, as in Psalm 15 and 24. ¹⁹ Open to me (the king) the gates of righteousness, referring to those in the temple, where only the godly righteous may enter. For the gatekeepers, one can also see Psalm 15, 24:3-10, and Matthew 25:31. Righteousness is living by the right, moral and ethical standards of the Lord in relationship to others, which includes mercy for the needy and helpless, along with equal justice for all in legal matters. Righteousness can also mean the saving vindication of the Lord. Hence, we see varied translations of 118:19: "Gates of righteousness" (NRSV, NIV, NASB), "Gates of victory" (Tanakh, NAB), and “Gates of saving justice" (NJB).[2] He wants the gates to open that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. ²¹ I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

Psalm 118: 22-24 become the testimony of the congregation. It becomes a confession of faith in the Lord. The deliverance beat the odds, rescuing and honoring the unlikely. ²² The stone that the builders rejected, found unsuitable as a foundation stone, has become the chief cornerstone. A metaphor of reversal of expectations. Once rejected, Israel is now the keystone. The architectural imagery links with gates and gateway in verses 19-20. Verses 23-28 are a thanksgiving ritual in the temple amid the friend and family of the poet. The shift to the first-person plural suggests that these verses were recited by all those assembled. ²³ This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. It may refer to the building of the temple.  The saying implies that someone rejected has become prominent, and indeed irreplaceable. Some scholars consider this a proverbial expression that this passage applies to the king. "He had been near defeat and death, but now Yahweh has granted him victory and success.... Others take the stone to represent Israel, rejected as unimportant by the great empires.... In later times Judaism applied this verse not only to the king but also the expected Messiah, an interpretation adopted by the Christian church."[3] Given that Judaism applied it to Messiah, it is no surprise that Christians did so as well, for which see Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, and I Peter 2:7. From NT times, Christians have seen connections between Psalm 18:22-23 and the initial rejection and suffering of Jesus, followed by his subsequent vindication when God raised him from the dead. Ephesians 2:19-22 calls Jesus Christ ἀκρογωνιαίου (v. 20: the corner, cornerstone, capstone, or keystone). A popular hymn from the 600s and translated from the Latin by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) begins with the notion that God has made Christ the sure foundation, head, and cornerstone, the chosen one, and precious, binding all the church in one. ²⁴ This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it, where a note in the NRSV says “it” would be better to translate “him” It is the better translation, given the emphasis on thanksgiving (vv. 1, 19, 21, 28, 29) to the Lord for bringing “today’s” victory (“Lord” appears 28 times in 29 verses). In other words, worship is all about the Lord. Be glad for this day, but even more, be glad in the Lord.

---

[1] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology 1998, 1991)Volume 1, 432.

[2] The Theological Wordbook of the Bible (article 1879)

[3] Bratcher and Reyburn (A Handbook on Psalms, 993)

Mark 16:1-8

Year B

Easter Day

April 5, 2015

Cross~Wind UMC

Title: Helping People out of their tombs

 Going deeper

Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV)

            Mark 16:1-8 is a story about Jesus involving the discovery of the empty tomb.

 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. [The women have to wait until Sunday to tend the body, not because it is prohibited to tend dead bodies on the Sabbath,^[1] but because doing the work of rolling the stone away from the tomb is prohibited. Additionally, any person who goes to the tomb and is exposed to a dead body will be made ritually impure for seven days afterward.^[2] This means that any man who might come with them on Sunday would render himself ritually impure for the rest of the Passover holiday. Typically, one would give up his state of ritual purity only for the death of one of his nearest kin.^[3] Because the women themselves are not entitled to perform Passover sacrifices, becoming ritually impure is less of an issue for them. The women listed here differ slightly from those given in 15:40 and 15:47. These very women have been with Jesus for a long time. Two of the three women who come to the tomb on Sunday morning are named as those who “saw where the body was laid” (15:47). These women observed Jesus’ crucifixion “from a distance.” They were Jesus’ followers who “provided for him when he was in Galilee,” supporting and sponsoring (even financially) his ministry (15:40-41; cf. Luke 8:1-3). Unlike the disciples, the women do not “desert” Jesus (14:50), nor do they deny him (14:66-72). Instead, it seems that they are the most “faithful” of Jesus’ followers.  These women can give eyewitness testimony to the grim reality of Jesus' death and the burial of his body. The desire to offer his poor dead body one final act of service caused the women to return to Jesus' tomb early that morning. They planned to anoint him with spices that would mask the odor of death and decay that they already expected to find permeating the tomb. Some suggest that the burial Joseph of Arimathea gave to Jesus was to fulfill the law detailed in Deuteronomy 21:22‑23‑‑a hanged man "under God's curse" was not to remain all night on the tree where he died.  This would indicate that Joseph was convinced of Jesus' criminal status and that he rushed the burial in order to keep the law, not out of respect for Jesus or any concern for the approaching Sabbath.  Since Jesus was a criminal, his body would not rate any special attention or anointing. It would simply be entombed as quickly as possible.  In this case, the women's determination to supply spices and offer him an anointing would serve to bring honor back to Jesus' name. It is also no small irony that the very focus of the women's concern, Jesus' body is exactly what they find missing from the tomb.]

 ³ They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” [Mark emphasizes the weight and size of the stone to the reader by the worry in these women's voices.] ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. [Note that Mark uses the passive voice to describe what the women see when they first approach the tomb. Mark is able to maintain tradition and avoid directly naming God or God's stone‑rolling activity.  Clearly, however, Mark suggests that God is the only one who could have moved away the stone. Barth says the empty tomb is a look backward, downward, and earthward. Its function is to show that the Jesus who died was the one who the power of God delivered from death and the grave.[4]] 

⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. [Both his appearance and his message make it appropriate to identify this "young man" as an angelic messenger, what was called in apocalyptic literature an angelus interpres.]  ⁶ But he said to them, [typical of the first words of angels in the Bible]“Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. [In this angel's message lies the fulfillment and the future of the whole gospel.] [First, there is the Easter Good News] He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. [Second, there is the first order to spread this good news.] ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter [Third is the prediction that the Resurrected One will be continually involved in the disciples' mission] that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; [Fourth is the promise of a personal experience] there you will see him, just as he told you.” [Mark contains his entire Easter message in the body of this heavenly messenger's words.  Barth finds this significant. The angels were there after the baptism of Jesus and the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness. Angels ministered to him there. An angel reappears here. The angel points to the empty tomb, which in itself was an ambiguous and contestable fact. Further, what has happened around this sepulcher is a warning against making it a primary focus of attention. The empty tomb is not the same as the resurrection. The empty tomb is not the appearance of the living, but the presupposition. The empty tomb is a sign. Christians do not believe in the empty tomb but in the living Christ. He notes that even if the story is a legend, rejection of the legend accompanies rejection of the saga of the living Jesus. He strongly urges us to consider the empty tomb as belonging to the Easter event as its sign.[5]]  ⁸ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. [As faithful as the women appear to be, they seem to fail here. In a sense, they also desert Jesus. Yet, the fulfillment of the promise to the disciples does not rest upon the women speaking. The certainty of this fulfillment means that God will work through the actions of these women and the desertion of the other disciples to redeem their understanding of discipleship to match Jesus’ own more closely (cf. Mark 8:27–10:52). Even if we come to terms with a gospel writer who does not feel the need actually to record any of Jesus' post‑Resurrection appearances, only the promise of their occurrence, the message in verse 8 stands as a shocker.  Confronted by an angelic messenger with miraculous news, confused by the previously opened tomb and the missing body, it is not surprising for the reader to hear that these women "went out and fled from the tomb, for terror [tromos] and amazement [ekstasis] had seized them."  However, what can we make of the fact that in direct contradiction to the angel's instructions, these women "said nothing to anyone."  In one sense, it is appropriate to halt abruptly the gospel story here.  If the women did not go to tell the disciples about the empty tomb and did not urge them to travel back to Galilee so that they could meet the risen Jesus there, then the good news could not spread.  However, one may also understand Mark's ending as really no ending at all. 

Many Bible scholars have noted that Mark's gospel ends abruptly, at 16:8. There, the women who have come to Jesus' tomb to anoint his body encounter an angel who informs them of Jesus' resurrection, and they flee in terror. There are other verses after 16:8, but scholars agree that they were added later by someone other than Mark. It is possible, of course, that Mark intended to write more and that something prevented him from doing so, or even that he did write more but that his concluding sentences were lost. Nonetheless, as it stands with the ending at verse 8, Mark's gospel is open-ended. The abrupt ending lets Mark's readers enter the story where the Easter morning witnesses stopped. Possibly Mark intended his ending to raise the emotions of his readers so that they would resolve to succeed where the women and the remaining 11 disciples failed. In other words, he was calling his readers to become disciples of Jesus Christ themselves.

Mark’s artistic skill for incorporating clever theological motifs into his gospel is also apparent in Mark 10:32. In this passage, Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. Mark’s interest, though, is not primarily in presenting a travelogue, for he states that “Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed (eqambounto), and those who followed were afraid (ejobounto).” What is Mark’s point? The disciples who were previously amazed and afraid when Jesus went ahead of them on the way to Jerusalem are once again alarmed (16:5, 6) and afraid (16:8) as Jesus goes ahead of them to Galilee. Just as they did not stop following him to Jerusalem, they are not to stop following him as he makes his way to Galilee. In short, believers are to follow Jesus even when they are alarmed and afraid, because he is a fearful pioneer to follow. Arguably, then, Mark’s gospel concludes with a hopeful message because it subtly alludes to and resonates with his earlier vignettes that encourage believers to press on.

Mark has emphasized the necessity of both human and divine agency in discipleship throughout his gospel. As we see at the empty tomb, discipleship on human terms is nothing more than wishful thinking and thus is impossible, but all things are possible with God (cf. 10:27; 14:36). With God, a crucified Messiah becomes a proclaimed reality, and a resurrected Savior is the fulfillment of a promised presence. Echoing paradoxes throughout Mark’s narrative, the presence of Jesus occurs in his absence: “He is risen, but he is not here.” God has thrown open the door of the tomb, just as the heavens were ripped (1:10) and the temple curtain was torn (15:38). The proclamation of Easter is that any God who brings new life out of death through these open doors will also open the mouths of the witnesses to proclaim this good news. The narrative ends in fear not because the story is completed, but precisely because the proclamation of the gospel is incomplete. Jesus’ appearance in Galilee is in the future. The women will tell Peter and the disciples in the future. Peter will be restored as a disciple, foreshadowed by his singling out by the man in dazzling white. Indeed, even this man proclaims Jesus’ presence with them, as he bears a strong resemblance to Jesus’ transfigured appearance (16:5; cf. 9:3). 

Introduction

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, encountered a massive void when they showed up at the empty tomb. It was early when they arrived, and after meeting a young man and hearing about the resurrection “they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (Mark 16:8).

Can you imagine how empty Mary is feeling at this point? She has already suffered the crucifixion of her friend and teacher Jesus, and she is mourning his death deeply. Now she goes to his tomb to pay her respects. What does she find? Nothing. A huge cold spot. She did not know that you have to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.

We know what this feels like, do we not? Each of us, at some time in life, comes face to face with a massive void, a big empty place. 

It happens …  

• when you give your heart to someone who doesn’t accept the gift

• when you learn a sport, practice hard and still don’t make the team

• when you study and pursue a profession, only to find you hate your work

• when you create something beautiful, and discover that no one’s interested

• when you try to resist a temptation, but then give in to it again and again

• when you jump to a new job, then lose it in a downsizing

• when you put money into a home, only to see your equity disappear

• when you retire from a long career, and wake up with nothing to do

• when you lose a spouse to cancer, and find yourself all alone in the world. 

These are huge cold spots.

Massive voids.

Too often, we try to pretend that there are no massive voids in our lives, no empty places. Sociologist Jean Twenge, in The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement (2009) observes that young adults in particular have been told things such as “believe in yourself and you can do anything” — which is not very good advice. The truth is, bad things can happen to good people, and not every goal in life is realistic. You may believe that you are going to earn a graduate degree and get a great job, along with a perfect family in a beautifully decorated home, but life does not always give you what you want. Twenge thinks that overblown expectations are largely to blame for the recent rise in anxiety and depression in young adults. She says, “It’s depressing to realize that your unrealistic dreams are never going to come true.”

We are all going to face some empty places in life, and we need to take them seriously. You cannot expect to step into a dream job right out of college. Most of us are going to endure a lot of heartbreak before we find a partner for life. Loss and rejection are a part of just about every life story you can imagine. You have to pass through some empty tombs on the way to resurrection life.

Mary and her companions make this journey as they flee from the tomb. They do not fall into the trap of thinking that if they believe in themselves, they can do anything. Instead, they feel a blast of alarm, terror, amazement and fear — and these emotions set them up for the surprising reality of the resurrection.

They quickly discover that Easter is not about them — instead, it is about God. In particular, it is about God filling the empty places in our lives with new and unexpected life. 

Application

We have a confession to make.

WE ARE IN TOMBS OF OUR OWN MAKING.   

            WE ARE IN A TOMB CREATED BY EMPTINESS. 

We wonder if life is worth it.  Life seems to be without meaning or direction. 

            A rabbi invited people to the town square.  He said he had an important announcement.  The people did as he requested, but only with much complaining.  The merchant resented having to leave his business.  The wife complained because she had too many errands.  The list could go on.  But out of respect for the rabbi, they went unwillingly to hear the message which the rabbi said was so important.  Once everyone was present, the rabbi made this simple statement: I wish to announce there is a God in the world."  That was all.  But the people understood.  They had been going about their daily routine, doing all the right things.  But they had been acting as if God did not exist. 

            There is a little joke about a person who was so empty that when he was drowning, someone else's life flashed before his eyes.  Yet, with Jesus walking with us, we are led towards fullness of life, a sense of mission fills us.  God enters our tomb.  The stone is rolled away. 

            WE ARE IN TOMBS BECAUSE OF FEAR. 

It takes much courage to live truly and fully.  We are bombarded by terrible news every time we read the paper.  We talk with friends and neighbors who struggle with cancer and other diseases.  In raising children, we have fears about their circle of friends and their direction in life.  There are plenty of things of which to be fearful.

            Deborah Kerr portrayed a young Christian girl who came within moments of being devoured by the lions set loose upon believers in the Roman Colosseum in the movie, "Quo Vadis."  A reporter asked if she was ever frightened by the trained lions as they came toward her.  "No, for I am one of those actresses who reads the script all the way through to the end.  I knew that Robert Taylor, the director, would rescue me in time."  That is confidence. 

            The women were commanded to go to Galilee and meet Jesus there.  He would be with them.  Matthew records that Jesus said, "I will be with you always."  That is confidence.  We have read the end of the script of life.  In Jesus, God is with us. 

            WE ARE IN TOMBS BECAUSE WE HAVE GROWN APATHETIC. 

It is easy to do.  The problems of the world are so complex they seem beyond solving.  In fact, the problems we have in the state of Indiana, or even in Cass County, can seem quite overwhelming.  We often find it enough to deal with ourselves, or our families, rather than be bothered with the issues others face.

            WE ARE IN TOMBS BECAUSE OF DEATH. 

The world is a Good Friday sort of place.  It has its betrayals and pains, its crosses and grief.  There is the frightening sense of being alone.  It is not just our own death that we are concerned about.  It is the death of those close to us.  It is the innocent suffering and death which we read about all the time.    

Conclusion

            Yet, we hear the voice of the angel: "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has been raised; he is not here."  It is Easter!  The stone is rolled away.  God has entered the tomb, our tomb.  Fear, loss, sin, even death itself, are defeated.  In our own Galilee, in our own backyard, at our own place of work, in our own families, a risen Savior greets us and informs us that we are no longer alone.  Hallelujah!  Christ is risen!

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[1] (Mishna Shabbat 23:5).

[2] (Numbers 19:11-20).

[3] (Leviticus 21:1-3).

[4] Church Dogmatics, III.2 [47.1] 453.

[5] Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.1] 453.