Peter arriving at the tomb went in and found the linen wrappings as the first disciple, only this time it says, the wrapping that was around Jesus head was also there but rolled up and placed by itself, showing that this was no forceful leaving. If it were grave robbers that had stolen the body, or the Romans had taken Jesus from that tomb, they certainly would not have taken the time to neatly fold up any head wrapping, or to remove his grave clothes. Why would they bother? He was already dead, what would be the point in doing that, they certainly would not want anyone to think that he had been raised. They would have done anything to stifle that from getting out. The other disciple went in also and it says, 'he saw and believed'. We are not sure what he believed, did he somehow come to the conclusion that this pointed to Jesus being raised, or was it that he believed what Mary Magadelene had told them that Jesus was not there as she had said. Which was quite obvious with the grave clothes being left behind, but what is rather odd, is that they left and return to their homes. Did they tell any the others about the grave clothes, what were their thoughts about it all? did they just wait to see what might happen next, if Jesus would contact them, or if someone would? will according to John's gospel (John 20:1-18), we don't really know.
But we do know that Mary Magdalene stayed behind at the tomb, and because she did, she becomes the first witness to the resurrection. Mary Magdalene so consumed in her grief is not ready to walk away, determined to know where Jesus body is she stays awhile longer. Still consumed in her grief, weeping, she looks into the tomb. It is then she saw two angels sitting where Jesus body had been laid in the tomb, "one at the head and one at the feet". Mary Magdalene so concerned about where Jesus body might be, it seems doesn't even notice to whom she is speaking. When they say to her "woman why are you weeping," Mary's only concern is where is Jesus, "they have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they have placed him." Mary is like ourselves when we are looking for someone or something, our thoughts are totally on that, nothing else. We can't seem to focus our minds anywhere only in finding the one thing we are looking for. We keep going back to where we know we had last seen it, looking for answers, even if perhaps it doesn't make sense to do so. (In this case, Jesus' grave clothes were left there).
It is then she turns and sees Jesus standing there but she doesn't recognize him, still consumed with her grief, she mistakes him for the gardener and asks him, "If you have taken him away, please tell me where you have laid him, so that I can take him away." For Mary the only logical answer for Jesus body to be gone from that place is for someone to have taken it. Mary knew death, Mary knew burial. She had been there when Jesus was crucified, she was there when they had taken Jesus body down from the Cross, she had been there when they had laid him in that tomb. She and the other women had followed them when they carried his body there so they would know where it was. Mary knew all these things, but she did not know resurrection. Jesus was no longer there.
It is then that Jesus speaks to her, saying "Mary". Mary recognizing his voice, says, "Rabonni, Teacher". We can only imagine her reaction at the recognition of that voice. "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they know me"(John 10:27). And no doubt Mary was wanting to grab hold to Jesus, as we all do when someone we love show up unexpected, we just want to hold onto them and not let go. And for Mary perhaps after losing him once she didn't want to let him go again. But Jesus says to her "do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the father. "
There was still more to do and Mary was to be a part of it, in taking the good news of the resurrection to the others. She was the first witness to the resurrection. "Go to my brothers, and say to them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdelene went and announced to all the others, "I have seen the Lord."
"I have seen the Lord." Can you imagine when Mary went through that door this time where the disciples were, what her demeanour was like. You can be sure it was far different then the first time she had gone to tell the disciples Jesus body was not in the tomb. No longer was Mary afraid, but filled with joy and exaltation at the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. That is what resurrection does, it changes things. It changes the way we view the world, it changes the way we see, where Mary could only see despair now there was great hope." Resurrection turns our sorrow into joy, our despair into hope; with Resurrection Love overcomes hate, good wins over evil, and light drives out darkness., It tells us death has been transformed into New life! And so my friends where have you seen Resurrection in your lives?
This past sunday as I celebrated Easter Eucharist, Resurrection was happening not only in the telling of the Easter story, or present to us in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, but it was happening right there, in the lives of the people present. One lady after the service came to me remarking on how the natural light of the sunrise was so powerful that it took her breath away telling me it was as if God himself had lit up the sanctuary. Maybe he had, there was good reason to, we were celebrating Resurrection, New life. And New life was obviously the order of the day. A elderly lady who was there with her family, only a week earlier so sick that it was thought she might not survive this time, she had fought a battle with Cancer for over forty years. But this morning she came to church and made her way to the communion rail without any assistance to receive the sacrament. There was resurrection. At another service throughout the day an elderly man who was told by his dr., that his next breath could be his last one, he had had so many heart problems, walked into the church assisted by his family. He participated in the prayers, the singing of the hymns, and when it was time to pass the peace got out of his seat and walked back to pass the peace to his neighbours unassisted. After the service he told me "that was the first time he had been to church and received the sacrament for over forty years but today "he just had to come". Resurrection happens because we believe. Mary Magdalene saw and believed, "I have seen the Lord" she said. We too have see the Lord, we may not have the empty tomb that we can go to to check it out, or the linen wrappings left behind in the tomb to verify what we believe, but we know we have seen and believed, because it is our story too, and so it is we too go and tell, "I have seen the Lord." Jesus Christ is Risen today, Alleluia!
Amen, God Bless.
