Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pH4397i3XQ
Program Transcript
Resurrection of the Lord
Every once in a while, we witness a moment so full of life that it takes our breath away —
a baby’s first cry, a long-awaited reunion, a sunrise breaking through after a storm. These moments remind us that joy can arrive suddenly, surprising us with hope we didn’t know we were waiting for.
Easter begins with this kind of joy.
A joy that bursts into the world like new life after winter, like light flooding a darkened room. It is joy born not from circumstance, but from the One who stepped out of the tomb and made all things new.
The resurrection is God’s declaration that life has the final word, that love cannot be buried, and that joy is stronger than sorrow.
Psalm 118 proclaims, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
On Easter, this is more than a call to worship. It is an invitation into a whole new reality.
The “day” God has made is resurrection itself.
A new creation. A fresh start for the whole world.
Think of that first resurrection morning. A grieving follower comes to the tomb expecting loss and silence, only to find that what seemed final is undone. The stone is rolled away. Emptiness is transformed into promise. Sorrow turns into wonder as the truth slowly settles in. The crucified one is alive, and nothing will ever be the same.
The resurrection is not God undoing death by force. It is God transforming death itself, filling it with divine life until it can hold us no longer.
This is why we rejoice today.
Because Christ is alive.
Because new life is here.
Because joy has risen with him.
Easter joy is not flimsy.
It does not depend on everything in our lives being perfect or easy.
It is the joy of knowing the risen Christ walks with us, calling us into hope wherever we go.
As we celebrate the resurrection today, let’s reflect together:
Reflect on the empty tomb for a moment. What aspect of Jesus’ character becomes clearer to you? Is it his faithfulness, his power, his compassion, or something else?
As we hold this hope of new life and joy, we return to the story where it all began to unfold in human hearts. On that first Easter morning, grief met grace, and sorrow met the risen one. As we listen now, pay attention to how gently Jesus makes himself known, and how personally he comes to those who seek him.
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 round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” 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 20:11–18 NRSV
As we rejoice in the risen Lord, may the life of Christ rise within us.
The One who stepped out of the tomb now walks with us, calling us into joy, into hope, into new creation.
May his resurrection fill our hearts and guide our steps as we live in the light of this glorious day.
Program Transcript
Resurrection of the Lord
Every once in a while, we witness a moment so full of life that it takes our breath away —
a baby’s first cry, a long-awaited reunion, a sunrise breaking through after a storm. These moments remind us that joy can arrive suddenly, surprising us with hope we didn’t know we were waiting for.
Easter begins with this kind of joy.
A joy that bursts into the world like new life after winter, like light flooding a darkened room. It is joy born not from circumstance, but from the One who stepped out of the tomb and made all things new.
The resurrection is God’s declaration that life has the final word, that love cannot be buried, and that joy is stronger than sorrow.
Psalm 118 proclaims, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
On Easter, this is more than a call to worship. It is an invitation into a whole new reality.
The “day” God has made is resurrection itself.
A new creation. A fresh start for the whole world.
Think of that first resurrection morning. A grieving follower comes to the tomb expecting loss and silence, only to find that what seemed final is undone. The stone is rolled away. Emptiness is transformed into promise. Sorrow turns into wonder as the truth slowly settles in. The crucified one is alive, and nothing will ever be the same.
The resurrection is not God undoing death by force. It is God transforming death itself, filling it with divine life until it can hold us no longer.
This is why we rejoice today.
Because Christ is alive.
Because new life is here.
Because joy has risen with him.
Easter joy is not flimsy.
It does not depend on everything in our lives being perfect or easy.
It is the joy of knowing the risen Christ walks with us, calling us into hope wherever we go.
As we celebrate the resurrection today, let’s reflect together:
Reflect on the empty tomb for a moment. What aspect of Jesus’ character becomes clearer to you? Is it his faithfulness, his power, his compassion, or something else?
As we hold this hope of new life and joy, we return to the story where it all began to unfold in human hearts. On that first Easter morning, grief met grace, and sorrow met the risen one. As we listen now, pay attention to how gently Jesus makes himself known, and how personally he comes to those who seek him.
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 round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” 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 20:11–18 NRSV
As we rejoice in the risen Lord, may the life of Christ rise within us.
The One who stepped out of the tomb now walks with us, calling us into joy, into hope, into new creation.
May his resurrection fill our hearts and guide our steps as we live in the light of this glorious day.
Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24 • Jeremiah 31:1–6 • Colossians 3:1-4 • John 20:1–18
Today’s theme is Jesus speaks our name. Our call to worship psalm is read anew in the light of the resurrection where a new day of rejoicing is made. The Old Testament reading from Jeremiah presents the everlasting love and faithfulness of God calling Israel to himself to be his people. Our reading from Colossians records the words Paul writes of the new life we have hidden in the risen Christ. In the Gospel reading from John, we have the retelling of the story of the first Easter morning and report on the visits to the tomb.
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to sum up the four RCL selections for the week to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
Jesus Speaks Our Name
John 20:1–18 NRSVUE
He is risen! Praise God, he is risen. Happy Easter! “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Easter is the high day of rejoicing for Christians. It is the center of the Christian calendar; Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent lead up to it. And Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday flow out from Easter.
But to be clear, we are not here to worship a day. We are here to rejoice in the One this day points to: Jesus the Christ. For what we seek and find on Easter morning is the living Lord who is among us. Let us respond with rejoicing as we are reminded of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.
Today, that reminder comes to us in the Easter story found in John 20.
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. 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.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 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.'” 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 NRSVUE
The story begins after Jesus was crucified. Jesus has been living among his followers for three years. They have traveled around teaching about God’s kingdom and the shift in values of his kingdom: right relationship with God and with one another, peace, and joy. (Romans 14:17) We call his followers disciples. And they are Jesus’ friends and students who have grown to love him. Mary was a follower.
And now her friend and teacher has been arrested, sentenced to death, and killed on a cross. She is going to his tomb. “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark …”
We know it’s Easter morning, but Mary does not. We are going to talk about what happens when Jesus speaks her name. But at this point in the story, it is still dark for Mary; she believes Jesus is still dead.
Today, we celebrate the risen Jesus on Easter, but we do so “while it is still dark.”
Maybe like Mary, it feels like dark times for you. Maybe you’re grieving over the darkness and evil in the world. Celebrating Easter does not mean we pretend that everything is fine in the world or our lives. We are called to believe even “while it is still dark.” There are days where we can barely make out any light at all. Days when our journey feels more like walking to the tomb.
God does not expect us to deny our struggles. Instead, Jesus joins us in our suffering. He suffers with us. And the good news of the Incarnation is that God became flesh in Jesus, who did what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus does not only suffer with us; he suffered for us.
For now, we experience God’s kingdom as already, but not yet. We do not yet experience the fullness of God’s peace and joy. But the darkness of evil and broken relationships is not the end of the story. Jesus has already broken the power of sin and death on the cross. It is finished. And the Light of the world has risen.
Back to verse one. Although “it was still dark,” we find that Mary Magdalene was able to see that something is different. At that time, a tomb was usually a small cave cut into rock, with a heavy stone rolled across the entrance. The stone closed or sealed the tomb. But Mary sees that “…the stone had been removed from the tomb.”
She sees the first sign that something has changed. Here is Mary, stumbling upon a change that we know now to be an incredibly good thing. The stone has been rolled away. But for Mary, she does not at first see it as good. Why do we resist change with all our being?
Her response is to run back to Simon Peter and another disciple to report her alarming discovery. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
Mary’s weeping. For her, Jesus was everything. He was the one who restored her and the one who literally raised her brother, Lazarus, back from the dead. How can she go on without Jesus? Maybe, like Mary, you have lost someone precious to you.
At least she has his tomb to visit. At least she can come here to lean on the stone which keeps Jesus by her side. Maybe you can relate. Many people feel comforted by visiting the grave of a loved one.
If the stone remains, at least nothing more can be taken from Mary. Maybe we think if we can somehow barricade all that we hold dear behind some immovable stone, we can maintain control.
But Mary does “not know where they have laid him.” Jesus is no longer where she expected to find him. If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, maybe you can relate. God will surprise you! We may prefer the predictability of Jesus staying put, staying in the tomb. But he is risen and active, moving in the world and in our lives. You cannot put him in a box. Certainly not a box made for death.
Our predictions of God’s actions are limited by our human experience and knowledge.
And here’s the good news: we do not need a predictable God. We need a trustworthy God. And God is absolutely worthy of our trust. Even when everything feels out of control, we can trust where Jesus is leading us.
After Mary tells Peter and the other disciple, they “set out and went toward the tomb.” Who is this unnamed disciple? Imagine it’s you. Today in this story Mary is running to you with the claim that the stone has been rolled away. This story invites you to look into the tomb with Peter. What will you see?
Can you imagine yourself as part of this story? Because you are! The story that God has been telling from the beginning of time includes you.
The disciples saw a startling sight. Peter saw “the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.” Then the other disciple also went in, and “he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that [Jesus] must rise from the dead.”
Are you not glad John tells the story like this? Even the disciples who lived with Jesus and learned from him did not fully understand Scripture. The Bible is not just for pastors and scholars. The Bible is for everyone! The Bible is for you.
And reading the Bible does not earn us anything. We read Scripture to recognize and grow into the love God has already given us in Jesus. God has acted first. Learning about God through Scripture helps us understand and live within that reality.
Jesus speaks our name. And the fruit of that is we want to read the Bible.
The disciples return to their homes; but Mary remains. She stands weeping outside the tomb.
“ … she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.”
She turns and finds herself face to face with Jesus, but she does not know it’s him. Thankfully, Jesus knows how to open her eyes. He speaks to her. He starts with the same question the angels ask and adds one of his own. “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” These two questions go together. It connects Mary’s tears to her longing for Jesus.
Our tears tell us there is more, leading us to look further. Grief can pull us toward what is missing. You feel sad when you are ignored because you were created to belong. You feel bad when you are lonely because you were created for community. You feel despair that life seems pointless because you actually long for purpose. But God has called you his own and given you purpose. Jesus speaks your name.
Now Mary is standing face to face with Jesus, speaking to him and still does not recognize him. If you could jump into the story, you might want to say, “Mary, don’t you get it?” You may want to remind her that the stone’s been moved and the tomb is empty. Would you try to convince her that this is proof that Jesus is alive? Surely if we use our words convincingly with irrefutable logic, we can get Mary to see the truth of the resurrection. There are many books filled with arguments aimed at convincing others that Jesus has indeed risen.
But maybe we should simply hold back and let Jesus speak. After all, he is the Word of God. This very Word has the power to speak the entire universe into existence. And here in this story we hear the words he chooses to say to Mary to open her eyes. He uses only one. “Mary.”
Jesus speaks the only word that you cannot deny is spoken personally to you. Your name. That’s what we see in the story. Jesus restores all that Mary has lost by speaking her name.
What if we could keep that in mind as we live as people sent by God to share his good news with the world? If you are a follower of Jesus, did you begin to trust Jesus because someone made a convincing argument that proved God is real?
No, you encountered Jesus. And you experienced Jesus through his Body, his Church. Jesus spoke your name.
That’s why we follow Jesus’ example, and say to our neighbors, “Come and see.” Just come. Spend time with us and experience belonging. Come experience the kingdom, encounter God’s love.
We do not have to start with arguments. We do not have to wait for others to “recognize” God before we include them in our community of believers. We can enfold them into our love for God and for one another.
We can show them who God is by living kingdom values. We can care for them, patiently, while
Jesus speaks their name,
and the Holy Spirit convicts,
and the Father draws them to his heart.
Afterall, Mary is recognized by Jesus before she recognizes him. Jesus makes the first move. Just as in rescuing and saving humanity, God has made the first move.
And everything changes because Jesus speaks Mary’s name. Jesus restores their relationship. But he’s not finished.
Jesus gives her a deeper name. He gives her a new identity. Just as he gives us a new identity. He says 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.’”
Do you see what Jesus has done? He has brought her into his own relationship with his Father. He will not settle for anything less. Jesus has moved Mary’s relationship with him beyond how she related to him before. She is now to relate to him as her brother. Jesus’ Father is her Father. She is a child of God.
Jesus does not only take what we could not bear ourselves: our death, our suffering, our sin. He also gives us his life. This changes everything! Jesus shares with us his life with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
And that life flows outward. Verse 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.
Jesus commissions her to go and tell. Because the good news is not simply good news for Mary. We cannot keep it to ourselves.
Jesus speaks our name. Like Mary, when we “have seen the Lord,” he transforms us. And the overflow is that we want others to “see the Lord.”
We have this story to read on Easter morning to teach us how faithful God is. He will never leave us or forsake us. In fact, when he ascended to his Father, he took us with him. He refuses to leave us.
Let’s read this good news from Ephesians.
… but God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4–7 NRSVUE
May we rejoice that Jesus has lifted us up in his relationship with his Father. May we rejoice that our Savior has rescued us from sin and death.
Jesus speaks your name and he is risen!
Catherine Toon—Year A Easter 1
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/MiscVid/.mp3
Sunday, April 5, 2026 — Resurrection of the Lord
John 20:1-18 NRSVUE
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Program Transcript
Catherine Toon—Year A Easter 1
Anthony: So, let’s be liberated by God through the Scriptures. That’s why we’re here. So, let’s turn our attention to the first pericope of the month. It’s John 20:1–18. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the updated edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Sunday, April 5, and it reads:
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’s 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 touch 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.
So, Catherine, if you were sitting having coffee or tea or whatever you enjoy drinking with a dear friend who’s unsure about God’s love for them, and you had this text open, what would you say from the text? And it’s just an opportunity to herald some good news.
Catherine: Yeah. Thank you. There are multiple things in here that are going on. When you look at the “characters” in the story and marrying the story and the other disciples, they are traumatized.
And it’s interesting because Jesus had mentioned his resurrection coming multiple. I need to, I will die, I will be resurrected. We can only receive to a certain point. So, he had prepared and they were yet not fully prepared. And so, this is what they come to and she sees this tomb.
And when you think of it, you think of the places that have represented death in our own lives, right? Loss in our own lives. And I love the way there is such a tender ministry that’s going on that starts with the angel, starts with the angelic, and they have the perspective of Jesus, the Christ as he is resurrected.
And so, meeting us in our humanity, we’re weeping because all we see is loss. Everything I put my hopes, my life, everything that was good died in that tomb. And died on the cross rather, and was put in that tomb. And then to have the humiliation of that body being taken away, all of that. She is traumatized.
And so, the angelic meets her with this question, why are you weeping? And it seems so obvious, right? I’ve lost; we’ve lost Jesus. They’ve taken away my … we don’t even have his body. It’s been desecrated. And then very personally, Jesus meets her in her trauma and there’s no condemnation.
But there’s that question, why are you weeping? He’s asking her like, duh, okay. In our place of weeping, there is a limited perspective. And then he adds what the angels didn’t. Whom are you looking for? And so, she’s looking for her Lord that she thinks is dead. She’s looking for the body.
And he’s veiled to her. And in so many places, God is veiled to us in our weeping, right? He’s with us in our weeping, he weeps when we weep, right? It’s very tender. But he’s also bringing us in the place of something bigger going on that will dry all those tears.
And the thing that prompted the veil off her eyes to be lifted, is when this beautiful God who is meeting her right where she’s at, with no condemnation, says her name. And there’s something about our God saying our name to us, we are known. And that’s when she was able to recognize the one she loved, right? That was when she was able to see the teacher.
But the one that she had followed and based her whole life off of. And he reveals something so tender to her in this, do not touch me because I’ve not yet ascended to the Father. This is revelation. Wow, you’re going back to the Father. And I love this. I’m ascending to my Father and your Father.
Anthony: Amen.
Catherine: That he accepts you are not an orphan. I may physically be leaving, but you’re one, you’re accepted and it’s personal to my God and your God. You know the humility of that with Jesus saying Father is my God and he’s your God. We are included in the fullness of his relationship with his Father in the Holy Spirit.
And so, this did something to her soul, that she was able to be the apostle to the apostles and proclaim the risen Christ. And because her heart was, she could see it now and she didn’t need to weep. And what does that mean to us personally? Number one, he knows our name. And says our name tenderly and draws us up out of our limited perspective to see that we had everything in him as the risen Christ and that we are one with our Father, one with him, one in the Holy Spirit. We have all things and everything that maybe was destroyed, a loved one dying, or whatever was lost, is all bound up in him. He loses nothing. Every fragment of our souls that feel shattered, he’s got them and he knows how to bring it together. Because if he can be the resurrected Christ coming from where he came from, he can resurrect things in our lives that seem hopelessly broken and lost.
Anthony: That’ll preach on Easter Sunday for sure. Thank you.
It strikes me that this had to be a day of extreme highs and deep lows for Mary. So, let’s spiritually imagine for a moment what this Jesus meant to her. You’ve alluded to it but tell us more.
Catherine: Yeah. Her very world hinged on him. This is why it was so traumatic, because her whole world hinged on this one that she knew as Messiah, and it is mind blowing to imagine him being taken away, but much less with crucifixion and everything that she actually witnessed.
And so, everything in her world hinged on this one, and it made no sense. She was with him to witness all of these things. And so, if Jesus is your everything and there’s a revelation of him that she didn’t know, and honestly, we don’t know. We’re all growing in wisdom and revelation that our whole being, the whole cosmos, everything that matters is connected to, is upheld by this one.
And so, you go from this complete desolation, you go from — it’s amazing the amount of trauma that these disciples did — and the ones that particularly could handle it and stayed faithful with him in this process and witnessed the whole thing, but not understanding the other side.
But this is — their everything was in context of Jesus. And so, for him to be resurrected means that everything, all things are possible. Truly all things are possible. What is impossible? That God is faithful being himself but not violating anything in his own ministry. Because he said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love as I love.”
And so, his being willing to bow down to human rage and bow down to death and bow down to all these things so that he could consume it in himself, on our behalf and be resurrected and resurrecting us with him. Of course, she didn’t have that revelation yet, but this was everything. She had a revelation of something that is so huge, that yes, this is the one, this is the one we’ve set all our hopes in. We put all our eggs in the Jesus basket, right in the issue with the basket. And he did not fail us.
Anthony: No ma’am. Grace was lavished on us, and he took us with him. Oh, it’s such a …. For me, Easter Sunday, it’s like this wonderful time to proclaim the good news, but it’s also can be a, like, how do you say it all? Like, how do you encapsulate what has transpired here? It’s so awesome. But it’s my prayer that as we come together as brothers and sisters in Christ and hear this word proclaimed, we will be once again filled with awe and wonder of this amazing God revealed in Jesus. Amen and amen.
Catherine: Amen.
Program Transcript
Catherine Toon—Year A Easter 1
Anthony: So, let’s be liberated by God through the Scriptures. That’s why we’re here. So, let’s turn our attention to the first pericope of the month. It’s John 20:1–18. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the updated edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Sunday, April 5, and it reads:
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’s 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 touch 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.
So, Catherine, if you were sitting having coffee or tea or whatever you enjoy drinking with a dear friend who’s unsure about God’s love for them, and you had this text open, what would you say from the text? And it’s just an opportunity to herald some good news.
Catherine: Yeah. Thank you. There are multiple things in here that are going on. When you look at the “characters” in the story and marrying the story and the other disciples, they are traumatized.
And it’s interesting because Jesus had mentioned his resurrection coming multiple. I need to, I will die, I will be resurrected. We can only receive to a certain point. So, he had prepared and they were yet not fully prepared. And so, this is what they come to and she sees this tomb.
And when you think of it, you think of the places that have represented death in our own lives, right? Loss in our own lives. And I love the way there is such a tender ministry that’s going on that starts with the angel, starts with the angelic, and they have the perspective of Jesus, the Christ as he is resurrected.
And so, meeting us in our humanity, we’re weeping because all we see is loss. Everything I put my hopes, my life, everything that was good died in that tomb. And died on the cross rather, and was put in that tomb. And then to have the humiliation of that body being taken away, all of that. She is traumatized.
And so, the angelic meets her with this question, why are you weeping? And it seems so obvious, right? I’ve lost; we’ve lost Jesus. They’ve taken away my … we don’t even have his body. It’s been desecrated. And then very personally, Jesus meets her in her trauma and there’s no condemnation.
But there’s that question, why are you weeping? He’s asking her like, duh, okay. In our place of weeping, there is a limited perspective. And then he adds what the angels didn’t. Whom are you looking for? And so, she’s looking for her Lord that she thinks is dead. She’s looking for the body.
And he’s veiled to her. And in so many places, God is veiled to us in our weeping, right? He’s with us in our weeping, he weeps when we weep, right? It’s very tender. But he’s also bringing us in the place of something bigger going on that will dry all those tears.
And the thing that prompted the veil off her eyes to be lifted, is when this beautiful God who is meeting her right where she’s at, with no condemnation, says her name. And there’s something about our God saying our name to us, we are known. And that’s when she was able to recognize the one she loved, right? That was when she was able to see the teacher.
But the one that she had followed and based her whole life off of. And he reveals something so tender to her in this, do not touch me because I’ve not yet ascended to the Father. This is revelation. Wow, you’re going back to the Father. And I love this. I’m ascending to my Father and your Father.
Anthony: Amen.
Catherine: That he accepts you are not an orphan. I may physically be leaving, but you’re one, you’re accepted and it’s personal to my God and your God. You know the humility of that with Jesus saying Father is my God and he’s your God. We are included in the fullness of his relationship with his Father in the Holy Spirit.
And so, this did something to her soul, that she was able to be the apostle to the apostles and proclaim the risen Christ. And because her heart was, she could see it now and she didn’t need to weep. And what does that mean to us personally? Number one, he knows our name. And says our name tenderly and draws us up out of our limited perspective to see that we had everything in him as the risen Christ and that we are one with our Father, one with him, one in the Holy Spirit. We have all things and everything that maybe was destroyed, a loved one dying, or whatever was lost, is all bound up in him. He loses nothing. Every fragment of our souls that feel shattered, he’s got them and he knows how to bring it together. Because if he can be the resurrected Christ coming from where he came from, he can resurrect things in our lives that seem hopelessly broken and lost.
Anthony: That’ll preach on Easter Sunday for sure. Thank you.
It strikes me that this had to be a day of extreme highs and deep lows for Mary. So, let’s spiritually imagine for a moment what this Jesus meant to her. You’ve alluded to it but tell us more.
Catherine: Yeah. Her very world hinged on him. This is why it was so traumatic, because her whole world hinged on this one that she knew as Messiah, and it is mind blowing to imagine him being taken away, but much less with crucifixion and everything that she actually witnessed.
And so, everything in her world hinged on this one, and it made no sense. She was with him to witness all of these things. And so, if Jesus is your everything and there’s a revelation of him that she didn’t know, and honestly, we don’t know. We’re all growing in wisdom and revelation that our whole being, the whole cosmos, everything that matters is connected to, is upheld by this one.
And so, you go from this complete desolation, you go from — it’s amazing the amount of trauma that these disciples did — and the ones that particularly could handle it and stayed faithful with him in this process and witnessed the whole thing, but not understanding the other side.
But this is — their everything was in context of Jesus. And so, for him to be resurrected means that everything, all things are possible. Truly all things are possible. What is impossible? That God is faithful being himself but not violating anything in his own ministry. Because he said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love as I love.”
And so, his being willing to bow down to human rage and bow down to death and bow down to all these things so that he could consume it in himself, on our behalf and be resurrected and resurrecting us with him. Of course, she didn’t have that revelation yet, but this was everything. She had a revelation of something that is so huge, that yes, this is the one, this is the one we’ve set all our hopes in. We put all our eggs in the Jesus basket, right in the issue with the basket. And he did not fail us.
Anthony: No ma’am. Grace was lavished on us, and he took us with him. Oh, it’s such a …. For me, Easter Sunday, it’s like this wonderful time to proclaim the good news, but it’s also can be a, like, how do you say it all? Like, how do you encapsulate what has transpired here? It’s so awesome. But it’s my prayer that as we come together as brothers and sisters in Christ and hear this word proclaimed, we will be once again filled with awe and wonder of this amazing God revealed in Jesus. Amen and amen.
Catherine: Amen.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- The sermon drew attention to the fact that “it was still dark” on Easter morning. How does this detail in the story help you in your celebration of Easter when so much darkness exists in our world? Discuss.
- Mary Magdalene struggled to adjust to the changes she encountered at the empty tomb. Can you identify with Mary’s struggle to adjust to change, even when the changes are good ones?
- How might the resurrection of Jesus challenge our desire to be in control? In what ways do we try to “hold on to Jesus” instead of trusting his work in us?
- How might we go and tell people that we “have seen the Lord,” while also trusting the Holy Spirit’s work in their life?
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