With(out) The Resurrection

Easter Sunday - Year B
April 5, 2015 
Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX
John 20:1-18

I love Jesus and the resurrection. As a Christian, that may seem obvious, but those two things are why I am a Christian. I love who Jesus was, the God of the universe become human to unite us with God. I love what he did and taught, his way, and how he treated people. Those were not just things that Jesus did, that was who Jesus was.

We saw who Jesus was exemplified in his final night with his disciples as he washed their feet and prayed that they would love one another. Then, when Jesus was resurrected, he found that his prayer had been answered and his commandment followed. At least some of his disciples were still together.

When Mary thought someone had taken Jesus' body, she knew where to go to find Peter. They were still together, still loving one another, and when they went back to see the empty tomb, Peter and the other disciple seemed to have some inkling of what had happened. They remembered Jesus' words that he would be raised, perhaps? John doesn't write that, but they seemed to have some hope at least.

Mary Magdalene, on the other hand remained weeping beside the tomb. Then Jesus appeared to her and consoled her, showing her the truth of his resurrection. Without the resurrection all of this is nothing. Without the resurrection, Jesus wasn't God; he was just a pretty good preacher who had a following.

With the resurrection, however, we see that all Jesus said and did, all that Jesus was is true. Mary saw Jesus resurrected and knew that Jesus was true, that there is life after death, and there is truth of everything he taught and did. All that Jesus was, he still is in the resurrection. Jesus told his disciples they were one with him, remember. He prayed that just as he and the father were one, so would they be one.

With Jesus' resurrection, then, all that Jesus was (taught, did, loved,etc.) the disciples were also. So we too are one with Jesus, and are all that he was. Jesus' teachings, his way, his loving is not just what we do. Love is a verb, we do love, but it isn't just what we do. It is what we are. We share in his life, in who we are, and we will also then share in his death and share in his resurrection.

Even when we are weeping by the tomb, we weep with hope, hope that Jesus will come and reveal himself and his resurrection to us. In the mean time, we gather with our fellow disciples to be Jesus for each other, sharing his life together, just as we will one day share his death and share his resurrection.
Amen.