John 20:1-18

Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

The Rev. Todd R. Goddard, Pastor

Rush United Methodist Church

John 20:1-18

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.

| Centering Prayer |

Christ is risen!

Alleluia!

This is such good news.

This is good news for both the rich and the poor,

The young and the old.

This is good news for us sinners

And this is good news for the Saints who have died in the Lord,

Having now gone on before us.

…                                                   

‘What makes this Easter any different from any previous Easter?’

I can’t help but asking.

First, we’ve welcomed Francesca and Michael into Christianity.

Their lives will be forever identified,

Marked, stamped, and branded

as followers of Jesus.

Let us pray they claim for themselves

God’s sustaining grace,

Continual repentance and forgiveness of sins, and

Eternal life.

Their future is filled with potential,

Bright and beautiful,

Ready to be claimed and realized.

May it be so.

…

‘What makes this Easter any different from any previous Easter?’

Secondly, we welcome

Paula to her spiritual home,

Here in Rush.

Welcome.

We are glad you are here!

Let us thank God

That our paths have converged at this time, in this place.

Let us pray that God bless our future together,

Provide insight to God’s will, and

Be blessed with all things necessary

To faithfully fulfill God’s desire

for the mission and ministry of our parish

and for you to find God’s path for you that leads to spiritual perfection.

…

‘What makes this Easter any different from any previous Easter?’

Christ is risen!

Alleluia!

Take it all in.

Breathe deep and remember prior Easters.

The mixture of sinner and saint,

Mortal and eternal,

Is brand new this year.

Some of our loved ones

made this same acclamation

In previous years, and,

have now received resurrection’s healing grace.

Just as Christ has risen and returned to the Father who created him,

So, too, have our loved ones returned to the Father,

Who have died a mortal, earthly death.

They have now been

Raised as Saints,

Resurrected with Christ into

The glory of eternal life with our God.

Broken relationships have been healed.

Sin and suffering has passed.

The pain of this world

Has been replace with eternal glory,

Joined around the throne,

All giving eternal praise to the Lord God, Almighty,

Alpha and Omega, beginning and end.

…

‘What makes this Easter any different from any previous Easter?’

Fourth, each of us are one year closer to our resurrection.

Today’s acclimation will be tomorrow’s glory.

This is not some morbid death wish.

This is our statement of faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Placing ourselves outside an empty tomb,

Giving witness to the love of God

Who gave His only Son

That all the world might be saved.

This is a humble reminder

That while each of us draw an earthly breath

There still remains

Much to be accomplished,

Starting right now.

There is work to be done, beloved members and friends.

There is work to be done to build God’s kingdom

Right here on earth, just as it is in heaven.

There are people who have not yet heard the Good News

Or receive the call to follow Jesus Christ as his disciple.

There are those living lives marginalized

By poverty, illness, disease, addiction, loneliness, violence, or oppression

– the same people Jesus reached out to and included in the kingdom –

We are called to serve to serve them,

To lift them up,

To bring relief and release to each and their circumstance.

There are those living in darkness

Who have never experienced the light of God’s love, mercy, or healing.

Then, there are those,

Even some among us,

Who are searching for meaning, direction, or simply a sign

That will lead out of the quagmire

Back to the path

That returns each of us home

To the God who created and forever loves us.

…

‘What makes this Easter any different from any previous Easter?’

Fifth and finally, the humility of the cross

Has been replaced by the glory of an empty tomb.

To be true,

Humility isn’t unique to this year.

The humility of crucifixion is not time limited.

Neither is glory a unique celebration this Easter.

The promise of the empty tomb transcends time, place, and person.

Humility of the cross …

Your slate and mine have been washed clean.

The chains of our past have been broken.

We are remade with Christ

Born again

As whole people,

As God’s people.

This is a new day,

A new beginning,

A fresh start.

So, do not waste this opportunity.

Step forth with Christ from the empty tomb

Into the sunlight of God’s grace and love.

Let us taste and see

The glory of the risen Lord!

Amen.