Good to be with you on this Tuesday in the workshop! Today we dive deeper into two great Easter texts, John 20:1-3,11-18 and I Corinthians 15:51-58.
As we noted yesterday, even though both texts reflect on the resurrection they come from contrasting perspectives. The John text is up close and personal. The Scripture from I Corinthians is cosmic and eternal. When you put the two together you get a fuller sense of the true majesty and glory of Easter!
John reflects on Mary Magdalene’s experience. A bit of background on Mary helps us understand the depths of her feeling. Luke in his gospel shares this insight into Mary: “Soon afterwards he (Jesus) went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.” (Luke 8:1-3)
As the text witnesses Mary had been blessed by Jesus’ healing and freeing ministry. As such she knew the power of the Master in a personal way. Out of that direct ministry of Jesus, she became one of his followers from early on. She witnessed many of the teachings and miracles Jesus performed. Of all the followers perhaps she was one of those most connected to Jesus. Maybe that’s why when we come to this scene at the tomb she is the one who comes first and stays last.
As John sets the scene, the darkness of pre-dawn (Mary “came to the tomb early, while it was still dark” (vs. 1) reflects the inner darkness of her grief. And her assumption that Jesus’ body was stolen (“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him”) (vs. 2), mirrors how any comfort she might find mourning at Jesus tomb was “stolen” by the stone being rolled away. Yes, hers was a situation that seemed to go from very bad to worse!
In this text Mary’s experience at the tomb is contrasted with that of Peter and John (“the other disciple”). While they came and saw (and the “other disciple” even believed) they did not stay. They “went away again to their own homes”(vs. 10). It is Mary, who in her love for her Lord, is led into the Easter encounter. She is the one who faces into the great Easter questions, asked by the angels and by Jesus,“Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” As with so many of the great questions of our faith, these questions lead to a breakthrough of grace.
As the risen Christ calls Mary by name we sense the intimacy of the Easter miracle. And as she runs to tell the disciples, she becomes the first witness to the resurrection. She opens the way for all the rest of Christendom to follow, as we too seek to be witnesses of Christ’s resurrection by how we live and lead our lives in love.
The text from I Corinthians was written to a body of believers who were proud of their enlightened faith. In chapter 1 Paul writes “you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge” (vs.5). Yet even as they were “enriched”, Paul writes to this church to correct many misconceptions they have about living in faith.
Perhaps the crowning correction is saved for this final theological thought in the book. In verse 12 of this chapter he writes, “Now if Christ is raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?” Obviously there were some In the church in Corinth who denied the resurrection.
This whole 15th chapter is an argument for the resurrection in the grandest of terms. Starting with the initial experience of the disciples (vs.1-7), he moves into his personal encounter (vs. 8-11), he goes back to Adam contrasting the man of dust with the man of heaven (vs. 21-22, and vs. 45-48), and then finally he sets the resurrection in Creation itself (vs. 36-44,48-50).
He wraps his discourse up with these final verses 51-58 where he says “Behold, I tell you a mystery…” And what a great mystery indeed! And perhaps one of the most “mysterious” things about this mystery, it’s not simply Christ’s miracle. Through Jesus Christ the resurrection is his miracle for us all. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Two glorious Scriptures witnessing one wonderful, living giving miracle! I look forward to how we’ll celebrate that miracle together on Sunday as we rejoice in the resurrection together!
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your word of Scripture; how it opens to us the fullness of your truth in Jesus Christ. We pray that as we continue with our study this week you would awaken in us a greater sense of your glory. And as we know this blessing let it lead us into deeper worship of you and fuller service of our neighbor through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.