POST RESURRECTION ‘CATCH-UP’

blog for April 21, 2010

Jesus’ first appearing after his resurrection (4/4/33 A D)

Reading for today:
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-23

When the women headed to the tomb just before dawn on Sunday morning, they wondered who would roll the stone away for them. They would have had no way to know that there were guards posted on Sabbath morning. After all, it was a hasty decision to do that as an afterthought, just to be sure no one stole Jesus’ body and claimed He had risen.

When I was growing up I thought of a boulder when they said stone. I didn’t know that the stones were hewn from rock into the shape of a disk, and that there was a trough it was placed into – that it actually could be rolled back from the entrance by someone buff enough to do it – at least a couple of ‘someone’s’ being preferable. What were they thinking?

I understand their wanting to honor Jesus – to do for him what was customary – even if redundant – to expiate some of their grief. They must have known that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (the one who once came to Jesus under the cover of night so his fellow-Pharisees wouldn’t know he was a follower) had already entombed Jesus with 75 pounds of spices – since they hung around until they saw where he was laid Friday after being removed from the cross . . . but maybe they left before they saw that part happen. Anyway, they brought their spices, too

They had to be my type of women: the ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’ type. I love that they went – even though the odds of their success were stacked against them!

When the women came to the burial site and saw that the stone was already rolled away, the first and most natural thought was that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. They had seen him die, had stayed around on Friday evening until they saw where he had been laid.

What they found was an empty tomb – the spicy-smelling cloths that Jesus was wrapped in lying vacant – and the cloth napkin that had covered his face folded neatly and lying separately. The angels gave their standard “Do not be afraid” greeting – then told them “He has risen!”

But – he left that folded napkin! A dear friend from my college days shared a story that was circulating on the internet about that – then the same story was included in our Easter Sunday sermon. It was something I did not know before – and I just love little tidbits of information like that!

The story is that in that era, if the master of the house left the table after he was finished with his meal, he would just leave his napkin crumpled. That would be the sign to his servants that he had completed his meal, and wouldn’t be back. However, if his meal was for some reason interrupted, and he had to get up and leave the table temporarily, he would fold his napkin neatly and leave it at his place – with that being a clear message to his servants that he was coming back.

Jesus very carefully folded the napkin and laid it apart from the other burial cloths. His definitive message in that: I am coming back!

I love the story and its significance – both to them when they entered that tomb and found it empty – and for us as we look forward to his Second Coming. He is coming back!

He is risen. He is risen indeed. I LOVE saying that every Easter morn – and today it is just as thrilling. That truth infuses us with a hope that isn’t just wishful thinking. He absolutely rose from the grave, the conqueror over death and all of the Sin that ever had been or ever would be committed . . . including my sin.

When I was a little girl, I had a hard time thinking of myself as a wretch when I sang ‘Amazing Grace.’ Unfortunately I succumbed to sin in my early 20’s in a way that made wretch sound kind. I walked away from God when I thought He had let me down, then I proceeded to let Him down.

Some people are so good that they never commit what we would call ‘sin.’ I believe that those are the people who have the hardest time seeing their need of a Savior. But – we are all poisoned by original sin – the sin that Adam and Eve committed when they took things into their own hands and thought they were smarter than God. After all, that’s what disobedience is: thinking we know better.

The sin of indifference to God – thinking we can do life without Him – is the greatest sin of all. He created us, and He created us to be in relationship with Him. How arrogant, if we think we don’t need Him to walk with us.

Self-sufficiency is a devastatingly insidious sin. It breeds self-righteousness. It separates people from God – their Creator – the One who came incarnate (in the form of man) to redeem His fallen world. We are born into that original Sin. No amount of being good and doing the right thing can assuage that – only Yeshua ha Meshiach – Jesus the Messiah – can cleanse us from Sin – both original sin and personal sin.

But – the joy is: once we accept Him, we are no longer called Sinners! We are Christ-ones – who occasionally still sin – but our identity is no longer ‘Sinner.’ I’m a child of The King. All of His children are Servants of the Living God – and it is just the kind of servitude I can be excited about. Serving One who has my best interests in mind – who has a future with Him planned for me – I can be keen on that! And I am!

On a personal note:

I am incredibly sensitive to ‘death that comes too soon.’ Even when I am not a close friend, when premature death touches someone I know, I take it hard. I am fairly certain that is because of losing my birth mother so young.

A lovely lady from my church died on Friday night. She had just celebrated her 50th birthday a few days before her untimely death. I agonize for her family – especially her husband. I did not know her well. My contact with them is very limited, and has been primarily through e-mails exchanged during the process of her battle with cancer. He was wonderful about sending out updates on how things were going – and because of that, I connected, trying to add encouragement to their time of intense challenge.

They were part of this church for 22 years, and I know how honored they are – and how loved. And – I know by reputation that this couple was deeply in love. I doubt this would be the time to tell him – but some people never experience that kind of love through a whole long lifetime of existence. I know that losing her when they shared such a deep love is undoubtedly harder in some ways, but it is a loss without regret.

Her death is the death of the body – but not the death of her soul. Even as many mourn her passing – it is passing into as well as away from. She is whole and healthy. There is no more pain. The ‘bright hope for tomorrow’ is one that does not disappoint: she will be waiting on the other side. There is joy and comfort in that knowledge. Still, for now I know the sorrow is palpable – and that when we experience loss, we must grieve.

It is a reminder that perfection ended with the first Adam’s sin – was redeemed by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ – and will be ushered in – in its fullness – with His Second Coming. No more sadness. No more tears. No more sorrow. What a glorious day!

In the meantime, it takes courage to live beyond loss. To take one step at a time. One minute. One hour. One day . . . until breathing becomes easier and life holds new hope – renewed meaning . . . . I want to take the hurt away – and I can’t. But I know the One who can, who will . . . .

The reality we live with is that we are in a fallen world. Bad things happen to good people – but Jesus is with us through all of life’s circumstances – and He deserves our praise no matter what our circumstances. When I saw this grieving husband and his family come into worship Sunday morning – less than 36 hours after death had entered their life – I knew that they were doing that: honoring God no matter what their circumstances. It was tenderly touching – and seeing others reach out to them, embracing them, sharing the loss together affirmed that we are all in this together – sharing both life’s joys and sorrows – and right in the middle of the tears and embraces, Jesus is there, grieving too.