This is a short sermon which I wrote and preach at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hinsdale, IL on June 25, 2014 on John 20:1-2, 11-18
In today’s text, we find Mary in the midst of grief, confusion, and loss. In John’s account, Jesus has died and Mary is going to the tomb, but rather than finding the body of the Lord, she finds the tomb has been opened.
In a panic, Mary runs to find some of the other disciples. As they return to the tomb, they are greeted by angels in the place where Jesus’ body had been.
Mary is still weeping and the angels ask her why. She replies “they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Mary thinks that someone has taken Jesus away from her, but that is not true, Jesus is right next to her, only she doesn’t see him, she sees a gardener.
I think this is a very relatable feeling.
Many times in life we are feeling hopeless and despairing, we may try and seek Jesus but only find seemingly empty tombs.
Like in the early stages of writing this message. I kept searching for where God was in the text, trying to find what the Holy Spirit was leading me to and as I could not find the words, I felt as if I kept seeing the gardener, not the Lord.
Or maybe the more serious times in our lives.
You may or may not know this, but Noah is not our first child.
In August of 2012, our son Josiah was born, stillborn 3 weeks before his due date.
Throughout Josiah’s pregnancy, it was easy to see God. I don’t know that I have ever had a greater appreciation for creation or the Creator than the first time I felt Josiah’s kicks.
Josiah was a very healthy baby until he wasn’t.
Without warning or a cause known to us, he died.
This may be something like what Mary felt.
Jesus ministry and movement was growing and going well, there were alleluias and hosannas in the highest all over the place, until there wasn’t.
Then it happens. Jesus has died and has been placed in a tomb.
Days later, Mary goes to the tomb seeking the lord and cannot find him.
I remember the days after Josiah had died. I felt lost.
I prayed that God would heal Josiah, I prayed that God would undo this death and let him live.
I was probably much angrier at God than Mary Magdalen is in the text, but God was not where I thought he was supposed to be.
Mary thought Jesus would be laying there and he wasn’t.
He was instead standing next to her in the tomb.
My expectations were met in a similar way, Jesus was not undoing Josiah’s death like I thought he was supposed to, but he was standing next to me.
It happened in a reading at Josiah’s funeral.
It was from Mark and it was a text where Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
Just as Mary knew the Lord as he called her name. Jesus went from gardener to God as I heard this gospel promise and I knew Christ was with us and also with Josiah. It was not how I thought it was supposed to be, but there was Jesus.
This is the part we often overlook about Jesus. We share stories of how Jesus loved the outcasts and healed the sick. We celebrate him in the bread and wine. We acknowledge that he has taken our sin so that we may be forgiven and have eternal life. We confess but don’t often discuss that when Jesus died on the cross, he descended into the dead, he took on sin, the very thing that separates us from God, and took on death, the very thing that separates us from each other.
Through Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross, he conquered their powers so that they may no longer separate us.
Yes, sin and death are still very present in the world but know that when you encounter them, the one who conquered them encounters them with you and will continue to stand by you.
Amen.
