Who Are you Looking For?

Dearly loved people of God,

Christ has risen; he has risen indeed! This is the heart of the good news. Death didn’t triumph. Christ rose from the grave.

Yet Jesus’ empty tomb is a puzzle if you have trouble believing in Jesus’ resurrection. So John lays out his evidence carefully. He carefully marshals his eyewitnesses.

Mary Magdalene was at Jesus’ tomb early in the morning. Finding it empty, she ran to find Simon Peter and the other disciple. Most commentators figure “the other disciple” was John, the author of this gospel. Back they all ran to the tomb. There’s more running in this chapter than all the rest of the gospel! When they arrived at the tomb, it’s still empty!

John saw the tomb was empty. He peeked in the opening where the stone had been. From the entrance it was obvious: Jesus was no longer there.

When Peter caught up and stepped into the tomb, John went in too. They saw the strips of linen lying there. They saw the cloth from around Jesus’ head.

Seeing empty cloths where Jesus’ body had lain is a major difference from the way things looked when Jesus called Lazarus from the grave earlier in John’s gospel, as we read in . There are similarities between the two resurrections: going to a tomb several days after burial and a stone was used to seal the graves closed, but do you remember when Lazarus was raised, John records that Lazarus was still wearing his burial clothes?

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

(NIV)

When Peter and John got to the tomb, the strips of linen and the cloth from Jesus’ head were left, in place, in the tomb, but Jesus was not there.

I told someone yesterday that I’ve probably preached 15 or 16 Easter morning sermons. But the difference between Lazarus wearing his burial cloths out of the tomb and Jesus leaving the linen and head cloth behind are a detail of the resurrection I hadn’t paid attention to. Not until reading through John’s gospel with you this year. Do you think it’s significant?

You would figure, if someone had simply moved Jesus’ body, they would not have gone through the trouble and the mess of unwrapping his body from the burial clothes, would they?

These sight of the strips of burial linens got John thinking. Already before this, Peter believed and John believed, that Jesus was the Messiah. But they had never imagined that Jesus would rise from the dead.

Now that they are standing in Jesus’ empty grave, looking at the empty burial wrappings, John believes that Jesus rose. He knew Jesus had died on the cross, he had seen the spear pierce Jesus’ side, causing blood and water to flow. But now, Jesus has left the tomb, leaving the burial cloths behind. Slowly, thoughtfully, the disciples return to where they had been staying.

But Mary doesn’t leave. She lingers. Maybe she hadn’t entered the tomb with the others, maybe she hadn’t seen the empty burial cloths lying in the tomb. Mary is still pretty sure that someone – an enemy, a gardener, anyone! – must have taken Jesus’ body. So she stays, weeping outside his tomb.

Bending over to look into the tomb, Mary encounters the angels. “Why are you crying?” they ask.

A minute later, Jesus asks her the same question, “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Who is she looking for? She’s looking for Jesus! She’s weeping because she believed in him and then he died. And now, as if she’s trapped in a bad dream, she cannot find him. She expected that, after his death, Jesus would remain where they laid him!

Then Jesus calls her by name.

In that moment, Mary recognizes her teacher, her master. The good news dawns on her! Joy, surprise, and relief washes over her. The horror of the weekend has come undone. Death has been defeated! Jesus has risen!

Filled with great joy, Mary gets sent to tell the good news. She’s the first one to see the risen Lord. She’s the first person sent with tidings of Jesus’ resurrection. All the rest of us who bring this news run in Mary’s footsteps and borrow her words, “I have seen the Lord!”

This is the Lord and Rescuer that Mary was looking for. She didn’t expect it – none of Jesus’ followers expected his resurrection. In hindsight, looking back at Scripture, it fits.

Long ago, God’s covenant people composed and sang a psalm that pointed to this day. Today, we know it as :

My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

(NIV)

Jesus’ resurrection opens up the path of life.

If you’ve been reading through the gospel according to John, you’ve probably noticed – I’ve draw attention to – the number of times John assures his readers that all who believe in Jesus gain eternal life. That life in Christ – today and for eternity – is made possible by Jesus’ resurrection.

Although we deserve to die for our sin, Jesus came to bear our punishment. His resurrection demonstrates that our sin has been fully paid for. Sin and death have been defeated. By faith in Jesus, we receive forgiveness. As forgiven people, washed clean from guilt and sin, we find joy in an eternity in the presence of our Creator and Rescuer.

God’s Word later in the NT affirms what John has promised throughout the gospel. In the letter to the church in Rome, being baptized is explained as dying and rising with Christ:

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

(NIV)

Jesus, the Christ, is the rescuer that we all are looking for.

His death catches us by surprise. It’s amazing that someone would take our punishment. But on it’s own, Jesus’ death doesn’t carry a full assurance of forgiveness and eternal life.

It is in Jesus’ resurrection, surprising as it is for Mary, Peter, and John, it’s in his resurrection that Jesus demonstrates his victory. Rising from the grave, Jesus assures believers that sin and death have been defeated.

Even more convincingly than calling Lazarus from the grave, Jesus’ resurrection shows that those who believe in Christ will live, even if we die. By faith in Jesus, we have received life – eternal life! If the grave cannot hold Jesus captive, then those with faith in him will rise to eternal life too!

This is the promise that we celebrate today. We had to celebrate! With songs and flowers and good food, we rejoice that our Saviour lives! And because he rose from the grave, all who believe can live eternally. Our joy and gratitude unite us more closely with our Redeemer and other believers.

There’s lots to be said about the life of gratitude and service, but all that will keep for another day; another sermon. Today it’s enough to revel in the joy of life. Christ’s death and resurrection have rescued us to enjoy eternal life: A life of celebration!

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed.

Praise the Lord!