“Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.” John 20.11-18
Its’ the new normal. Jesus has risen from the grave. Yesterday was Easter. We celebrated the Risen King Jesus, we embraced the truth of his victory, we felt the love upon the cross.
The resurrection is not only the new normal, it’s our new normal. It’s now the way we approach life, decisions and difficulties come. When hardships show up, we view them through the lens of the resurrection and we say, “If Jesus could endure such pain and overcome it, so can we.”
Mary went to the tomb on Sunday morning, she was weeping and grieving for the loss of Hope. The stone had been rolled away and there was, in her mind at least, only one explanation – grave robbers. But Mary wasn’t looking at the tomb with resurrection eyes. If she had, she would have expected to see what she saw — “two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and one at the foot.”
To be Easter People means we now view the world differently. We walk in the steps of Jesus, we love unconditionally, we forgive without hesitation, we show grace when people deserve punishment. For just as Mary found herself at the empty tomb, we too find ourselves waiting and wondering if God is really who he said he is.
And then Jesus speaks, like bright and shining rays from the sun suddenly bursting forth on a cloudy sky, Jesus says, “Mary.” He calls her by name in this Gospel of John. “Mary,” a name he spoke several times to a friend, a sinner saved by grace. “Mary,” Jesus said, and she turned to him “crying out in Aramaic” she said “Rabboni,” which means Teacher. I’m sure she wanted a hug, wanted to hold on to him, wanted to grab him and never again let him out of her sight, but he cautions her because he has not yet “ascended.” Mary arrived in the act of resurrection. He was still “rising”, still overcoming, still recovering from the trauma of bearing the sins of the world upon his shoulders.
We now can walk with Jesus in fullness. We too call him “Rabboni,” teacher, Messiah. We now have a God who has come in the flesh, face to face with his children, ready to receive everyone who calls upon his name….Jesus.
Holy Week has come and gone, Lent is over, but now Easter begins. This Easter season continues until Pentecost when in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit is given to all people. But until then, will you view the world differently? Will you walk upright, with your head held high, and your shoulders back? Will you proclaim to the world that he is alive, he is here, he is risen?!
”O Lord God, you are good. Jesus, you endured the cross for my shame. You took my sin and showed me grace. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill me with your power and love. Help me walk as a resurrected person who is in love with the Resurrection-King Jesus. I praise you Lord and thank you for all you have done. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen