Sermon
Easter Sunday
John 20: 1-18
Harriette Simmons

Allielulia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Today is the highlight of our Christian year. Out of the penitential season of Lent, out of the pain and humiliation and suffering of betrayal, crucifixion and death comes the sunlight of Easter.

Our church is glorious with the sight and smell of Easter lilies. With the twinkling light of candles. With the triumphant sounds of organ and trumpet. With the White Vestments and altar hangings signifying Victory, signifying resurrection.

Our victory cry is: The Lord is Risen, The Lord is Risen indeed!

We read today of that first Easter morning, nearly two thousand years ago. We hear it this year from the perspective of John, the Gospel that it so different from Matthew, Mark and Luke. For, John is not just a record of events, it is a theological treatise. John is always pointing beyond itself to spiritual truths. Today is no different.

We hear that Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus' tomb on the first day of the week, Sunday. It is the same Mary, out of whom Jesus is said to have cast 'seven devils.' From early times she has been identified as the same woman, "the woman who was a sinner," who anointed Christ's feet.

Mary goes to Jesus' tomb early in the morning, before daylight, perhaps to stand outside and mourn the death of her Lord. Perhaps to try to get the guard to roll aside the stone so that she can go inside and anoint Jesus' dead body. She went because she was faithful.

She sees a shocking sight - the stone is already rolled away from the tomb. She runs quickly to get Simon Peter and another disciple, and tells them that "they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him."

Mary's is no instant recognition that Jesus has risen from the dead. She does not seem to remember the Lord's words which he spoke when he said he must be betrayed, suffer, die - then after three days he would rise from the dead. She only knows that the tomb is empty - Jesus' body has disappeared. Mary does not recognize what has happened until later in the story when she sees a man she presumes to be the gardener and he calls her by name, "Mary." It is then that she turns to him and says, "Rabbouni," "Teacher." She has recognized Jesus when he calls her by name.

Peter, on the other hand, rushes to the tomb and, in his impetuous way, hurries inside. He sees the linen burial clothes that were wrapped around Jesus' body, and the cloth that was on Jesus' head lying in the tomb. Does he understand what has happened? Does he believe immediately? We do not know. There is no cry of belief from him. We do not hear of Peter again from the Gospeler John until we see him fishing on the Sea of Galilee with his friends. Jesus appears to them on the beach. Jesus has cooked their breakfast. Peter sees his Lord and jumps into the water and swims frantically toward the shore. But, this is later in the story.

The third person in the account today is called the "disciple whom Jesus loved." Tradition tells us that it is John himself. John runs quickly and beats Peter to the tomb after receiving Mary's message that the tomb is empty, but he hesitates outside. When he does go into the tomb and sees the grave clothes, he immediately believes. He believes with no evidence except an empty tomb.

Each of the three had to come to belief in Jesus in his or her own way- Mary through a word; Peter through sight; And, John through an empty tomb.

The Apostle Paul had to be knocked off a horse and blinded for three days before he could recognize Jesus. "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” said Jesus to Paul. "Who are you, Lord?" replied Paul. "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." A dramatic way to meet the Lord.

I have a friend, a man, a quiet and gentle soul. He told me that he cannot ever remember a time when he did not know that God loved him. I believe him. Several years ago he went through an unwanted divorce, and he was very grieved. He told me that one day in the midst of immense emotional pain, he cried out to God, and he could actually feel the arms of God encircling him with love. I believe him. His is a quieter walk with God than that of Paul.

There was an elderly member of a parish which I served who had this same quiet faith. The list of tragedies in her life was incredible. It started when she was an unwanted child in a mill village. The last tragedy in her life was the death of her blind daughter from injuries sustained in a fire. I sat with her a lot after her daughter’s death. She told me in her quiet way that God does not give us heavier burdens than we can endure. She told me that she felt very blessed.

Each of us must come to belief in Jesus in his or her own way. God is the “Hound of Heaven,” and he chases after us and offers us redemption over and over again.

The wonderful thing about God is that he knows each of us in a personal way. He knows our thoughts, he knows the hidden desires of our hearts, he delights in each one of us. The most interesting thing about you is not your sin. It is that you are made in the Image of God. You were created for fellowship with God. You were created for goodness.

I heard an Episcopal priest say once that Episcopalians have an altar call every Sunday. That was a little shocking to me as I had considered altar calls something that Episcopalians didn't do - something not quite proper.

What he meant was that every Sunday we get out of our seats and walk down to the altar to receive Holy Eucharist. We bring ourselves to the Lord.

We will do that today on this glorious Easter Day.

As you go to the altar today, offer yourself to God. Each of us will do this in a different way. Some may come kicking and screaming, full of anger, rebellion, hurt. Some of us will come as skeptics, not quite sure if all this "Jesus stuff" is really true and, if it is true, what difference does it make in our lives? Some of us will come with a broken and a contrite heart, bowed down by the weight of our sin, of our care. Some of us will come in joy.

You can only come as you are. God knows how you are.

Come, come this day and offer all that you are and all that you have to God.

Alleluia, alleluia, the Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia.

Amen.