1 DATE: MARCH 31, 2013 SERMON TEXT: JOHN 20:1-8 SERMON TITLE: An Empty Tomb I always have to chuckle to myself when I read John s account of the resurrection. John, as only John can do, makes it very personal. I don t know if you caught it or not, but John tells the story this way. Mary goes to the tomb where Jesus is buried and discovers Jesus is not there. So she runs to tell Peter and the other disciple. My Bible has the other disciple in quotation marks. The other disciple is John. John, the author of the text, further qualifies the other disciple by saying that he is the disciple Jesus loved, almost implying he did not love the others, or at least not as much. And then there is the foot race to the tomb. Peter and the other disciple start out together, neck and neck, but the other disciple outruns Peter to the tomb. We are told that not once but twice. Do you think there was a little bit of competition among the disciples? This part of the resurrection story always reminds me of my twin brother Mike and me when we were teenagers. Mike and I both played sports. But Mike was more athletic than I was; after all, we both could not have been good-looking. We were both on the track team. I threw the shot and the discus. Mike threw the shot and the discus and ran the high hurdles and the 880. As I said, we both could not have been good-looking. 1
2 There was one particular meet where our team had swept the discus. I was first, Mike was second, and a teammate was third. However Mike had not taken all his throws because he had to run the hurdles. I told him it was not necessary for him to take his final two throws because we had swept the event, to which Mike said, Who is first? I said I was. Mike said, How many throws do I have left? I said, Three. He said, I want to take them. And he beat me. I think my mother loved me most however. John s telling of the foot race adds nothing to the telling of the resurrection story. In fact it is only in John s Gospel that this story is told. And it is only in John and Luke that we are told that the disciples actually come to the tomb. I am not sure what can be made of such a fact other than that it simply reflects an authentic telling of the story. I think one of the reasons The Bible has been such a popular TV series is because it brings the Bible to life. The stories of the Bible literally jump off the pages when you can sit and watch and hear these ancient stories. Please be reminded, however, that as the series clearly states the drama is based loosely on 2
3 the Bible. And judging by the episodes I have seen, I would emphasize the word loosely. The question that came to my mind as I was challenged once again to think of a new way to preach about Easter was this: What is your mindset as you gather here this day at the empty tomb? The Biblical texts offer to us two different ways of approaching the tomb. The first is a very human way, which incidentally I think is clearly reflected in the footrace that Peter had with John. Easter is about me. Easter is a very human event that simply marks another day in the life of the church year when we do special things that make me feel good about who I am. Easter is a time for my family, for family dinners, for Easter bunnies and straw baskets that are totally unrelated to the empty tomb experience. Easter marks a period of time in our calendar year when the days start getting warmer, and we can start thinking about gardens and flowers and pretty things. In other words, Easter can simply be a time that is experienced at a very primal level. We stand; we look in the tomb; we see Jesus is not there, so we go back to our homes, to our preoccupations, to wherever, not fully understanding what has just happened. 3
4 Or there is another way we can approach the tomb. It is the experience of Mary. It is a way that is filled with a sense of both bewilderment and wonder, of not knowing, yet fully understanding. According to John, Mary came to the tomb twice. The first time she was there the tomb was empty so she ran and told Peter and the other disciple. Her conclusion was that the body had been moved. When she returned with the disciples she had a different experience. She was overwhelmed with a sense of grief that quickly was replaced with a sense of awe and wonder. As she wept for her Lord, she was approached by two angels and what appeared to be the gardener. And when the risen Christ spoke her name, Mary recognized him. Today, on this Easter Sunday, you have the opportunity to experience another side of Easter, a side that is deeply spiritual and even life-changing. Today is a day for the church universal to take notice of how we come to the tomb. Are we here to experience the empty tomb as we always have, more concerned about a ham in an oven than a risen Savior, more concerned about the pettiness of human relationships while totally ignoring our relationship with Jesus Christ? Today is the day for renewal. Today is a day that can be life-changing if you allow it to be. Come to the tomb this day with a clear understanding of why it is empty. It is not empty because of our humanness. The body wasn t moved. The 4
5 body wasn t stolen. Humanity had nothing to do with the empty tomb, but God did. The empty tomb is a spiritual event, orchestrated by God to be a saving act. For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son into the world so that whoever believes in him will not perish. The empty tomb is a spiritual event; it is what gives the word of God power for today. It is what gave Christianity the energy to be a religious movement 2000 years ago. It isn t the fact that Christ was crucified that gives Christ the power; it is his resurrection, for without the resurrection there is no church. As we come to this table, I invite you to come with your heart open for the new thing that God is doing in your life. Come with the full expectation of finding the tomb empty with the full understanding of why it is empty. They did not take his body. He has risen. He has risen indeed! 5