John 20:1-18

Great Vigil of Easter | March 30, 2024 | John 20:1-18 | Judson F Merrell |

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

 ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, „They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.“

 ³ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.

 ⁴ Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

 ⁵ And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

 ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,

 ⁷ and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus‘ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

 ⁸ Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

 ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

 ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes.

 ¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.

 ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

 ¹³ They said to her, „Woman, why are you weeping?“ She said to them, „They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.“

 ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

 ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, „Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?“ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, „Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.“

 ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, „Mary.“ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, „Rabboni!“ (which means Teacher).

 ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, „Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‚I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'“

 ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, „I have seen the Lord“–and that he had said these things to her.

 (Joh 20:1-18 ESV)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

In our Gospel lesson for this evening we have a theme of “seeing” and “believing”.  But that theme takes on different meanings as we look at our text.  We live in a post-resurrection world.  We are not first-hand witnesses to the resurrection of our Lord.  We are a people that rely on faith.  We are those that have not seen, and yet still believe.  As we celebrate the empty tomb on this night, let us keep that in mind.  We have not seen, and yet we believe.

As we heard in the proclamation of John’s account this evening, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb early in the morning and finds the stone already rolled away from the entrance to the tomb.  She sees, but she doesn’t believe.  Instead of believing what Jesus said countless times about his own death and resurrection, she believes someone has stolen the body of her Lord.  John doesn’t even record her going in the tomb to investigate.  Instead she runs and tells the disciples that the body of Jesus has been taken.

Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved also have a seeing and believing moment.  After Mary tells them the news, they run to the tomb.  Peter actually enters the tomb.  He sees the burial clothes but no body.  The other disciples enters the tomb also and John says:

“he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes.” (John 20:8-10)

I’ve always wondered exactly what the disciple whom Jesus loved believed… did he believe what Mary had told him?  That the body of the Lord had been taken?  Or did he believe in the resurrection and the very things Jesus had said to them would happen?  I am inclined to think he believed as Mary did, because John tells us they went home.  If that is the case, they saw the power of the resurrection but did not believe.  John does not record these two disciples having anything to say to Mary before they leave.  Surely if they had believed it was the resurrection they would have said so? Instead, John says they leave Mary standing and crying at the empty tomb.

That must have been a very tragic moment for Mary.  She is hurt, she is confused, she is sad, and now the only two disciples who followed back to the tomb have left her there by herself.  For some reason, Mary made the decision that this was the time for her to go into the tomb herself.  It is in the empty tomb that God meets her.  John tells us two angels greet Mary and ask her why she is crying.  She again repeats her feelings… that someone has taken the body.  She is seeing the power of God right in front of her, but she cannot recognize the power of God enough to believe in it.  Even when Jesus now shows up, her eyes are clouded to the fact it is Jesus until he speaks her name.  Until that moment, Mary sees… but only in Jesus calling her name does her belief change from thinking Jesus’ body has been stolen to a belief in the resurrection.  Once she truly sees and believes in the resurrection, she cannot contain it.  She went to the disciples and announced that she had seen Jesus and that he had told her he was ascending to God the Father.

What a moment that must have been… to see the resurrected Lord in the flesh and to realize what you believe is true.  One day we will get to share in that moment.  We already know that what we believe is true.  We know that because we have gathered to celebrate that holy moment in worship just like we are doing right now.  In baptism we hear our names called by God and we are marked with the cross of Christ forever.  When we come to the table we see, smell, and taste the body and blood of our Lord, the very body broken and blood spilled on the cross.  And on this night and tomorrow morning and in reality every week, we celebrate the empty tomb.  We might not have seen, but we believe.  We also know that one day we will rest in the eternal care of God and we shall see Jesus face to  face, having what we have believed being confirmed for us for eternity.  Blessed be our God, who gave his Son for so that we may believe, even though we have not seen.  In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The Rev. Dr. Judson F Merrell, STS