Who Are You Looking For?
(John 20: 1-18)
I’ve gotten better, but I used to be one of those guys who used to hate to ask for directions, particularly when I’m in a big box store. I’d wander all over the store going up and down the aisles looking for what I wanted, growing more and more frustrated as my search for what I wanted failed to find what I was looking for. And then someone wearing an orange, blue, or red vest depending upon the store would sense my displeasure and approach me asking: What are you looking for? I’d tell them and without giving it any thought they would immediately tell me what aisle the illusive product was on, and even if it was on the right or the left and what it might be next to. Sometimes it made no sense and other times, more often than not, I walked right by it. If it had been a snake, it would have bitten me. And, I can’t prove it, but I am convinced that Costco routinely rearranges their stores to either keep us old guys on edge or subliminally get us to impulse buy as we wander through the store. That’s why their carts are so big but hey, you can’t beat a $1.50-foot-long hotdog to take the edge off.
And that’s kind of what the Apostle John is talking about in our gospel reading for this morning. Not cheap hotdogs but where to look for Jesus and how to recognize him when he is standing there right in front of us eager to help us find what we are looking for.
For the disciples it has been quite a week. Being a dedicated and committed follower of Jesus Christ has been challenging to say the least. For three years he has been talking in circles, preaching parables with hidden meanings, quoting the prophets, alluding to being the one sent and then in the same breath making a vague reference to his impending death. We can’t write it off to his followers just being common folk, hardworking fishermen and craftsmen because even the Pharisees like Nicodemus who thought there might be something to what Jesus was putting out there were having a difficult time connecting the dots.
Think about it. The previous Sunday was when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey through crowds who strained to see him proclaiming Hosanna! They had heard everything about him, about his unconventional teachings, about his miraculous healings, and the rumors that he might indeed be the long-awaited Messiah. And during the ensuing week Jesus taught in the temple courts, flew into a rage at what he saw as merchants in the temple court taking advantage of worshipers over the prices being charged for acceptable sacrificial animals, and then going toe-to-toe with the chief priests and experts in the law who were trying to trip him up with their questions. And then there was the last supper, the betrayal, the arrest, the sham trial, the denials, the beatings and mocking, the tortuous walk to Calvary, and the crucifixion. None of it made any sense to the disciples as they hid behind locked doors trying to figure out a way to sneak out of Jerusalem undetected should the authorities be looking for them too.
And that’s where we find ourselves this morning, looking for Jesus. John tells us that early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She ran back to find Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved who most theologians believe is the Apostle John and said: They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him. Even Mary, one of his earliest followers who had been with him from the beginning, was shocked and confused but you really can’t blame her after all she had witnessed. She was present for the crucifixion along with Jesus’ mother witnessing the finality of an earthly death, an excruciating one at that.
John tells us that he and Peter ran as fast as they could to the tomb to see for themselves. John got there first and looked in to see the linen burial cloths laying there. When Peter got there, he went in, saw the clothes along with the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head. John observed that it wasn’t with the other clothes but was folded up in its own place. John notes that he saw and believed but we are told that they didn’t yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. At that point they returned to where they were staying but Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb and saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. The angels asked her: Woman, why are you crying? To which she replied: They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him. As soon as she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus but didn’t recognize him. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for? Thinking she was talking to the gardener, she replied: Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him. Jesus said to her: Mary, and she turned and said to him in Aramaic, Rabbouni which means teacher. Jesus told her not to hold on to him because he hadn’t yet ascended to his Father. He instructed her to go and say to the others, his brothers and sisters, I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. At which point, a relieved and jubilant Mary returned to where the disciples were and said: I’ve seen the Lord. She then told them all Jesus had said to her.
Yeah, an amazing story that points out that even the disciples, many who had been with him from the beginning, were having a difficult time wrapping their heads around the empty tomb. Can you imagine how incredible the story would sound to someone who didn’t have all the facts or the skeptics who are looking for reasons to doubt? Even among the Pharisees there were men educated in what the Torah and prophets said about the coming of the Messiah and this country rabbi was checking off all the boxes, and they still did not believe and continued to look for ways to discredit Jesus and his message of love, peace, righteousness, and justice for all. As part of the conspiracy, they posted guards at the tomb out of fear that the disciples would come and steal Jesus’ body giving credence to his prediction that he would rise after three days. That’s why John makes the observation that the linen burial clothes were laid out exactly as Jesus had been placed in the tomb as if he had passed through the cloths and the face cloth that was neatly folded. If this was truly a grave robbery the thieves, or the disciples in this case, wouldn’t have taken the time to undress the body. They would have grabbed Jesus’ body and fled under the cover of darkness. And besides, there was nothing in the tomb that a grave robber would want. Jesus wasn’t buried with anything worth stealing. Furthermore, John records that he and Peter were surprised at Mary’s report that the tomb was empty and they ran as fast as they could to see for themselves. When John saw the grave clothes looking like and empty cocoon from which Jesus had emerged, he believed that Jesus had arisen. It wasn’t until they had seen the empty tomb that they remembered what the Scripture and Jesus had said-he would die, but he would also rise again.
No need to worry as you are not alone in your stages of belief or unbelief as the case may be. People who hear about Jesus’ resurrection for the first time may need time before they can comprehend this amazing story. Like Mary and the disciples, they may pass through four stages of belief. At first, they think the story is a fabrication, impossible to believe. Then, like Peter, they may check out the facts and still be puzzled about what happened. It’s only when they encounter Jesus personally that they can accept the fact of his resurrection. Then, as they commit themselves to the risen Lord and devote their lives to serving him, they begin to understand fully the reality of his presence with them.
Jesus’ teachings are wildly popular with many people who just believe he was a very forward-thinking prophet or philosopher. They like his progressive ideas of social justice that address food insecurity, healthcare, inclusiveness, restorative justice, being welcoming to strangers, and making sure everyone has the basic necessities of life but that’s where they draw the line. They can’t buy into Jesus being the resurrected Son of God because that might mean committing to something bigger than they can accept, a life-changing concept that requires them to give of themselves.
That’s why Jesus’ resurrection is the key to the Christian faith. But why you might ask? First, just as he said, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident therefore that he will accomplish all he has promised. His bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ, not a false prophet or imposter, is ruler of God’s eternal kingdom. We can be certain of our own resurrection because Jesus was resurrected. Death is not the end. There is future life. The divine power that brought Jesus back to life is now available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life. And the resurrection is the basis for the church’s witness to the world. Without it, we might just as well be some sort of social service agency that meets regularly for lunch, fellowship, and planning charitable events.
And just as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, called the name of his dear sheep Mary by name, she knew his voice. She knew who she was looking for and she rejoiced. Would you recognize his voice if he called you?
Let us pray.
Gracious and loving God, for the disciples seeing was believing in spite of all they had been told and seen while with your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. But for us who come after we do not have to see if we have faith in your unmerited gift to us of salvation. We are blessed in that we know the voice of the Shepherd and will answer when called. Move us through your Spirit to help others find and experience what we have Move us to guide and walk with those who are searching and looking. Give us the words to say and the patience to explain what it means to be a brother or sister of Jesus Christ. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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4/05/26
Who Are You Looking For?
The divine power that brought Jesus back to life is now available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life.
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