Life in Christ Lutheran Church,
Grand Marais, MN;
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. 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.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were
going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other
disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he
saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came,
following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and
the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths
but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached
the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not
understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples
went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she
wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white,
sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
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.” Having said
this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it
was Jesus. 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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”
(which means Teacher). 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.’ ” Mary
Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that
he had said these things to her.” (John 20:1–18 , ESV)
(from a sermon by Rev. Norman
Nagel)
Grace and peace to you from our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Christ is risen! His is risen
indeed!
A beautiful exchange we see here
between Mary and our Lord. Jesus calls her by name. Mary is distressed at
death. Her Lord Jesus, as far as she knows, who was dead in the tomb has had
his body stolen. She wants to know where he is. And he speaks her name. The
same name he had spoken to her so many times. The name he spoke to her when he
cast out her demons. By that name she instantly knows that he is alive standing
in front of her. She wants to reach out and grab hold of him in the same way
she had always done. But with Jesus raised from the dead everything is
different. He no longer is the sin bearer. That has been accomplished. He is no
longer under the law that condemned the sin he bore to death. He has gone to
the cross and death with sin and now stands in front of her the Risen Lord,
glorified in his human body, free from sin and its hold. He stands now in front
of her the victor over the wages of sin. He has done death in. He stands alive
with the promise of life. And Mary doesn't know, she doesn't understand.
"Rabboni," she says and
reaches out to touch him. But she cannot. "Do not cling to me…";
"Do not touch me," he says. It was the time for something more than
the physical touch she had enjoyed before. Because although Jesus had been as
close to human beings as God could ever be, God and man joined together in one
human person, come close to us, to draw us close to him, now is the time for
her to cling to him not with earthly hands, but with the hands of faith. Jesus
is there to draw her closer then physicality allows. He is there with
forgiveness that restores her relationship with God. He has drawn near to her
in order to draw her near to him through faith in the forgiveness he offers,
because where there is forgiveness of sins there is also life and salvation.
This is what God does. He draws
close to us because our sin prevents us from drawing ourselves close to
him. Even now he draws close to us in
his Word. The Word that strikes your ears and tells you of God's great love for
you in Jesus Christ. The Word that brings to you the Good News of God come near
to you in human flesh. The Word that brings to you the Good News of God
suffering your punishment on the cross. The Word that brings the Good News of
forgiveness won by Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection from death.
The Word that brings the promise of life forever with God in your own
resurrection.
Closer still your Lord draws to
you. At this altar he gives his very body and blood. But don't think that this
body and blood offered here is the same as that which Mary reached out to hold.
You do not receive him here in that earthly sense. You receive him here in a
much deeper much more real sense. Here in bread and wine you receive the very
same body and blood that God used to save you from the necessary punishment of
sin. Here in bread and wine you receive the very same body and blood that
walked and talked to Mary. Here in bread and wine you taste and see that the
Lord is good but not in the same way as you would reach out and grab a hold of
a friend with both arms. But it is no less true. Is no less Jesus. It is no
less here for you. He is here for you with all the gifts he offers through his
life death and resurrection. That is forgiveness life and salvation. You are
forgiven. You have a restored relationship with God through faith in what Jesus
has done. And there is no doubt hear that it is for you because you open your
mouth and receive Jesus body and blood.
And here at the font you receive
Jesus, too. He comes to you in God's name. I baptize you in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The gifts that Jesus offers
in his life death and resurrection are placed on you with God's name. Luther
asks the question, How can water do such great things? And he answers
Certainly not just water, but
the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith
which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is
plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is,
a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy
Spirit, as St. Paul
“He saved us through the washing
of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy
saying.” (Titus 3:5–8 )
So Jesus is here in the water and
Word once again with the gifts that he won for you on the cross.
Jesus is very near. He comes near
to us to draw us after him to eternal life. He is no less near to us because we
can't touch him. In fact we are nearer to him when we reach out to him with the
hand the faith rather than the hand of our physical body. We cannot draw near
to God through our earthly efforts, our earthly comforts, our earthly wealth,
or even our earthly relationships. These things drag us in the wrong direction
away from our Savior. He is the one who must drag us to himself. And when we
let go of these earthly weights, through faith, we are united with him in all
that he does and promises.
Our Lord Jesus stood before Mary in
his glorified resurrected body. And naturally she wanted to touch him. She
knelt there before him and looked at him through tears of sorrow turned to
tears of joy. He had risen from the dead. She wanted to cling to him. Embrace
is the right idea. It is God who embraces us. In Jesus Christ, through the
Word, in bread and wine, and water, he draws near embraces us and draws us back
to God. We reach out with the empty hand of faith that trusts not in what we
offer to him but in what he gives to us. Our Lord is before us now,
resurrected, victorious over death, promises that are as sure as his
resurrection. And we kneel before him in faith. And we say with our sister
Mary, "Rabboni!" Amen.
Christ is risen! His is risen
indeed!
The peace of God that passes all
understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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