Easter Day A’26
5 April 2026
John 20.1-18
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
Hymns of praise then let us sing – unto Christ, our Heavenly King. Who endured the cross and grave. Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
• From “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” The Hymnal 1982 p.207
There’s nothing like going through a crucifixion to find out who your true friends really are. Where had all the crowds gone? Just a week earlier the whole town had turned out waving palm branches to greet this itinerant rabbi with shouts of “Hosanna” (which translated means “save us”) as he rode into town on a donkey. There were all kinds of people that were there that day; from storeowners, to tax collectors, from highly religious folk to those simply curious to see what the hoopla was all about. His mother and his disciples were also among the crowd who knew deep down that something wasn’t quite right. They had heard Jesus talking of coming to Jerusalem to die – they surely hoped not, but that’s what he did.
His sermons, teachings, and actions that not only spoke of but demonstrated God’s unconditional loving acceptance of all the wrong kinds of people didn’t sit well with the political and religious leaders of the establishment. He spoke of a rival kingdom he called the “Kingdom of God,” with a God who was above all and over all, this infuriated the political establishment. He said that when it came to who God’s chosen people were, he highlighted those who were looked down on by the religiously pious. He told stories about the last, the least, and the lost, stories that made foreigners, the poor and needy, and yes even women the heroes and heroines. This was like a new manager of a country club giving away free memberships to the homeless while the ‘good people’ had to pay for their memberships.
Jesus didn’t just tell stories he backed his stories with action. For example, he ate and drank with people who were disrespected and looked down upon – especially tax collectors who extorted money to line their own pockets. This drew harsh criticism from the religious folk of the day who said with derision ‘what kind of religion is he pushing, why he eats and drinks with sinners!’ To their critiques Jesus said: Only those who are sick need a physician, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9.12). Those relying on pedigree and pecking orders were very disappointed to say the least. To the self-promoters and ladder climbers of society Jesus didn’t have much good news. With 20/20 x-ray vision he saw beneath the surface of every person’s soul and revealed that they were all hallow, each with a common disease – call it “My Will Disease.” To all winners, he told them that what they really needed was to lose. To those who had acquired much he said to give it to those less fortunate. He said the greatest among us would be those who serve.
This was a very difficult message to stomach and making matters worse his actions appeared to authenticate his message – unfortunately for Jesus he was a credible witness to God’s kingdom and was convicted by both church and state, and given the death penalty.
Along the way he met people from all walks of life: Jew, gentile, rich, poor, healthy and diseased, men, women, and children. He came to reveal to them all and to all of us that we are all God’s chosen, all are chosen especially those who have been told by society that they are not.
On Sunday morning after Jesus’ crucifixion on Friday the fake news was everywhere: Jesus – the King of the Jews dead at 33 – Jesus of Nazareth proven to be a fraud – Religious huckster gets his Due.
The male disciples who had been with Jesus for three years were nowhere to be found and had gone into hiding. All that remained were a handful of his faithful women followers, that included the three Marys: Mary his mother, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene.
Early that first Easter morning Mary Magdalene left the others in their grief and went to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed. To her alarm the stone had been rolled away from the tomb and Jesus was nowhere to be found. She quickly ran back to where Peter, John and the other disciples were hiding and told them that the tomb was empty and that someone had removed Jesus’ body. They ran back to the tomb and confirmed Mary’s story. They still didn’t get that he had risen and they went back home. Mary Magdalen – heartbroken remained outside the tomb weeping. Mary had met Jesus during a time in her life where everything was falling apart, and she was on a downward spiral towards her won destruction. No one had to convince her that she was a sinner. Jesus had forgiven her and healed her soul – she owed him her very life.
But once again, her life seemed to be at a dead end what would she do now without her Savior? She takes one final look into the empty tomb and was startled to see two angels – think cherubim and seraphim sitting on the place where Jesus’ body had been and they asked why she was weeping. She tells them that she is looking for Jesus.
She then turns and sees Jesus but doesn’t recognize him who asks her why she was weeping and who was she looking for. She repeats what she had just told the angels and Jesus speaks her name “Mary!” – when she hears him call her name, she instantly recognizes that unmistakable voice and replies “Rabbouni” – (master – teacher!) She wants to just camp out there with him but he tells her to go and testify to his other disciples what she had seen – she runs back to them and says: “I have seen the Lord!”
Mary becomes the first witness to the resurrection and in later church tradition would come to be known as “The Apostle to the apostles”
In the end it’s not about knowledge, creed, or intellectual assent but experience. Others had arguments about God, while Mary of Magdala had an experience of God and no argument or false accusations could take that away. The risen Lord had done in the resurrection what he had been doing bringing dead things and dead people back to life again. If this were not true the Christian faith would have died out centuries ago.
This, dear friends, was the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and remains so to this day; those credible witnesses who haven’t had to luxury to sit back and argue or debate, but are those who have felt their own poverty of soul and spirit, and their need for the Savior. The Good News of the Gospel is for all who have ever failed, felt their weakness, doubted their self-worth, or known themselves to be sinners. For of such as these is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!