We often think of the crucifixion and resurrection as being three days, but the timeline is shorter.
If we recall that the Jewish day ends and begins at sunset, the Sabbath was the twenty four hours – more or less – from the sunset after his body was put in the tomb until the next sunset.
And no work can be done on the Sabbath.
And as you can imagine, in a time without streetlights it was not common for women to travel at night. So the first opportunity Mary of Magdala – and any other women with her – had to complete the rituals for the body was early the next day, which for us is Sunday morning.
We’re looking at maybe 36 hours, not that there were clocks at the time.
Let’s go to God in prayer.
God of wisdom, may the words that I speak, and the ways they are received by each of our hearts and minds, to help us to continue to grow into the people, and the church, that you have dreamed us to be.
Amen.
What do you do when everything falls apart?
What do you do when you’ve spent years following someone who you thought would change the world, and suddenly it all comes to a crashing halt with the death of your teacher and friend?
What do you do when the same government that put your leader to death might just as well come for you?
That’s where the eleven – that’s the twelve minus Judas Iscariot – were this early morning. Their emotions were raw. It had not been that long since the crucifixion. And now Mary tells a couple of them that the body is gone. So they run to the tomb and see that indeed the body is gone.
Now what?
They returned to their homes. What else could they do?
This is not the only account of the resurrection, and they do vary. If you come to the 10:30 service, you will hear a different one.
But in this account, the disciples have lost everything, even the body of Jesus. There’s no coming back from this.
You’ll hear more of this account next week when Ann Hunt preaches about what happened with Mary of Magdala after this scene.
But we’re thinking about Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved. And they’re broken-hearted, lost, and see no way forward.
It’s good that they returned to their homes. It’s what they needed to do to begin to heal, to process what happened, and prepare for what’s next.
But we know they did not give up forever because this story is still told some 2000 years later.
There are times when we feel we have reached the end and there is no way forward. Sometimes it’s true. More often it is not. We might feel knocked down, powerless, helpless. And that’s a good time to retreat, to take some time to rest, and then to look forward to what we can do.
Resurrection is not just Jesus getting up, taking off the burial cloths, rolling a stone away and walking out. Resurrection is about the message of Jesus coming back to life again and again.
The church has been co-opted by power again and again. Governments have used Christianity as a tool to demand obedience.
And yet, a brother in Europe cries foul over plenary indulgences.
Clergymen gather in Barmen Germany to stand against government takeover of the church.
A young minister in Montgomery leads a bus boycott over racial segregation.
Some theologians in South America put forward a preferential option for the poor in Liberation Theology.
These are just four prominent examples. There are many more. The powerful try to cover up the life and teachings of Jesus and turn Christianity into domination, but the light of Christ shines through anyway.
Ann won’t be using the lectionary reading for next week, so I’ll reference it here:
The disciples are huddled in the upper room when Jesus finds them there. The light sought them out.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you’re feeling like there’s too much trouble and not enough of you. Maybe it’s time to return to your home.
But the light of Christ will find you, and Jesus will be resurrected in your heart when you are ready.
As sure as the sun rises today, so does Christ rise again in faithful churches and in faithful people.
Amen.
Let’s sing CP 74 In the Garden
* Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. https://www.friendshippress.org/pages/about-the-nrsvue
* Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James version of the Bible.
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