Easter Sunday: April 8, 2012

EASTER SUNDAY 2012: April 8, 2012

Mark 16:1-8

Preacher: Pastor Carrie B. Smith

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia!

16When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

I must confess, I don’t much like the way this story begins. It seems to start with an all-too-familiar fairytale scenario: Once upon a time there were three helpless women, walking to the tomb and worrying, “Oh me, oh my, who will move that GREAT BIG STONE for us?”

You can probably guess that a female senior pastor isn’t too fond of stories that make women into powerless waifs! But then, perhaps I’m reading a bit too much into these verses. Perhaps my 21st century sensitivities are making Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, and Salome seem here a bit like the ““Real Housewives of Jerusalem”.

Because when we step back and consider this Gospel account of the resurrection again, it becomes clear that these three women are anything but delicate.

First, there’s Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus and the most important woman disciple in his movement. Jesus healed Mary of seven demons, and she was so close to him that she remained at the foot of the cross with his mother. She was a force to be reckoned with—and that was before she endured centuries of being defamed as a “loose woman” in literature.

And with Mary that Easter morning was Salome, who is traditionally thought to be one of the midwives present at the birth of Jesus. Not only is she thought to have been in the stable that night in Bethlehem, but she is also revered as the “believing midwife”, the second person in the world to recognize Jesus’ birth as miraculous.

And then there’s Mary, mother of James. Now, she is generally assumed to be the same Mary of Clopas who stayed at the foot of the cross with the other Marys. But elsewhere in Scripture she’s also known as Mary, mother of James and Joseph, and Mary, mother of James and Joses, as well as Mary, mother of James the younger. And what this tells me is that she was not only present at the crucifixion, but was also the mother of between two and four boys, which makes her a very strong woman indeed.

But perhaps the thing to notice about the way Mark tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection is not that three strong women were the first to go to the tomb, but that three women were the first to go to the tomb. Men had the task of crucifixion and of laying the executed Jesus in the tomb, but it was women who came back to anoint the body with spices. This fact always reminds me of a scene in the best chick movie of all time, “Steel Magnolias”, in which M’Lynn says, after the death of her daughter: “Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something...but I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life.”

And so it was that three women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome—women who had already been with Jesus at the sacred moments of his birth and his death, were also the ones arriving at the tomb on Sunday morning to care for his body. These were no shrinking violets or real housewives. These were devoted followers of Jesus who were determined to see that—at least in death—he was given proper respect.

But even if they were women of steel, the fact remains that the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb was quite large. They had good reason to worry about how it would get moved! Plus, the authorities had executed Jesus publicly. His followers were being watched, and it had been reported that guards were placed at the entrance of the tomb to prevent the body from being stolen. It would be difficult for anyone to gain access to Jesus.

So imagine their surprise when, upon arrival, the women saw that the stone had already been moved! After all their discussion and worrying on the way there—after doubting, second-guessing, and stressing, “When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.”

The stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back! The door to the tomb was open, and now nothing stood in their way!

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed , alleluia!

Like the women at the tomb that Easter morning, we often think we need to go to great lengths to gain access to Jesus. We assume we’ll need great strength or great wisdom to see him. We expect we might need special power or privilege to get past the guards. Our life experience has shown us that knowing the right people is usually the way to get doors to open and stones to roll back. And even those of us who have heard the Good News many times before start to wonder if we’re good enough, if we’re smart enough, or if we’re the right kind of people. After all, we’re just women, we’re just children, we’re just visitors, we’re just Christmas and Easter Christians, doubters, sinners, and nobodies trying to see Jesus. Who are we to stand in the presence of God?

But on Easter morning, each and every year, we hear again the amazing Good News that the stone has already been rolled back from the entrance to the tomb. Nothing stands between us and Jesus now! No powers or principalities could keep him in the tomb, and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, alleluia!

Hear the Good News that the stones you thought could never be moved, the obstacles in your life which seem insurmountable, and the sins that stood between you and God—they’ve already been rolled back.

That mistake that you’ve never forgiven yourself for? It’s been rolled back. Say it with me! It’s been rolled back.

That promise you couldn’t keep? It’s been rolled back!

Your debt? It’s been rolled back!

Your doubt? It’s been rolled back!

Your sin and sadness? It’s been rolled back!

Grief and anger, divorce and depression—whatever mess you’ve expected to remain sitting there between you and Jesus—hear me say to you today that it has been rolled back. Because Christ is risen, not even death stands between you and God. Amen!

The powers-that-be thought they had rid the world of Jesus and his radical message of love, mercy and forgiveness, but on Easter morning we celebrate that God’s love is bigger than the authorities’ fear. God’s mercy is wider than any obstacle in our path. The stone has been rolled back from the entrance to the tomb, and Jesus is no longer there! He is on the loose in the world, appearing even now to all those who seek him.

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, alleluia!