Christ is Risen!

Posted: March 31, 2024 | Author: wtmcalilly | Filed under: Bishop's Blog | Tags: easter, TWKUMC |Leave a comment

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.[a] – Mark 16: 1-8

If you follow the liturgical calendar for the Christian year, you will notice there are options given for the Gospel Lesson on Easter Sunday. During the three-year cycle of Gospel Lessons, the Easter story most often suggested comes from either the Gospel of John or the Gospel of Luke.

Only once in each three-year cycle does the calendar suggest the reading of Mark’s account of Easter. Mark’s account is offered in year B, along with John’s account, so a preacher is given the option to omit Mark’s account every year. If you are a preacher, the reasons are obvious–all the other resurrection accounts offer more detail and, frankly, more hope.

In Mark, the ending doesn’t leave the reader with great exhilaration but with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, coming to the tomb in grief to do what grieving folk do. They are anxious, wondering who in the world they will find to help roll the stone away from the tomb’s entrance.

What happened when they arrive and find the stone unexpectedly rolled away?

Mark wrote that a young man says, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.

Then, the women who came to the tomb flee in terror and amazement while remaining silent for they were afraid.

No wonder we prefer Luke and John’s account of Easter over Mark. Mark’s account shares more terror, amazement, and fear.

In the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament, the last word of Mark’s Easter account is fear. Mark gives us the honest, real, and authentic feelings of three women whose lives had been profoundly impacted by Jesus. During the early morning hours of Easter, the scene at the tomb was bewildering and they couldn’t wrap their minds around what they had experienced–from Good Friday to an empty tomb on Sunday.

We all understand fear no matter our context. Some may fear the future.

Some may fear that General Conference will do too much while others fear General Conference will do too little.

Some fear what will happen during the upcoming election cycle. Some fear President Biden will be re-elected while others fear that former President Trump will be elected.

For each of us, there may be subsequent fears accompanying either of these potential outcomes.

Some of us have received news from doctors that fill our hearts with dread and fear about what is ahead for our bodies, our families, and our futures.

Some know friends who have been told, “You are no longer needed in our company.” As a result, the bills begin to pile up while fear and anxiety begin to take root.

There is no shortage of fear in our world.

And yet, the promise and great news of Easter is that the tomb is empty. Fear and not even death get the last word. As Mark tells it, Jesus is alive and goes ahead of us.

In the early Church, the first words spoken on Easter morning were these:

The liturgist proclaimed, “Christ is Risen!”

And a joyous congregation shouted, “Christ is Risen indeed!”

The good news of the Gospel for us is that we do not come to Easter morning in grief and anxiety alone. We already know the story doesn’t end. It triumphantly continues! The risen Christ IS, indeed, going before us embracing all the stones of uncertainty and anxiety we face and rolling them away while offering us new life and a new beginning.

Therefore, with the confidence of Mark, we too can boldly proclaim, “He goes before us!  He will make a way for us!  He will transform all the unevenness of our lives–our fears, our anxieties, and our uncertainties!”

When we are faced with the overwhelming negative emotions of fear and anxiety in our daily lives, let us remember and proclaim, “Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!” And let the perfect love of Christ casts out all your fear.

Say it with me,

“Christ is Risen!”

“Christ is Risen Indeed!”

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