JOHN 20:1-9
EACH OF THE FOUR GOSPELS
TELLS THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS. BUT THEY ARE ALL A
LITTLE DIFFERENT. SOME PEOPLE USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE FOR DOUBTING THE
RESURRECTION – AFTER ALL, THEY SAY, IF THIS WERE A REAL EVENT,
WOULDN'T THE WITNESSES ALL TELL THE SAME STORY? BUT THEY FORGET TWO
THINGS; ONE IS THAT EACH OF THE GOSPELS WAS WRITTEN LONG AFTER JESUS
DIED – MARK ABOUT 30 YEARS LATER, MATTHEW AND LUKE 45 YEARS, AND
JOHN, ABOUT 60 YEARS. IN AN AGE WITHOUT TELEVISION AND WIDESPREAD
ILLITERACY, THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION WAS CARRIED BY THOUSANDS OF
CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND EVEN AS FAR AWAY AS INDIA
AND PERSIA BEFORE THE FIRST GOSPEL WRITER WROTE IT DOWN. THE GOSPEL
WRITERS DIDN'T WRITE DOWN THEIR STORIES BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GIVE
AN ACCURATE HISTORY. IN THOSE DAYS PEOPLE WERE MUCH MORE INTERESTED
IN WHAT AN EVENT MEANT, AND SO EACH WRITER WOULD TAKE THE BASIC STORY
AND TELL IT IN A WAY THAT GOT ACROSS THE MEANING HE SAW IN IT. UP
UNTIL THE MODERN ERA, THAT DIDN'T BOTHER PEOPLE. BUT IF WE TRY TO
LOOK INTO THE GOSPEL STORIES, WE CAN PIECE TOGETHER THE STORY THAT
WAS BEING CARRIED BY TRAVELING PREACHERS AND MIGRANTS DURING THAT
TIME.
NONE OF THE GOSPEL
WRITERS DESCRIBE ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY SAW JESUS' BECOME ALIVE AFTER
BEING DEAD. ALL OF THEM START WITH AN EMPTY TOMB. THERE ARE
OBVIOUSLY OTHER EXPLANATIONS FOR AN EMPTY TOMB; MAYBE THE BODY WAS
STOLEN; MATTHEW IN FACT SAYS THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE OF HIS TIME
STILL SAID THAT. MAYBE JESUS DIDN'T REALLY DIE, DESPITE HAVING A
SPEAR IN HIS CHEST AND HANGING ON THE CROSS FOR THREE HOURS. MAYBE
HE WENT INTO A COMA AND WOKE UP LATER AND MANAGED TO SOMEHOW CRAWL
OUT OF THE TOMB AND HIDE. OR, MAYBE AS THE MUSLIMS SAY, IT WASN'T
JESUS ON THE CROSS AT ALL, INSTEAD, A SUBSTITUTE WHO LOOKED LIKE HIM.
THE EMPTY TOMB IN A WAY CHALLENGES OUR FAITH AND EACH WRITER HAS ONE
OR MORE WITNESSES IN OR AROUND THE TOMB TO EXPLAIN THAT JESUS HAS
REALLY RISEN FROM THE DEAD.
ANOTHER PECULIAR THING
ABOUT THE ACOUNTS OF THE RESURRECTION IS THAT THE FIRST WITNESSES OF
THE EMPTY TOMB ARE WOMEN, IN THE CASE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL, A WOMAN, MARY
MAGDALENE. NOW IN FIRST CENTURY PALESTINE, THE TESTIMONY OF A WOMAN
DIDN'T COUNT FOR MUCH. IF YOU WERE MAKING UP A STORY, IT'S UNLIKELY
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE USED WOMEN AS WITNESSES. JESUS ALSO SHOWS
HIMSELF TO WOMEN BEFORE HE APPEARS TO HIS OWN APOSTLES, EXCEPT IN THE
STORY OF LUKE, WHERE SIMON PETER MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO WITNESS
HIM IN THE FLESH – BUT EVEN HERE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN THOSE TWO
DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO EMMAEUS.
ONE THING THE GOSPEL
WRITERS ARE ALL AGREED UPON IS THAT JESUS' RESURRECTION IS NOT MERELY
A RESUCITATION; HIS RESURRECTED BODY SHOWS A CONNECTION WITH THE BODY
THAT WAS CRUCIFIED – HE HAS NAIL MARKS IN HIS HANDS AND FEET, AND A
WOUND IN HIS SIDE WHICH CAN BE TOUCHED, AND HE CAN EAT – BUT AT THE
SAME TIME, HE CAN APPEAR IN A LOCKED ROOM, HE CAN APPEAR ON THE
SHORES OF A LAKE, HE CAN SUDDENLY BE WITH TWO DISCIPLES WALKING ALONG
A COUNTRY ROAD. HE ALSO IS NOT RECOGNIZED UNTIL HE ALLOWS HIMSELF TO
BE RECOGNIZED. MARY MAGDALENE THINKS HE IS THE GARDENER AT FIRST.
THE APOSTLES THINK HE IS A GHOST. THE DISCIPLES HEADING FOR EMMAEUS
THINK HE IS A FELLOW TRAVELER. IN JEWISH AND PAGAN LITERATURE THERE
WERE STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD. USUALLY THEY
WERE QUITE NORMAL AND EVENTUALLY WENT ON TO DIE OF OLD AGE. IN SOME
CASES, LIKE THAT OF SAMUEL WHO APPEARED TO SAUL, THEY WERE GHOSTLY
BEINGS. THE WAY JESUS WAS WHEN HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD IS TOTALLY
DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S WHY THE
RESURRECTION IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE MYSTERY. THERE'S NEVER BEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE OR SINCE.
THE MESSAGE OF THE
RESURRECTION IS THAT THIS PRESENT WORLD MATTERS; THAT ITS PROBLEMS
AND PAINS MATTER, AND THAT GOD HAS PLUNGED INTO THIS WORLD WITH
HEALING AND ALL POWERFUL LOVE. ALL THE EVILS, INJUSTICES, AND PAINS
IN THE WORLD CAN NOW BE SEEN AS HAVING LOST; HEALING, JUSTICE AND
LOVE HAVE WON. THAT'S THE ANSWER TO OUR PRAYER, “THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”
EASTER IS NOT SIMPLY
ABOUT BELIEVING THAT GOD HAS A COMFORTABLE AFTERLIFE FOR SOME OF US.
CHIRSTIANITY IS NOT A PIE-IN-THE-SKY IN THE SKY RELIGION. EASTER
FAITH IS NOT ABOUT BELIEVING THAT JESUS ROSE IN SOME SPIRITUAL SENSE;
CHIRSTIANITY IS NOT A LET -THE – WORLD – STEW – IN – ITS –
OWN - JUICE RELIGION. EASTER FAITH IS NOT JUST ABOUT ME AND YOU
FINDING A NEW DIMENSION IN OUR LIVES THAT WE CALL SPIRITUAL OR
MYSTICAL; CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A WARMTH – IN – THE - HEART
RELIGION.
IF JESUS CHRIST IS TRULY
RISEN FROM THE DEAD, CHRISTIANITY BECOMES WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT
INSISTS THAT IT IS: GOOD NEWS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD, NEWS THAT WARMS
OUR HEARTS PRECISELY BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT WARMING HEARTS. THE
LIVING GOD HAS IN PRINCIPLE DEALT WITH EVIL ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND IS
NOW AT WORK, BY HIS OWN SPIRIT, TO DO FOR US AND THE WHOLE WORLD WHAT
HE DID FOR JESUS ON THAT FIRST EASTER DAY. CHRISTIANITY IS AN ON
EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN RELIGION.
THAT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE
EASTER WITH MATERIAL THINGS: WATER IN BAPTISM AND BREAD AND WINE AT
THE LORD'S SUPPER. EASTER IS ABOUT THE LIVING GOD CLAIMING THE WORLD
OF SPACE, TIME, AND MATTER AS HIS OWN. THAT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE IT
WITH CANDLES AND FLOWERS AND INCENSE AND PROCESSIONS AND BANNERS AND,
ABOVE ALL, MUSIC: THE WORLD OF CREATION HAS BEEN RECLAIMED BY THE
LIVING AND HEALING GOD. THE REASON FOR LENT, AND HOLY WEEK AND
EASTER IS NOT TO SET ASIDE A TIME IN WHICH TO STEP OUT OF OUR ROUTINE
WITH A FAST AND UNIQUE LITURGIES AND CELEBRATION, AND THEN RETURN TO
HOW EVERYTHING WAS BEFORE. NO, THE LIVING GOD WHO HAS BROKEN INTO
OUR WORLD IS STILL THERE; JESUS IS STILL WORKING THROUGH IS SPIRIT TO
GATHER EVERYTHING UP AND BRING IT BACK TO THE FATHER. AND WHEN WE
WAKE UP MONDAY MORNING MAY YOU AND I STILL BE EASTER PEOPLE, KNOWING
THAT WE ARE PART OF THIS GREAT MYSTERY.
