Easter - Day of Resurrection
I know I've been saying the Sundays are not included in Lent — and that is true. But How could I let Easter go by without a devotion? First, our scripture for the day:
Scripture Lesson John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
I had seminary-pal who used to phone me every Easter in the wee-hours of the morning and when I picked up the phone he would gleefully declare, “Jesus is loose!” and hang up.
Thankfully in the age of smart phones these joyful declarations are made more often by text message. Even now I get early-morning “Jesus is Loose!” messages from former parishioners scattered around the country.
Perhaps it seems a silly thing to gleefully wake one another with this declaration. . . but that is the core of the gospel — That God is still loose among us:
† loose in the back-alleys of a hurting world, †loose and unfettered by even death —
† loose bringing hope to the hopeless,
† loose bringing joy to the sorrowful,
† loose restoring health to the infirm,
† and loose giving purpose to our lives as disciples.
Every hour of every day is an opportunity to declare by what we say and do that we know that “Jesus is loose” and that we are invited to join him in the redemption of a hurting world.
Scripture Lesson John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
I had seminary-pal who used to phone me every Easter in the wee-hours of the morning and when I picked up the phone he would gleefully declare, “Jesus is loose!” and hang up.
Thankfully in the age of smart phones these joyful declarations are made more often by text message. Even now I get early-morning “Jesus is Loose!” messages from former parishioners scattered around the country.
Perhaps it seems a silly thing to gleefully wake one another with this declaration. . . but that is the core of the gospel — That God is still loose among us:
† loose in the back-alleys of a hurting world, †loose and unfettered by even death —
† loose bringing hope to the hopeless,
† loose bringing joy to the sorrowful,
† loose restoring health to the infirm,
† and loose giving purpose to our lives as disciples.
Every hour of every day is an opportunity to declare by what we say and do that we know that “Jesus is loose” and that we are invited to join him in the redemption of a hurting world.
Before I conclude with the final prayer of this devotional series I'd like to say a few things to each of you. First, thank you for making the journey with me this Lent. I do pray that these devotions have been helpful to you and have both challenged and blessed you along the way. I am grateful for the notes of encouragement many of you have written to me in recent months. Your kindness means the world to me and I thank you for reaching out and letting me know that you were touched by a devotion. — PHL Easter 2022
Prayer:
Risen Lord, You are the One through whom all things are made, the light and life of all people. We praise you!
This Lent we have walked along with you as you taught and preached and healed.
†You have shown your great wisdom in response to the world’s skepticism.
†You have shown your unique enlightenment as you brought those dwelling in the darkness of the tomb into the light of a new day.
†You have demonstrated great power in providing healing to those we thought beyond redemption.
But for all of your wisdom, enlightenment, and power shown to us in Lent, you nevertheless baffle our expectations:
—You know who will betray you, and yet love them.
—You know who will abandon you in your hour of crucible, and yet you do not chide.
— you steadfastly refuse to return violence for violence, even when your life hung in the balance.
—You were hidden in entombed darkness when we were counting on a Messiah to save us with feats of great power.
Today we approach the tomb again in consternation, and wonder what we will find there. Give us steadfast faith, and enduring courage to step into the tomb and see what awaits us. As the Word is read and proclaimed . . . speak to us of lasting things.
We ask this in the name of the One who is loose! — Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Risen Lord, You are the One through whom all things are made, the light and life of all people. We praise you!
This Lent we have walked along with you as you taught and preached and healed.
†You have shown your great wisdom in response to the world’s skepticism.
†You have shown your unique enlightenment as you brought those dwelling in the darkness of the tomb into the light of a new day.
†You have demonstrated great power in providing healing to those we thought beyond redemption.
But for all of your wisdom, enlightenment, and power shown to us in Lent, you nevertheless baffle our expectations:
—You know who will betray you, and yet love them.
—You know who will abandon you in your hour of crucible, and yet you do not chide.
— you steadfastly refuse to return violence for violence, even when your life hung in the balance.
—You were hidden in entombed darkness when we were counting on a Messiah to save us with feats of great power.
Today we approach the tomb again in consternation, and wonder what we will find there. Give us steadfast faith, and enduring courage to step into the tomb and see what awaits us. As the Word is read and proclaimed . . . speak to us of lasting things.
We ask this in the name of the One who is loose! — Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Paul Lang
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