Tuesday of Trinity II - Devotion in semi-Exile

Lection for Tuesday after Trinity II 
Proverbs 27:1-24      John 20:1-18

Mary Magdalene was first to the tomb, and seeing the stone rolled away, she left hurriedly, in a state of shock. Meeting Simon Peter and John, she exclaimed, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” They run to the tomb, John looks in, but doesn’t enter. Peter arrives after John and enters the tomb. They find evidence of the resurrection: the strips of cloth in which Jesus has been wrapped were lying there, and the burial cloth from around His head folded and lying separate.

Peter walked back to his home, wondering. We are told John saw the evidence and believed, but neither one it is said, understood the significance.  There is much speculation on what John means when it says that he saw and believed. Did he, now seeing the empty tomb, now believe Mary’s words that Jesus was gone? Did he believe that Jesus had arisen? The way the clothes were folded was the evidence that He believed? If so, why didn’t he speak out about that fact, boldly proclaiming it? Was the evidence not enough, so he had doubts? Was he ashamed that he didn’t trust Jesus word that He must suffer, die, and rise on the third day, and then had to see the evidence to believe? To make a statement definitively one way or the other is to say more than the words of our text say.

What we do know is that Jesus had foretold the events of these past four days on numerous occasions to them. One account from Matthew’s Gospel record Jesus telling them,  “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; 23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.  (Matt. 17:22-23) 

They were deeply grieved because they did not understand. They did not want their Lord, their Teacher and friend to have to endure such things. It was like they has missed Him saying He would be raised. So, at the empty tomb, they either forget His previous words, or did not make the connection. They certainly did not understand and believe the significance of these events to their eternal salvation.

What happened, as often happens with us, we hear the words, but do not understand what they mean. They had not believed Jesus at His word. Although they had confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, they did not believe the Word of God in Christ Jesus.

Mary and the disciples had seen Jesus suffer and die upon the cross. They had witnessed His dead, limp body removed from the cross and laid in the tomb, but they did not take God at His word.

This is the oldest sin in the world, the first sin. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"   (Genesis 3:1 ESV)

Did God really say? That question is at the root of all sin. Did God really say that sex before marriage is a sin? Did God really say that I must forgive those who sin against me, or I will not be forgiven? Did God really say that I must not gossip, even if it is the truth? Did God really say, even though He made wine at the wedding for them to drink, that drunkenness is a sin? Did God really say that I am not to lust after the possessions of others? Did God really say that I cannot worship Him whenever and however I want to?

The answer to each of those questions is - YES!!!

Did God really say that there is salvation in no one else except Christ? Did God really say that my works do not help toward gaining heaven? Did God say faith is the Spirit’s work? YES! YES!! YES!!!

Did Christ really say that I must take up my cross and follow Him? Did Christ really say that He comes first, even before family?  YES! YES!!

Did Christ, who is true God, really say, “On the third day I will rise?  Did He really say, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it?” Yes!

Mary, through her tears, wondering where Jesus is (since she did not believe His word that He would rise) looks again into the tomb. An angel asks, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

Her unbelief in the Words of Christ evident in what takes place in our text as she responds, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Turning around, Jesus was standing there, but she did not realize that it was Him.

Why did she not realize it was Jesus? Couldn’t she see Him? Didn’t she recognize Him? No, she did not recognize Him.

She remembered only what He looked like when last she had seen Him. Remember what Jesus had endured? Imagine what He had looked like before they laid Him in the tomb – He had been beaten, whipped, and crucified. Little of His flesh was not bruised, beaten, or torn. If you have seen The Passion of the Christ, you have some idea what He looked like when they took Him down from the cross. Just as Isaiah foretold: As many were astonished at him— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.  (Isaiah 52:14 ESV)

Risen, Christ has been glorified. His body now pristine and beautiful, healed beyond all comprehension. Oh, the marks that give glory to God remain, holes from the nails and the spear, but those where the least visible of His abused features. Before Mary stood a man of clean skin, no bruises and no bloody wounds. Is it any wonder that through her tears and her expectations of what Jesus should look like that she did not recognize Him?

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).  (vv. 14-16)

Jesus speaks her name, and it is like a light goes on, she recognizes Him. This is not just the recognition brought about by the familiarity of His voice. Something more takes place. Christ speaks and faith is wrought. God spoke, and Mary believed. The Word of Christ and the Spirit at work in the Word of Christ made Mary a believer.

On that first day of the week, Jesus said, “Mary.” Mary believed and told them all, “I have seen the Lord!”

God spoke your name at your baptism and faith was wrought! It is that simple.

The same is true today.  We could ask, did really Christ say, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.?” (Luke 24:46 47) Yes, He did. 

When your pastor proclaims, “Your sins are forgiven, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” By that Word of Christ your sins are gone and faith is wrought in your heart to believe that it is indeed true. Christ speaks, and in all confidence you can proclaim, “I have seen the Lord!”

Christ is present in the Word spoken, “This is my body... this is my blood... given and shed for you for the remission of sin.” Christ’s body and blood are present under the elements of bread and wine. You eat and drink. Salvation is given to you and eternal life bestowed. Through that Word your faith is strengthened to believe that all these things are true. Christ speaks, and in all confidence proclaim by your eating and drinking, “I have seen the Lord!”

Jesus spoke such a simple word, just her name, and Mary believed. Will he not work such a miracle today? Yes! He will and He does – and we gather when He does it, every Sunday the miracle of His resurrection.

Let us Pray:  All thanksgiving to You, dear Father in heaven, for You have adopted us into Your divine family through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, we have died to sin and risen to new life. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we would live lives of daily repentance and faith, ever clinging to Jesus, our living Redeemer, for forgiveness, life and salvation. Amen.