Easter Vigil
John 20:1-10
Tonight we began with light, the light of a new fire, the light spread to candles lovingly given to us by bees… we moved into this sanctuary space where we told some of the great stories of God’s creation and deliverance. We tell them to help us know—over and over again, God keeps creating and God keeps saving through all of history. And then, we remembered together the gift of Baptism, how God brings this saving gift to thistime, to ourlives. It’s from this rich seedbed that we come to the tomb. It’s still dark as Mary arrives still wondering about the horror of the cross, still wondering where everybody else was now…
Preacher Barbara Lundblad reminds us. Mary had been there when he died (John 19:25). When she saw the stone rolled away she didn’t shout, “Christ is risen!” She didn’t assume resurrection, but ran to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple, “the one whom Jesus loved.” We last saw this unnamed disciple at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother. He is the only disciple who stayed [with the women and] with Jesus through the crucifixion (John 19:26-27).[1]
These two, Peter and John, ran to the grave and noticed that the garments of death were folded… why would grave robbers unwrap the body? But what else could be the explanation?
The rules of death and the grave couldn’t be broken, could they?They went home wondering. Tonight, after a long day of waiting and wondering, we remember how over time, over thousands of years, we have been able to see not just the horror of the cross but now it’s beauty. From Jesus’ side flowed blood and water. It’s not just a sign shared to proove that he was truly dead, so that we might be able to imagine Christ actually raised from the dead. It’s poetry. From Jesus’ death and resurrection come our sacraments—water and blood—Baptism and Holy Communion—actions where God makes ordinary things into extraordinary gifts… that bring diverse people into one family, into one living, breathing community.
In this excerpt from a poem by R. S. Thomas called “The Answer” we hear a glimmer of resurrection breaking through:
… There have been times
when, after long on my knees
in a cold chancel, a stone has rolled
from my mind, and I have looked
in and seen the old questions lie
folded and in a place
by themselves, like the piled
graveclothes of love’s risen body.[2]
when, after long on my knees
in a cold chancel, a stone has rolled
from my mind, and I have looked
in and seen the old questions lie
folded and in a place
by themselves, like the piled
graveclothes of love’s risen body.[2]
We have our questions still… it’s hard to believe the impossible. But on this night, with the beloved disciple, we dare to also believe in “love’s risen body”—Christ who once was dead, raised by love. Alive, with us and in us. In the love poured over us, in the love we’ll take and eat. And so we can’t help but proclaim on this Resurrection eve… Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
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