This blog is based on a sermon by Pastor Teresa Howell-Smith on April 20, 2025
Each year, we hear from the same Easter characters and we see them in awe rather than seeing ourselves in their lives. From the very beginning, John says that “we may believe.” He sees these characters as eye witnesses, and his hope is that we too will see God in their story.
The Easter story begins in darkness. Out of all of the gospels, John’s is the one that talks about darkness. But what does darkness and light have to do with Easter? John says that we, the people who have walked in darkness, have seen a great light. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as saying that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
The duality of darkness and light serves as a metaphor for our lack of understanding of the workings of God. When we think about darkness in The Bible, Mary Magdalene's story comes to mind. She had walked with Jesus and witnessed him heal people, and she came to the tomb to anoint his body. She travels in the darkness, a metaphor for the darkness she felt after the loss of Jesus. I think about darkness in today’s society – a person who hoped to retire in a few years loses their job, or a parent must help their adult child through a struggle with addiction.
John asks, “Had we seen the Lord, how might we believe in the hope of this Easter?” Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb while it is still dark. In the gospels, we often see women band together. But Mary Magdalene, in John’s gospel, is alone. She has no one to console her on her mission to anoint the body of Jesus. When she arrives, the stone is rolled aside.
How are we showing up for ourselves despite the darkness that we face in our lives? Mary Magdalene wasn’t perfect, but she knew she must go to the tomb to do the work that she was called to do. After she arrives at the tomb, she goes and tells the other disciples that “they” have taken Jesus away.
Who is “they” in these scriptures? “They” might refer to Nicodemus and Joseph hiding the body. Or maybe “they” refers to the Sanhedrin who wanted Jesus dead. Perhaps “they” are the robbers or the philosophers.
But maybe “they” refers to those of us not living an authentic existence – who are not showing up as God is resurrected. “They” are the faceless and personal powers at work in the world that dictate and constrain us by robbing us of initiative and decision.
Mary tells Peter and the beloved disciple that Jesus’ body is gone and they rush to the tomb. Although Peter had previously denied knowing Jesus, he still comes to the grave. Peter enters the tomb, but despite seeing strips of linen on the ground, isn’t convinced, and leaves. The beloved disciple then enters, looks around, and believes in Mary’s story.
The stories of these three characters mirror our own. We may know resurrection from our texts, but do we see it in our own lives? John’s gospel is asking us, “Have you seen the Lord?”
Mary is outside of the tomb, weeping. The powers of darkness have killed her friend and have wiped away all traces of him. But then an angel arrives and asks, “Woman, what are you looking for?” Mary turns around and replies, “I’m looking for my Lord.” She notices a man who she assumes is a gardener and asks, “Have you seen my Lord?” He replies simply by saying her name: “Mary.”
In John’s gospel and throughout other scriptures, we see that calling someone by name is giving that person purpose and dignity. When the man refers to her by her name, she recognizes that he is Jesus.
Mary Magdalene wants to hold on to Jesus, but He tells her not to. What does that mean for us that Jesus does not want Mary Magdalene to hold onto him? Sometimes we are holding on to our religion or things that were never meant to be held onto. Sometimes we must release these things in order for God to do something new.
Jesus entrusts Mary Magdalene to tell the others about Him. She goes to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord.”
How do we see the Lord? This resurrection story isn’t a new concept, but it is the high point of what God has been doing all along. How is resurrection played out? Have you ever broken free from old habits or ways of thinking that were dragging you down? Those are resurrection moments. Have you ever felt like you were granted a new lease on life when it felt like the doors had been shut? What about those moments when you suddenly saw yourself and the world around you differently? Every blind person that Jesus ever healed experienced that kind of new vision – a real resurrection of their sight.
Have you ever felt completely stuck with no energy and no idea on where to go next? Remember the story of the guy who couldn’t walk? Jesus told him, “Pick up your mat and walk.” That is a resurrection. Have you ever cleared out the clutter in your life, much like when Jesus cleared out the temple, and gave yourself a fresh start? Maybe that was your own personal resurrection. When a loved one passes but you still feel their presence in your life – that too, is a resurrection.
Easter isn’t just some historical event that we observe and celebrate. It's a new way of seeing everything – a new life to be embraced. The point isn't simply Jesus leaving the tomb, it's about the new life that becomes available to us. This means that Easter isn’t the end of the story, it's the very beginning. The true significance of Easter lies not just in one day, but in how it shapes the following days.
Easter doesn’t reside in a distant past – it unfolds in our everyday lives. In our everyday routines and relationships, it is present here and now.
I want to leave you with a question in the spirit of Mary Magdalene:
What will you do with this new and precious life you’ve been given? What tangible difference will today make in your tomorrow? For He has been raised, He is not here, He is going ahead of you. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed.
Hallelujah and Amen.