Year A Easter John 20:1-18

Alleluia! Christ is risen. The LORD is risen indeed. Alleluia!

It is Easter day, and we shout with joy the glorious news that Jesus is risen, that we are saved, that Love has conquered sin and death. Please note, that though we see it on cards and hear it said by others, we do not proclaim that Christ has risen. That is an action accomplished. For us, the miracle is then, it is now, it is eternal. He is risen. Alleluia!

And so, this morning we come again to the story of Easter, a story we have heard so many times we all know it by heart. It is recounted our Gospels, Mark being the exception, and today we heard Matthew’s account. No matter which Gospel we read, all of the Resurrection stories have one thing in common. God does something so strange and singular in nature that there is no way to explain what happened. Alas for us, who like knowing “what happened”. We want all the details, but despite the varied coverage offered by the Gospels, all we can see are “snapshots” or anecdotes of the Resurrection. Not only that, the stories of Resurrection are all different.

In one, the one we heard today, Jesus is known when He speaks. In another, He is not known when He speaks, but when He breaks and blesses bread. In one account, He broils fish for breakfast. In another He suddenly appears in a locked room. It is impossible to put together an integrated composite picture of what happened.

Despite the different ways we are presented with the Resurrection, our human responses to it remain the same – we either respond with faith, hope, and love, or disbelief. So – what was it that caused the disciples to choose faith, hope, and love, and how can we make that same choice?

When we examine the Resurrection stories, three patterns of belief emerge. There is no particular ranking or sequence of them. In fact, they seem to be integrated. The three things are: first, the relationship with Jesus both prior to and after the Resurrection is personal.

When, in this morning’s Gospel, Jesus said, “Mary,” Mary knew instantly who He was. When the two disciples saw and heard Jesus break the bread and bless it, the gestures and language were so familiar that they instantly knew who He was.

The second thing that enabled His followers to know Him is Scripture. On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples heard Jesus explain the Scriptures that told how God would raise Him from the dead. And it was then they began to have an inkling of His identity, later confirmed in the breaking of the bread.

The third thing that enabled the followers of Jesus to believe was the community of other believers. The very first thing that Mary did after she knew the Truth was tell the disciples. The first thing done by the two followers of Jesus, the ones who recognized Him when He broke the bread, was to go in a hurry to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. Most of the Resurrection stories are stories where Jesus appears to a group.

This leads to three ways of knowing the Risen LORD. For most people these three ways are integrated. So how can we know Jesus in a personal way? What can we do so that His voice is familiar to us?

One way most Christians seem to know Jesus personally is through prayer and worship. A good prayer life is essential to our relationship with Jesus. Then, in the story where the two disciples recognized Him when He broke the bread and blessed it, Jesus is known in ritual. This makes it clear that regularly coming to Sunday worship is a very powerful resource for knowing the Risen LORD. Worship, like prayer, is also essential.

As a group here at Mystic Side, we decided to move our communion service this month from the first Sunday, on which we heard the painful story of our Lord’s passion, His crucifixion, to today – Easter Day. Holy Communion, a joyful and lifegiving celebration, gives us a special, third way in which to experience our LORD.

St. Paul was clear. He said that we eat the bread and drink the wine “perceiving” the Body of “Christ”. Somehow, the meaning of bread and the meaning of wine change to become the meaning of Jesus’ flesh and blood. Some folks say that they really don’t understand how this can be, and it has caused arguments and rifts in the Church throughout the ages..

Alas for us, understanding God isn’t something of which we are capable. As much as we might want or demand to understand Holy Communion – it isn’t possible to do so. Different denominations give different explanations, but since we cannot understand the mystery, for us what happens with the bread and wine at communion is a matter of faith. So, whatever the level of faith we possess, even if it is as tiny as a mustard seed, we must allow that faith to receive Communion in adoration of the Risen Jesus. Many of us feel that coming to Communion also feeds that faith in us.

If you want to know the Risen LORD, worship Him!

If you want to know the Risen LORD, study Scripture. One Christian describes this practice. “During Holy Week, I read St. Matthew’s Gospel while listening to Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The combination of Gospel, the music, Holy Week, and anticipation of Easter is always meaningful to me. It is one of the ways I am present with Jesus in His ordeal and triumph.” Many prefer to share the Scripture in small Bible study groups. However it is done, many of us come to know Jesus through the Scriptures. To know Him is to love Him.

Finally, one of the ways we know Jesus is to “hang out” with his friends. The process of loving and being loved by friends of Jesus leads us to know the Lord. Many Christians come to the realization that the love they experience from their friends and family is the love of Jesus.

Now, none of this is easy. Regular worship means doing something that every part of our culture mitigates against. Some folks have very long work weeks. Children’s sports seem to be played on Sundays. Family gatherings, social events, all these are often planned for Sundays. The list could go on and on. Sunday is the only free day that many people have. But Sunday is the day set aside for worship, we must remember to keep it holy.

We grumble! Regular Bible study requires discipline. Hanging out with Jesus’ friends is a lot of trouble. What we do with our Sunday is up to us. But we are called into fellowship, into worship, into love, and scripture, community/fellowship, and Holy Communion. These are all the ways we strengthen and deepen our personal relationship with Jesus.

So, surrender your lack of faith. Give up your fear of really loving someone. Set aside time for the LORD. Stop thinking that you must profoundly understand things before you have faith. Give yourself to however much faith is in you. And even if your voice is shy, soft, and barely audible, this day, every day, join in the praise and acclamation for our Risen Savior, Jesus, the Christ of God.

Alleluia! The LORD is risen! The LORD is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Let us pray:

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; and with joy may live Easter lives and spread the Good News, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.