Encounters with Jesus: in the garden (2) May 11, 2014 Reinbeck UMC

Encounters with Jesus: in the garden (2)

May 11, 2014

Reinbeck UMC

There is nothing quite like it. Nothing that even comes close to comparing to the hopelessness that floods over us when death comes to rip someone we love from our arms. Grief washes over us like a tidal wave leaving in its wake tired days and sleepless nights. Losing someone dear to us to death is kind of a twilight zone experience. Nothing can prepare us for it. Nothing can stop it. No one is ever ready to hear the words, “I’m sorry, we did all we could.”

The world caves in and the emptiness that washes in behind the shock leaves us vulnerable, hurting, and empty.

That’s what Mary Magdalene must have been experiencing. She had one of those sleepless nights. She tried to sleep, then got up and paced the floor... then tried to lie down again, but sleep would not come and she got up again... and on it went through the night. She took it as long as she could and then headed for the grave early in the morning, very early -- before the sun came up. Perhaps just being near his tomb would bring some trace of relief.

The world knows death so well, yet many try to deny it.

Harry Houdini denied the reality of death, and always promised his wife that he would escape from death and come back to her. He didn’t.

Elvis Presley died 37 years ago. His most ardent fans refuse to believe. How many times has Elvis been spotted here or there? In spite of his immense popularity and the grief of his fans, Elvis never came back for another concert.

17 years ago this summer Princess Diana lost her life in the car accident. How many times did we hear someone say after her death, “I just can’t believe she’s gone?” Nevertheless, she is.

Whether we are rich or poor, famous or unknown, powerful or impotent... death is truly the bottom line. Isn’t it?

Or is it? Death is not the last word for those who encounter Jesus after the resurrection. As we explore our second post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, we come to reflect on Mary’s encounter with Jesus in the Garden. This week’s art is from Earlene Nosbisch.

As we see Mary and Jesus in this embroidered scene let’s ask ourselves what if…

What if… What if someone you loved died? You were there at the bedside and watched them take their last breath. You watched the funeral home come and zip them into that black bag. You watched them load the body in the back of the van. You even went to the funeral, and burial, and ate little ham sandwiches.

What if… a few days later that person was suddenly standing right in front of you?

What if … all that you thought you knew about life and death suddenly didn’t work anymore?

What if … after all these years, you are faced with the proposition that death is truly not the bottom line?

That’s the position in which Mary found herself on that first Easter morning.

·       She had been in the garden when Jesus was captured.

·       She had peered over the wall as Jesus was tried.

·       She grimaced when Jesus was beaten.

·       She cried as Jesus struggled up the hill under the weight of that awful cross.

·       She stood as close as she dared when they nailed him to the crossbeam and lifted it into place, and she stood with Jesus’ Mother, Mary, to watch him take his last breath.

As far as she was concerned, that was the end of the story!

There was no “what if” in her mind. There was just dead certainty. That this was the end.

Then as she neared the tomb, she saw that the stone had been disturbed. Do you suppose she had a brief fleeting thought of “what if?” If she did, it fled as quickly as it came because she jumped to the conclusion that someone had moved the body.

Now you have to recognize that this week’s story from John is just a little different from last week’s story from Luke.

·       First, only Mary Magdalene is named. The other women may have been there, but only she is named in the story.

·       Second, Mary doesn’t go up to the tomb right away but runs to get Peter and “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” whom we believe to be John. She reports to them, “They have taken the Lord and we do not know where they have laid him.” Notice she says “we” do not know… that is an indication that the other women may have been with her.

·       She says, “They have taken the Lord.” We don’t know exactly who the “They” are. She might not have even been sure.

The disciples raced to the tomb to find the stone rolled back just as Mary had said. They went inside and found the grave cloths still lying on the shelf where the body had been. Now there is a lot of speculation about those grave cloths. People keep looking for clues to the process of resurrection by analyzing what John writes about the cloths. The bottom line is that all we know is that the grave cloths were there and the body wasn’t.

Then, interestingly enough, John writes, “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” Believed what? Believed that he was risen from the dead? We have no indication of that. I suspect that he believed what Mary Magdalene had said about someone stealing the body, because it goes on to say, “they did not yet understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead.”

If that’s correct, than so far no one has caught on to what has happened here and Peter and John head home. Probably crushed and confused.

Mary stayed behind though. She was weeping. The Greek word is really more like she was wailing, as is the custom in the Middle East.

She just couldn’t believe what was happening and she had to see for herself… so she dried her eyes, rounded up all of her courage, and bent down to look in the little opening.

To her shock and surprise, it was not empty. There were two angels (just like last week) two angels and they asked her why she was weeping. She repeated her belief that they have moved the body.

Just then, she sensed someone behind her. She looked at him, but did not recognize Jesus. Perhaps in part, because her eyes were all blurry from crying, but we also know from other appearances that there was something different about Jesus’ appearance that meant he could only be recognized through the eyes of faith.

Again, the man behind her asks, “Why are you weeping?” She tells her story again, but almost before she gets the last word out Jesus says, “Mary!” She must have recognized the voice and cried out “Rabbouni!” which is a form of the word Rabbi, which means teacher.

She threw her arms around Jesus neck and hugged the stuffing out of him. She was relieved and didn’t want to lose him again.

And she won’t. Having seen the risen Christ Mary will never lose the transformative power of the resurrection. After all, she stood face to face with death and now stands face to face with the risen Lord Jesus.

She stood face to face with the worst of human sin and now she stands face to face with the Risen Lord Jesus. For her it made all the difference in the world.

In addition, it can for you too.

Maybe you stand face to face with your death, or the death of someone you love this week. If you do, come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who is victorious over any grave.

Maybe you stand face to face with an uncertain future this week as you finish school, or your job is in jeopardy, or you marriage is about to crumble. If you do, come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who goes before you into the scary places of life.

Maybe you stand face to face with a frightening diagnosis this week. Cancer, Leukemia, a tumor (Fill in the blank for your own disease). Come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who heals the lame, the blind, and the deaf.

Maybe you stand face to face with the darkest parts of your own character today; those things about yourself that you would never want anyone else to know. You stand face to face with your shame, your addiction, and your obsessions. Come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who knows all secrets and brings light to the deepest darkness.

Maybe you come broken this week. Your relationship with your spouse, your parent, or your child is strained. Maybe it has been for a long time. Maybe you can’t even remember how it started anymore. Come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who forgives our sins and restores our relationships.

Maybe you come depressed this week. You don’t know why, but life is just shades of gray, interrupted by periods of deep darkness in your heart. Come, stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who knows your emptiness and comes to fill your life with meaning and love.

Maybe I haven’t quite described your pain today. Maybe I have missed the mark on your trouble. Come anyway. Come and stand face to face with the Lord Jesus who triumphed over all sin and the grave and can triumph over your pain and trouble today as well.

What really matters is that whatever our lives are… we come face to face with the risen Jesus.

·       Face to face with His power.

·       Face to face with His forgiveness.

·       Face to face with His compassion.

·       Face to face with His love.

·       Face to face with His grace.

Come… come… come