Ghost Stories: morning of the living dead (Jesus just won’t stay dead) April 10, 2016 RUMC

Ghost Stories: morning of the living dead (Jesus just won’t stay dead)

April 10, 2016 RUMC

 The director of Christian Aid Mission in Amman, Jordan, tells of a man who came into his office, and revealed the reason why he originally came to the refugee camp. "I came to kill you," he told the director. "But last night I saw Jesus, and I want to know what are you teaching—who is this One who held me back from killing you?"

The Christian missionaries in the camp introduced him to the teachings of Christ.

After receiving the love and compassion of the Christian missionaries, the former jihadist "Received Christ with tears, and today he's actually becoming a leader in the church.”

Stories of Jesus appearing in person or in dreams are not really all that unusual, so for a few weeks we are going to focus on the 40 days after Easter before Jesus ascended back to heaven These are great stories about the resurrected Christ repeatedly appearing in bodily form to the disciples and others in Jerusalem and Galilee before he ascended to reign at the right hand of God.

I call this series “Ghost Stories,” because when we think of encounters with the dead that is what we imagine. The stories we tell around campfires are packed with accounts of people or hands, or hearts coming back from death. Frankenstein and Zombie movies do the same thing. And of course there is Friday the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th, because Jason just would not stay dead. I know I am warped, but I love to watch those stupid movies.

 Perhaps this particular sermon should be entitled “ The morning of the living dead…. Because Jesus just won’t stay dead.”

Far from being scary ghost stories, however, each of these Bible stories teach us something about Jesus and something about ourselves. Let us take a look at the very first time Jesus appeared to anyone after his death.

  Mary Magdalene… we all know the name, but how well do you know her story? Luke chapter 8 tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of her. Now we know that seven is the number of completion so the point is that she was completely filled with demons.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned 11 times in the Gospels. In church history, she became a symbol for repentant sinners who come to Christ from very checkered backgrounds. Some people think she was the woman caught in adultery , but there is no evidence in the text to support that. Others suggest she was the “sinful woman” who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke , but the Bible doesn’t say that either. There a tradition that identifies her as a former “professional” woman, but there is no reason to say that based on the facts. Some have claimed that she had a relationship with Jesus that went beyond Rabbi and Disciple. There is absolutely no evidence for that either. Honestly we don’t know that much about Mary Magdalene

This much we know. Some women went to the tomb early on that first Easter Sunday morning. The different gospels name different women, but there is only one name that appears in all four gospels: Mary Magdalene.

When they arrived at the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. An angel told them that Christ was risen from the dead and that they should go and tell his disciples that they were to go to Galilee to meet him . It seems that the women split up in order to go and tell the disciples, with Mary Magdalene going to tell Peter and John. Upon hearing her words, Peter and John ran to the tomb. Mary also returned to the tomb. But after the men returned home, Mary stayed alone at the empty tomb.

She stayed and wept. Actually the word is she wailed. She cried hard and loud. She was devastated.

She was devastated because Jesus had been the victim of injustice.

She was devastated because her Master had been betrayed by a money-hungry disciple.

She was devastated because he had been falsely condemned in a bogus trial by an unrighteous judge.

She was devastated because he had suffered a cruel death at the hands of indifferent and callous soldiers.

She was devastated because and he was placed in a borrowed grave given by a secret disciple.

She was devastated because she just wanted one more moment with her lord and master, and it would never come.

She was devastated because she just wanted to give Jesus one last act of love and honor by caring for his now lifeless body and she couldn’t because the body was missing. All her hopes about Jesus and his kingdom had been dashed.

Weeping, Mary thinks she is alone. She looks into the tomb, however, and discovers that two angels are there, one at the head and the other at the foot of where the body of Jesus had been. The custom at Jewish internments was for the two chief mourners to sit beside the body, one at its head and one at its feet. When other relatives came in, they would see disconsolate mourners. But when Mary looked inside the tomb she did not see any mourners. Instead, she saw angels with a happy expression on their faces.

Obviously, the first time the angels said, “He is not here; He is risen just as he said.” Mary had heard, but not fully absorbed the words of the angels. As she was speaking to the angels, she turned round and saw a stranger she assumed was the gardener. It was Jesus but she did not recognize him. Perhaps because tears clouded her eyes, perhaps because grief and hopelessness clouded her perception.

Jesus asks the same question as the angels concerning her tears. He listened to her plea to tell her where the body is.

And then, I am never sure how to read the next word. Jesus says…

“Mary” just to get her attention?

Or “Mary!” as in I am so disappointed that you do not understand?

Or “Oh, Mary….” As in I’m so sorry you’re hurting.

Whatever Jesus’ inflection… he used her most intimate name in Aramaic.

It is although a light came on in her head… she realized that this was not the gardener, but Jesus himself. As soon as it registerd, Mary threw herself at his feet and cried out ‘Rabboni,’ which means ‘my dear Master’. It is the title used only by the teacher’s most intimate circle of disciples. It would be like Peters’ declaration “My Lord and My God!”

One word from Jesus changed everything. Hearing her name on Jesus’ lips, there was a second resurrection that day. By just speaking her name Mary was raised from her emotional and spiritual death.

Her devastation over his treatment… her emptiness over his death…. Her anger at those who treated him with contempt… her fear of what would be… all changed. Mary’s spirit had died with Jesus and with one word… one personal word … life and light rushed back into her spirit.

The next time she saw Peter and John and the other disciples, she had a different message for them. Not the message of despair and hopelessness “His body y is missing and we don’t know where they have put him.” … but a joyful message of resurrection. “I have seen the Lord!” Not a word of death… he is missing… but a word of life I have seen him. It is hard for us to understand the transformation that happened in Mary in that split second. But let me try to unpack it.

 Let me use the two questions from the story

Why are you weeping? and whom do you seek.?

Let’s start with the first question… why are you weeping? Oh, I know, I don’t see any of you wailing this morning, but we all have reasons to weep. Mary wept because her hope had been killed.

Maybe you find yourself standing at the grave of someone you love begging for just one more moment.

Maybe you weep inside over a relationship… with your spouse, your child, your parent, or a friend, and yearn for forgiveness and for things to be the way they used to be.

Maybe something inside of you has died and you no longer have dreams or hopes.

Maybe someone you love, or someone you hardly know, cut your heart out with a sharp word of criticism.

Maybe you weep over what could have been if you had taken a different path.

Maybe your heart is broken for the homeless child, the malnourished child, the displaced family, the unemployed neighbor, the friend who just entered hospice, or the person you saw in the grocery store who was so weak and fragile from chemotherapy that they could hardly put one foot in front of another.

Why are you weeping?

Why are you weeping? We weep out of powerlessness and despair. We stand and weep because we have tried everything and there is nothing we ourselves can do.

What is it that you need most? What is it that you most wish you could fix? What is it that breaks your heart? What is it that kills your hope? Why are you weeping?

And then the second question is whom do you seek?

When you bend down to look in the tomb, what are you hoping to see?

Are you seeking hope, joy, love, peace, forgiveness, friendship, salvation?

Whom do you seek? If you are looking for a miracle worker in a white coat, it probably won’t come.

Whom do you seek? If you are hoping for a white night to come rescue you from this dungeon of death, it probably won’t happen.

Whom do you seek? If you are looking for the ability to solve your problem, you are probably barking up the wrong tree. If you could, you would have by now and you would not be weeping at the dark grave.

If you are seeking what has been; the old relationship that is now gone, the old job, the good old days, the days when you didn’t hurt, you are staring into an empty abyss because those things never coming back. Your wailing will just echo right back at you from inside that empty tomb.

For whom was Mary looking? Jesus.

Mary was looking for Jesus and met him face to face.

Mary was looking for Jesus, she heard her name, “Mary” in a familiar voice.

Mary was looking for Jesus and through her tears, she became the very first person to have a personal encounter with the risen Christ.

Even standing in that very dark place, Mary was the very first person to encounter the risen and victorious Christ.

Even with one foot in the tomb and no hope whatsoever, Mary was looking for Jesus and she was the first person to have a personal experience with the Christ who conquered sin that keeps us from being all that God wants us to be.

Even standing in a graveyard, Mary was the first to have a personal experience with the victorious Christ who conquered death, hell and the grave.

Mary was the very first person who sought to see Jesus after the resurrection.… but she was not the last. Through the last 21 centuries, millions have sought an encounter with the risen and victorious Christ and everyone who seeks him walks away changed.

 What about you? Whom do you seek ? Have you had an encounter with the risen and victorious Christ? Maybe not in the same way that Mary or the jihadist did, because Jesus comes to each and every one of us in a uniquely personal way. But have you had that encounter with the risen and victorious Christ? Have you heard Christ call your name?

The long running game show the price is right is famous for saying “come on down.” You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!” What would you be feeling if you were in that audience, waiting your name? What emotions would you be going through? Fear? Joy? Excitement? Hope? Bubbling over with the potential to be getting lots of great things?

Perhaps none of us will ever be offered the chance to win big on a game show, But each of us is offered a chance to win big, to get things we don’t deserve, to be part of a wonderful plan. And each of us is guaranteed to win.

We are guaranteed that if we seek Jesus, he will come and call your name. If you cry out to him, he will call out your name and say “come on down”. <<< call some names… come on down>>>.

Jesus calls you by name to “come on down, “ not to play a game, but to experience life like you have never experienced it before. Jesus calls you by name to “come on down,” not to win a prize in which you can sit and drive away, but to win the prize of life with him that will drive away your hopelessness sand despair. Jesus calls you by name to “come on down, “ not to hug Drew Carey on national television , but to see the face of God, to be embraced by his nail pierced arms, and to walk away from the dark tomb and its dry bones. To walk with him toward the promise of eternal life starting right here and right now. Come on down.

As we sing because he lives, I invite you to come on down to the altar rail for the first or the 101st time--- to commit or recommit your life to the one who calls you to come on down and encounter the risen Christ. If you want time just you and Jesus kneel anywhere. If you want someone to pray with you, just come and kneel right next to me.