EASTER SUNDAY
John 20:15 Jesus saith unto her , Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?
Happy Easter my Friends! This is the day we’ve long waited for with bated breath and guarded enthusiasm. Can you imagine the combination of fear and excitement that hung over Jerusalem and its outskirts, or wherever Jesus’ followers lodged. Remember He promised to ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,’ (John 2:19) referring to His body, though His audience thought He meant the real temple, the veil of which was rent when He gave up the ghost. Just picture the scene unfolding on that first Easter Sunday nuh: The sun slowly rising above the picturesque hills of Judea, several women in Jesus’ life; Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome and Joanna trudging sorrowfully through the early morning mist to Jesus’ tomb to anoint Him with sweet spices, wondering who would roll away the stone from the entrance so they could go inside and perform their task of LOVE. But lo and behold, when they got there the stone was already rolled away. (Mark 16:1-4) Though afraid, their inquisitiveness got the better of them and they entered the tomb, only to become more scared and perplexed when they didn’t see Jesus’ body, but found two men dressed in shining garments, standing over the empty bed. To their surprise, the men said to their bowed heads and averted eyes; ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you (Luke 9:22) when he was in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again? And they remembered his words.’ (Luke 24:4-8) Wow! Imagine the consternation of those poor, uneducated women! What with all their other trials and tribulation, now Jesus’ body was missing. They did the only thing they could; hurried back to the disciples and told them what had happened, only to find ‘their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.’ (Luke 24:11) The scholars claim that this disproves the theory that early Christians were very gullible and would believe anything, but these were tough, sceptical men, who knew that Jesus had died and wasn’t about to believe a fanciful tale of His resurrection. But John and Peter went running out to the tomb. John got there first, but didn’t go in, simply stooped, looked in and saw the linen clothes. But big, bold Peter went in and saw the burial clothes at one end of the bed and the napkin that wrapped His head, neatly folded at the other. That meant the body had not been stolen, for then the clothes would not have been left behind. Then queasy John, drawing strength from Peter’s entrance, went into the tomb, ‘and he saw, and he believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.’ (John 20:8-9) They believed that Jesus was alive, but didn’t know the details of His resurrection. Then John and Peter simply went home. Who’s to say what arguments, doubts or anger transpired between His followers that memorable morning? But there was one who certainly felt it more than the others, Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. She came back to the tomb again, after Peter and John, and stood outside crying, and while her tears flowed, she stooped down and looked into the tomb, and saw the two angels sitting there. They asked her why she cried? She replied, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him.’ (John 20:13) Then she stood up, turned around and saw a man standing there, Jesus, who asked her, ‘Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ Thinking that he was the gardener, she pleaded, ‘Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say Master.(Teacher) Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and to your Father; and to my God, and your God.’ (John19:15-17) According to the scholars, Jesus didn’t mean she shouldn’t touch Him, but more like ‘stop clinging to me. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere right now.’ I can just see a distraught and tearful Mary turning around, seeing this man she thought was the gardener, grabbing him by the arm and earnestly pleading with him for info on Jesus’ body. And it all makes sense, since a week later He encouraged Doubting Thomas to touch Him. Ah my Friends, what a jolting experience for poor Mary! She did not recognize Him in His new body, but when He called her name, she recognized His voice, proving the truth of His earlier words: ‘he calleth his own sheep by name…and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.’ (John 10:3-4) And is there some significance to the fact that a woman, one from whom Jesus had cleansed seven demons, was the first person to see Him after His resurrection? I’m sure our God did that on purpose, possibly to accentuate the fact that even those filled with the devil can be cleansed and become a useful believer, and also show the devil’s inferior power. Oh Friends can you imagine the scene when Mary went back and told the disciples she had seen, held and spoken to Jesus? There must have been great joy in some hearts while confusion and doubt still reigned in others. But my people, today, there’s no doubt whatsoever in our hearts and souls! Only joy abounds there, for we know for a fact that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, died, was buried, and triumphantly rose from the dead on that first Easter morn two thousand years ago! He paved the way for our sins to be cleansed, with salvation and eternal life available…if we believe in Him. Oh Friends, I got so tied up in the story that I forgot to give a shout of praise in between. But what better way to end eh? And all God’s people sang gloriously to the high heavens: ‘Hallelujah, Christ is risen! Praise His Holy Name! Hallelujah, a new day is born! It’s called The Resurrection Morn!’ So let’s spend a joyous day in worship, celebration, praise and thanksgiving for all Jesus has done for us. He is the epitome of LOVE! Much LOVE My People!…in death…Jesus cleansed our sins…in resurrection…He gave us salvation and eternal life…
SCRIP-BITS 