Scripture Reading: John 20: 1-18
Happy Easter! This is the day when darkness was shattered by light, when sorrow gave way to joy, and when we were given a new beginning in the risen Christ. Let us lift our voices and hearts in celebration – because Jesus is risen!
In Luke 7 and 8, we encounter Jesus’ compassion toward those deemed unworthy by society. Mary Magdalene, having been healed and set free by Jesus (Luke 8:2), responded with wholehearted devotion. Her life was changed – not only through healing from seven demons but through the grace that welcomed her fully into the community of Jesus’ followers. She journeyed with Him, not as a distant admirer, but as one who gave, served, and stayed close, even when others walked away.
After experiencing Jesus’ healing, Mary Magdalene remained close to Him, joining His followers and supporting His ministry with her resources (Luke 8:1–3). She journeyed with Jesus not only in joyful moments but throughout His mission, offering support, provision, and faithful presence. Her life became a powerful testimony to mercy and gratitude – a woman forgiven much, who loved much.
Jesus lifted the lowly, restored the broken, and offered dignity where the world had taken away. When Mary was ignored and overlooked, Jesus saw Mary, not the demons, not the past. With a word, Jesus set her free. Jesus invites us to pay attention to those on the margins and reflect on how we include and serve with others. May we be faithful companions for Jesus and work with Jesus.
In John 20, the empty tomb begins a transformation: from sorrow to wonder, from death to life. We see the depth of her faithfulness – Mary Magdalene is the first to come to the tomb, still dark and grieving, yet still present. She remains even when the others leave. Her tears are met with joy as Jesus calls her by name, reminding us that the risen Christ meets us personally and lovingly.
Mary becomes the first witness of the resurrection and is sent to tell the good news. Her journey with Jesus – from healing to discipleship, from the cross to the empty tomb – reveals the power of love, grace, and transformation. In Mary, we see a beautiful testimony of a life changed by Jesus and a heart that never stopped following Him. She also becomes the first messenger of resurrection hope – a woman once broken, now bold with the good news: “I have seen the Lord!” (v. 18).
In verses 3 to 10, Peter and the beloved disciple run to the tomb – faith often involves running toward what we don’t yet understand. The beloved disciple believes even without seeing Jesus – an invitation to believe through the evidence of God’s faithfulness.
Easter isn’t the end of the story – it’s the beginning of a new calling to go and share the good news of life and hope. Mary’s journey invites us to walk closely with Jesus, trusting that His love leads us from brokenness to new life. We are called to remain with Christ through suffering, death, and into resurrection hope.
What is resurrection faith? It is more than an empty tomb. It is not just about believing in the empty tomb. After all, Peter and John saw the stone rolled away, the linens folded, and the body gone – but they turned and went home. They saw the evidence, but they didn’t yet grasp the meaning. Seeing the empty tomb doesn’t automatically ignite resurrection faith. Resurrection faith goes beyond being a spectator; it calls us to listen, to wait, and to recognize the risen Lord when He calls our name as He did for Mary. It’s not about proving what happened; it’s about opening our hearts to who Jesus is and what He is doing now.
Resurrection faith is not even just believing that Jesus came back to life – after all, the soldiers and religious leaders knew the tomb was empty too, but their hearts remained closed. Resurrection faith is not confined by traditional beliefs or rigid doctrines of His time. It’s a living, breathing trust that moves us to join God’s ongoing work of bringing life where there is death, hope where there is despair.
Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the resurrection, and Jesus told her to go and tell. Resurrection faith joins God’s movement of life. The same call comes to us: to live out the resurrection by being part of God’s movement of grace, healing, justice, and new beginnings. The disciples took up that call, and the world has never been the same. This is resurrection faith – alive, active, and joyfully sent.
I recently attended an excellent seminar titled “What is Mission?” with Dr. Karina Kreminski as the keynote speaker. She highlighted that while service within the church remains important, mission must extend beyond the church walls into our everyday encounters.
Mission, Karina said, should be incarnational – rooted in presence and relationship. She also spoke of key shifts in mission thinking: from host to guest, attractional to incarnational, gathered to scattered, inward to outward, and from working for God to working with God. It was a compelling reminder of the “Go and Tell” nature of true mission.
As we reflect on the resurrection and “Go and Tell” mission, we have spent forty days of Lent to journey through repentance, self-examination, and sorrow – but now, starting today, we will spend fifty days of Easter to celebrate joy, new life, and resurrection power. God’s joy outlasts our sorrow. Resurrection faith is not a fleeting feeling but a way of life.
Death is not the end of our lives, life is. Because He is risen indeed! These Great Fifty Days of Easter invite us to live as Easter people, not just proclaiming that Christ is risen, but embodying His life in the world. So, let us go and tell. There are still sad and difficult things in our lives and in the world, but no one can take away the love, joy, and peace of Christ from us. Let us live with joy. May we participate in God’s great movement continually and joyfully.
Our faith journey is not a solo journey – it is a shared calling, just as it was with Jesus and His disciples and the women who accompanied Him. May our journey of faith be an Easter Journey filled with the joy and peace of the Lord.
The resurrection is not just an event in the past – it is a living reality that calls us, like Mary, into a new way of life. Resurrection life means we no longer live in fear, shame, or despair, but in the power of Christ’s victory. It invites us to walk closely with Jesus in faith, to listen for His voice, and to share the hope we’ve received. Just as Mary was called to go and tell, we too are called to live as Easter people – bringing light where there is darkness, love where there is pain, and joy where there is sorrow. The tomb is empty, and Christ is alive – so let us rise and live the resurrection story each day.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)