He Had to Rise From the Dead

He Had to Rise From the Dead

Easter Sunday

Jn 20: 1- 9

Our gospel reading today takes us to that early Easter morning and narrates to us the extraordinary event of Jesus’ resurrection. It was the first day of the week. It was early in the morning and was still dark when Mary of Magdala came to see the tomb of Jesus.

Jesus’ tomb was particularly special. John the evangelist writes about it saying: “ Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid… and the tomb was nearby; they laid Jesus there ( Jn 19: 41-42). John, however, did not mention  that the tomb was sealed with a stone at its entrance. He assumed that the readers of his time were familiar with how tombs were in those days.  But it would be this particular stone which sealed the entrance to Jesus’ tomb that would be the first telltale sign that something was different that early morning.

So when Mary of Magdala saw this stone removed from the tomb, she ran and went to report what she saw to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved.  We could imagine how disturbed she was. She hasn’t as yet recovered from the sorrow and trauma of seeing her Lord dying on the cross. Now she tells the two disciples of her fears: “ They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Her conclusion that the Lord was taken out of the tomb was her logical explanation for the missing body. So when Peter and the beloved disciple arrived and went inside the tomb, they too didn’t find Jesus’ body just as Mary reported. Instead, they find the linen wrappings, used to wrap Jesus at his burial, lying there. The cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, was not lying with the linen wrappings but was rolled up in a place by itself.

As the disciples gazed upon the pieces of fabric that were left there, their minds tried to grapple with what really happened to Jesus. Apparently, they were not successful in  figuring out what happened, except for one of them.  Until the end of this short episode, Mary of Magdala continued to believe that the Lord’s body was taken away. Peter didn’t have a clue of what happened to his beloved Master despite of what he has seen. Only the beloved disciple, whom Jesus loved understood and believed.

The scene closes with a commentary from the evangelist John himself as if to tell us the reason for the rather slow understanding and belief: “ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.” The story then closes with a rather unexciting ending: “ then the disciples returned to their homes.” This strange ending practically leaves the mystery of Jesus’ disappearance unresolved and uneventful except for the one who saw and believed.

There are times in our lives when even the best of news can be unbelievable. The disciples couldn’t figure out what really happened that day with the disappearance of Jesus’ body. The possibility of Jesus’ resurrection just didn’t cross their minds, simply because it was unbelievable. It was simply out of this world.

But what is it that made the beloved disciple make that sudden leap from the unbelievable to the believable? It was his deep attachment to the Lord. The heart of him who loves is always able to see beyond what is visible. The beloved disciple who chose to be present at the foot of the cross together with Jesus’ mother believed in Jesus because he loved Jesus. As one who was called the disciple whom Jesus loved,  he believed in every word that Jesus uttered, even in his promise of rising again to life. This gave him the certainty in his heart that his Lord would rise up again because he said it himself.

The gospel reading tells us that neither the proof of an empty tomb nor the proof of linen wrappings lying around were enough to convince both Mary and Peter about the resurrection. It is only the beloved disciple who believed in Jesus' words and in his promises that made him capable of believing even without the benefit of seeing the risen Jesus.

Believe in the good things the Lord has in store for you. Believe that while there may be suffering at the present moment, believe in the promise of a new life, a better life. Believe in a life where one day, God shall wipe away every tear from your eyes because he has said it himself. Believe. Amen.


" For I know my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth." 
    - Job 19: 25