Daily Scripture: John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam from Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
11 but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb, 12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 “Why are you crying?” they asked her. “They took my Lord,” she said to them, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. 15 Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”)
18 Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.
Prayer Tip:
Over the course of late middle school and early high school, I lost both my grandmothers—affectionately known as “Nana” and “Mimi.” I remember feeling for the first time the sting of death as a teenager—the indescribable pain, hidden deep in one’s heart. Both of them were extraordinarily kind, good humored and they served as the “glue” in our family. They also shared a love of the garden. Nana had a love for flowers and my sisters and I would play for countless hours, climbing the trees in the garden—while the rest of the family acted like “grown-ups.” Mimi, on the other hand, had a “Secret Garden” and a tree-swing in the backyard and we played make-believe all the time when we stayed at her house.
Easter, in our family, was a time in which my sisters and I put on our prettiest dresses (which the grandmas had often purchased) and gathered for a meal, followed by magical Easter egg hunts. When my grandmothers passed away, one in late January and the other in early March, I remember the pain I felt when Easter rolled around. The deep pain of losing such dear role models was coupled with the excitement and joy of Easter. I was feeling so much all at once.
I wish I could say that arriving at Easter overwhelmed my complex emotions. But I am beginning to realize complex emotions are fairly common. This week, for example, I watched as a sweet baby was born early and went on to heaven, I prepared a funeral for a woman who I looked forward to seeing each week in service and I learned that a dear family member has cancer. All of these things recreated the sinking feeling I felt when I lost my grandmothers. Alongside these heart-wrenching experiences, I also planted my garden and enjoyed the sights and smells of spring, met with a teenager who was recovering from a health scare and shared laughter with my husband as we shared a meal. In these situations, I felt a fullness—a joy, bubbling up within me.
An article got me to thinking: is feeling complex emotions not the pattern of Holy Week? Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday. Talk about an emotional roller-coaster! When we journey with Jesus, when we accept that we are fully human and live courageously, our lives are full of ups and downs. These swings often feel like more than our hearts can bear, but our hope is that God is present with us in all of life. And, at the end of the day, we turn to God praying and trusting that God will make us people of hope. I so loved this quote:
“…God also has planted within each human being a seed of hope that, if properly nurtured grows into a confidence that all will be well, all manner of things shall be well. The breath of God reaches into even the smallest and most remote garden and human heart and infuses life.” (Inheriting Paradise: Meditations on Gardening, Vigen Guroian)
So this week, my prayer challenge to you is that you find time to engage in the practice of Examen. Answer the questions as honestly as you can. These questions allow us to slow down and take a closer look at what God may be speaking to us in our everyday lives. They help us see moments of resurrection in both the joyful and painful experiences life throws our way. Here are the questions:
When did I feel closest to God?
When did I feel farthest from God?
When did I feel the most alive?
When did I feel like the life was being sucked out of me?
When did I feel the most like myself?[Reverend Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor]
MONDAY, 6 April 2015 "Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty"
John 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam from Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she came running to Shim‘on Kefa and the other talmid, the one Yeshua loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”
3 Then Kefa and the other talmid started for the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other talmid outran Kefa and reached the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen burial-sheets lying there but did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Shim‘on Kefa arrived, entered the tomb and saw the burial-sheets lying there, 7 also the cloth that had been around his head, lying not with the sheets but in a separate place and still folded up. 8 Then the other talmid, who had arrived at the tomb first, also went in; he saw, and he trusted. 9 (They had not yet come to understand that the Tanakh teaches that the Messiah has to rise from the dead.)
10 So the talmidim returned home,
Very early on Sunday, Mary, Peter and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” found Jesus’ tomb empty. Notice her first report: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him.” We’ll see this week that the gospels made it plain that none of the disciples were waiting hopefully for Jesus to rise from the dead. Mary simply wondered if “they” (grave robbers? the authorities?) had taken Jesus’ body.
• Mary went to the tomb “while it was still dark.” She didn’t expect to find Jesus alive, but she was eager to care for his body as soon as possible to express her devotion. (The Jewish laws Jesus had challenged forbade that work on the Sabbath.) How can you nurture a desire to go to Jesus first, even in times of darkness or discouragement?
• Jesus raised Lazarus, yet Lazarus had “his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Untie him’” (John 11:44). But John said as each disciple looked into Jesus’ empty tomb he “saw the linen cloths lying there. He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head.” No one had to untie Jesus—the grave cloths didn’t bind him. Scholar Craig Keener noted that the description of the grave cloths “could be a sign … that his body had risen straight out of the cloth and wrappings.” Has your walk with God ever led you to something that didn’t fit your previous ideas about how life works? How do you remain open to see “and believe”?
Prayer: Loving Lord, when Mary first found the tomb empty, what had happened there went stunningly beyond her imagination. Open my heart and mind to trust in the unimaginably good news of the empty tomb. Amen.
Insights from Melanie Hill
Melanie Hill is the Guest Connections Program Director at Resurrection.
Have you ever been surprised by the behavior of someone you love? As the mom of four young children there are days when I feel like the only thing I say is, “Don’t do that!” It seems my husband and I spend a good chunk of time modeling, talking about and helping our children make good decisions. With all the time we put into it you would think that when they actually do it, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Unfortunately, more often than not my kids are, well, kids. There are more days than I like to think about that end in tears. Even more that start that way. Mornings are a crazy time of day in our house. I am constantly running up and down our stairs getting kids ready for school and myself ready for work. Usually I’m running downstairs to put out small fires, mediate disputes about who got more cereal and censure children for drinking someone else’s chocolate milk. So it was with complete surprise that halfway down the stairs one morning I overheard my eight-year-old daughter telling her big brother that she thought “he was really cool because he always made the best PB&J sandwiches for their lunches.” This prompted my son to tell his three sisters that he “didn’t mind making sandwiches because he has the three smartest and prettiest sisters.” This incited a chorus of “I love you’s” all around. And there I was–halfway down the stairs with tears streaming down my face. My kids had surprised me in the best possible way.
I imagine that Mary was likewise surprised when she snuck out to Jesus’ tomb under the cover of darkness to tend to his body, and found him gone. Sure, she had heard him tell his followers that he was coming back. She had followed him for years, learning from him and listening to his teaching. Jesus had poured his love into her. And still she was surprised. But what a wonderful surprise! To know that death is not the end. That our Savior lives! I wonder if Jesus, like all parents, wonders if his children will ever get it? Is he as delighted with us when we do as I am with my own children? I think he is.
So today, Abba Father, may you delight in me as your child. May I surprise you and myself with the love that flows from you into me and into all I meet today. May my life bring tears of joy to your heart.
Have you ever been surprised by the behavior of someone you love? As the mom of four young children there are days when I feel like the only thing I say is, “Don’t do that!” It seems my husband and I spend a good chunk of time modeling, talking about and helping our children make good decisions. With all the time we put into it you would think that when they actually do it, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Unfortunately, more often than not my kids are, well, kids. There are more days than I like to think about that end in tears. Even more that start that way. Mornings are a crazy time of day in our house. I am constantly running up and down our stairs getting kids ready for school and myself ready for work. Usually I’m running downstairs to put out small fires, mediate disputes about who got more cereal and censure children for drinking someone else’s chocolate milk. So it was with complete surprise that halfway down the stairs one morning I overheard my eight-year-old daughter telling her big brother that she thought “he was really cool because he always made the best PB&J sandwiches for their lunches.” This prompted my son to tell his three sisters that he “didn’t mind making sandwiches because he has the three smartest and prettiest sisters.” This incited a chorus of “I love you’s” all around. And there I was–halfway down the stairs with tears streaming down my face. My kids had surprised me in the best possible way.
I imagine that Mary was likewise surprised when she snuck out to Jesus’ tomb under the cover of darkness to tend to his body, and found him gone. Sure, she had heard him tell his followers that he was coming back. She had followed him for years, learning from him and listening to his teaching. Jesus had poured his love into her. And still she was surprised. But what a wonderful surprise! To know that death is not the end. That our Savior lives! I wonder if Jesus, like all parents, wonders if his children will ever get it? Is he as delighted with us when we do as I am with my own children? I think he is.
So today, Abba Father, may you delight in me as your child. May I surprise you and myself with the love that flows from you into me and into all I meet today. May my life bring tears of joy to your heart.
TUESDAY, 7 April 2015 "Mary Magdalene met the risen Jesus"
John 20:11 but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb, 12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 “Why are you crying?” they asked her. “They took my Lord,” she said to them, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. 15 Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”) 17 “Stop holding onto me,” Yeshua said to her, “because I haven’t yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.
Mary thought Jesus was “the gardener.” In symbol, he was—Adam failed in the first garden (cf. Genesis 3), but Jesus (the “second Adam”) would tend earth’s “garden” well (cf. Romans 5:15- 21). Mary didn’t recognize Jesus by sight, but it seems his beloved voice, the way he said her name, was unmistakable. Then Jesus sent Mary as the very first eyewitness to the risen Christ.
• Mary knew Jesus’ voice. She had listened carefully to what he said. (Unlike most Jewish rabbis in his day, Jesus taught women as well as men—cf. Luke 10:38-42). How can you come to know the “sound” of Jesus’ voice? What practices and choices can make your relationship with Jesus personal, a link between your heart and his?
• In John’s gospel the details almost always matter. So he described Mary seeing angels in the tomb in a way that evoked the “mercy seat,” the Ark of the Covenant’s cover (cf. Exodus 25:17-20 for a description of the cover). How did Jesus’ death and resurrection make God’s mercy real, in ways the Ark could only symbolize for Israel?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, for Mary just the sound of your voice saying her name turned darkness to light, despair to joy, in a flash. Give me ears to hear the ways that you call me by name. Amen.
Insights from Glen Shoup
Rev. Glen Shoup is the Executive Pastor of Worship and a Congregational Care pastor.
In reading today’s portion of John’s Easter account, I’m curious about what was going on with the other 9 disciples. Here’s what I mean: the opening section of John 20 (verses 1-10) tell us that Mary comes to the garden tomb, finds the stone rolled away, runs back and tells Peter and John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”…vs 2) what she’s seen. John and Peter run to the garden tomb, find it empty and run back to tell the other 9 disciples what’s happened (remember, Judas is gone at this point).
There are several things about this picture painted by John of that first Easter that I’d like to know more about, but nothing is more curious to me than why the other 9 didn’t show up on the scene. Put yourself there—you’re one of the remaining 11 human beings who’ve been as close to Jesus as anyone. You’ve spent the last 3-plus years following him around through the hills and the countryside. You were there when he fed the 5,000 (which was more like 15-20 thousand, because in that culture, likely only the men were counted in the estimated crowd); you were there when he walked on the water; you saw with your own eyes Lazarus come strolling out of the tomb 4-days dead; you’ve seen the lame walk and the blind see—throughout the whole deal you had a front row seat…and you’d been there at the last supper and lived through the dizzying horror of Thursday night and Friday—for sure the last 48-72 hours had been overwhelming…but come on.
Sure, you’d seen his corpse peeled off the cross…but when Peter and John come busting in telling you he’s gone, the grave is empty…isn’t one of your first instincts going to be to hightail it to the tomb to see for yourself what’s going on? How do you just stay put?
For sure the announcement of your two buddies is going to be shocking. Certainly one of your first instincts is going to be disbelief—especially given the violence and grief of the last few days—but even in the midst of all of that, aren’t you still going to go and see for yourself?
I just can’t understand why nobody else from the 11 comes running breathless into the garden as Mary is hearing Jesus call her name. You say, “maybe they did and John didn’t record it”. Possible, but I think if Mary would have turned to run and tell the disciples that she’d seen the Lord and bumped into Matthew or James or Thomas—I think the story writer would have named that.
No, John leaves us to surmise that Mary ran from her encounter with Jesus back to where they were all holed up, and found all 11 of the disciples staring stunned at each other in disbelief or frozen in fear as to what his body being gone might mean for how others would treat or suspect them.
Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines. Maybe I’m not and I’m just being too hard on the 9 who apparently did nothing to investigate the news Peter and John delivered them. Regardless, I just can’t help but wonder how many of Jesus’ closest followers could have also encountered the risen Christ that day if they hadn’t been so intent on being…sure, safe, careful, dismissive, self-protective…or whatever it was they were when they apparently heard Peter and John’s report that the grave was empty and then they immediately proceeded to do…nothing.
I wonder how many of Jesus’ followers today (me chief among them) could encounter the risen Christ if I weren’t so intent on being…sure, safe, careful, dismissive, self-protective. Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines. Maybe not and I’m just being too hard on us.
Maybe…but in the light of Easter…I just can’t help but wonder.
In reading today’s portion of John’s Easter account, I’m curious about what was going on with the other 9 disciples. Here’s what I mean: the opening section of John 20 (verses 1-10) tell us that Mary comes to the garden tomb, finds the stone rolled away, runs back and tells Peter and John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”…vs 2) what she’s seen. John and Peter run to the garden tomb, find it empty and run back to tell the other 9 disciples what’s happened (remember, Judas is gone at this point).
There are several things about this picture painted by John of that first Easter that I’d like to know more about, but nothing is more curious to me than why the other 9 didn’t show up on the scene. Put yourself there—you’re one of the remaining 11 human beings who’ve been as close to Jesus as anyone. You’ve spent the last 3-plus years following him around through the hills and the countryside. You were there when he fed the 5,000 (which was more like 15-20 thousand, because in that culture, likely only the men were counted in the estimated crowd); you were there when he walked on the water; you saw with your own eyes Lazarus come strolling out of the tomb 4-days dead; you’ve seen the lame walk and the blind see—throughout the whole deal you had a front row seat…and you’d been there at the last supper and lived through the dizzying horror of Thursday night and Friday—for sure the last 48-72 hours had been overwhelming…but come on.
Sure, you’d seen his corpse peeled off the cross…but when Peter and John come busting in telling you he’s gone, the grave is empty…isn’t one of your first instincts going to be to hightail it to the tomb to see for yourself what’s going on? How do you just stay put?
For sure the announcement of your two buddies is going to be shocking. Certainly one of your first instincts is going to be disbelief—especially given the violence and grief of the last few days—but even in the midst of all of that, aren’t you still going to go and see for yourself?
I just can’t understand why nobody else from the 11 comes running breathless into the garden as Mary is hearing Jesus call her name. You say, “maybe they did and John didn’t record it”. Possible, but I think if Mary would have turned to run and tell the disciples that she’d seen the Lord and bumped into Matthew or James or Thomas—I think the story writer would have named that.
No, John leaves us to surmise that Mary ran from her encounter with Jesus back to where they were all holed up, and found all 11 of the disciples staring stunned at each other in disbelief or frozen in fear as to what his body being gone might mean for how others would treat or suspect them.
Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines. Maybe I’m not and I’m just being too hard on the 9 who apparently did nothing to investigate the news Peter and John delivered them. Regardless, I just can’t help but wonder how many of Jesus’ closest followers could have also encountered the risen Christ that day if they hadn’t been so intent on being…sure, safe, careful, dismissive, self-protective…or whatever it was they were when they apparently heard Peter and John’s report that the grave was empty and then they immediately proceeded to do…nothing.
I wonder how many of Jesus’ followers today (me chief among them) could encounter the risen Christ if I weren’t so intent on being…sure, safe, careful, dismissive, self-protective. Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines. Maybe not and I’m just being too hard on us.
Maybe…but in the light of Easter…I just can’t help but wonder.
WEDNESDAY, 8 April 2015 "Mary Magdalene: a puzzled, frightened witness"
Mark 16:1 When Shabbat was over, Miryam of Magdala, Miryam the mother of Ya‘akov, and Shlomit bought spices in order to go and anoint Yeshua. 2 Very early the next day, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 They were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone, even though it was huge, had been rolled back already. 5 On entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right; and they were dumbfounded. 6 But he said, “Don’t be so surprised! You’re looking for Yeshua from Natzeret, who was executed on the stake. He has risen, he’s not here! Look at the place where they laid him. 7 But go and tell his talmidim, especially Kefa, that he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Trembling but ecstatic they went out and fled from the tomb, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
The oldest manuscripts we have of Mark’s gospel end at 16:8. Some later manuscripts contain either a short or a longer ending (reflected in the footnotes in many English Bibles). We don’t know if the abrupt ending was Mark’s intention, or reflects an interruption or loss of what he wrote. But even as it stands, verse 6 said Mary and her companions had heard the good news: “He has been raised.”
• Mark’s resurrection story contained one vital extra detail. In Mark 16:7, the angel told Mary Magdalene and the other women, “Tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter, who had publicly denied even knowing Jesus, was specifically included by name. What does this tell you about Jesus’ grace toward Peter? Can you trust Jesus to treat you the same way when you fail?
• Mark’s ending makes some people wonder if we can trust the gospels. Author Phillip Yancey said such passages actually point toward the gospels’ honesty: “Accounts of the discovery of the empty tomb sound breathless and fragmentary …. the early reports seem wispy, mysterious, confused. Surely conspirators could have done a neater job of depicting what they would later claim to be the hinge event of history.” How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the most loving thing the women could think of to do was to complete your burial. But you had so much more in store for them—and for me. Lead me on to a life lived in the light of your resurrected life. Amen.
Insights from Angela LaVallie
Angela LaVallie is the Worship Logistics Program Director at Resurrection. She oversees preparing the Sanctuary for worship, supports Vibe worship and volunteers in the Student Center, provides oversight for Holy Communion at the Leawood campus, and assists with worship logistics at conferences.
One of the questions in today’s GPS Guide asks, “How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?”
My answer to that question takes me back to one of my small group meetings, where we were discussing those questions about why good things happen to bad people and how a good God could allow suffering for people he loves. Yes, as Christ followers, it is our job to be his hands and feet in the world, to combat evil and be the light; but why does God even allow the evil in the first place? Why would God rely on us when he knows we’ll fail? What I shared with my group was that I can’t explain the specifics, I just have faith that the worst thing is never the last thing and that in the end, evil will be defeated.
I don’t have blind faith. I still struggle with those questions, and I suspect I always will to some degree. But faith isn’t about understanding all the details – of how God lets evil exist or how Jesus dying on the cross and resurrecting three days later erases my sin and secures my eternal life or how the world came into existence or how Matthew’s gospel compares to Mark’s. Faith is about trusting that God is good and that God knows best even when I am in the darkest, loneliest place and can’t possibly fathom that it could get any better. It’s not about pretending the bad doesn’t exist, but believing that the good is stronger.
So, my answer to that question is that I find the consistencies among the gospels credible. In the inconsistencies between the gospels, I find consistency in Jesus’ character and teachings – even if the narratives or parables are different, Jesus remains the same. Because of that, I find the gospels credible and use them to show me how to live my life as Jesus’ follower. I strive to live a life of love and trust in the promise of the cross.
One of the questions in today’s GPS Guide asks, “How is the way you live your daily life shaped by whether or not you find the gospels essentially credible?”
My answer to that question takes me back to one of my small group meetings, where we were discussing those questions about why good things happen to bad people and how a good God could allow suffering for people he loves. Yes, as Christ followers, it is our job to be his hands and feet in the world, to combat evil and be the light; but why does God even allow the evil in the first place? Why would God rely on us when he knows we’ll fail? What I shared with my group was that I can’t explain the specifics, I just have faith that the worst thing is never the last thing and that in the end, evil will be defeated.
I don’t have blind faith. I still struggle with those questions, and I suspect I always will to some degree. But faith isn’t about understanding all the details – of how God lets evil exist or how Jesus dying on the cross and resurrecting three days later erases my sin and secures my eternal life or how the world came into existence or how Matthew’s gospel compares to Mark’s. Faith is about trusting that God is good and that God knows best even when I am in the darkest, loneliest place and can’t possibly fathom that it could get any better. It’s not about pretending the bad doesn’t exist, but believing that the good is stronger.
So, my answer to that question is that I find the consistencies among the gospels credible. In the inconsistencies between the gospels, I find consistency in Jesus’ character and teachings – even if the narratives or parables are different, Jesus remains the same. Because of that, I find the gospels credible and use them to show me how to live my life as Jesus’ follower. I strive to live a life of love and trust in the promise of the cross.
THURSDAY, 9 April 2015 "Mary Magdalene 'ran to tell the disciples'”
Matthew 28:1 After Shabbat, as the next day was dawning, Miryam of Magdala and the other Miryam went to see the grave. 2 Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of Adonai came down from heaven, rolled away the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so terrified at him that they trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Yeshua, who was executed on the stake. 6 He is not here, because he has been raised — just as he said! Come and look at the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell the talmidim, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and now he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So they left the tomb quickly, frightened yet filled with joy; and they ran to give the news to his talmidim. 9 Suddenly Yeshua met them and said, “Shalom!” They came up and took hold of his feet as they fell down in front of him. 10 Then Yeshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go and tell my brothers to go to the Galil, and they will see me there.”
Having set down Jesus’ prediction that he would rise after three days (cf. Matthew 16:21), we might expect Matthew to say, “So on the third day the disciples gathered, eager to greet the risen Lord.” Not even close! He said, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.” These very real women he wrote about felt “great fear and excitement,” a reaction much like most of us would have to an unexpected encounter with the supernatural.
• Matthew’s account of the women’s reaction—“with great fear and excitement”—carried a ring of truth. Try to put yourself in their shoes: what is there in the mystery and power of God that stirs a certain kind of fear in your heart? Have you ever had the sense that following God might cause huge changes in your life? What is there about sensing that God is at work through your life that fills you with the greatest joy?
• All four gospels said women, led by Mary Magdalene, were the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. Scholar N. T. Wright wrote, “If someone in the first century had wanted to invent a convincing story about people seeing Jesus, they wouldn’t have dreamed of giving the star part to a woman. Let alone Mary Magdalene.” What does Jesus’ trust in Mary to share the good news of Easter tell you about how Jesus saw the value of both women and men in his new creation?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you called your first followers, and now me as I follow in their footsteps, to a great adventure. Help me be honest about both the great fear and the excitement your call creates. Help me conquer the fear, and follow you. Amen.
Mike Wilhoit serves at The Church of the Resurrection as Local Missions Director.
Apostle to the Apostles
Feeling so small
She feared the worst
Her Healer came
Spoke to her first
Things unravel
Bereft of choice
We find new life
In a strange voice
It’s hope-filled pain
Don’t cling, let go
And share our tale
With those we know!
Apostle to the Apostles
Feeling so small
She feared the worst
Her Healer came
Spoke to her first
Things unravel
Bereft of choice
We find new life
In a strange voice
It’s hope-filled pain
Don’t cling, let go
And share our tale
With those we know!
"Mary Magdalene testified, 'but they did not believe the women'”
FRIDAY, 10 April 2015
Luke 24:1 but the next day, while it was still very early, they took the spices they had prepared, went to the tomb, 2 and found the stone rolled away from the tomb! 3 On entering, they discovered that the body of the Lord Yeshua was gone! 4 They were standing there, not knowing what to think about it, when suddenly two men in dazzlingly bright clothing stood next to them. 5 Terror-stricken, they bowed down with their faces to the ground. The two men said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has been raised. Remember how he told you while he was still in the Galil, 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be executed on a stake as a criminal, but on the third day be raised again’?” 8 Then they remembered his words; 9 and, returning from the tomb, they told everything to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 The women who told the emissaries these things were Miryam of Magdala, Yochanah, Miryam the mother of Ya‘akov, and the others in their circle.
11 But the emissaries didn’t believe them; in fact, they thought that what they said was utter nonsense! 12 However, Kefa got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping down, he saw only the burial cloths and went home wondering what had happened.
Even Jesus’ death didn’t dim the women’s loyalty. They returned to his tomb “very early in the morning on the first day of the week.” They didn’t find his body, but did find two men in gleaming clothes who said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He isn’t here, but has been raised.” They reported this to the eleven, and again we see the bluntly honest way the gospels reported what happened. “Their words struck the apostles as nonsense, and they didn’t believe the women.”
• These accounts make it clear that no one expected to see Jesus alive that Sunday. They were gripped by preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would be and do, and of what death meant. In what ways can preconceived ideas make it harder for you to trust the Bible’s testimony? When have you found greater joy and peace after letting God overturn some fixed idea of yours?
• Two men “in gleaming bright clothing” asked, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He isn’t here, but has been raised.” (verses 5-6). Repeat those words as you ponder this photo of one site (empty) in Jerusalem that might have been Jesus’ tomb. In what ways does the fact that “he is not [in the tomb]” shape your life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, whatever else your disciples were, they were not gullible and naïve. It took a lot to convince them you were alive again—but once convinced, not one of them ever gave up his or her faith. Give me a steadfast heart like theirs. Amen.
Insights from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Celebrating Easter back in Topeka this weekend, I was amused by the typical “catching up” conversations with the folks:
Mom: Do you remember our old neighbors, Mr. James?
Celebrating Easter back in Topeka this weekend, I was amused by the typical “catching up” conversations with the folks:
Mom: Do you remember our old neighbors, Mr. James?
Me: No. Oh he always had that green Buick? No. His son was 3 years ahead of you in band? No, I don’t think so. He always liked to talk about fishing?
Oh, didn’t he live caddy-corner to the Kesslers?
Yes, that’s him. I remember him. Why?
Well, he died last month. Good to know, thanks. Sigh.
This tendency is known in grammarian circles as “burying the lede” – where the most important information is treated cavalierly. (Boy, the apple didn’t fall far from that tree – Editor. Huh? – DL.Never mind – Editor.)
It is like the new reporter for a local gazette who was reporting on a poor showing for a new restaurant’s grand opening. After going on in great detail about the restaurant’s décor & menu, he finally noted in the 8th paragraph, “that the infestation of wasps by the front door did cause some excitement.”
With social media & boutique/specified media, we are inundated with distractions from the main story like what was being worn, what was the tone, & who was dissing whom. So, it is easy for today’s readers to have some frustration with Luke’s succinct reporting in today’s passage, and wonder about all of the unanswered questions.
Why did only the women return to the tomb?
We know they weren’t anticipating the miraculous resurrection but why only them? Is it because they knew where the tomb was located? Is it because they knew what needed to be done after they witnessed the hasty preparations by Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus Friday evening? Is it because the men in the group were marked men? Is it because women tending to a tomb would not be viewed as a threat? Luke offers us no insights.
Why was Peter still hanging out with the Disciples?
We know of his self-reported behavior Friday evening where he denied Christ three times. Surely his shame would have prevented him from still being with the other disciples come Sunday morning; yet Peter is there. Had Peter asked for forgiveness? Had the group forgiven Peter for his actions that night? Perhaps each of the disciples had come to realize that they, too, had let their Friend down & were welcoming Peter back into the fold. Luke doesn’t offer any information. (If the forgiveness process did take place, wouldn’t it be wonderful for fellow Christians through the centuries to have a template on how to restore a fallen brother/sister to the faith?)
So, Luke, who promised us at the opening of his chronicle to provide an “orderly account” so that we may know with certainty about the life of Christ, leaves out a lot of details that we would find not only informative but also quite helpful. Why?
Perhaps Luke, ever-the-careful-historian, realized how easily his readers might get distracted by “nice-to-know-information” & thus he focused his reporting on the only “need-to-know” portion of the story. All we really need to know is that the tomb was empty. This is the lede that Sunday morning – and every morning since.
So, now that we have our big thought for the day, we can get back to checking our favorite blogs, facebook pages, & twitter feeds to read “the most important article we’ll read all day” about that “one weird trick” that gives us “the 20 signs” that we are easily distracted.
This tendency is known in grammarian circles as “burying the lede” – where the most important information is treated cavalierly. (Boy, the apple didn’t fall far from that tree – Editor. Huh? – DL.Never mind – Editor.)
It is like the new reporter for a local gazette who was reporting on a poor showing for a new restaurant’s grand opening. After going on in great detail about the restaurant’s décor & menu, he finally noted in the 8th paragraph, “that the infestation of wasps by the front door did cause some excitement.”
With social media & boutique/specified media, we are inundated with distractions from the main story like what was being worn, what was the tone, & who was dissing whom. So, it is easy for today’s readers to have some frustration with Luke’s succinct reporting in today’s passage, and wonder about all of the unanswered questions.
Why did only the women return to the tomb?
We know they weren’t anticipating the miraculous resurrection but why only them? Is it because they knew where the tomb was located? Is it because they knew what needed to be done after they witnessed the hasty preparations by Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus Friday evening? Is it because the men in the group were marked men? Is it because women tending to a tomb would not be viewed as a threat? Luke offers us no insights.
Why was Peter still hanging out with the Disciples?
We know of his self-reported behavior Friday evening where he denied Christ three times. Surely his shame would have prevented him from still being with the other disciples come Sunday morning; yet Peter is there. Had Peter asked for forgiveness? Had the group forgiven Peter for his actions that night? Perhaps each of the disciples had come to realize that they, too, had let their Friend down & were welcoming Peter back into the fold. Luke doesn’t offer any information. (If the forgiveness process did take place, wouldn’t it be wonderful for fellow Christians through the centuries to have a template on how to restore a fallen brother/sister to the faith?)
So, Luke, who promised us at the opening of his chronicle to provide an “orderly account” so that we may know with certainty about the life of Christ, leaves out a lot of details that we would find not only informative but also quite helpful. Why?
Perhaps Luke, ever-the-careful-historian, realized how easily his readers might get distracted by “nice-to-know-information” & thus he focused his reporting on the only “need-to-know” portion of the story. All we really need to know is that the tomb was empty. This is the lede that Sunday morning – and every morning since.
So, now that we have our big thought for the day, we can get back to checking our favorite blogs, facebook pages, & twitter feeds to read “the most important article we’ll read all day” about that “one weird trick” that gives us “the 20 signs” that we are easily distracted.
"Mary Magdalene as a disciple"
SATURDAY, 11 April 2015
Luke 8:1 After this, Yeshua traveled about from town to town and village to village, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. With him were the Twelve, 2 and a number of women who had been healed from evil spirits and illnesses — Miryam (called Magdalit), from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Yochanah the wife of Herod’s finance minister Kuza; Shoshanah; and many other women who drew on their own wealth to help him.
Mary Magdalene has come to play such a large role in speculative popular fiction about Jesus that it’s a bit of a surprise to see how relatively small (yet vital) a role she played in the gospels. Luke 8 is the only mention of her name before Jesus’ cross and resurrection. It was extremely brief, yet it showed that she had good reason to become one of Jesus’ deeply committed disciples.
• At times, as in this reading, the gospels give almost no details. When they do, the details may differ, and we wonder which is most accurate. But on the big story, they all agree. Pastor Frederick Buechner wrote, “When Jesus came, the whole course of history was changed. That is a fact as hard and blunt as any fact … all the way down the twenty centuries since [Jesus’ life,] there have been countless different kinds of people who in countless different kinds of ways … have been grasped by him, caught up into his life …in this man, there is the power of God to bring light into our darkness, to make us whole, to give a new kind of life to anybody who turns toward him in faith, even to such as you and me.” Jesus changed Mary Magdalene’s life for the better. In what ways has he changed your life? How will you remain open to let him continue changing your life for the better?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, Easter was not a one-day event—it changed everything, for all time. Let it continue to shape and change me, and my world, for the better. Amen.
Family Activity: Many people were cruel to Jesus during the last week of his life on earth. He consistently responded with love and forgiveness towards the people who were hurting him. As a family, share some of your favorite stories about Jesus. What words would you use to describe Jesus in those stories? Review the events of the Final Week together and explore Jesus’ responses in them. How would you describe Jesus in those times? What qualities did Jesus faithfully display throughout His life? Choose one or two characteristics of Jesus your family can develop. What steps will your family take to grow more Christ-like? Pray and ask God to help you become more like Jesus.
Insights from Dave Pullin
Dave Pullin serves as the Director of Technical Production at The Church of the Resurrection. The Technical Production ministry handles all audio/visual/technical support for the church including worship services and events.
Mary Magdalene as a disciple. I like that idea. It opens the door for people like you and me to also be disciples. But I often wonder if I really am that good a disciple, and to tell you the truth…I’m not sure if I am. As I think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, I think it all boils down to two very simple, yet extremely difficult, components:
First: Adamantly Pursue Holiness
Over and over, the scriptures call us to live a life of personal holiness, to strive to live a life apart from sin. Yes, we all fall–but I have to regularly ask myself, “Am I actually really trying?” In my opinion, I feel that quite often, much of the American, white, middle-upper class version of Christianity is something Jesus would be ashamed of. Not all of it, but a lot of it. And let me explain. Those of us in this demographic have rarely had our faith challenged. I have not lived in poverty. I have never been persecuted for my faith (not being invited to a party because I’m a Christian doesn’t count). My life is not regularly threatened due to my beliefs. I live a comfortable life, sheltered from many of the evils in this world. And so I become complacent. My faith becomes complacent. I am not regularly required to depend on my faith. Instead, quite often, I allow my faith to be the dues of a nice social network to which I belong. And I venture that most of you reading this may be able to relate.
In our combined complacency, It seems that we have tacitly redefined and agreed upon what Holiness really is. This redefined holiness has become more about being nice and cordial to each other, but not really wanting to get too invested in someone else’s problems. It has made it acceptable to give time and money, as long as it doesn’t affect our lifestyle or get in the way of soccer and baseball practice (or our golf game). It has become all about having the professional ‘Happy Family’ pics posted on our highlight reel on Facebook, while inside the walls at home our families are being torn apart by online porn and alcohol.
This is not Holiness. It is not what life is supposed to be like. And the deeper I look into my own life, I realize that to battle complacency, I have to adamantly pursue the kind of holiness talked about in Scripture. I have to exercise that muscle daily. We all know what is right and wrong, but we have to actually do it. And we have to do it the most when no one else is watching.
Second: Recklessly love everyone
The over-arching theme of all the scriptures is Love. It’s a very easy thing to say, but how well do we actually do this? I mean, it is easy to love people who are like us, whose lifestyle we agree with, or people who do not upset our status quo. But those people we can probably count on one hand. What about those who are different from us, who think differently, have different values, who belong to a different political party, race, gender, orientation, or religion? Or tax bracket?
Too often, I find myself slipping into a dangerous line of thinking. It goes something like this: even though God loves me unconditionally, my love to others must remain conditional. Pretty messed up, huh? Unfortunately, I see a lot of other people that fall victim to this as well. And it can’t be further from the truth. Our job is not to select who is and is not worthy of love. Our job is to love everyone, without thinking or caring about the consequences. And there are a lot of implications regarding what it means to love someone. Our job as disciples is to Love Recklessly, the way Jesus loved. It’s easy to think that it is our job to hold people accountable for their sins, but it’s not. That’s God’s job. And God is fully capable of doing that without our help. Our job is to love. To do this, I am constantly reminding myself of the greatest commandment: Love God and Love Others.
Love God = Adamantly Pursue Holiness
Love Others = Recklessly, Unconditionally
At least that is how I have come to define what it means to be a disciple. Like Mary.
Mary Magdalene as a disciple. I like that idea. It opens the door for people like you and me to also be disciples. But I often wonder if I really am that good a disciple, and to tell you the truth…I’m not sure if I am. As I think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, I think it all boils down to two very simple, yet extremely difficult, components:
First: Adamantly Pursue Holiness
Over and over, the scriptures call us to live a life of personal holiness, to strive to live a life apart from sin. Yes, we all fall–but I have to regularly ask myself, “Am I actually really trying?” In my opinion, I feel that quite often, much of the American, white, middle-upper class version of Christianity is something Jesus would be ashamed of. Not all of it, but a lot of it. And let me explain. Those of us in this demographic have rarely had our faith challenged. I have not lived in poverty. I have never been persecuted for my faith (not being invited to a party because I’m a Christian doesn’t count). My life is not regularly threatened due to my beliefs. I live a comfortable life, sheltered from many of the evils in this world. And so I become complacent. My faith becomes complacent. I am not regularly required to depend on my faith. Instead, quite often, I allow my faith to be the dues of a nice social network to which I belong. And I venture that most of you reading this may be able to relate.
In our combined complacency, It seems that we have tacitly redefined and agreed upon what Holiness really is. This redefined holiness has become more about being nice and cordial to each other, but not really wanting to get too invested in someone else’s problems. It has made it acceptable to give time and money, as long as it doesn’t affect our lifestyle or get in the way of soccer and baseball practice (or our golf game). It has become all about having the professional ‘Happy Family’ pics posted on our highlight reel on Facebook, while inside the walls at home our families are being torn apart by online porn and alcohol.
This is not Holiness. It is not what life is supposed to be like. And the deeper I look into my own life, I realize that to battle complacency, I have to adamantly pursue the kind of holiness talked about in Scripture. I have to exercise that muscle daily. We all know what is right and wrong, but we have to actually do it. And we have to do it the most when no one else is watching.
Second: Recklessly love everyone
The over-arching theme of all the scriptures is Love. It’s a very easy thing to say, but how well do we actually do this? I mean, it is easy to love people who are like us, whose lifestyle we agree with, or people who do not upset our status quo. But those people we can probably count on one hand. What about those who are different from us, who think differently, have different values, who belong to a different political party, race, gender, orientation, or religion? Or tax bracket?
Too often, I find myself slipping into a dangerous line of thinking. It goes something like this: even though God loves me unconditionally, my love to others must remain conditional. Pretty messed up, huh? Unfortunately, I see a lot of other people that fall victim to this as well. And it can’t be further from the truth. Our job is not to select who is and is not worthy of love. Our job is to love everyone, without thinking or caring about the consequences. And there are a lot of implications regarding what it means to love someone. Our job as disciples is to Love Recklessly, the way Jesus loved. It’s easy to think that it is our job to hold people accountable for their sins, but it’s not. That’s God’s job. And God is fully capable of doing that without our help. Our job is to love. To do this, I am constantly reminding myself of the greatest commandment: Love God and Love Others.
Love God = Adamantly Pursue Holiness
Love Others = Recklessly, Unconditionally
At least that is how I have come to define what it means to be a disciple. Like Mary.
Prayer Requests: See a list of those in our church family receiving long-term medical care at cor.org/prayer. Prayers for Health and Healing: Sue Ayers, Aidan Baumgartner, Charlotte Demarest, Carol Harmon, Maxine Miller, Jason Nadler, Lyn Neyhart, Gladys Holloway, Violet Leeper, Cynda Summers, Asima Syed, Gere Ellen Williams Praise for the Birth of: Kaelyn Amber Scafe, 2/7 Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Dane Cagle and family following the death of his grandmother, Donna Holdridge, 3/25
• Jim Cooney and family following the death of his wife, Judy Cooney, 3/25
• Shelly and Sean Daly, Linda Derfelt and families following the death of Shelly and Sean’s son, and Linda’s grandson, Joshua Daly, 3/28
• Barbara Hersh and family following the death of her mother, Betty Nelson, 3/27
• Miranda Iszory and family following the death of her husband, Steve Iszory, 3/28
• Rick Lantefield and family following the death of his mother, Dorthie Lantefield, 3/7 • Walt McKenzie and family following the death of his wife, Linda McKenzie, 3/26
• Judy Rucker and family following the death of her husband, John Rucker, 3/21
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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