Easter Day Yr B
He is risen
Uhde, Fritz von, 1848-1911. Woman, Why Weepest Thou?, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fritz_von_Uhde_-_Weib,_warum_weinest_du_(1892-94).jpg.
Introduction
No introduction needed.
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
From sermon4kids.com: “Some people, like Mary, Peter, and John can’t see Jesus because they are looking for Him in a grave or on a cross. He isn’t there! He is risen and is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven. If you want to see Jesus, look in His Word, He will reveal Himself to you, just as He did to Mary! ”
Scripture: April 4, 2021—Acts 10:34–43 (image); Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24 (image); 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (image); and John 20:1–18 (image). A visual/audio journey through the scripture.
Collect: Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: Paul’s claim about Christ Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15 is a creed: Christ died, was buried, was raised, and appeared to many disciples and finally to Paul, who writes, “by the grace of God I am what I am” (v. 10). If you were to say those words of yourself, what would it mean that everything about you—all you are and have done—is “by the grace of God”? Where is God’s grace evident in your life today?
Symbols of the Church
From the time of the early Church, the pomegranate was understood as signifying the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. The terminal point on the orb-shaped fruit forms a heraldic crown, a sign of His royalty. When the deep red shell bursts open,the seeds bleed forth a deep red juice, a symbol of Christ's Precious Blood. He offered His last drop for our salvation. The burst-open rind is the open tomb on Easter morning, the proof of Christ's triumph over death.
from "The Symbols of Lent and Easter" website.
Eye Candy: “Resurrection” by Paul T. Granlund [Editor: my all-time favorite]; “I do not know where they have laid him” by Jan Richardson; “Easter Morning” by James Janknegt
Ear Worm: “He arose“, a sweet arrangement sung by two darling boys “He a-wose”; “Worthy is the Lamb” by Pepper Choplin sung virtually by Madras Choral Group; “Worthy is the Lamb” and “Amen” from Handel’s Messiah sung by the Morman Tabernacle Choir
Brain Food: “Passiontide” by Michael Coffey; “The grim comedy of St. Mark’s passion” by Debra Dean Murphy; a poem about the miniature shown below of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
Parables: “Phenomenon” (1996), many parallels to the Easter story; “The Gospel of John” (2014), “excellent film version of the Gospel of John” (also on Netflix); “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), a struggle with schezophrenia
For families: Study guide, group activity, snacks, kid video
For children: activity one & two; bulletin games; craft;
For middlers: activity one & two; bulletin games; craft
For youth: In the Mark gospel for the Sunday of the Resurrection, we are told that the angels told Jesus’ followers that he is alive. They were so afraid that they ran away and DIDN’T TELL ANYONE! Good thing for us that somebody finally told. The point however is that the news was so startling. How could it be believed? Did you ever have something happen to you that was so good you couldn’t believe it? And how did you react? It must have been truly amazing! Feel free to comment by sending an email to FaithatHome2020@gmail.com
Today the Church completes its three great days of celebrating redemption. Since Maundy Thursday we have been involved in an extended liturgy which will be brought to its conclusion today.
This is the celebration of the Passover of Christ from death to life. It is also the celebration of our own Passover in Holy Baptism in which “we were buried with Christ in his death and raised with him.”
Today the Nicene Creed is replaced with the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant. In every baptism, we, the Church, give birth to new members by water and the Holy Spirit. As the newly baptized rise from the waters, the resurrection is made new in our midst.
Throughout the fifty days of Easter, the first reading on Sundays is from the Acts of the Apostles. These weekly readings from Acts describe the life of the first Christians and their proclamation of Christ’s resurrection. So today we hear a portion of the sermon Peter preached to Cornelius, the first Gentile Christian. The passage from I Corinthians contains Paul’s witness to Jesus’ resurrection as it was told him by the other apostles. He concludes with his own experience of Jesus’ appearance to him.
The Gospel reading from John describes the women going to the tomb and the Lord’s appearance to Mary Magdalene.
As we rejoice in our new life in the risen Christ on this day, he comes among us and is made known to us in the Breaking of the Bread. We, like Mary and the other women, are sent forth to tell others of his resurrection.
From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.