Jtv: Amazing Race #6 Series

He has risen. He has risen indeed.

Over the whole season of Lent, we have been taking a fresh look at the Lenten scriptures through the lens of TV. The average American watches over 29 hours of TV and whether we wish to admit it or not, TV infects or affects our lives. From what we purchase to what we think, TV has a grip on us. As such, I thought Jesus could use a new TV station to get the word out. So we invented JTV – Jesus Television. A cable station that uses current and past hit shows to grab channel surfers attention to draw them so we can teach real truth to a world that lack it. We’ve done all kinds of shows from “Let’s make a deal” to “Extreme Home Makeover.” We have been having some interesting services. This week we wrap up our message series with “The Amazing Race.” Are you familiar with this show? It’s a story of teams of two people who take clues from the race director and race around the world to win the daily prize or just not get eliminated by finishing last. The object is to be the last couple standing at the end of the race and wins one million dollars. It’s fun to watch people and relationships under stress. People react in some very unlikely ways.

The Amazing Race is a perfect metaphor for today’s scripture.

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

The Amazing Race: Jerusalem edition was down two teams: Mary Magdalene and her friends, Simon Peter and John. The final leg of this race begins with Mary having a head start by venturing down to the place of the first clue, the tomb, before the sun came up to get a jump on the preparations. As she comes to the tomb, she realizes the race had already begun because yesterday’s finish line has been moved so to be fair she goes and tells the other team of Peter and John. They, of course, feel like they have totally overslept and have a foot race to the prior day’s finish line. John wins! When they arrive at the tomb, they see the clues left by the race director to what has happened and what may happen next. The clues were the grave clothes and the folded face cloth. After the inspection of these, the men’s team leaves to go back and discuss what should happen next. The men surmise that the remaining cloth means Jesus rose from the dead because if his body was stolen the robbers would never have taken the time to remove the burial shroud and never would have folded up the facial cloth. The disciples decided to go back to the hotel to try and figure out what the clues mean. Meanwhile, the ladies team stays behind and because of their patience they receive a bonus clue from the prior year’s finalist: the angels. The angels tell Mary and the gals the girls the final clue. “He has risen!” It’s true. Their hope in Him was not in vain. He conquered the grave.