"while It Was Still Dark"

“While it was Still Dark”

John 20:1-18

Tolstoy has a story about the ever-present threat of death.

A man was running from a bear, and to get away from it he jumps down a dry well, and clings to a small tree growing between the bricks on the side.

But when he looks down, he sees a lion at the bottom of the well waiting for him.

And when he looks back up, he sees that the bear is still there, trying to get to him.

As he hangs there holding onto the small tree, knowing he can’t stay there forever, he sees a rat crawl out on the limb he’s hanging on to, and the rat starts gnawing at the limb.

(pause)

Let’s be real about the elephant in the room.

It’s death and it haunts us all.

That’s why so many of us watch what we eat, exercise, take our vitamins and go see our doctors on a regular basis.

We are running from death.

But, like the man clinging to the tree limb, there is nowhere to run where death won’t get us.

It’s a fact of life we all must face.

(pause)

Our Gospel Lesson starts with this: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark…”

Easter begins in the darkness.

It begins with fear, bewilderment, sorrow, pain and a profound loss of certainty.

And the fact is that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ happened in total darkness.

You know, even when Christ is Resurrected He shares in our human experience.

And what I mean by that is that Mary was experiencing profound darkness on the first day of that week.

Mary had been with Jesus all the way.

She had seen lives made new, bodies healed, and eyes opened.

She had heard the complaining of the disciples and the criticism of the religious leaders.

She saw how crowds adored Jesus, and those in power hated Him.

And she stood near that cross as they killed Him, and her heart was broken.

Now it was all over.

Her heart was heavy, and in her soul —it was dark.

What would she do now?

Have you ever experienced darkness.

I don’t think it’s possible to be a human being who has lived a little, and not to have experienced darkness.

Some of us experience more than others, but it’s another thing, besides death, we all have in common.

Let’s face it.

We all have days when we stand with our dreams in shambles around our feet.

It could be a divorce or a cheating spouse.

It could be a child who is in trouble or the death of a loved one.

It could be a pink slip or bad news from the doctor.

Have you ever been like, “My life was going so well, and now this!”?

Or perhaps, you’ve never felt that your life was going well.

Perhaps it’s not going well this morning.

(pause)

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,” God was at work in Mary’s life.

He was making a way where there was no way.

Have no doubt about it, when things get tough—and they will—it doesn’t mean God has abandoned us.

When the darkness comes upon us, God is still working on our behalf.

Remember that when you are at your darkest.

Winston Churchhill spoke at a Boy’s school in England during the most difficult days of World War 2.

He said these words: “Never give up, never give up, never give up, never, never, never.”

After this, he sat down.

When it was reported in the papers, it became the mantra for the British people during the darkest days of the war.

I’ve been a pastor long enough to know that there is heartbreak in every one of these pews and that most of us suffer in silence.

No one is immune to heartache.

Rich or poor, we all carry our own bag of rocks.

In our Gospel Lesson for this morning, Mary Magdalene was the first of Jesus’ followers to go to the tomb, and when she gets there, much to her distress she finds it empty and takes it for granted that someone has stolen Jesus’ body.

She then runs to the other disciples with the terrible, disturbing news.

Peter and John race to the tomb and find it as she has told them.

Then they go back to where they were staying, but Mary stays there, weeping.

She looks back into the tomb and sees two angels; they are sitting where Jesus’ body had been, and while she is speaking with them, Jesus suddenly appears behind her, but she doesn’t recognize Him.

I wonder how often we are deep in despair, and Jesus is right there with us the whole time, but we don’t recognize Him…