The Re-Creation Story

The story of the empty tomb in John’s gospel is one of re-creation with hints back to Genesis and John 1. The Risen Christ sees Mary just as she is and loves her. The Risen Jesus sees all of us, too, just as we are and offers to re-create us with resurrection life. This is the fulfillment of God saving the world through his Son and not condemning the world.

The Risen Jesus sees all of us, too, just as we are and offers to re-create us with resurrection life.

Introduction

Hello Church and Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world to save it, not to condemn it. Sometimes we get that backwards, don’t we? We think God stands in condemnation of us, but really He stands in loving kindness towards us. Today we are going to see that the empty tomb story from John’s gospel is really a re-creation story, and that’s so exciting! God is re-creating the world in Jesus Christ, and he wants to re-create us too. That’s such good news.

Main Teaching

The empty tomb story in John’s gospel begins in darkness. Mary Magdalene is going to the tomb “while it was still dark” (John 20:1). The other gospel stories begin later when there is daylight. Mary arrives at the tomb and is jolted with fear when she finds that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

She runs off and finds Peter and the other disciple, “the one who Jesus loved” (20:2) and frantically tells them that someone has taken away Jesus’ body and she doesn’t know where they put him.

Mary’s concerns were well founded. Tomb robbery was common in the ancient world, a crime committed by thieves and pirates. It was reasonable for her to assume that someone had broken into the tomb and stolen Jesus’ body.

Peter and the other disciple are alarmed by Mary’s report. All they know is that the stone was removed and the body was taken. They both got up and ran to the tomb, the unnamed disciple arriving first. He bent down and peered into the tomb and saw nothing but the strips of linen. Peter catches up and goes straight in. Jesus’ body was gone. Only the strips of cloths that had wrapped his body two days before remained. Did the bandits remove the cloths before they stole Jesus’ body? The unnamed disciple enters the tomb and assesses the situation.

The scripture says, “He saw and believed” (20:8). What did he see and believe? Most likely, he “saw” the empty cave and “believed” Mary’s story that the body had been taken. The next verse indicates the disciples still did not understand at this point that Jesus had to rise from the dead. So not only had their Lord and teacher been brutally killed by crucifixion, which was the method of execution reserved for slaves and criminals, but now his body was gone, stolen. To them the story was over.

Everyone processes grief differently, but as far as we can tell neither Peter nor the unnamed disciple offered Mary, who is weeping outside the tomb, any comfort or support. I’m sure that the two men were grieving in their own way, but according to John, the two disciples simply walked out of the tomb and returned home. They just walked right past Mary, who was sobbing. They did not see or acknowledge her pain.

Mary stays at the tomb, weeping.

Now, who is this Mary Magdalene? In Luke’s gospel (Luke 8:2-3) we learn that Mary was someone who had seven evil spirits come out of her. She was part of a small group of wealthy women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples and “were helping support them out of their own means.” So, Mary was actually one of Jesus’ patrons. This means that she had some amount of wealth.

No where in scripture does it say Mary was a prostitute, although somehow she’s gained that reputation ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium