April 21, Resurrection of the Lord (Luke 24:1-12)
The resurrection is an old, old message. But I need to be reminded.
It was Easter Sunday, and I was both joyful and terrified. As a brand new pastor, I had moved into the church office just that week. A lay minister had already been scheduled to preach, but he had phoned to say that since the church had affirmed my call, he would step aside. “It’s important for you to be visible,” he said. “People need to see that something is happening.”
I could see his point, yet I had a million other things to attend to that first week, and I wondered how I could possibly prepare a sermon too. Especially on such short notice. Especially when I wasn’t yet used to my new role. Especially for Easter Sunday.
That Sunday the choir sang, and a young couple played the parts of Mary Magdalene and Peter bearing witness to their encounters with the risen Christ. I preached on John 20:1–18. I spoke of Mary’s tears, and how even the sight of angels could not stop her weeping. Only when she finally recognized Jesus did her tears of deep grief turn into a cry of joy.
