Mary is called by name...

Sermon on Easter Sunday March 27, 2016 (John 20:1-18) 

Have you noticed spring is here! The grass turns green and little chicks are chirping very loud. What a difference from winter! In winter the panoramic picture is gray. Contrary to winter, spring brings bright colors in flowers blooming and leaves start to grow populating the branches on the trees. We feel alive, even the colors we choose to wear are not black but bright.

In today’s gospel, Mary is revealed as the first witness of Jesus’ resurrection. She was one of Jesus’ disciples and dearest friends. But we would think that he would grant this honor to one of the inner-circle disciples or to his mother. 

But God's ways are not our ways.  We would not have picked Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala for this honor, but neither would we have picked devious Jacob to carry on the promise of a great nation, or boy David to get rid of the giant, or oppressor Saul to become missionary Paul.  God calls whom God calls. 

Jesus was buried on Friday, just before the Sabbath started. Jewish law prohibited to visit graves on the Sabbath, which ended at sundown on Saturday evening. Mary was waiting for sunrise to go to the tomb.

When she was there, she was shocked to find that the stone was removed from the tomb. It’s hard to imagine this could have happened, but things happen. Or perhaps the authorities moved the body of Jesus to erase any evidence of his existence, to erase his memory from the face of the earth.

Mary ran to get Peter and the beloved disciple. Together went back to the tomb, and they couldn’t find the body. They confirmed Mary’s worst fears.

Mary was weeping when she met Jesus. She couldn’t recognize him. The un-recognized Jesus asked her why she was crying.

Mary could have said, “Im crying because my heart is broken”, or “This is the worst day of my life”, or “a few days ago everything was right; now everything is wrong.”

We all have moments when it seems like everything is going wrong. It’s unavoidable. A romantic or friendly relationship turns sour. A job is lost. A business goes down in flames. You are robbed. Getting into an unexpected car accident. Getting the results of a terrible illness. The list of possible calamities goes on and on and we feel overwhelmed, anxious, sad or depressed. We feel lonely.

Mary found that the only person in the world who really cared about her, and the one who healed her wounds was dead. Jesus became so popular…and he was doing a lot of good for a lot of people.  To the point, some of the authorities couldn't take it any longer.  They planned and worked their plan.  They fomented an uprising to put down the young teacher.  This group of people managed to bring him to the Roman authorities without getting their hands dirty…Mary watched him die… a terrible, humiliating, degrading death.  

                                    Now they had stolen his body!  

                                    What could be more terrible?

Mary’s world turned around when Jesus called her by her name. Immediately, she recognized his voice. It was Jesus revealing to her! Suddenly Good Friday became Easter Sunday. Death became life. Despair became hope. Once Mary heard her name, she knew Jesus was alive, and she came back to live as well!

Jesus knows your name too. Jesus calls your name. And Jesus loves you just as he loved Mary. He is the only one that can turn your Good Fridays into Easter Sundays.

Life is hard. I know there is people here this morning that feel a little like Easter on the outside but Good Friday on the inside. You may be in that place.  If you are, let me remind you that Jesus knows your heart. He knows your troubles. He knows your worries. He knows your longings and your dreams. And he knows your name. This Easter morning, Jesus calls your name.

-       He calls your name to let you know that he knows you.

-       He calls your name to let you know that he cares.

-       He calls your name to let you know that he is with you through the valley of shadows and at the top of the mountain too.

-       He calls your name to remind you that, with him, your Good Fridays are turn into Easter Sundays.

The only thing he asks from you is to go to the world and share the good news that you have “seen the Lord” Our right response to Jesus’ has to do with words of our mouths and actions of our lives to bear witness. We are called to share the good news with the people we encounter, with our family members, friends, co-workers and strangers. And with the whole world.

This Easter listen carefully when Jesus calls your name. Listen his message of love. Then go and show them, “I’ve seen the LORD”.