On Resurrection
Easter Morning
April 20, 2025
Traceymay Kalvaitis

John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
***
Today’s sermon is titled On Resurrection.

What I hope to do in the next 10 minutes is open a pathway that leads us a little closer into the heart of this mystery we call the resurrection. I’m taking my clue from Mr. Rogers, the guiding star of my childhood that lived inside my television set. Mr. Rogers did not skirt around the difficult subjects; he faced them head on and he invited his young audience to be curious…he invited us to wonder.

Rev. Martin Copenhaver wrote, “Only wonder comprehends anything.” To comprehend we must first wonder, so I invite us all into a place in our hearts and minds where we can wonder and question and be curious.

Resurrection is problematic for our rational minds because we assume we have never experienced it, we assume we have never seen it, and therefore it can not be true. Fair enough.
Let’s begin with the word itself. Resurrection comes from the Latin resurgere, meaning “rise again, appear again.” Sounds a lot like what we are witnessing here as the warmth and light of Spring coaxes life from the barely-thawed ground. The tender young shoots seem to rise effortlessly, just as the buds seem to so slowly and gracefully emerge from the end of branches that have endured winter’s freeze. But let’s not miss the possibility that sprouting and budding may be laborious and difficult work. Let’s not miss the possibility that resurrection itself, in any context, may well be laborious and difficult work, as miraculous and beautiful as it may seem.

One of my teachers, Father Richard Rohr wrote a sermon titled, Resurrection: Not a One-Time Miracle.* In it, he invites us to consider that perhaps we do witness resurrection, we just don’t name it. I read his sermon this past Monday and I have been looking at the world differently. I’ve been thinking about scientists Antoine Lavoisier and Albert Einstein, how they helped humankind to understand that physical matter is neither created nor destroyed, it is merely changed into other matter or into energy. The sprouting acorn sends its taproot down into the soil that came from a generation of oaks that stood long before. The stars that surround us are burning and releasing matter that will later condense into new stars. Perhaps resurrection is the way of the universe. Perhaps resurrection is the way of life. Perhaps resurrection is also the way of the Source of life and love we call God…life rising from death, over and over again.

The scriptures record Jesus predicting his death and his resurrection. He tried in vain to prepare his followers that his path in life would lead him to his death. Jesus could have avoided this fate, he could have gone silent, he could have ceased the healings that were to be sure, but instead he went towards it. Empire had the power to put him to death, but death did not have the power to hold him and, perhaps more importantly, Jesus’s fear of death did not have the power to silence him. Jesus continued to speak out for the welfare of his community, even as he was being arrested by the Roman authorities, he said, “I am the one you are looking for. Let these people go.” (John 18:8) Even as he hung on the cross dying, Jesus said, “Forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Father Richard Rohr names Jesus the “forgiving victim” and I don’t have to tell you that that kind of power will ultimately overwhelm the power of Empire. Empire could not silence him and death could not hold him.

What does this mean for us, especially on this Easter Sunday? Rev. Andrew Thayer wrote recently, “Scripture’s power isn’t in magic or miracle, but in its witness, of people who loved boldly, acted justly, spoke truth to power, resisted empire and hoped defiantly in the face of despair. It is deeply relevant to modern life. The Resurrection… declares that even when the empire kills truth, truth still rises. That even when justice is crucified, it does not stay buried.”**

Love is persistent. Truth and justice are persistent. That persistence can only be dampened by fear. So, what if, Friends, what if we could live like we are not afraid? What might we do and what might we say, if we were truly, honestly, unafraid? …unafraid of other’s opinions, judgements and accusations…unafraid of failure? What kind of world might we create if we were not afraid of one another? …not afraid of our differences?… and not afraid of the future’s uncertainties? It’s no wonder the command “Do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible. Imagine what we could do if not held back by our fears.

This is the invitation of the resurrection, Friends…to live in spite of our fears, to love in spite of our fears, to use our lives in service to others without the fear of not having enough, and to live our lives without the fear of not being enough. As followers of Christ we are called to live as if anything is possible…as if, as it says in Philippians 4:13, through Christ we can “accomplish all things.”

When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early on that Sunday morning she went in spite of her fear, for it was a very dangerous time for Jesus’s followers to be openly associated with him. Mary was not held back by her fear and she was the first to witness what had taken place; she was the first to witness that Jesus had risen from the bounds of death. She was the first to see him. She was the first to hear him speak and he called her by name. “Do not hold on to me,” he said. “Go and tell,” he said. I hear him saying: Do not fear death, and do not fear life, even though it will break your heart. Go and live like anything is possible because it is. Fear nothing. Be my light in the world. All my love is with you and not even death can change that.

In closing, on this Easter morning, I pray we answer the invitation of the resurrection…to be fearless in our living and in our loving, and to remember that anything is possible when we work with the love that is God. God knows we have a lot of work to do and it may challenge us like never before. May we remember the struggle of the seed to push through the cold, hard ground; may we remember the birthing and rebirthing of stars that bring us light, even in the darkest night. Lastly, may we remember Jesus’s words, “whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.” “Love one another,” he said. So be it. Amen.

*https://www.google.com/search?q=richard+rohr+resurrection+not+a+one-time+miracle&oq=richard+rohr+resurrection+not+a+one-time+miracle&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCTE0MjA4ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

**https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/opinion/palm-sunday-protest.html?searchResultPosition=5

Pastoral Prayer
Creator Christ and Holy Spirit, we come to You as we are this morning. Your promises of acceptance and love seem, at times, impossibly generous; help us to accept them, God, and help us to settle, if only for brief moments, into a place of security and knowing that we are children of a most wondrous God. This is our Easter Resurrection: When we doubt and fear, turn our minds in trust. When we dwell on hardship, turn our minds to giving thanks for our many blessings. And when we struggle to hold the weight of the many problems in our world, strengthen us to hold them long enough for our hearts to open a little more, and for our inner vision to focus on a way we can be of service. Remind us, Christ Jesus, on this Easter Morning, that one smile can offer welcome, one hug can offer abundant love, as can the mere sound of our voice, and one prayer can send ripples that have unimaginable effects. Sustain our hope for the future on this Easter Day. May we unite toward the healing of the world, in faithfulness. This we pray in the name of Christ. Amen.

Benediction

I leave you with these words from Philippians, chapter 4:

“May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen.