Easter Sunday

First Reading
  Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25
  Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Second Reading
  1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Gospel
Luke 24:1-12

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Today marks the high point in the liturgical life of the Church and the life of Christ which it emulates. It is the end of the 40 day fast in which we prepared our hearts, minds and even our bodies to fully celebrate the resurrection of the Lord. I hope this morning's service that you attended was a meaningful celebration of Jesus' resurrection and also a proclamation of the hope we have in Christ. It is sometimes hard to look at the Easter story with new eyes after my 29 years on the planet. In our service today, we explored the difference Christ's resurrection makes in our life and read the verses immediately preceding our passage in 1 Cor. But I think at Easter, no matter how many times we have read the story, we need to return the Gospels' account and proclaim what happened all those years ago.

This year we are reading Luke's version of the story and all the traditional elements are present. It is Sunday morning and a few of the women show up to prepare Jesus' body for burial. But what they find surprises them and anybody who hears the story for the first time. The stone blocking the tomb is rolled away, the body is gone and suddenly two angels appear announcing that Jesus was not there, he has risen! Finally, the women return to the disciples announcing that Jesus has risen from the dead, which the disciples don't believe is true. Each Gospel presents the details in slightly different ways and you can find a Gospel parallel HERE. (You will have to scroll to the passage in each Gospel.) But what strikes me in each Gospel is the presence of the women.

Luke tells us three specific women were present along with other unnamed women. They were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. Mary Magdalene we are most familiar with, Mary the mother of James only appears the crucifixion and here at the resurrection, and Joanna gets one other mention in Luke 8:3. The words from 8:3 are interesting and bear reading.

"Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." (Luke 8:1-3)

We know that women were important to Jesus' earthly ministry. But these verses, along with clues at Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and a few other places are the only hints we get of this fact. A close reading of the Gospels makes it clear that women were vital to Jesus' ministry and to the early life of the church. We would be wise to note this fact and not limit or hinder women in ministry in any way. I have made this point before on this blog, but I will say it again. Women were the first preachers and evangelists of the Good News and delivered the message of Jesus' resurrection to the 11 Apostles. It is significant that none of the men showed up at the tomb that first Easter morning and didn't even believe the women's message.

One other point on this matter is the the angels tell the women, "Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee," concerning his resurrection. In looking at Luke's recording of these events, all the examples explicitly say they were said to either the disciples or the 12. (9:22, 44, 17:25, 18:31-33) Only one was said to the crowd. (12:50; 11:29-30 may be another example, but both of these are quite cryptic whereas the other examples are explicit despite the disciples not understanding Jesus.) So it seems that the women were included within Jesus' inner circle or else the words of the Angels fail to make sense.

The Good News of Jesus is that in the Kingdom he inaugurated in this life, death, and resurrection "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28) Christ brings everyone together and tears down any and all barriers between us and the Father. In Christ, we are all co-heirs with him in the resurrection and in inheritance of the Son. This is good news indeed and worthy of celebrating! Today and during this season of Easter as we move towards Pentecost let us not forget the great hope and New Life we have received in and through Christ.

Grace and Peace.