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’s 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 touch 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.

John 20:1-18 NRSVUE

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Happy Easter!

The theme for the season of Easter is “The Gift of Surprise: The Joy of the Unexpected.” In the following weeks, we will be using passages from the Vanderbilt lectionary. And, for the next few weeks, we will be reading from the Gospel of John. 

Life is so playful. Una, ito ba naman ang tema natin. When the theme was given by Pastor Joseph, I was surprised. Una, dahil ayoko ng surprises. I’m a black and white person. I think it lies in my nature as a perfectionist (or as a control freak). I want to know the details so I can plan and that I will not be disappointed. In my mind was an endless simulation of situations, and I tend to imagine the worst things that might happen to prepare for a gameplan in my head. Madalas, sasabihin ko na lang na “Nakita ko na ‘yan.” The “foresight” is a product of “tragedies” being replayed and solved in my head. Kaya, “joy of the unexpected?” No, I do not find joy in not knowing. 

(Also, mukha ba akong joyful?)

Pangalawa, andaming surprises ng mga araw bago ang Linggong ito. Health scare, some dilemmas, and other things. I was not even sure if I can even stand before you today and, as I was writing this intro, alam kong hindi ako tatayo ngayong Linggo para basahin ito. I am fully convinced that it is only by grace that I can make it this day (be it physically or in spirit). 

Can I get an amen? 

Background:

The Gospel of John is surprising. It is strikingly different from the other three gospels: from the structure, the theme, its theology, the materials it contains like the Signs (or miracles), even how Jesus was presented. Medyo iba ang gospel of John from Mark, Luke, and Matthew. Jesus was described in the Synoptic Gospels as “the witness of faith,” prodding his listeners, his disciples to believe in God. In John, he became “the object of faith.” Along with other literary elements in the Gospel of John like the logos and pre-existence introduction, another key material which transformed Jesus from being a mere moral teacher to a god, presenting in the gospel a “high” and advanced Christology, is the narrative of the resurrection. Just a review from our boot camp – this means that each of the gospels to some extent mirror and reflect how the early Christians were trying to make sense of their faith in relation to Jesus of Nazareth, who for them is the promised Messiah. Each of the gospel tries to answer the question of Jesus about Jesus – “Who do you say I am?”

The Resurrection:

In the opening of the resurrection story in the Gospel of John, a character so dear to us was the first on the scene—Mary of Magdala, the tower, the disciple of Jesus. It was still dark, and she was already at the tomb, the place that they never thought Jesus would be at.

A week ago, they were shouting “Hosanna!” in protest lines. They were hopeful because Jesus may be the political messiah they were waiting for. They bet that he might be unlike the others before him. He promised and proclaimed to those under Roman occupation “release to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to those who are oppressed.”  He also proclaimed a kingdom not like that of the Empire.

But, surprise, he ended up the same – killed by those in power.

They cannot believe it. It was unlike anything they imagined. They were even arguing who would sit beside him once his kingdom has been established. (Of course he reprimanded them.) They thought they were set to win. 

But the Empire has its ways. It uses, twists, co-ops, or threatens other institutions to their advantage. The Temple institution, threatened by Jesus and his teachings, was instrumental; they called him a blasphemer, a rebel, and an instigator of the people. Most of those in the halls of power didn’t want any reform nor their leadership and teachings questioned. They wanted their “legacy of service” continued. They can sway people who welcomed Jesus with cheers of “Hosanna to the Son of David” to shout “Crucify him!” next.

The empire, those in power, determined his death. It led Jesus to that hill, hanging on the cross with his fellow criminals. It caused his disciples to scatter and tremble in fear. It led Mary in that dark, cold, gloomy morning in the tomb where he was laid down. 

Now, where is the good kind of surprise in this story? Where is the joy in this unexpected event? Was it even “unexpected” when, as always, the empire wins? Let us go back to the first of four appearance stories of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Recognize the divine.

John’s account of Easter starts with the empty tomb (20:1–10), just like Matthew, Mark, and Luke, although it is told very differently. Only one woman, Mary Magdalene, is named instead of several. Although she does not enter the tomb, and she “saw (βλέπει; blepei) that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” The Gospel writer said that Mary Magdalene brings Peter and the beloved disciple, who dash to the tomb, open it, discover it empty but for the burial wrappings, and then head back “to their homes.” 

Mary Magdalene was left crying at the tomb. Then she peered in, looked closely and saw (θεωρεῖ; theōrei) two angels who asked, “Woman, why are you crying?” She was not merely seeing, she contemplated, observed, scrutinized (theorei) the scene. She responds, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Neither Mary nor the two disciples understood what the empty tomb meant.

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. She does not recognize him. Instead, she thinks he is the gardener and says to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus calls her by name, “Mary,” and she recognizes him. She exclaimed “Rabbouni!” (Teacher! Lord!). Later, she was sent to the other disciples and said, “I have seen (ἑώρακα; heōraka) the Lord.” 

One of the key features of the Gospel of John is what theologians called “progressive revelation.” The Gospel writer/s were good in building up the story and eventually revealing something at the end. This may not be noticeable for those who cannot read/understand the Koine Greek. In the story of Mary Magdalene in the first Easter, this can be seen with the word choices of the author. We have only read the verb “see/have seen” but the original language reveals more.

From (blepei) “looking in” or “to clearly see a material object” (referring to the stone removed from the tomb) in verse 1, Mary then became more observant (theorei) in verses 12 and 14 (the ancient Greek word theorei means “to contemplate, observe, scrutinize”). Eventually, she came to (heoraka, like eureka) have found, and recognized Jesus. 

So, look closely, contemplate, and find God in the details of our lives and in our his/herstory. May we find not just the stone rolled away, or the burial cloths lying; may we recognize that Jesus is alive and experience God in as we seek. Recognize divine moments in our mundane lives. The key is that we seek. 

Let yourself be surprised with how God moves.

The death of Jesus was a surprise to them because they already had something in their mind of what his earthly kingdom w