A glorious day of worship with outstanding music and a baptism at the 10:45am worship service. The sermon went as planned on both services. No funny story this year, which I sometimes try to have to seem more inviting to visitors, but the sermon did not seem to make a place for it.
As I read the biblical text, I realized that it might be fun to preach about Peter and the other disciple racing to the tomb. That could be a fun sermon topic.
“Why Are You Weeping?”, Easter, April 20, 2025; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; John 20: 19-31
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. 2So 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.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and 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. 13They 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.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus 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.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus 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.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Introduction: as some of you know, During Lent, we reflected on our Lenten questions, which leads us this morning to an Easter question: why are you weeping?
A question Asked not once, but twice of Mary - first by the angels in the tomb and then by the resurrected Christ, although at the time Mary thought it was the gardener.
Why are are you weeping?
Not much weeping here in worship on Easter morning, at least not visibly.
The celebration, the energy, the joy, no doubt aided by the glorious songs and brass and timpani, lift up our spirits.
Move 1: but even Even today in our joyous worship as we celebrate resurrection, we know the answer to the question,
We know why Mary was weeping outside the tomb.
a. We know she weeps because she is grieving.
1. Her friend Jesus had died and she already misses him.
2. Her grief has begun and tears accompany her grief.
2. Any of us who have had a loved one die, a family member a close friend, we know what Mary feels in that moment as she stands outside the tomb.
3. Most of us who gather here know what it feels like to grieve and weep.
b. Mary weeps because she is angry and disillusioned.
1. she is angry at the world she cannot control.
2. they have crucified her friend Jesus, even though he was not guilty.
3. How helpless she must feel - she could not stop them from crucifying her friend Jesus, and and now the body is gone
she cannot even use her perfumes and spices to lovingly prepare Jesus’ dead body.
4. Any of us who have felt helpless, who have felt like we have no control as the world races by knows why Mary weeps.
c. Mary weeps because she has lost all hope.
1. Weeks before,
even days before, she was so full of hope.
2. She was connected to this incredible man Jesus who was transforming the world before he very eyes.
the possibilities seemed endless.
until he was dead on the cross.
3. Any of us who know what it is like to have our dreams crushed know why Mary weeps.
d. Mary weeps because she does not know what to do.
1. Peter and the beloved disciple have run off, leaving Mary standing alone at the tomb.
2. She c
Move 2: We might say that Mary weeps because she does not know the rest of the story.
a. But the resurrected Christ does.
1. He is standing there before her to tell her
to show her
invites her to a new way of life.
2. A way of life ? By the power of God to resurrect.
3. We may still weep as we grieve,
we may weep at our as we add three things
b. But they are not the end of the story.
5. As Martin Luther King, Jr. used to say, “God makes a way out of no way. There are no red ends with God.” (Journal for Preachers, Vol XLVIII, No. 3, Easter, 2025. “Easter Preaching“ Mark Ramsey and Adam Mixon, 4)
c. That is why we gather here today -
1. To hear the story of God’s resurrection power at work.
2. To hear the story of how God overcomes death.
3. To hear the story announce to tell ourselves that the God of resurrection is not done.
c. And to live the story.
1. Did you notice Mary’s first reaction once she recognizes Christ?
2. She wants to cling to him, to stay in that moment.
3. But there is no clinging to the resurrected Christ.
4.He sends Mary to tell others.
5. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a stand there and appreciate the empty tomb moment.
6. The resurrection compels us to go into the world and proclaim the resurrection.
d. If we believe the world has been disrupted the God who resurrects;
if we believe that the world is a different place because christ is alive
if we believe that the God of resurrection is still at work in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit, then we go and live like it.
1. We dare to hope in the face of despair.
2. We dare to work for peace in a world where too many people chose to exert their power to control others.
3. we dare to extend ourselves to others, even those who are different than we are in a world that too often chooses the path of exclusion.
4. we dare to live as people of the resurrection, sometimes even as we weep, because we know the rest of the story.
Conclusion: My oldest sister Helen loved reading. In fact, The Children’s Place reading room was set up as a memorial to her.
She was not only a reading specialist in her school system, but she read all the time. from childhood through adulthood, she was always reading a book.
She not only read numerous books, but she would reread books. I’m like that too. Some characters in books seem like good friends.
Late in her life as battled cancer, reading gave her something to do when she was getting a chemo infusion, or felt sick, or recovering from surgery. Reading was a great friend her 14 yr. medical journey with breast cancer.
Toward the end of her life, she quit reading new books. She only read books that she’d read previously. She only wanted to read stories she knew the endings - endings that made her feel good at a time she didn’t really feel that good. She wanted to know the rest of the story.
We know the rest of the story - God has raised Jesus from the dead.
Go and live as people who know the rest of the story.
