The Vine: April 1, 2024
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”
This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)
“After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.
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Each of the Gospel authors told the story of the Resurrection, but each one shared different details. In Mark’s account three women came to the tomb – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and a woman named Salome. In Luke’s version Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others arrived at the tomb. John’s gospel simply states that Mary Magdalene arrived at the empty tomb by herself.
In Matthew’s account we have Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”. Aside from the reality of the empty tomb, the one constant in all the accounts is the presence of Mary Magdalene. Over the years people have asked the question, “Why do each of the gospels share different details regarding the Resurrection of Christ?”
One would think that if you want people to believe something as amazing as the Resurrection then you would at least match up the details of the story. On the one hand we can agree with that sentiment, but on the other hand, perhaps the story is more believable because of the differences. The early Church was not as interested in matching up details, as much as they were about sharing the incredible news that God raised Jesus from the dead.
It’s interesting that in each account women were the first to see the empty tomb. In fact, they were the world’s first evangelists. An evangelist is someone who shares the good news of the resurrected Christ and that is exactly what they were tasked to do when they were instructed to tell the disciples that Jesus had been raised from the dead. In the Jewish culture of that time women were not considered equal with men. Considering how Jesus broke down cultural barriers, it is appropriate that it would be the women who would be the first to experience and share the news of the resurrected Christ.
In our text for today Jesus met the women as they were on the way to share the news with the disciples and said to them, “Greetings!” I’m not sure what the most appropriate thing is to say after a resurrection, but I guess “Greetings!” is just as good as any. The Greek word that we translate as “greetings” can be translated “rejoice” as well. Jesus didn’t simply say, “Hello!”, but “Rejoice!”
We can all rejoice this day as we remember and claim once again the power of the Resurrection!
Questions for Reflection
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary left the tomb quickly with “fear and great joy”. Fear and joy are not usually joined together. What is the connection here in this story? Have you ever experienced fear (including awe and wonder) and joy at the same time?
Jesus had a message for the women to share. The resurrected Christ did not appear with the sole purpose of proving God had defeated death, but also to give his followers guidance and direction for the next steps. He said to the women, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee.” It was in Galilee that he gave his disciples the following direction: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” How does this message encapsulate the mission of the Church?
How has the Resurrection influenced how you live your life? Has it made any practical difference in your day-to-day life?
Prayer:
“Loving God, we proclaim again what Paul wrote to the church in Rome: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Thank you for not allowing anything, even death itself, to separate us from you and your love for us in Christ. Amen.“
In Christ,
Brad
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