Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So, the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. (NIV)
Jack Klugman as Quincy, M.E. (1976-1983)
When I was a kid there was a show on TV called “Quincy.” Quincy was a coroner. Every episode was him performing an autopsy on someone who appeared to have a rather normal death. But Quincy always found something suspicious and spent his time prying into people’s lives to confirm his investigation. His boss and the police chief would chide and warn him saying, “Leave it alone, Quincy.” Quincy’s typical response was: “But I can’t leave it alone. There’s more here than what meets the eye!”
Indeed, the Apostle John was the Quincy of his ancient generation. In his gospel there is always more going on than what meets the eye. There are double-meanings, sometimes even triple-meanings to the events unfolding. There are deeply symbolic encounters, as well as tangible events serving as almost metaphors pointing to the spiritual.
Mary, a woman with a sordid background, had her life transformed through meeting Jesus.
Near the end of Christ’s life, as he was about to enter Jerusalem and be arrested, tried, tortured, and killed, Mary sensed what was happening. In fact, she was aware of what was happening when others did not. Mary’s own brokenness cracked open to her the true reality of life.
The surface event itself is a touching and tender moment in history. This woman, whom everyone knew as a damaged person, took a high-end perfume, and broke the entire thing open. She then proceeded to anoint Christ’s feet with it. You can imagine the aroma filling the house with an expensive perfume for all to smell. Giving what she had to Jesus, Mary demonstrated the path of true discipleship.
But there’s more here than what meets the eye. Let’s observe some of John’s expert autopsy work:
The broken jar of perfume shows us the brokenness of Mary and our need to be broken. (Matthew 5:3-4)
Mary used an extraordinary amount of perfume, picturing her overflowing love for Jesus. (John 20:1-18)
Mary applied the perfume to Jesus with her hair; hair is culturally symbolic for submission and respect. (1 Corinthians 11:14)
The perfume directs us to the death of Jesus. (John 19:38-42)
The perfume highlights for us the aroma of Christ to the world. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17)
There is more to Judas than his words about perfume; he is not actually concerned for the poor. (Matthew 26:15)
Judas and Mary serve as spiritual contrasts: Mary opens herself to the sweet aroma of Christ; Judas just plain stinks.
The perfume presents a powerful picture of the upcoming death of Christ, for those with eyes to see; he was broken and poured out for our salvation. (Luke 23:26-27:12)
Christianity was never meant to be a surface religion which merely runs skin deep. The follower of Christ is meant for deep personal transformation, inside and out, so that there is genuine healing, spiritual health, and authentic concern for the poor and needy.
Keeping up appearances is what the Judas’s of this world do. But the Mary’s among us dramatically point others to Jesus with their tears, humility, openness, and love.
In our social landscape of fragmented human ecology, our first step toward wholeness and integrity begins with a posture of giving everything we have – body, soul, and spirit – to the Lord Jesus. Methinks Quincy was on to something.
Loving Lord Jesus, my Savior, and my friend, you have gone before us and pioneered deliverance from an empty way of life and into a life of grace and gratitude. May I and all your followers emulate the path of Mary and realize the true freedom which comes from emptying oneself out for you. Amen.
Welcome friends. Simply click the video below and let us celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ’s victory over sin, death, and hell by means of a mighty resurrection.
To extend our recognition of this glorious day, here are two links for you:
I’ve Just Seen Jesus sung by Larnelle Harris and Sandi Patty is an oldie, but still a wondrous goodie.
Hallelujah Chorus arranged by Quincy Jones is one of the most celebratory arrangements you’ll find on this classic Handel song. Sung by the Singin’ Black and White choir, if this doesn’t bring you to life, you still think Jesus is a gardener.
Finally, here is the full version of the original hymn written by Carolyn Gillette (sung at the beginning of the video):
This Easter Celebration (to the tune of “The Church’s One Foundation”)
This Easter celebration is not like ones we’ve known.
We pray in isolation, we sing the hymns alone.
We’re distant from our neighbors — from worship leaders, too.
No flowers grace the chancel to set a festive mood.
No gathered choirs are singing; no banners lead the way.
O God of love and promise, where’s joy this Easter Day?
With sanctuaries empty, may homes become the place
we ponder resurrection and celebrate your grace.
Our joy won’t come from worship that’s in a crowded room
but from the news of women who saw the empty tomb.
Our joy comes from disciples who ran with haste to see —
who heard that Christ is risen, and then, by grace, believed.
In all the grief and suffering, may we remember well:
Christ suffered crucifixion and faced the powers of hell.
Each Easter bears the promise: Christ rose that glorious day!
Now nothing in creation can keep your love away.
We thank you that on Easter, your church is blessed to be
a scattered, faithful body that’s doing ministry.
In homes and in the places of help and healing, too,
we live the Easter message by gladly serving you.
Tune: Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1864 (“The Church’s One Foundation”) (MIDI)
This new hymn is a prayer to be used in Easter 2020 worship services, while most churches are closed and people are remaining in their homes because of the pandemic. It can be used for online worship or in online written communications from a church to its members. Permission is given for free use.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have carried him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Although Peter and John have a role in this story about Christ’s resurrection, the main character is Mary Magdalene. This is significant and symbolic of the fact that it was Mary who experienced one of the most profound and deep changes of life due to the ministry of Jesus. Mary had been an immoral woman and spiritually enslaved to the machinations of seven demons. It was Jesus who thoroughly delivered her from her personal hell. Mary was forever thankful to him for changing her life, and so, she followed Jesus and supported him in any way she could. Mary was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died. While other disciples were keeping their distance out of fear, Mary was bold in standing with the other women for all to see that they were completely devoted to Jesus. Mary never turned her back on Jesus. It was Mary who was there on the Sunday morning of Christ’s resurrection. Whereas the other followers were nowhere to be found, Mary came to the grave, still with a heart given to Jesus and grieving over his death.
Because Mary had been given a new chance at life, she was deeply thankful and everything she had belonged to Jesus. Mary Magdalene was forgiven much, and, so she loved much. Here she is, after her Lord’s crucifixion, death, and burial, at the grave of Jesus. Mary came to the tomb on Easter Sunday still living in a Good Friday world – grieving, sad, and discouraged. She soon discovered, however, that Christ is risen!
In the midst of your days of disappointment, loss, or sadness, how have you been surprised by joy and the presence of the risen Christ? How has your grief been turned to gratitude? Have you seen the risen Lord?
One day, 33 years ago, I was down sick with the flu and in bed. I barely remember my wife coming into the bedroom after a doctor’s appointment upset and crying. She was trying to rouse me with a mix of good and bad news. Mary had gone to the doctor thinking that she probably had picked up my flu. Instead, the doctor gave her the news that she was pregnant with our first child. But there was more….
After the examination the doctor had reason to believe that our little baby might be in the wrong place – that she was not where she should be and may very well be in the fallopian tube and not the womb. So, here I am – barely able to move getting out of bed – driving my wife to the hospital for an ultrasound with such a range of emotions within me that all I can do is weep, feeling, much like Mary Magdalene, that my Lord has been taken away from me. It just felt like I didn’t know where Jesus was at that moment and why I was going through this surreal craziness.
I will never forget the words and even the tone of voice of the ultrasound technician as we anxiously stared at a screen we didn’t understand. The technician said, “She is right where she is supposed to be!” The tears turned to complete joy. And the words were prophetic. There was no way that the technician could know at six weeks in the womb that we were having a little girl, yet she referred to the peanut within my wife as “she.” And we immediately knew what her name was: “Sarah,” which is the Hebrew name for “Princess.” God had graced us with a precious gift of royalty, coming from the grace of King Jesus.
I want us to know this morning, on this great Day of Resurrection, that we are right where we are supposed to be. It might seem out of place spending so much time at home; not working in ways we’re used to, or even working at all; wondering where God is or how the divine fits into this topsy-turvy situation of pandemic and economic instability. The truth of matter is this: You are right where you are supposed to be. God has you precisely where he wants you. This morning, right now, you are a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Along with Mary Magdalene there is the astonished declaration, “I have seen Jesus.”
“Do Not Hold On to Me,” by He Qi, 2013. Jesus and Mary Magdalene
Let Mary Magdalene’s experience be of encouragement to you. Mary had been given a new life and was transformed by the Lord. Yet, on Easter Sunday she did not immediately get what the heck was going on. Jesus rising from death was not anywhere on her radar. The empty tomb and the angels did not immediately lead her to faith – not until she saw Jesus, and even then, she did not recognize him. Only when Jesus called her name did Mary recognize him and respond, believing it was her Lord. And Jesus is still calling out names. He is calling your name. Jesus had said to his disciples that the sheep listen to the shepherd’s voice; he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (John 10:3-4). One little word can change our lives forever: our name.
Easter opens a whole new world for us, as it did for Mary – a future of announcing good news and proclaiming resurrection. There is a simple reason why the grave clothes were left in the tomb just lying there – they were not needed anymore! We no longer need the grave clothes of discouragement, defeat, and despair. We no longer need to weep and wonder, because Christ is risen! He has called our name and we hear his voice.
The 20th century Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, said that what brings people to worship God – not just on Easter, but any day – is an unspoken question clinging to our minds and hearts: Is it true? Is it true that God lives? Is it true that Jesus is alive? Could it be true that I can live a new life in Christ? Is it true that I can rebuild my life? Is it all true? Mary Magdalene approached the tomb and found that it was true.
All over the world, this very day, followers of Jesus are testifying that this is all real: Christ is risen, and there is new life in Jesus our Lord. Right now, believers across the globe are worshiping the risen Lord because they declare along with us, “I have seen the Lord!”
God has always been in the business of changing lives. British author A. N. Wilson, used to be known for his scathing attacks on Christianity and proclaimed the death of God… celebrated Easter in 2009 at a church with a group of other church members, proclaiming that that the story of the Jesus of the Gospels is the only story that makes sense out of life and its challenges. Wilson said, “My own return to faith has surprised none more than myself …. My belief has come about in large measure because of the lives and examples of people I have known—not the famous, not saints, but friends and relations who have lived, and faced death, in light of the resurrection story, and in the quiet acceptance that they have a future after they die.”
The moment Jesus calls a person’s name, the power of the resurrection is enabled—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. See what you consider as immovable slabs of stone in your life—maybe it’s bitterness, insecurity, fear, self-doubt or cynicism. Those immense rocks can be rolled away. To know Jesus is to know the power of the resurrection. We don’t need to merely hear testimonies of changed lives like Mary Magdalene’s; we can experience new life ourselves.
There is one word, one name, which has forever changed the world: “Jesus.” And Jesus wants to change the world by uttering one simple word, one name: your name, so that you can exclaim with great joy, “I have seen the Lord!”
Mighty God, as Christ burst forth from the grave, may new life explode from us and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world. May your ever-living Son, Jesus our Lord, keep our hearts rejoicing and grant us peace this day and always in resurrection power. Amen.
It is more than ironic that one of the most powerful emotions on the planet is a feeling that is simply overlooked and often not recognized: the sense of being forgotten. I’m not talking about rejection, but just being looked past by another, neglected, or an afterthought. The sense that you are on no one’s radar can be more than disappointing – it can be devastating and destructive. Yet, there is a way in which you and I can push back on this reality for the benefit of others and ourselves. And on the other side of it, there is immense joy and satisfaction.
Notice that I didn’t mention the feeling of rejection along with the sense of being forgotten. Rejection is certainly something you don’t like to experience. It’s not a pleasurable emotion. But it isn’t the same as being overlooked. At least with getting a repudiating brush-off you are acknowledged by another. That is, someone noticed you enough to even give a rebuff your way. But with being neglected and forgotten, there is nothing. If you have ever gotten the silent treatment from a parent, a co-worker, or a parishioner, then you likely know that getting any kind of words, even harsh ones, can seem better than being ignored altogether.
Sometimes neglect is a life and death issue. There was an occasion when Greek-speaking widows in the book of Acts were overlooked. They were not given their share when the food supplies were handed out each day (Acts 6:1). When this came to the Apostles attention, it was a serious enough situation to warrant a major overhaul to the ministry system. Deacons were formed, roles were clarified, and a group of women received much needed food. In our society today, elder abuse is real. Sometimes we might forget (again with the irony) that leaving senior citizens alone and ignoring them is also a potent form of abuse.
Then, there is the situation of Mary Magdalene. She had a “past.” This Mary was immoral and influenced by the darkness (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). She was only a nameless person to be used for the benefit of others. Then, she met Jesus and her world changed. The darkness turned to light. Jesus treated her like no other before. Mary was as much a follower, maybe even more, than the twelve disciples. It was she who poured the expensive perfume on Christ’s feet and applied it with her hair and her tears (John 12:1-8). If there was anyone who loved Jesus, it was Mary.
So, you can imagine Mary’s grief when she saw her Lord tortured, crucified, and dead. The one person on earth who looked at Mary and saw something more than an immoral woman, who looked beyond the infiltration of demonic influence and observed a woman who needed to be seen and truly loved was now gone. But the story doesn’t end there….
“Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. The angels asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, ‘I’ve seen the Lord.’ Then she told them what he said to her.” (John 20:11-18, CEB)
Take note of how Jesus dealt with Mary. He asked her two questions: “Woman, why are you crying?” and “Who are you looking for?” Jesus didn’t ignore Mary. He didn’t immediately get on with the business of prepping for ascension and overlook her grief. Jesus also didn’t talk down to Mary. By asking questions, our Lord entered her grief and was present to Mary in her sheer lament over not knowing where Jesus was. What Jesus did instead is, I believe, one of the most powerful things which can happen and is clearly the antidote to all feelings of being overlooked, forgotten, and neglected. Jesus said one word: “Mary.” He said her name.
Nameless people are forgotten people. But those with names are real. Saying someone’s name acknowledges, recognizes, and even validates another person. That’s why when we are upset and mad at someone, we often don’t like to say their name. Instead, they get referred to with some other moniker such as “his mother” or “that pastor” or “some guy.” But when we use a name, it opens to us all a realm of grace, love, and compassion. It’s easy to ignore another if they have no name. Knowing a name and using it is the secret superpower which is available to everyone. Even those without academic degrees and special training have ability to change the world with only the knowledge of one word: a person’s name.
Mary’s immense grief was turned upside-down in a moment to exuberant joy – through the power of her name being spoken by the Lord who cared enough to say it.
Jesus knows your name. What’s more, he is pleased to say it. Even now, Jesus sits at the right hand of his Father in heaven interceding for you by using your name.
If there is a skill which is worth developing, it is the ability to know people’s names and to say them. Sometimes folks remark to me that they can’t believe my memory with names. Um, not so much. My memory is not really very good anymore. It’s just that, if I want to know someone’s name I use it as often as I possibly can without sounding weird about it. Repetition sinks it into my pea brain, not intelligence or some gift.
Which gets us back to the feeling of being forgotten, unnoticed, and/or ignored. Acknowledging a person through using their name shoos away those negative feelings for others as well as helps give us connection with others. In other words, it’s more than good sense to use people’s names – it is the very stuff of healthy relationships. Relations don’t sour because of differences; they go south when we stop using given names.
Those who care don’t have a special caring gene. They just know the power of a name. And it matters to them to liberally validate others with the grace which comes with knowing and using another’s name. And speaking of names, the Scriptures tell us that there is only one “Name” under heaven by which we are saved: The Name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). There is such power in naming, that it is truly a life and death affair. In the name of Jesus Christ there is no overlooking, no neglect, no being forgotten. With Jesus, there is connection, relationship, attention, and remembrance.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 