Pastor’s Message for April 2023

Happy Easter!

The Gospel of Mark presents the simplest narrative of the Resurrection of the four Gospels. The women go to anoint the body of Jesus following his rushed burial. They are wondering who is going to move the stone away from the entrance to the tomb, but when they arrive, they find the stone (which was very large, the writer reminds us) has already been rolled away. Jesus even having a tomb is surprising to those who first heard the story, as someone who was crucified in first century Judea would have simply been tossed in a common grave after their public execution and humiliation. In fact, usually the body would be left there as a warning for others until the Romans needed to use the cross again for the next execution. A wealthy benefactor named Joseph dared to go to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus to be placed in his care. It is no surprise that it is the women who are going to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body, as no Jewish man would want to touch a dead body as it was prohibited by the Law.

But then comes the turn of the narrative. The women arrive at the tomb to find the stone has already been rolled away! Curious, I’m sure, the women enter the tomb to encounter the biggest surprise in human history. The body of Jesus is missing! But the tomb is not empty, as there is someone there to greet them—the writer describes them as a young man dressed in a white robe. He explains to the women what seems completely obvious to him: Jesus is not there; he is risen! What glorious news! And then Mark ends his telling of these events with these words, “The women fled the tomb and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.” It might be easy to judge the women for their silence and fear, but are we any different? Do you really believe a man can rise from the dead? Most people don’t. For two thousand years, the idea has been ridiculed. “Do you really believe that old legend?”

What do you think? Do you believe a man can rise from the dead?

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim