In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is the one who discovers that Jesus’ tomb is empty. Her immediate assumption is that somebody has taken his body. Soon she will learn that more has happened than she could imagine. When Jesus spoke her name her world changed and so did ours.
It had been a treacherous week. The Disciples ate the last meal with Jesus on Thursday and followed him to the garden to pray. Then there was the arrest, trial and torture of Jesus followed by his crucifixion. The Disciples were grieved and shocked by the progression of events. They knew that everything was over. All they had planned and hoped for would never happen. But then a new day started with an empty tomb.
Easter dramatically changed the lives of the disciples. What they thought was dead was now alive. Everything changed on Easter morning. How might the empty tomb give us a different perspective on our lives? Join us for this conclusion to the “Following Jesus” sermon series. Or maybe it is just the beginning…
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on March 20, 2016 by Rev. Fred Steinberg
