You Are Looking for Jesus

March 31, 2024 Easter Sunday homily on Mark 16:1-8 by Pastor Galen

The Women at the Tomb

Very early on that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome made their way to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body.

The women were numb with grief. Jesus, their rabbi, their teacher, their friend, Mary’s son, has just been crucified two days prior. They were still in shock. How could this have happened? Why did they do this to him? Jesus had always been loving and kind. Sure, he had been critical of the religious establishment. And yes he caused a commotion when he turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple courts. But he had good reasons for doing so. And nothing he had done even close to warranted execution. 

But here they were, bringing spices to anoint his body. How could this have happened? And what would they do now that he was gone?

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome each had interesting backstories—interesting journeys with Jesus that led them to come looking for Jesus on that first Easter morning. 

Mary Magdalene was a Galilean woman most likely from the town of Magdala on the west bank of the Sea of Galilee. There are a lot of myths surrounding her, but all we know from the Bible is that Jesus delivered her from seven demons (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9), after which she became a follower of Jesus (see Matt. 27:56-57). We also know that Mary Magdalene was there when Jesus was crucified and buried (Matt. 27:61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; John 19:25), and a few verses later in Mark chapter 16, we see that she was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection (Mark 16:9).

Mary, referred to here as the mother of James, was also the mother of Jesus. Mary had of course known Jesus all of his life, since she had given birth to him, and raised him. And, since in those days, girls typically married in their mid-to-late teens, Jesus had been around for the majority of her life as well—33 years of her life, in fact. She was there when he took his first steps, and when he spoke his first words. And she was there when, as an adult, he performed his first public miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2). In fact. it was her insistence that Jesus do something to help that led him to perform that first miracle. She too was there when he was crucified and buried.

And then there was Salome, who probably first heard about Jesus through her sons, James and John, when they left their father’s fishing business to become followers of Jesus. At first, she probably thought they were crazy to leave everything behind to follow a wandering teacher and miracle worker, but eventually, she too became a disciple. Maybe it was the moment Jesus healed her neighbor of a fever. Maybe it was the kind way he spoke to her. Maybe it was seeing the impact he had on her sons as Jesus invested in them and mentored them. Whatever it was, she too had chosen to follow Jesus. She was there when Jesus was crucified. And she too went with Jesus’s mother Mary and Mary Magdalene to anoint Jesus’s body. 

Who Will Move Away the Stone?

And so these three women, each with their own unique backstory, were bound together in a common purpose and mission, to find and anoint, and thereby honor, Jesus’ body. 

But on their way, they remembered the stone. When Jesus’s body was taken down from the cross, his body was laid in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock, and a large stone had been rolled over the entrance to the tomb. In their state of shock, they had forgotten about the stone. There was no way they could move the stone by themselves, so they wondered who they could get to roll the stone away from the entrance so they could anoint his body. Perhaps they could convince one of the guards stationed at the tomb to roll the stone away for them. Perhaps they could find the gardener. They weren’t sure what they would do about the stone, but they went to the tomb anyway, trusting and believing that somehow, some way, the stone could be rolled away, and that they would get to see and honor Jesus. 

Sure enough, when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. More importantly, Jesus’ body was not in the grave, because he had risen! A young man dressed in white (most likely an angel) was sitting in the tomb where Jesus’ body had been, and he declared to them “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here” (Mark 16:6). 

Certainly, this was Good News. It was, in fact, the best news ever! Jesus was no longer dead, but he had risen! The young man told them to go and tell the other disciples, but the women were terrified and amazed and fled the tomb without saying anything to anyone. Of course, we know they did eventually tell the other disciples, or else we wouldn’t know this story. We know that these women were the first preachers of Christ’s resurrection—the first evangelists to share the good news that Jesus is alive. But in that moment they were terrified and amazed. And who could blame them? 

The news that Jesus had risen from the grave was such good news that Jesus’ other disciples thought it was “too good to be true,” until they saw the risen Christ for themselves. Outside of Jesus’ inner circle, many thought it was simply “wishful thinking” on the part of the women. But the women knew that something incredibly profound had happened that first Easter morning. They knew that Jesus’ resurrection changed everything, because it meant that he was not just a teacher, or healer, or a really good person, but that he was so much more than they could have ever dreamt or imagined. He was and is the Son of God, God made flesh, who came to dwell among us, to show us the way to God. Christ’s resurrection changes everything because in his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death and the grave. And Christ’s resurrection is just a foretaste of the resurrection that is to come when all who have been redeemed and made new by the power of the cross and the resurrection will be raised to eternal life, to live forever with the Lord (see 1 Thess. 4:14-18.) That is indeed good news—the best news ever!

Stones and Christ’s Empty Tomb

Like these three women, each of us has had a different spiritual journey that led us here to honor Jesus today. Like Salome, perhaps a friend or family member brought you here today. Perhaps, like Mary Magdalene, you had a transformative spiritual experience sometime in your life that changed the trajectory of your life, and that’s why you’re here. Or, perhaps you feel, like Jesus’s mother Mary, that Jesus has always been a part of your life, and you just can’t imagine what life would be like without him. 

But whatever it is that brought you here today, perhaps there are stones in your life that make it difficult for you to see Jesus. You want to see Jesus, to honor him, but some obstacles just keep getting in the way, and you wonder how they could be rolled away.

Maybe it’s a profound sense of loss or grief. Maybe it’s doubt. Maybe it’s hurt or pain, or worries or concerns about the future. Maybe you’re experiencing conflict with a family member or friend.

Whatever it is, it’s always there, nagging in the back of your mind, and it’s difficult for you to see or experience the fullness of life that Jesus has to offer. And you wonder how it could be rolled away.

But even if the stone had not been rolled away from the tomb, Jesus would still have risen from the grave. If the stone had still been in its place when the women arrived, it would have prevented them from seeing that the tomb was empty, but it would not have changed the reality that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb, because he was and is alive. 

And the same is true for us today as well. No matter what doubts we might be wrestling with, no matter what seemingly insurmountable obstacles stand in our way, they do not change the truth that Jesus Christ has risen from the grave and that he was victorious over sin and death and the grave. And because he was victorious, we too can be victorious.

And so the thing for us to do is just to keep putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that if we continue looking for Jesus, if we continue seeking him, God will one day roll the stone away. One day the light will break through, and we will see Jesus face to face, in all of his glory. As we read in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

And so we continue to pray, continue to knock, continue to seek, trusting and believing that Jesus is alive and well and that he is at work even in the midst of a world filled with pain and heartache and grief. Jesus is bringing healing where there is sickness, hope with there is despair, and life where there is death.

And so this morning, let us go forth in joy and amazement, rejoicing in what God has done for us in raising Jesus from the dead, as a foretaste of the resurrection that is to come. Let us pray and seek God to roll away the stones in our lives so that we may see Jesus in all of his splendor. And let us encourage one another with the truth of the Gospel that Jesus is alive, that he has conquered sin and death, and that through Christ we too can be victorious. Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection:

1. Consider the obstacles in your life that prevent you from fully experiencing the presence of Jesus. What are these “stones,” and how do they impact your spiritual journey?

2. Think about moments in your life when you’ve experienced doubt or uncertainty about your faith. How did you navigate through those times, and what helped you regain a sense of assurance in your beliefs?

3. Reflect on the role of community and relationships in your spiritual journey. Have there been people in your life who have helped you encounter Jesus in meaningful ways, similar to the disciples’ experiences with Jesus and the women at the tomb?

4. Reflect on the significance of Jesus’ resurrection in your own faith journey. How does the reality of Jesus’ victory over sin and death impact your perspective on life’s struggles and hardships?
5. Consider how you can share the message of Jesus’ resurrection with others in your community. What practical steps can you take to be a witness of God’s love and redemption to those around you?