In the Flesh: What Peter Saw

 On Easter Sunday, we see two of the most prominent of Jesus' followers and what they experienced following the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene shows up at the tomb early in the morning. Finding the tomb open, she goes to find Simon Peter (see John 20:1-18).

Earlier, I focused on Mary and some of what she experienced. When all the male disciples fled, the women remained to the very end. What was it like for them showing up that morning and finding the tomb that way? What did it mean for Mary when Jesus came to her outside the tomb?

Now I turn to Peter. He promised to follow Jesus to the very end, and then he denied him three times while following along after Jesus' arrest. Realizing what he had done, Peter goes away ashamed and in tears. Three days later, what is he to make of the empty tomb? 

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Earlier this morning, our primary focus was on the experience of Mary Magdalene. Mary showed up at the tomb to discover the stone rolled away. Not sure what this meant and perhaps fearing what she might find inside, she ran off to find Peter.

We know that Peter holds a special place among the apostles. The Twelve, as they are often called, were the inner circle of male disciples, the men who were closest to Jesus. But even among the Twelve, Peter, along with the brothers, James and John, held a special place. Peter is almost always present at the most important events. He is with Jesus on the mountaintop when Jesus is transfigured. Peter is present in the Garden when Jesus prays before his arrest. Peter holds a place of privilege amongst the other male disciples.

Interestingly, the argument can be made that Mary Magdalene holds a similar place of privilege among Jesus’ female followers. Whenever a list is given of the women who followed Jesus, Mary Magdalene is listed first, just as Peter is for the male followers. And so it makes a certain amount of sense that these two of Jesus’ followers figure so prominently in this first story following the crucifixion. Given this understanding, it is also no wonder that Mary would have run off to find Peter first to tell him what she had found.

Upon discovering the tomb open, Mary likely feared the worst. A recently dead body. A tomb that has been open for who knows how long. The presence of wild animals in the surrounding hills. Who would want to enter that tomb alone?

The last time we saw Peter, he had been following Jesus after his arrest. In doing so, he was recognized and called out, but three times he denied knowing Jesus. Realizing what he had done, Peter had left in shame to be alone.

So here we are, three days later, and Mary comes rushing to find Peter to tell him that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Peter would have had no reason to disbelieve her. Mary had a prominent place among Jesus’ followers as well. She had stayed until the end. She had seen where his body was laid. She obviously came to tell him this so that he can come with her to see. So they set off for the tomb.

The other disciple that is with them is quicker to arrive at the tomb. He makes it to the tomb first, but he waits outside, perhaps afraid to enter alone just as Mary was. However, when Peter arrives, he goes straight into the tomb. 

Perhaps expecting to find a gruesome sight, Peter is instead perplexed by what he finds. Jesus’ body is gone, but the linen clothes are simply lying there. To confuse matters even more, the head cloth is folded neatly and placed aside by itself. If the body had been dragged off by wild animals, surely the linen burial cloths would have been torn and dragged around as well. If someone else had come to remove the body, surely they wouldn’t have left the linens behind either.

The gospel writer tells us that they did not yet understand either the things that Jesus had told them or the things that were to be found in scripture regarding the resurrection. Perhaps they began to ponder this new information with the things that Jesus had said. We are told that the other disciple saw and believed, but Peter appears to still be lost in thought as they return to where they are staying.

Considering all that has happened, perhaps we can understand. Peter was the closest of the male disciples to Jesus. After all they had been through together, Peter likely still feels ashamed for how things ended a few days ago. Just as Jesus had said, the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. Peter could not in fact follow Jesus to the end, to the cross. 

“What if Jesus really has come back? Surely he won’t want to see me.”

At this point, Peter does not yet know the joy. He has perhaps begun to feel an inkling of hope, but it is safe to assume he also still feels the shame of his denial.

I think there are times we can identify with Peter. We get hung up on all the things we have done wrong, the ways in which we have fallen short. Perhaps we have had the experience of denying Jesus in some way, be it big or small. If we have denied Christ, it may be difficult to feel the joy of this day.

And yet, looking back at what Peter has experienced, perhaps we can find some joy after all. We have the benefit of knowing the whole story. We know what Peter does not. We know what comes next. But even without that knowledge, there is already enough good news here for Peter to know some hope.

At the meal they shared before Jesus was arrested, their final meal where Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, Jesus did not turn Peter away. He did not exclude him from the meal. Jesus still asked for him to be close as he prayed in the garden. In fact, Jesus didn’t even turn Judas away from their final meal together, knowing what was to come later.

To make this even more clear, the Gospel of John presents that final meal in a slightly different light from the other Gospels. Not only do they share a final meal together, but Jesus shows the disciples exactly what all his teachings mean. Jesus, their teacher and friend, the one they have been following, the one they have begun to think of as the Messiah, takes on the role of a household servant and kneels before each of the disciples to wash their feet. Knowing Peter would deny him three times before the following morning, Jesus washes his feet. Knowing Judas is the one who will betray him, Jesus washes his feet.

We can know the joy of the resurrection because Jesus comes to us even if we have denied him. Jesus comes to us even if we have betrayed him. 

I think this is the reason that Peter needs to go home to ponder these things. What if all those things that Jesus said are true? If the one we followed as the Messiah died on the cross, was it all meaningless? But if he really is back, what does that mean for us? If the one who offers us love and forgiveness even knowing the worst we have done is still alive, how do we reconcile that with our own guilt?

So far, all Peter has seen is the empty tomb and linen cloths. He has not had his own encounter with Jesus. Even Mary has not yet had her own encounter following Peter’s departure. All Peter has at this moment is his guilt and his uncertainty about what the empty tomb means.

I imagine it is the same for many of us. We have our guilt and our uncertainty. We know the things we have done, the things we have left undone. We know the tomb is empty. We have the hope that the forgiveness that Jesus offers is enough.

And so, we come like the earlier disciples to see that the tomb is empty. We come to ponder what that means for not only us, but the rest of the world. We come with our guilt and our sorrow, our pain and our grief. We come to find unexpected hope, to acknowledge that joy may be possible once again.

We come to gather at the table, as Jesus gathered with his followers and friends, his chosen family. Jesus invites us to the table, knowing both what we have done as well as what we still may do. Still Jesus invites us. Still Jesus feeds us. Still Jesus offers us forgiveness and grace.

May we hear Peter’s story and know that there is hope for us and for all of those around us.

May we gather at the table, invited by the risen Christ.

May we gather together and recognize Jesus in our midst.

In the Flesh: What Mary Saw

 On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection. We celebrate that death cannot overcome God's love for us. In the words of Westley, "Death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it awhile."

After seeing their beloved friend and teacher arrested and put on trial, after the men scattered and went into hiding, after the women watched him die, the disciples had no hope left. As far as they knew, everything they had worked for was now done. They did not yet realize how true that was, even though it was not finished in the way that they thought. They were not prepared for the events of Easter morning. They were not prepared for the stone to be rolled away and the tomb to be empty. The other disciples were not prepared when Mary Magdalene came to tell them what she had found. 

Mary was not prepared for what she saw when she arrived at the tomb that morning. She was not prepared for what she saw in the tomb after Peter and the other disciple left. She was not prepared for what happened next (see John 20:1-18).

As is often the case, Jesus interrupted her grief with unexpected joy.

Turn Around: The End? (or Together We Can Make It to the End of the Line)

The final Sunday of Lent is about endings (sort of). It is the end of the season (sort of). And the disciples seemed to think it was the end of the story. Then again, why wouldn't they? Jesus was arrested, tried, and nailed to a cross. Of course it was the end.

We might know the rest of the story. They didn't; not yet.

Our readings for the day cover a lot of ground - from the entry into Jerusalem in Mark 11 through the entire Passion narrative found in Mark 14 and 15. 

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Today we celebrate Palm/Passion Sunday. In the liturgical calendar, this Sunday is a celebration with a bit of an identity crisis. We start with the celebratory entrance of Jesus entering Jerusalem. We end with his death on the cross. Where the crowds cried out “Hosanna!” -- “Save us, rescue us” -- as Jesus rode into town, the crowds are crying “crucify him!” within a matter of days, and then standing by to watch as the deed is done. On this Sunday, our readings cover it all.

It wasn’t always this way. Traditionally, this Sunday in the church calendar is simply Palm Sunday. It is our entree into Holy Week. Historically, the church has seen the events between Jesus entering Jerusalem that final time and everything that took place from then until the cross as taking place in a single week. So over the course of Holy Week, we Christians traditionally celebrate Jesus entering the Temple to overturn the tables, his predictions of his own impending death, Judas conspiring with the religious authorities, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trial, and the cross.

But honestly, relatively few people will get out and attend services during the week. People lead busy lives full of other activities. Many people have work schedules that don’t allow for attending church during the week. And, frankly, a lot of Protestants feel like all that church is just a little too “Catholic.” 

However, this can also lead to a bit of a disconnect with the story. Assuming we are only able to show up on Sundays, regardless of the reason, if we celebrate Jesus riding into Jerusalem one Sunday, maybe imagining the disciples playing Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” and then the very next Sunday we read about Jesus popping out of a tomb, we might be left wondering what exactly is going on. One week we’re celebrating the return of the king and the next we’re talking about the Resurrection. When did Jesus die? How did that happen? When did I miss that?

To help us understand a little better, I must return to the very important Star Wars trilogy. You see, Holy Week is basically The Empire Strikes Back of the gospel story. Literally. We end the first movie with a celebration, and then the next thing we know our heroes are on the run, much like the fearful disciples as they watch Jesus making whips, turning over tables, and predicting his own death. We have someone that we thought was a friend that leads to betrayal. We see Han Solo tortured by the agents of the Empire. And then Han is encased in carbonite where he will remain hanging until he rises again. At the start of the third movie in the original trilogy, we see the daring rescue of Han Solo.

Now, imagine for a moment that you watched the original Star Wars and then jumped straight to Return of the Jedi. You end in celebration and then you jump to Han frozen in carbonite while Leia and the others try to save him. When did Han get captured? How did Luke learn to use a lightsaber? What in the world is going on?

That’s kind of what happens when people can only come to church on Sundays and you miss all the stuff that happens during Holy Week. And so, this final Sunday of Lent morphed. Many churches now celebrate this Sunday as Palm/Passion Sunday. Much as we are doing today, they start with the entry into Jerusalem, cover the events of Holy Week, and end with the cross. In truth, the gospel readings this year cover the part of Mark 11 that we read at the beginning of our service and then the entirety of chapters 14 and 15. 

Obviously, this means there is a lot packed in here today, more than I could possibly do justice to in a single message. Do we focus on the palms, on the note of triumph that the disciples feel coming into Jerusalem alongside Jesus. The way that entry happens is a call back to the kings of old being welcomed into the city.

We could focus on the story of the woman who pours perfume over the head of Jesus, an act that Jesus describes as an anointing. This continues the theme of Jesus’ royalty while also representing the preparation of the body for burial. 

The last time I preached on Palm/Passion Sunday, my primary focus was on the meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. This is a part of the story that we are familiar with from our regular celebrations at our table here. It is also an important reminder of Jesus’ humanity, the reality of his human body, and his call for us to remember him everytime we gather for a meal, whether it is at this table or not.

Or maybe we could focus on the events of the garden. Jesus goes to pray, and we are again reminded of Jesus’ humanity, of the very human part of himself, as he prays in the garden to be freed from the suffering that he knows is to come. How many of us have ever faced a situation that we knew would lead to pain and suffering and wished the same?

Then there is the matter of the betrayal and arrest. The sign of mutual affection and respect turned into an act of violence -- “one man betrayed with a kiss.” Jesus’ mocking of the crowd that has come to arrest him, knowing they were sent by the chief priests. And all of the questions that arise around the fact that Mark includes the story of an unnamed disciple who runs off naked when the authorities try to grab him, too.

I could choose to focus on any one of these pieces that we have read so far this morning and have more than enough material for a good sermon. Or I could choose to focus on the parts of the story still to come, the parts that come at the end of my message today. But to focus on only one would be to miss part of the story. 

The truth is all of this is an important part in understanding what comes next. While some of the details change from one writer to the next, they all agree that Jesus was crucified. Reading these stories, we are reminded that even though Jesus had told them over and over, both in metaphor and in plain speech what was to come, his disciples and closest friends still did not understand. All they knew was what they had experienced -- the joy of entering Jerusalem, their confusion in the Temple, their arguments at the meals, the arrest in the garden, the sham of a trial, the gruesome death of a criminal. As best they could tell, it was all over. They started with Hosannas and wound up at a literal dead end. 

What we need to remember now is that the disciples didn’t understand, and therefore they didn’t know how the story would end. After all they had experienced following Jesus around the countryside, learning from him and coming to believe in him, the events in Jerusalem would have left them confused, shocked, frightened, and grieving. They didn’t know the rest of the story.

To help us consider how the disciples felt that week, I encourage you to listen to the song, "We Sang Our Glad Hosannas." Written from the point of view of the women who followed Jesus, it talks about what the disciples experienced that last week in Jerusalem leading up to the cross.

Most of us know where the story goes after the arrest in the Garden. After the crowd that is led by Judas, one of the twelve, shows up, they apprehend Jesus and lead him away. Peter follows for a time, but, when he is confronted, he denies knowing Jesus. Three times he denies Jesus, and then realizing what he has done, he leaves to cry alone.

Jesus is mocked, taunted, beaten, and put on trial. Hated by the religious leaders because he challenged their assumptions and taught a different way of loving God, Jesus was executed by the state for disrupting the status quo and leading the city to potential violence, even though it was the potential of violence among those that opposed Jesus that was the problem. It was an execution of expedience, as most state violence is.

And while Pilate may have washed his hands, it was still his soldiers that beat Jesus, that lead him away, that put him on the cross while many of the same people that had praised Jesus when he entered Jerusalem now cried out for his death. They hung him there with two other criminals who were to be executed as well. And then the crowds and the soldiers continued to mock Jesus on the cross.

And yet, there were believers present.

We may know that Easter is on the other end of death. But the disciples didn't know that as they walked into town. They didn't know that as they shared a meal. They didn't know that as armed men took Jesus away. They didn't know that as Jesus was questioned by the authorities. They didn't know that as their Messiah/teacher/friend suffered on the cross. They didn't know.

As we continue through this week, I invite you to try to imagine what that was like for them. If the cross was the end of the story, how is God’s love proved? If Jesus simply dies on the cross and lies in the tomb, where is the promised joy?

We may know how the story ends, but they did not have that knowledge. The cross for them is death and pain and the end of everything that they had hoped for. The joy for them was not in the cross. Their joy is yet to come. The cross may have its place in the story, but the story of salvation is not complete on Friday.

Like the Centurion, we recognize the righteousness of Jesus.

Like the crowds, we recognize the role we play in condemning the innocent.

Like the women, the only members of Jesus’ inner circle to remain that day, we watch and wait for God to do a new thing.

With the knowledge they didn’t have, we wait with hope in the midst of sorrow for the promise of God’s love that is, was, and shall be fulfilled on Easter morning.

As darkness descends,
may we ever look for the light.

As Holy Week begins,
may we ever look for the resurrection.

Turn Around: Within Us (or, We’ll Only Be Making It Right)

I came into Lent kind of jokingly thinking that the song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," provides a good overarching theme for the season. The repeated refrain of "turn around." The little reminders throughout of how we have fallen short and how we rely on someone outside of ourselves to help us through. It started as something of a joke, but each week seems to fit the part of the song that follows the previous week.

When I was initially planning out my themes for the season, I settled on the Jeremiah reading for today (Jeremiah 31:31-34). I felt like this readings helps to give some context to everything else going on in Lent. Jesus is saying and doing these things because God is making a new covenant with us. Jesus shows us what a life lived with God's instruction written on our hearts can look like. God lives in us.

And when we show the rest of the world the grace that God has given us, we make the world a better place.

Turn Around: That We Might Be Saved (or, I Need You More Than Ever)

This week, we consider our need for Jesus. But we rethink what Jesus means we he suggests we must believe in the Son of Man. Our reading contains one of the most shared verses of the gospels. What happens when we consider that verse in conjunction with the verse that immediately follows it (see John 3:14-21). And we look at how Jesus makes it clear that belief is as much about doing as it is about thinking or feeling.

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Our reading today contains one of the most well-known verses in all the gospels. It also contains one of my favorite verses in the gospels. Even so, our reading starts with a verse that is perhaps not as well known. “Just as Moses lifted the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up” (John 3:14, CEB). Other translations use serpent rather than snake and Son of Man rather than Human One. 

Of course, we know that Son of Man is a reference to the Christ, the Messiah, the expected savior of the Israelites. But the reference to a snake or a serpent may call to mind the story of Eden, of Adam and Eve, and of the expulsion from the Garden. How is one like the other?