15: The Resurrection
It is early morning on what will become known as Easter Day. Birds sing a dawn chorus, and children play happily in the grass and among the flowers.
The music draws from Mache dich, mein Herze, rein from Bach's St Matthew Passion, the text of which (by Picander) is as follows:
Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,
Ich will Jesum selbst begraben.
Denn er soll nunmehr in mir
Für und für
Seine süße Ruhe haben.
Welt, geh aus, laß Jesum ein!
These words - which reflect on preparing one's heart as a worthy resting place for Christ - may be translated as:
Make yourself pure, my heart,
I will myself lay Jesus to rest.
For he shall henceforth in me
Forever and ever
Find his sweet repose.
World, depart, let Jesus in!
“On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.' They remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.”
Luke 24:1-12
Although all four Gospels give slightly differing accounts of who goes to the tomb, whether they see Jesus or just an empty space, in all four Gospels the stone is rolled away. In all four Gospels women are the first to see the empty tomb and encounter the angels saying that Jesus has risen. Their reactions vary, fear mixing with joy, relief and excitement. The angels and neatly folded grave clothes show that this is not grave robbery, a rumour the soldiers try to spread, it is transformation. Jesus’ prophecy of his resurrection is accomplished; death is conquered, creation is renewed and hope is reborn. When he checks the women’s testimony and sees the empty tomb himself, Peter begins his journey from denial to faith.
Commentary by Revd Catherine Shelley
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 …there was a great earthquake; an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him."
Matthew 28, 2-7
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?' When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in white, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said, 'Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. Go, tell his disciples that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.'
Mark 16, 1-7
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone had been removed from the tomb. She ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb; we do not know where they have laid him.' Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. The other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father… Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20, 1-18
Allelujah! Christ is risen!