William Blake, ‘Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre’ (c.1805)
Happy Easter, everyone!
For today’s Gospel reading, the Episcopal Lectionary offers a choice between Matthew and John. I prefer the latter (John 20:1-18):
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward 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. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
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 around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” 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. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 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.
Happy Easter Baron, all the best for you and your family,
Thank you Baron! Happy Easter.
After the Romans had finished with Him and Joseph of Arimathea was allowed to take the body and bury it. Jesus’ body was incapable of functioning on its own as a vessel for human life. Thomas knew this and thought that the other disciples were full of it. There has been a recent study with a nano-scale inspection that showed that the image on the Shroud was produced by an electric discharge of such a strength that any human would have been instantly fried to a crisp. So with man all that Jesus went through for us would have been impossible, but for Him, what He went through was determined before time began to quote Peter in his Pentecost speech. That is why Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and is beckoning everyone to come to Him for Salvation by Grace and fellowship and love through the Holy Spirit the He bestows upon all who call upon Him for Salvation by His Grace. Glory to God that Jesus Christ is raised from the dead and is alive for evermore.
Happy Easter, and Passover, to all here.
Thinking of you, MC; I see a family in Sderot had a lucky escape when a rocket hit their house.
Thank you for this, Baron. Happy Easter !