Easter Sunrise Message, March 31, 2024
I didn't hit Record on my recorder for the Sunrise service this year. So here's the text of the sermon from my notes. It's one of the few scripted sermons I do.
Prelude - Sunrise Service is my favorite service of the year. We gather in the cool of the day, early in the morning on the first day of the week. As the sun rises behind me, we begin to feel its warming rays. We gather here at the cemetery of our church to remind us of the reality of death, but also to celebrate the rising of our Lord from the dead. It was a place of tombs like this one where the women went, a garden where people of affluence would bury their dead and store their bones in an ossuary. It was a morning not unlike this, early Spring with the sun coming up, perhaps even rising opposite the tomb itself so that its rays could peer into its depths to reveal that the tomb was indeed empty. And so we gather to remember this incredible thing, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Therefore let us hear the word of God from the Gospel according to St. John how Christ rose from the dead.
Read the Text - John 20:1-18 (ESV)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 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.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 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.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for 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.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”-and that he had said these things to her.
Opening Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, and open our hearts to receive your holy word this day. For we ask it in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Intro
Why do we as Christians gather on the first day of the week? The Law of Moses commands that God be worshipped on the seventh day, for in six days God created all things and when all was completed, he rested on the seventh day. He didn’t rest because he was tired. He rested because the work was done. In so doing, he established a pattern for the created order. And that’s why every calendar to this day is made up of seven days, with Sunday being the first and Saturday the last. The Jews still worship on the seventh day, because they have not yet believed in the one whom God sent.
But we worship on the first day of the week, because it was on this day that the tomb opened and Christ rose from the dead. And it was on this day, in this moment, in the resurrection, that the work of God was completed. Now we as Christians enter into the rest of God and worship him on the first day of the week as our sabbath. We see this established very early on in the lives of the Apostles. They were gathered on the first day of the week when Christ appeared to all of them, except that Thomas was not there. A week later, on the first day of the week, Thomas was with the disciples and Christ appeared to them again. All throughout the book of Acts we see Christians gathering on the first day of the week. And so the Westminster Confession of Faith is right when it says that the sabbath “from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.” We gather on the first day of the week to worship, to rest in Christ’s finished work of salvation, and to praise His holy name.
Exegesis
What do we see in the text today? (John 20:1) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Jesus was crucified on a high holy day, the first day of the Passover, which he had celebrated with his disciples just the night before. Remembering that the Jewish day begins and ends in the evening, established in Genesis where it says that there was evening and there was morning, the first day (Gen. 1:5). Jesus was crucified on a Friday and had died by about 3 PM, which gave his disciples time to take his body down and hastily put him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. But then there was a long wait, for there could be no work done on the Sabbath day. We don’t observe that rest as we ought. We allow things like sports and gathering for meals at restaurants to encroach on our Sabbath day. But the Jews would never work on a Sabbath, and so they had to wait until early on the first day, just as the sun was rising. This was not work to be done in the thick of night, but in the light of day. The women went to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
But then we read: (John 20:1-2) [that she] saw that the stone had been taken away 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.”
What incredible flood of emotion must have gripped Mary in this moment. Indeed, the disciples responded by running back to the tomb to see for themselves and when they saw the empty tomb they went away and locked themselves in the upper room with the other disciples for fear of the Jewish authorities. And Mary alone stood at the tomb, weeping and wondering what was going on. We’re told that (John 20:9) for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
How could they? No one had ever done this thing before, even though Jesus said he would do just that. He told them in Caesarea-Philippi that he would be handed over, that he would be put to death, and on the third day he would rise again. And they didn’t get it. Even now they don’t understand that what Jesus told them would happen has already occurred. We who are on this side of the resurrection have the benefit of knowing the truth of the Gospel, but in that moment they had no idea.
Mary continues to weep and in her grief she, too, peers into the tomb and two men, clothed in white. One of them says to her: John 20:13
“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.”
Then she turns, and with tears in her eyes and the sun in her face, she sees another man standing there, who says again to her, John 20:15-16
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
That one word is all it took. It took Jesus speaking her name, and suddenly she recognized him. It’s as if the tears in her eyes instantly dried. As if he wiped away her tears and there was no more sorrow, no more pain of death, only joy unspeakable as she began to realize that her Lord was standing before her now, and you can almost see the smile spread across her face and hear her pulse quicken as she says “Rabbouni!”
But he quickly gives her a mission. The first one sent to tell the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary is told by Jesus: John 20:17-18
“Do not cling to me, for 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.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”-and that he had said these things to her.
This good news did not end on that first day. It continues to this day. Here we are, two thousand years later, and we are still talking about this incredible event. We, too, have seen the Lord. He has called us each by name, and he has said to us, “Go and tell others.” And so we gather together on this first day of the week to remember the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, that he died for our sins, that he lay in the grave for our sakes, and that he rose again on the third day, conquering death and offering to us eternal life in His name. Friends, let us join in the proclamation of Mary, that we have seen the Lord, and that the world was turned upside down on that first day.
Closing Prayer
Father God we thank you for the witness of the disciples, who did not keep this good news to themselves but told all the world what they had seen and heard, that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead on the first day of the week. May we who gather this day and every first day worship you and praise your holy name for these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ our Lord. And may our voices join those who have gone before us in proclaiming: He is risen! He is risen indeed! For we ask it in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Prelude - Sunrise Service is my favorite service of the year. We gather in the cool of the day, early in the morning on the first day of the week. As the sun rises behind me, we begin to feel its warming rays. We gather here at the cemetery of our church to remind us of the reality of death, but also to celebrate the rising of our Lord from the dead. It was a place of tombs like this one where the women went, a garden where people of affluence would bury their dead and store their bones in an ossuary. It was a morning not unlike this, early Spring with the sun coming up, perhaps even rising opposite the tomb itself so that its rays could peer into its depths to reveal that the tomb was indeed empty. And so we gather to remember this incredible thing, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Therefore let us hear the word of God from the Gospel according to St. John how Christ rose from the dead.
Read the Text - John 20:1-18 (ESV)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 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.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 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.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for 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.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”-and that he had said these things to her.
Opening Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, and open our hearts to receive your holy word this day. For we ask it in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Intro
Why do we as Christians gather on the first day of the week? The Law of Moses commands that God be worshipped on the seventh day, for in six days God created all things and when all was completed, he rested on the seventh day. He didn’t rest because he was tired. He rested because the work was done. In so doing, he established a pattern for the created order. And that’s why every calendar to this day is made up of seven days, with Sunday being the first and Saturday the last. The Jews still worship on the seventh day, because they have not yet believed in the one whom God sent.
But we worship on the first day of the week, because it was on this day that the tomb opened and Christ rose from the dead. And it was on this day, in this moment, in the resurrection, that the work of God was completed. Now we as Christians enter into the rest of God and worship him on the first day of the week as our sabbath. We see this established very early on in the lives of the Apostles. They were gathered on the first day of the week when Christ appeared to all of them, except that Thomas was not there. A week later, on the first day of the week, Thomas was with the disciples and Christ appeared to them again. All throughout the book of Acts we see Christians gathering on the first day of the week. And so the Westminster Confession of Faith is right when it says that the sabbath “from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.” We gather on the first day of the week to worship, to rest in Christ’s finished work of salvation, and to praise His holy name.
Exegesis
What do we see in the text today? (John 20:1) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Jesus was crucified on a high holy day, the first day of the Passover, which he had celebrated with his disciples just the night before. Remembering that the Jewish day begins and ends in the evening, established in Genesis where it says that there was evening and there was morning, the first day (Gen. 1:5). Jesus was crucified on a Friday and had died by about 3 PM, which gave his disciples time to take his body down and hastily put him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. But then there was a long wait, for there could be no work done on the Sabbath day. We don’t observe that rest as we ought. We allow things like sports and gathering for meals at restaurants to encroach on our Sabbath day. But the Jews would never work on a Sabbath, and so they had to wait until early on the first day, just as the sun was rising. This was not work to be done in the thick of night, but in the light of day. The women went to anoint Jesus’ body for burial.
But then we read: (John 20:1-2) [that she] saw that the stone had been taken away 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.”
What incredible flood of emotion must have gripped Mary in this moment. Indeed, the disciples responded by running back to the tomb to see for themselves and when they saw the empty tomb they went away and locked themselves in the upper room with the other disciples for fear of the Jewish authorities. And Mary alone stood at the tomb, weeping and wondering what was going on. We’re told that (John 20:9) for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
How could they? No one had ever done this thing before, even though Jesus said he would do just that. He told them in Caesarea-Philippi that he would be handed over, that he would be put to death, and on the third day he would rise again. And they didn’t get it. Even now they don’t understand that what Jesus told them would happen has already occurred. We who are on this side of the resurrection have the benefit of knowing the truth of the Gospel, but in that moment they had no idea.
Mary continues to weep and in her grief she, too, peers into the tomb and two men, clothed in white. One of them says to her: John 20:13
“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.”
Then she turns, and with tears in her eyes and the sun in her face, she sees another man standing there, who says again to her, John 20:15-16
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
That one word is all it took. It took Jesus speaking her name, and suddenly she recognized him. It’s as if the tears in her eyes instantly dried. As if he wiped away her tears and there was no more sorrow, no more pain of death, only joy unspeakable as she began to realize that her Lord was standing before her now, and you can almost see the smile spread across her face and hear her pulse quicken as she says “Rabbouni!”
But he quickly gives her a mission. The first one sent to tell the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary is told by Jesus: John 20:17-18
“Do not cling to me, for 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.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”-and that he had said these things to her.
This good news did not end on that first day. It continues to this day. Here we are, two thousand years later, and we are still talking about this incredible event. We, too, have seen the Lord. He has called us each by name, and he has said to us, “Go and tell others.” And so we gather together on this first day of the week to remember the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, that he died for our sins, that he lay in the grave for our sakes, and that he rose again on the third day, conquering death and offering to us eternal life in His name. Friends, let us join in the proclamation of Mary, that we have seen the Lord, and that the world was turned upside down on that first day.
Closing Prayer
Father God we thank you for the witness of the disciples, who did not keep this good news to themselves but told all the world what they had seen and heard, that Jesus Christ rose again from the dead on the first day of the week. May we who gather this day and every first day worship you and praise your holy name for these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ our Lord. And may our voices join those who have gone before us in proclaiming: He is risen! He is risen indeed! For we ask it in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.