None of the four Gospels tells the complete story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We have to read all four to get the full picture. But in comparing the Gospel accounts of the resurrection, probably most people like the story in Mark the least. It is the briefest and gives fewer details than the others. The thing that makes us most uncomfortable, I imagine, is the abrupt ending. And I suppose that’s the one reason I like this account. It ends with the words: So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. And, just like that, it ends. Why in the world would Mark have ended such a joyous story like that? Some people have called Mark’s Gospel the unfinished Gospel. It ends not with joy and celebration but with amazement and fear. Jesus has been raised from the dead. He has won the victory over those ancient enemies of sin and death. He has shown once and for all that this is God’s world, and God is in charge here. Now, the question is: How will we respond to it? As Mark tells the story, it is unfinished. It is left for us to finish the story by what we say and by what we do. Can people see something of Christ in us? Can they tell, by looking at our lives, that something has happened to make us qualitatively different? Can they tell that Christ has happened to us? Tell me, what is the Gospel according to us? Perhaps we can get a clue about what we should do by looking at what the disciples did in the other Gospel accounts. They responded to two invitations: First, come and see. Then, go and tell.
Look first at the story in the Gospel of Matthew. In that account, the two Marys went to the tomb early in the morning on Sunday. They were not expecting a resurrection any more than any of Jesus’ followers and they went to the tomb to finish wrapping the body with spices; a job they didn’t have time to finish on Friday because the Sabbath was about to begin. They found that the stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel announced: I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said: Come, see the place where he lay. Then, go quickly and tell his disciples. They went running from the tomb with joy. And while they were running, Jesus met them. And the first thing he said was: Don’t be afraid! What wonderful news! In the Bible, the opposite of faith is not unbelief but fear. That’s why, again and again, we are told in Scripture: fear not, let not your hearts be troubled, don’t be anxious, and don’t be afraid. The basic choice we have to make in life is: shall we live by fear or by faith? Because of the resurrection, Jesus says that we don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to be afraid of anything because we are in the hands of God; and God is loving and powerful. The two Marys were invited to come and see. Once they saw, they went running to tell the story. Running; running. There is an urgency about the Gospel. There is an excitement about it. You don’t linger. You don’t stroll. You run to tell the good news of resurrection.
In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene told Peter and the disciple Jesus loved most that the tomb was empty. When they heard it, they, too, started running. There is that urgency again: running. They, too, were invited to come and see. That was a recurring theme in Jesus’ ministry. Whenever anyone questioned what he was doing or why he was doing it, he would always invite them to come and see. Jesus insisted: by their fruits you will know them, so, come and see. That’s Jesus’ invitation to us as well. Do you believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead? Do you believe that Christ is with us now, as the risen and living Lord? Do you believe that by living your life through faith in him you will inherit eternal life? Well, come and see. How do we know the truth of resurrection? How do we know the truth of the Gospel? Let’s look at how those first followers of Jesus recognised the risen Christ and began to live again as faithful disciples. Thomas — you remember doubting Thomas. He said that he would not believe unless he could touch the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and feet. So, Jesus invited him: Come and see. There is nothing to hide. Ask your questions, probe with your inquiring mind, look everywhere there is to look. The more truth you find, the more God you find. God has nothing to fear from honest questioning. If you are like Thomas, at the end of all your searching you may recognise who he is. And then, like Thomas, you may be able to say: My Lord, and my God. The two followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus recognised the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. They had shared many meals together. When he did that familiar thing, the breaking of the bread, they said: It is the Lord. That is a suggestion to us that we meet him and recognise him in worship, especially in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus told us to break the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of him. So, we affirm that when we do that, in faith, Christ himself is present with us, giving us his gifts of love and forgiveness and guidance and strength.
Of all the ways of recognising the risen Christ, I especially like the way Mary Magdalene recognised him. She met Jesus, there outside the tomb. But she was weeping, thinking that someone had stolen Jesus’ body and she didn’t know where to find him. Thinking him to be the gardener, she asked for his help. Jesus called her by name: Mary. And that’s when she recognised him. It was a very personal, intimate moment, when he called her by her name. It is always so when we hear our name called. When our name is called, it means that we are recognised as a distinctive, unique individual. We are not lost in the crowd. We are known by our names. And the good news is that every one of us is known to God by name. And, when we are open to the Gospel by faith, the risen Christ makes himself known to us as he calls us by our name. If you care to listen quietly enough you’ll hear him calling, for he is risen indeed! Amen.