Resurrection Sunday is
incomprehensible to pseudo-Christian philosophy. It must be understood as celebrating a
real, physical, coming back from the dead to die no more, otherwise it is not a
"Christian" statement of faith. Of course, this is absurd to modern Sadducees
who still seek to put an unbreakable seal
on Jesus' tomb so they can
move forward with their own agendas.
It is significant that Mary
Magdalene is among the first to discover the empty tomb. It is significant that
Peter would rush into the sepulcher to make sure his eyes saw what they saw. It
is significant that John did not.
For all three the question was compelling
because of their face-to-face
encounter with Grace and Truth in their walk with Jesus. He did not
minimalize their sin nor dismissed God’s wrath. In fact he was quite graphic
about both. But he showed them that the God who judges sin is good to those who will seek him
on his terms. For those moved by such a longing the word, “Forgiven,” will
neither lose its charm nor become an excuse for embracing that which made
forgiveness necessary.
For others (even many who claim to
believe the Scriptures), "Forgiven," is an embarrassment. It
implies a guilt they do not want to admit and locks them into that guilt
without resolution.
John, I believe, was beginning to put this
together this morning long ago. The Lamb had come... Forgiveness
could happen and it would open the door to authentic life. Life worth
living for... and worth dying for.
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