Preached at Sunrise Service, Easter Morning, April 1, 2018
“One Day…”
John 20:1-18
A few months before I was gonna graduate from college, I
started to really think about the future. Graduating from college will do
that to you. I started seriously
thinking about what my future career would look like. My degree was in
finance and banking. So, I was thinking
like this: “One day, I’ll be a stockbroker, then maybe one day a bit later
I’ll get into the investment banking side of things.” The common
thread in all of this was of course money – and the potential for lots of it.
And a really important question for me was this: “What car will I
drive?” I thought, “One day, I’ll have a Mercedes.”
We’re all hoping for that, “One day” aren’t we? Each of you has hopes and dreams for the
future. It may be something like: “One day, I’ll graduate.”
“One day, I’ll own a home.” “One day, I’ll get married.”
“One day, I’ll have children, or grandchildren.” And there
are bigger-picture hopes as well. “One day, there will be a cure for
cancer.” “One day, there will be a cure for diabetes.” “One
day, there will be a pollution-free source of energy.” “One day, the war
will be over” these sorts of
things. I’m sure that each of you
has your own, “One day…” that you hope will happen - someday.
But sometimes, that “one day” never ends up actually
happening. Schooling may remain unfinished. That right person never
comes into your life. Poor life choices that end careers or doesn’t
permit them to even begin. Hopes and dreams that never happen can lead to
playing the head games of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” Leading you nowhere
– which brings regret, remorse, and guilt.
And maybe that one day does
come, the one day you dread the most: the bankruptcy, the accident, the
shooting, the divorce, the empty house, the diagnosis, the deathbed, the
funeral.
And that’s where we find Mary Magdalene early, in the
dark, before sunrise, on a Sunday morning. She, and the other disciples
who had followed Jesus for a few years now, had their hopes for the future.
Now, the previous Sunday, they were probably thinking that “one day” was
just about to happen. Jesus of Nazareth was entering the capital city of
Jerusalem just like a king! One day, they could be in His court, and
serving the king! But that one day never happened.
How quickly all of those hopes fell apart. By Friday, Jesus was
dying on a cross outside the city. “One day” turned into the day she dreaded
most. Her master was now dead. And now, on this day, she could at
least make sure His body was buried properly. That’s the least she could
do. This was not a good day. And then bad day became even worse. His
body was gone! But “one day” turned out
to be a wonderful surprise:
“Having said this, she turned around and
saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 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.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’”
The one day that didn’t
come was suddenly happening right now. With one word – her name - one
day, became, today. Today it happened.
And happened as no one expected – but exceeded everyone’s
expectations. On the cross, Jesus died as the once-for-all sacrifice for your sin and
for mine. On the cross, He bore all of our griefs and carried all
of our sorrows, all of our guilt, all of our remorse, all of our regret, all of
our “one days” we aren’t looking forward to. And He died with them
there. They are dead and gone,
forever. And now, the one day, the new day, has come! That
“one day” has already happened for you in Jesus Christ. And in your
baptism, you have been attached – connected – to Jesus – dying with Him and
rising with Him. So the “one day” has already happened to you.
Yet as we gather here early in the morning on the first
day of the week before sunrise, we’re still waiting – waiting for the full
fruition of “one day.” Our own hopes and dreams of may or may not happen
“one day.” But this Jesus Christ, whom Mary saw and heard risen from the dead has
promised you and me and everyone a “one day.” That one day – that
day – when we will be where our Lord already is: risen from the dead. One
day, Christ will return – in glory – in the glory of God as He truly is. One day, your Lord will call you by name.
And you too will rise from the dead – just like Him. And on that one day, when “one day” becomes
today, all the pain and sorrow and regret and remorse and guilt and shame will
be lifted. One day all of that will be lifted off of you, like a huge
weight off of your back, so that you can soar – and live in the joy of God’s
kingdom – a kingdom prepared for you and me.
That is our hope. That “one day”, will one day be “today.” And everything changes and is made right and
new – forever – in Christ.
But here’s the
thing: you get a foretaste of that one day, today. Just a bit of
that “one day” - is today - this Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord in the
year of our Lord 2018. Today is a foretaste of His victory over sin, and
death. Today is a foretaste as you hear
and experience the words, “I forgive you all of your sin, in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Today is a foretaste
as you remember His words, “I am with you always to the end of the age.”
Today is a foretaste as you may taste and see that the Lord is good: “This
is my body, given for you. This is my blood, shed for you for the
forgiveness of your sins.”
So with Peter,
John, Mary Magdalene, and all the other eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection
from the dead, rejoice! Today…rejoice that despite all the days you may
endure in your life, “one day” has already come. His tomb outside of Jerusalem is still empty.
Christ is still risen from the dead.
And one day, one great day, He
will come and make all things, including you, fully and entirely right and new
again. Until that day, we join with angels and archangels and all
the company of heaven saying, “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.” Amen.
