He Has Risen

Greetings and welcome to our April Creating Connections newsletter! In just a few days we will take time to read the scriptures and consider the events that took place during the week of Christ’s passion or suffering. The foundation of our Christian faith is based upon His perfect and sinless life, His sacrificial death for our sins, His burial in a borrowed tomb, and His glorious resurrection from the dead! For centuries, Christians have expressed their faith in words like those which are found in the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.” So today, I want to declare what the angels said to the women who went to the tomb early Sunday morning, “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.”

For just a few minutes I want to focus on the events that happened as recorded in John 20:1-10:

“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.”

This is a very interesting event that took place on that first Easter morning. All the gospels agree that Mary Magdalene was the first person to go to Jesus’ tomb while it was still dark. After she arrived and saw that the stone was rolled away, her first thought was that someone came and stole the body of Jesus. She ran to find Peter and the other disciple telling them that someone had taken Jesus’ body. She did not get it. She did not see a resurrection; she saw a robbery.

Please note that the author of the gospel of John is “John the beloved”, but he never identifies himself in the first person and only says, “the other disciple” or “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” That is how he saw himself. How do you see yourself today? How would you describe yourself to others? Do you see yourself as a disciple? A disciple is one who is a student or a follower who lives according to the teachings, pattern, and example of Jesus. Without a doubt, John lived his life knowing that Jesus loved him. My prayer is that you and I will live our lives with the same assurance. Understand that John was very close to Jesus, He knew him well. When the disciples gathered for the final Passover supper, John 13:23 says, “There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Now remember, John is the narrator here, not someone else. Peter was next to John and therefore in this context was asking who the betrayer was. Take this into consideration as we look again at what happened on Easter morning.

When Mary told them that Jesus’ body was missing, Peter and John ran to the tomb. John ran faster and arrived first. He looked inside the tomb and saw the linen wrappings, but did not go in. When Peter arrived, he went right in. Does that not sound like Peter—very bold and very impetuous? Note, John 20:6-7: “And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the facecloth which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.” This is interesting. I have studied what others have commented about this. Many believe that the linen wrappings were lying there like a cocoon which, for Peter and John, was a mystery, but an indication that Jesus’ body had not been stolen. The face-wrap, like what I am holding, was not with the other linens but was rolled in a place by itself. The New Living Translation says, “…folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings”.

What does this possibly mean? Some people have circulated a story that this folded cloth was a Jewish tradition that meant the master was coming back again, but this story has not proven to be true or accurate, so we will avoid that idea. I want to suggest another possible meaning of the cloth. Note verses 8 and 9: “So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead.” Jesus’ disciples still did not understand the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah’s death and resurrection. They were devastated at calvary. I want to suggest, and it is my suggestion only, but I believe it has merit, that it was what John saw that caused him to believe. Remember, John probably always ate at the table near Jesus. He knew Jesus probably better than most. Possibly he paid attention to the way that Jesus would fold a napkin or cloth. The word for this cloth can be used as a napkin or head sweat cloth. The scripture says this cloth was neatly folded. Did John recognize that it was folded the way he had seen Jesus fold a napkin? The scripture says, “He saw and believed.”

Is there something about the way we live as a disciple of Jesus that could be like a neatly folded napkin? Do people recognize Jesus in us? Could they be convinced that Jesus is alive, because of our love, our service, our sacrifice, our forgiveness, our giving or even the power that the Holy Spirit has given us? Jesus said to Thomas later that same night, “Because you have seen Me, have your believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believe” (John 20:29).

Today the only physical evidence we have is other people’s Christian life lived before us. We do have a surer foundation, we have the historical and prophetic accounts in scripture that tell us about an empty tomb and the prophesies that Jesus would live, die, and rise again. So, today, if you believe in the resurrection, Jesus said, “You are blessed!” Happy Easter!

Dennis Rivera
Director, Hispanic & Ethnic Relations