The Risen Lord and the Journey of Faith: Mary Magdalene's Encounter

The Lord is risen!
He is truly risen!

Dear Congregation,

John reports that Mary Magdalene was the first to go to Jesus' tomb in the morning. After seeing that the tomb was open, she returned and told the disciples about it. Peter and John ran to the tomb and found Mary’s statement confirmed. They left, troubled and uncertain.

Meanwhile, Mary had returned to the tomb. She must have looked around in confusion. Her heart was heavy, and she wept.

Then John continues his account:

John 20:11–18
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.

Now Mary dares to glance into the tomb. She does not seem surprised to see two angels there. After a brief dialogue, she steps out of the tomb.

And now what? What happens next?

Suddenly, another figure stands there. She does not recognize that it is Jesus—she assumes it is the gardener. Like the angels, this person also asks, “Why are you weeping?”

This is a pastoral question. A person who is sorrowful and burdened should have the opportunity to speak about their grief. Again and again, people talk about their deceased loved ones, the time they spent together, or perhaps the days of illness. In doing so, what weighs on their hearts is brought out of the depths. The sorrow is examined, the mourning is expressed in words. Otherwise, there is a danger that these feelings remain buried in the unconscious, making the person melancholy. By talking, the grieving person begins to reengage with life. The sorrow is processed, and the lament finds space.

“Why are you weeping?”
Because I am sad. Because I don’t know how to go on.

Jesus presses further: “Whom are you seeking?”

Mourners sometimes wander aimlessly. They search for the one they miss. Only weeks ago we sat across from each other at the table—now the seat is empty. Some cannot bear it and seek distraction. Just to get away from home, to experience something else, to avoid brooding.

Whom are you seeking? What are you seeking?

Throughout their lives, humans are seekers. Basic needs want to be satisfied, moments of happiness are longed for, fulfillment in partnership, family, friendship, and leisure is pursued, while pain, illness, and death are avoided. In the end, it all comes down to the question of life and death.

Mary seeks the dead and finds the living. She even sees Him, but does not recognize Him. This too is a metaphor for faith. In this age and world, faith is not primarily about seeing. Nevertheless, the vision of God is the ultimate goal of faith.

You can experience every day that people do not come to faith through sight. Does everyone who walks through nature say, “Oh, how beautifully God has created everything!”? Every little flower, every little creature, the processes of nature are indications of God’s greatness and creative power. And yet, not all people find faith in God through such experiences.

Mary laments her distress to the stranger. Where has the body been taken? Can you help me? She still wants to anoint the body. Jesus speaks only her name: “Mary!” Only then does understanding dawn. Through hearing, she recognizes the One who speaks to her—not through sight, but through hearing.

Later, the apostle Paul will remind the Romans: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). This remains true to this day. It is about hearing and obeying. People often say: Prove the claims of faith. Provide evidence—I want to see it. But Scripture says: Listen!

Even to Thomas, the doubter, the risen Lord said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The believer also wants to see, no doubt; but first, they must listen. Even today, the voice of Jesus reaches out to people: Mary, Peter, Bernd, Lea, Silke, Jochen… all of you, do not tune it out. The risen and living Lord speaks to you. And you have the promise, as John later writes in his letter: “We shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Yes, faith will one day see.

For Mary, hearing her name made all the difference. She confesses: “Rabboni,” meaning: Teacher. She is so overjoyed that she wants to embrace Jesus. But He gently stops her: “Do not cling to Me.” Why does Jesus do this? Mary wants to hold onto Him. But He cannot and will not remain here. He will return to the Father. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, we learn that He will not leave His followers as orphans. He will equip them with the Holy Spirit. In a different way, He will indeed remain with them.

Jesus does not want Mary to cling to Him in an earthly, physical way. She must find the path of faith, which will later also involve listening. Thus, she is given the task to go to the disciples and tell them what has happened. So even the disciples are reached through hearing.

“I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” What a perspective! The disciples are to have the same relationship with the living God that Jesus Himself has. My Father is your Father, My God is your God.

Through His return to the Father, He will open heaven for His own.

When humanity was expelled from Paradise, the door was slammed shut, locked, sealed—no one could enter. But now, that is over. The door is open once again.

The weeping can cease; the search is over.

Christians are people who have an open door to heaven.

Onward to God! Onward to the Father!

Through Jesus Christ, who has risen from the dead.

Amen.

The Lord is risen!
He is truly risen!

Sermon held on 04/20/2025