Easter 29 What Makes History History

[HKHaugan]

No matter how hard atheists, agnostics, intellectuals, and religionists try and destroy belief in Jesus there is no way anyone can deny He is the pivotal point in the development of modern history. The growth of science, education, medicine, economics and civilization itself erupted from the event of His life and its impact on the hearts of mankind. But what made His life such a force was the volcano that blew the roof off of the sinful human heart, His Resurrection. He dug in where no one realized the real progress of humanity would find its momentum, the individual human heart. He did it with His own heart through His death on the Cross. From there He alone set its future in motion.

So far we have spent a good bit of time looking at the meaning of the Resurrection which is why we need to keep the actual Resurrection before us. So let's return to the Gospel of John. In John 20 the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus after His death is introduced by His disappearance (vs.1-8). Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb only to find it empty. She assumes that someone has stolen the body. She runs to tell Peter who in turn runs to the tomb with the other disciple whom Jesus loved. They entered the tomb.

What they saw jarred them. Jesus’ grave clothes were still there. The linen strips intertwined with the 75 pounds of aloes and myrrh encasing Jesus’ body (Jn.19:39-40) remained neatly arranged. It was as though His body simply disappeared, evaporated, dematerialized, through His encased grave wrappings, causing them to collapse where they were. They were not gone or strewn about, which would have been the case if the body were stolen or disturbed. The grave clothes remained intact. The body was gone. This is what caused them to believe. It wouldn’t be until later, after they searched Scripture, that their experience would be spiritually explained and confirmed.

What do we find here? Three conclusions that cannot be ignored.

First, you can’t ignore the Resurrection because the Resurrection won’t let you ignore it. What's more, and this is critical, it won't let you ignore spiritual reality. The empty tomb defies its denial. It has added spiritual perspective to the way human experience has been and will be recorded. Human history is not just a record of visible events but also a record that includes the invisible spiritual forces driving those events. Regardless of what people believe in, belief itself is a spiritual function and what people believe brings with it spiritual forces motivating their action.

Second, you can’t ignore Scripture. The Resurrection lifts Scripture above all other literature. It presents a balanced, logical and rational context for the guidance of the mind and heart. It concentrates on the importance of individual human belief and behavior as the true center of power in shaping the world. The Resurrection has made the Scripture the spiritual lifeline for all humanity.

Third, and most important of all, you can’t ignore Jesus. The Resurrection is really all about Him. He is the One who challenged the idea that history is simply a record of the events of governments, empires, kings, kingdoms and their enterprises. He restored the idea that it is individuals who have faith, and act in faith, that shape history. History is really the result of what people believe in and their willingness to act upon what they believe. Ninety nine percent of humanity goes unrecorded in secular history but every act of every person is recorded in spiritual reality. Jesus is the One who shifts the burden of history’s movement to Himself and His people. History is real, spiritual, eternal and personal. Because of Jesus everything takes on a personal and interpersonal dimension.

Vs.10-18. Apparently Peter and the other disciple left Mary without sharing their experience of the grave clothes with her. She remains at the tomb crying then goes in and sees two angels sitting where Jesus’ body had lain. They ask her why she’s crying. She recounts her belief to them that someone took Jesus’ body. Having said that she turns and sees but does not recognize Jesus who too asks her why she cries. She thinks whoever this is has the body until He says her name. She not only recognizes Him she addresses Him as she has known Him, Teacher. He then directs her not to hold on to Him but to go and tell His brothers that He is returning to His Father and their Father and His God and their God. She relates to them that she saw the Lord.

If anyone had reason to grieve it was Mary Magdalene. She is the one out of whom Jesus had driven seven demons. Jesus had transformed her life. She supported His ministry. She was there at the Crucifixion and then saw Joseph of Arimathea put His body in the tomb. He had died. He was gone. Over. Even Jesus dies. What now but to grieve and suffer the aftermath of the death of a loved one. Even the sight of two angels in the tomb could not offset her sorrow.

But then an amazing thing happened that rearranged the lifetime conditioning of her conscious humanity. She turned from the angels to see another person behind her she didn’t recognize. This must be the gardener. Who else could it be? He asked her why she was crying and for whom she was looking. Maybe he had taken the body. What other explanation could there be? At that moment Jesus said to her,” Mary.” She cries out in recognition, “Teacher!” Immediately He tells her not to hold on to Him because He has not yet returned to the Father and to go to His brothers and tell them that He is returning to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God. Mary goes to the disciples and tells them all she experienced at the tomb.

What I would invite you to do now that you've read the actual account is to think about three things: first, what it means to you, second, the implications it has for the present and third, how you would present it to someone in a conversation.