Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.”
John 20: 18
That is the first Easter sermon: “I have seen the Lord.” No Easter lilies to be ordered. No procession with choirs singing. No worries about finding something new to say about Easter this year, since the sanctuary is full with extra family and guests. Just a simple declaration of faith, “I have seen the Lord, Alleluia, Amen.”
In John’s Gospel it all started when Jesus’ cousin, John, standing with two of his disciples pointed to Jesus as he walked by saying, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John’s disciples asked Jesus where he was staying, and Jesus said, “Come and see,” and they followed him. Then come and see eventually led to Mary telling the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” Afterwards the disciples said, “We have seen the Lord.” That is the Gospel of John: Come and see. I have seen the Lord. We have seen the Lord- to recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus.
So this Easter season listen, turn around, look, look again. Have you seen the Lord? Tell me your story. Where have you seen him? Tell me! To recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus is our story too.
Pastor Terry