Before Jesus died, he had a long conversation with the disciples, and during this conversation he said to them,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself so that where I am, there you may be also.”
Early in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus, just resurrected, and on his way home to his Father, sees Mary weeping outside the garden tomb he has just vacated. He pauses, and watches her peering into the tomb. Jesus overhears her saying to the angels that she is crying because she doesn’t know where his body is.
And typical Jesus—not quite home yet himself, and needing to get home and to complete his mission by returning to his Father—so you’d think he’d just go ahead on—
Instead, Jesus pauses and stands near Mary and when she turns around, she sees him and thinks he’s the gardener. But when Jesus calls her name, she realizes that Jesus himself is standing there before her.
In her joy, she must want to open her arms wide and embrace him in ecstasy—
“You’re alive!”
But Jesus says, “Don’t hold on to me. Because I’m going to the Father. Go and tell my brothers that’s where I’m going—I’m going home.”
And Mary remembers the promise that Jesus made to them all before he died.
“And I will come again and take you to myself.”
Now she knows that Jesus will be back again after he checks in with his Father.
So now Mary can let Jesus go with joy and she can go and share this news with the disciples as he asks her to do—because she knows that he will be back.
Here’s the good news of the resurrection.
God is always with us! Always!
That morning in the garden, Jesus interrupted his journey home to his Father to call Mary’s name, to surprise her with his new life, and to give her new hope.
And not only that, he tells her that she will never be alone, no matter who or what she will actually lose in this life, because she is part of a greater family—she is part of the family of the Risen Lord—she and Jesus are brother and sister, and they share the same parent, God, who is always bringing new life to birth.
Jesus reminds Mary that her home is with him in the heart of this life giving God, and Jesus will show Mary the way to get home to God as well, whenever she is seeking new life.
The good news of the resurrection is that Jesus will always take the time to come to us, to surprise us with new life, to call our names, and to talk with us.
Jesus reminds us that we will never be alone, no matter what terrible losses we face in this lifetime. And Jesus reminds that new life is always possible, even in death.
Now we have our brother Jesus, risen and ascended, who will never desert us. We have our parent, God, and our home in God’s heart, even as the things that mean the most to us in this world inevitably pass away. But now we know that new life comes out of death. Jesus shows us that through his resurrection.
And now we know the way to new life because Jesus has shown us the way home by ascending to God.
The words of a familiar song, “Going home,” that is sung to the hauntingly beautiful music of The New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak, describes our way home to God and to new life right now, made possible by the resurrection of Jesus.
Mary may have felt the joy of these words on her way home to the disciples to tell them the news that she had talked with Jesus and that she was sure that he would be back with them soon—and she told her brothers that when Jesus came to them he would show them all the way home to a new life in God.
Going home, going home,
I am going home,
Quiet like, some still day
I am going home
It’s not far, just close by
Through an open door
Work all done, care laid by
Never fear no more
Mother’s there expecting me
Father’s waiting too
Lots of folks gathered there
With the friends I knew…..
Morning star light the way
Restless dreams all gone
Shadows gone, break of day
Real life has begun
There’s no break, there’s no end
Just a’living on
Wide awake, with a smile
Going on and on
Going home, going home
I am going home
Shadows gone, break of day
Real life has begun
I’m just going home
So rejoice on this Resurrection Day.
Jesus calls our names.
We are beloved members of God’s family.
Jesus, our Risen Lord, is with us, giving us hope and new life here.
Jesus prepares a place for us in the life to come.
And now we know the way home. Amen.