Easter B

They said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.

You must be wondering, “Is that it?” I mean, it’s Easter, isn’t it? Of all the Sundays of the year, shouldn’t today’s Gospel end on a happier note? I once had a congregation member come to me before Easter Sunday worship and say, “Pastor Keith, there are a lot of people here. You’d better not mess this up!” Tomorrow might be Opening Day for baseball, but today is the World Series for the Church. So did I just mess it up by reading a Gospel lesson that ends with terror and silence?

In its defense — or maybe this makes it worse — the ending of our Gospel lesson today is actually the ending of the entire book of the Gospel of Mark. Depending on the Bible you have, there is probably more that comes after verse 8, where we ended, but it might be in brackets to show that the earliest manuscripts that Christians have found of this Gospel, actually end there at verse 8 with terror and silence.

If that seems wrong to you, you’re not alone, and from very early on, Bible experts added a little bit to bring the Gospel of Mark to more of a conclusion. In some bibles that little bit has the title ‘shorter ending of Mark.’ And then, after that, an even longer ending got tacked on, and is sometimes called ‘the longer ending of Mark.’

But why would the earliest versions of this most important story end without resolution, and with the very first witnesses of the Resurrection unable to share what they saw?

Well, first of all, try to imagine their shock.

All along in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is misunderstood by his enemies and by his closest followers. All throughout his life and ministry, Jesus seems to defy expectations about what the authorities and his disciples expect him to be and to do. And when Jesus does these things, it is always both alarming and liberating. It is terrifying for those who encounter Jesus to find out that God is up to something that they don’t fully understand. Something that cannot be contained within the rituals and patterns of religion as they know it. But there is also something freeing, something life-giving in the newfound abundance of God’s love that seems to break into the everyday lives of people in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus announces a power of God that is out of control, like a grace bomb that is ready to release radical forgiveness upon everyone around — ready or not. It is scary, yet it holds the promise of life. Now at the empty tomb, Jesus is at it again.

In his death and resurrection, Jesus confronts the most powerful expectation there is.

Early on that Sunday morning as Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus, they fully expected to find Jesus dead, just as they left him. Although Jesus led them so convincingly as their Rabbi, ultimately he was betrayed by his own friends and handed over to powerful forces. In the end, they must have expected, fear and death had won out. Jesus brought such hope, but then that hope had to catch up with the real world. Maybe you know how they felt…

But, of course, Jesus defies their expectations one more time, because as they arrive at the tomb — the place where reality should have held Jesus in place — he wasn’t there. Imagine the simultaneous fear and amazement to find out the one most inevitable thing there is — death — was not as they expected.

And instead of the lifeless body of Jesus, they discover in the tomb a young man, dressed in a white robe. Surprising. And apparently, Jesus is already so far ahead that a angel messenger has to stay behind to help the followers of Jesus catch up. The white robed angel tells the women to share with the rest of the disciples what Jesus had already told them, that after three days he would be raised and would meet them back in Galilee. Galilee, the place where Jesus began his ministry. The place where so many were healed. So many fed, reconciled, and given the good news of the forgiveness of their sins.

They were called to go back to the place where the disciples first learned from their teacher. Back to the place where they first struggled to understand where Jesus was heading and what his ultimate mission was.

But now as Jesus calls them back to Galilee… now they know. Now, even as their hearts are filled with surprise and fear, they know that in Jesus, God has done the impossible. As Jesus goes ahead of them to Galilee they know that everything has changed. And now there is absolutely nothing that can stop the liberating good news of Jesus. Not the tomb, not the cross, not the religious authorities, … not the betrayal of his friends:

The angel in the empty tomb tells Mary, Mary, and Salome to share the news with the disciples and then specifically mentions Peter. In Greek, the language this Gospel was first written in, the words “and Peter” can also be translated “even Peter.” The angel tells them to share the news with the disciples … even Peter. Even the disciple that denied knowing Jesus. Even the disciple that failed when it mattered most.

But go, tell his disciples even Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.

And entrusted with this news of hope and forgiveness, the Gospel ends with the women at the tomb fleeing in terror and silence.

It’s not so much that the Gospel ends with sadness or defeat. The Gospel ends with a question. The angel tells Mary, Mary, and Salome to go tell the disciples and to go ahead to Galilee. But the Gospel also tells us they were so terrified by what had happened that their initial response was to say nothing to anyone. So the question the Gospel leaves us with is… so… what did they do?

If the Gospel were just an idle tale, or if the message of the Gospel was just a historical recollection, then an ending like this would be perplexing.

But… this is not just a story of the Good News for the disciples and for the first followers of Jesus. This is not just vindication for those who lived through the trauma of seeing their teacher and messiah be handed over to die.

This is good news for me and for you. You and I are part of this Gospel story. And that means that your life and mine are wrapped up in answering this question… the question about whether fear and death get the last word, or whether God’s grace and abundant life do.

In some ways this story has no end. Together we continue to live out the resolution to whether fear — or grace — wins in our lives and in our world. In some ways Jesus is still ahead of us, still defying our own expectations and releasing grace into the world as we try and catch up.

But see, now we know. Even as our hearts waver between joy and anxiety. Even as the Good News of Jesus Christ both comforts us and challenges us. Now we know that in Jesus, God has done the impossible. Everything has changed. Now there is absolutely nothing that can stand between you and God’s love — not evil, not suffering, not death.

And the love of Christ will stop at nothing to give life to each and every child of God. No matter what they think or feel. No matter what they have done or left undone. God’s love is stronger than fear, stronger than the grave. It is for all.

Even me. Even you.