EASTER REFLECTIONS - DR. GIL HAAS, ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Our three-year Lectionary rotates the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the gospel lessons assigned to Easter/Easter Week.  In Matthew, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” entered the tomb because an angel employed an earthquake to roll away the stone.  The angel petrified the guards and spoke with the women.  Jesus later hailed and encouraged them to inform His disciples.  In Mark’s simpler narrative, Jesus “appeared first” to Mary Magdalene who told his unbelieving disciples.  In Luke, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, and “other” women found an empty tomb and two angels who reminded them of Jesus’ foretelling his death and resurrection.  The women informed the unbelieving apostles.  In John, Mary Magdalene described to Peter and John the empty tomb.  After running there, John and Peter entered the tomb discovering the collapsed burial cloths and the napkin formerly on Jesus’ head rolled up in a place by itself.  A weeping Mary peered into the tomb and saw two angels who inquired of her sorrow.  After explaining, she turned around to confront Jesus whom she thought was a gardener.  She implored the “gardener” to tell her the location of Jesus‘ body.  When Jesus said, “Mary”, she recognized Him.