Easter vision: Seen, known, called by God

"My favorite story in scripture is the account in John’s gospel of Mary Magdalene going to the tomb. It was the first Easter, but Mary did not know that. She expected death. All the hopes and dreams, the excitement and promise of this new Jesus movement were dashed. The promise of the just, merciful reign of God drawing near, the new political economy of the last are first, the hungry are fed, tyrants are cast down from their thrones, the low being raised up. All gone. A naive illusion of people hopelessly out of touch with the Real World. Here were people on the brink of liberation of the new life in Christ, and it was all gone, silenced by the ruling powers – the state and the way of the world.” says Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton in her message.

Easter message by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton, LWF Vice-President for North America

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

— John 20:11-18