Sermon Luke 24:1-12 Women at the Tomb

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Luke 24:1-12 Women at the Tomb

Easter Sunday - March 27, 2016

            Today is Easter.  On this day we remember the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He died on the cross and was buried in a tomb, but on the third day he was resurrected from the dead.  Our slavery to sin has come to an end.  The kingdom of God has come near.  All believers are assured of eternal life through Christ’s victory over the grave.  With death conquered we have nothing to fear and are free to live the lives God created us to live.  This is a day to celebrate.

            On the very first Easter morning a group of women approached the tomb where they supposed Jesus’ body lay.   Most Bible stories are about men.  But the Easter story is about women.  And so I would like to tell you the story of these women and how they came to be at Jesus’ tomb on the day of resurrection.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

            “Most wonderful God,  we no longer look for Jesus among the dead but the living. We thank you for the glorious love that is now immortally among us! We pray that we may abandon ourselves in adoration and commit our energies to serving beside Christ in this world which has now become a territory of much promise. To you be all thanksgiving, praise and glory, on earth and in highest heaven!”[1]  Amen.

           

            Who are these women who play such an important role this day?  Who are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and all the other women who brought spices to Jesus’ tomb for his burial, discovered the tomb empty, and heard the good news that Jesus has been risen from the dead from an angel?  Let’s hear their stories. 

Luke 7:³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

            One of the women who came to the tomb on that first Easter was a woman with a bad reputation.  Everyone knew what she had done.  And she was overwhelmed with guilt and shame.  But she turned to Jesus with love and received his forgiveness.  She was a woman of great faith, and I believe she was one of the women at the tomb that Easter morning.  And there were other woman with her.  Let me tell you about one.

Luke 8:42b As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

            Here is another unnamed woman.  She had been suffering for twelve years and no one could heal her.  But along came Jesus and with just one touch of his robe she was healed.  She was a woman of great faith who worshiped at Jesus’ feet and I think that she too was at the tomb on Easter morning.  So we have two women at the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning, one who had experienced forgiveness the other had experienced healing.  And there were more women at the tomb.  Here is another one.

Luke 7:  ¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.¹³ When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

            Here is a widow grieving for her only son who has died.  Jesus was filled with compassion for her and raised her son from the dead.  I have no doubt that this woman was at the Jesus’ tomb to witness his resurrection too.  So for we have heard about three unnamed women in Luke’s gospel.  One was forgiven.  One was healed.  And one experienced great joy when she saw her son resurrected by Jesus.  All three of these came to faith in Jesus because of  the blessings they had received.  And because of this they got involved in Jesus’ ministry. And there is still more.

Luke 8: 1 Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

            The women who had been forgiven and healed and overjoyed began following Jesus.  They were as important as the male disciples.  They supported Jesus’ ministry financially.  They probably cooked their meals and made their clothes.  My guess is that they later talked with Luke and became the source from his gospel.  Let’s look at the faith of these women.

            As Jesus made his way to the cross Luke tell us this, Luke 23:^27 “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.”  As Jesus was dying on the cross, Luke tells us this.  Luke 23:  ^49 “But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.”  And when Jesus was removed from the cross and taken to the tomb Luke tells us, “⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”

            The male disciples denied Jesus and fled in fear, but the women stayed with Jesus all the way to the cross.  The women turned out to be far more faithful than the men. Then we hear this.

Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.

            As a result of their faith, God blessed these women by making them the first witnesses.  The saw the stone rolled away.  The looked in an empty tomb.  The heard the angel’s voice say, “He is risen.”  And they remembered that Jesus had told them that he would rise from the dead.  As witnesses to Jesus’ ministry and resurrection they were ready to give their testimony.    And so we read.

⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 

So, who were these women who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection.  Some of their names are recorded in Luke’s gospel.

¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

            All of us are followers of Jesus.  We come to church and listen to prophets predict his coming.  We listen to his teaching.  We hear about what he did.  And we are witnesses of his life, death and resurrection.   God has filled us with faith.  And like the women we are ready to give our testimony.

            So tell other about the blessings you have received from God.  Tell people how you have been healed.  Tell people how you have experienced forgiveness.  Tell people about the promise of eternal life for all who believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.  Do these things and your names will be written in God’s book too.  Let’s pray.

Holy God our Salvation:
you roll away the power of sin,
     bringing forth the One
     who makes everything alive.
Out of the garden
of violence and hate
which evil has planted,
     you bring forth
     a spring harvest
          of love and forgiveness.

Jesus Christ, Creation's Gardener:
you went into the grave
     to drive out the power of the world;
you shut the doors
     of pain and death
and open the gates of glory
     to those who trust in you
     and follow as your faithful servants.

Holy Spirit, Anointer of new life:
you speak
     and open our eyes to faith;
you touch our lips
     with glad songs of victory;
you roll away our fears
     so we can tell everyone
          we have seen the Risen Lord.  Amen. (http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com/2016/03/liturgy-wcommunion-for-march-27-2016.html)

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[1] http://www.bruceprewer.com/DocC/C28eastd.htm