The Disciple the Jesus Loved

The Disciple that Jesus Loves  

10:00 am Acts 10:34-43 

John 20:1-18    

The story of the Resurrection in the gospel of John has a couple of unique features. The writer of this gospel associates himself with the apostle John, often referring to himself as “The disciple whom Jesus loved.” While much is made of Peter as the leader of the band, in this gospel at least, the apostle John is given most favored status. 

Even in the story of the Resurrection, the most important story in the entire gospel, the writer will not let the chance go by without throwing in one more, “the one whom Jesus loved.” He is not shy about self-promotion. 

But it does make one wonder, is he only seeing what he wants to see? Is he looking at the whole picture? 

None of the accounts of the Resurrection are actually accounts of the resurrection, but accounts of the female disciples discovering the empty tomb, and then getting the explanation. The key moment in our faith in Jesus the Christ, is completely left to a second-hand report. 

Mary Magdalen, Mary from the town of Magdala, goes to the tomb while it is still dark and finds the stone has been removed. She runs back to the Upper Room to report her findings to the apostles. Peter and John immediately take off for the tomb. 

They enter the tomb, and find the burial cloths of Jesus, but nothing else. The text says that John saw and believed, but he did not yet understand. Perhaps most of us are like that, we have to absorb new information in steps or pieces. New information cannot be swallowed in one gulp. 

The two of them, Peter and John, observe the scene and then leave. Like most guys I know, when there is no problem to be solved, they shrug and return home to ponder what it all might mean. Mary, stays behind. 

Now that the men have left, she is free to go into the cave and observe for herself. Two angels appear to Mary. She has a conversation with them. The men did not see angels. Were the angels present, but the men were not able to see them? Maybe, they saw them, but unnerved, they backed out and went their own way. 

Mary sees them, hears them, and converses with them. Then she turns and has a direct encounter with the Risen Christ. She does not recognize him at first. She is not expecting to see a man raised from the dead. It is hard to trust your eyes when you find the unexpected. 

The text is clear, Mary saw what the men could not see. Mary heard what the men could not hear. Mary was able to relate to the Risen Christ, before the great apostles could absorb what was happening. Maybe Mary Magdalene is “the disciple that Jesus loved.” And this is the stuff where imaginations take off, and a variety of stories and fables have their beginning. 

What is truly happening, is that we are being given an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of the divine. The creation includes both the physical world and the spiritual world. The resurrected Christ had a body, but it had characteristics that made it not immediately recognizable.

We can see that while the powers of this world dealt Jesus a violent and public humiliation and execution, the truth of God does not stop. The love of God alive in the world does not depend on the continued life and work in the world of any one person. Not even the person of Jesus of Nazareth. 

In time the disciples will be ready to see Jesus. In time the apostles will be able to talk with him. In time, they will be ready to live and act as Jesus lived and acted. 

You are “the disciple that Jesus loved.” The Risen Christ is here, in this room, to lift your spirits and make you ready for your mission in the world. As you are able to see the way that love changes our perception of reality, you will find yourself less anxious. You will be ready to respond with love, even to those who chose to be your enemies. 

Others around you might not be able to see it yet. Others around you may still be intimidated by the power of the world over our bodies. The public humiliation and execution of Jesus was meant to intimidate and silence his followers. But you are not silenced. 

So brothers and sisters, be of good cheer. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! And you have the power to bless all of creation, with no exceptions. Amen.