St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Owings Mills MD
April 20, 2025
Year C: Easter Day
Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18
Entrusted by God to Share the Best News Ever
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
You know, this year, much like spring itself, Easter seems kind of late, doesn’t it?
Today’s joyful celebration feels like it’s been a really long time coming but, thanks be to God, it is Easter at last!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
And thanks be also to so many hardworking, generous, and talented people who have once again made Holy Week and Easter at St. Thomas’ deeply meaningful and extraordinarily beautiful.
Thank you to our Altar Guild and Flower Committee – I mean, seriously, just look at this place!
Thank you to our worship leaders: our deacon, our verger, our acolytes, our lectors our chalice-bearers., and our ushers.
Thank you to our phenomenal choir and guest musicians.
Thank you to our wardens past and present for this morning’s over-the-top delicious breakfast.
And thank you to our office volunteers and our super-dedicated church staff – so many bulletins to create, edit, print, and stuff – so many other little (and not so little) details to take care of – so much good and holy work, all to make Easter happen at St. Thomas’ Church.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Yes, for us, it is Easter. at last.
And for Mary Magdalene in today’s gospel lesson, it’s the first Easter, the first Easter morning.
But, of course, at first, she didn’t know that.
Mary Magdalene was still grieving the brutal death of her Lord.
She was in a place of unknowing, still trying to make sense of all that had happened.
Early in the morning, all by herself, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb in the garden – there’s nothing else, nothing more, that she can do, except stay as close as possible to Jesus.
Then, as we heard, Mary Magdalene made the horrifying discovery that the tomb has been opened.
Will this tragedy ever end?
Understandably frantic, Mary Magdalene ran to get Peter and the other disciple who run to the tomb, take a look around, and then they head back home – these guys are no help at all.
And Mary Magdalene is left at the tomb, alone. Or so she thinks.
As she weeps, the angels ask her what must have seemed a cruel question: “Woman, why are you weeping?”
And then a stranger – oh, it must be the gardener – he asks her the same question.
But then.
But then, when “the Gardener” calls her by name, she knows.
Mary Magdalene knows the voice of the Good Shepherd.
Mary Magdalene knows the best news of all time:
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
And now let’s stop right at this moment.
While the first Easter was happening in the garden, everyone out in the world thought that the Romans and their local accomplices had won.
The Romans and their local accomplices certainly thought so.
All the people who had welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem waving their branches and shouting “Hosanna” and then, just a few days later, called for Jesus’ death, they thought so.
Even the disciples, cowardly and unfaithful and now hiding out for dear life, even they thought that the Romans had won.
After all, everybody knew that Jesus had died on the cross and his lifeless body was placed in the tomb.
So, at this moment, on the first Easter morning, there was only one person who knew that, in fact, the Romans had not won – only one person knew that hate, violence, and death had not defeated mercy, love, and life.
And that one person was Mary Magdalene.
In that moment, she was the whole church – she was the only one who knew the Good News that mercy, love and life have won – and she was the only one entrusted by God to share the best news of all time to a frightened and grieving world.
And that is exactly what she did:
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In just a few moments, I will have the great joy and privilege of baptizing beautiful little Millie.
I mean, really, what could be better than an Easter baptism?
Millie is already off to a great start – her family adores her, and her family has deep roots in this church, a history of faith and devotion represented so beautifully today both in our font and on our altar.
And now today in the water of Baptism, God will make an unbreakable bond of love with Millie.
As we always do, during Millie’s Baptism we’ll renew our Baptismal Covenant.
We’ll promise to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.
We’ll promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as our self.
And really this means that, just like God entrusted Mary Magdalene two thousand years ago to announce the Good News, God entrusts us today to share the best news ever – to share the Good News through what we say and do – by loving our neighbors, most especially the poor, the stranger., and the outcast
This is a tall order, only possible with God’s help, only possible when we work together.
Fortunately, there are a lot of us! Just look around! Unlike Mary Magdalene who was all on her own, this place is packed with people experiencing the joy of new life, right here and now.
And here’s something else to give us a little boost, to give us some courage.
You may know that usually Western and Eastern Christians celebrate Easter on different dates, right?
But not this year.
All around the world, Christians are celebrating Easter today.
So, it may feel like Easter is kind of late this year, but, in fact, as always, God is right on time.
Today, we and Christians everywhere are having our Mary Magdalene moment.
Together, we have encountered the Risen Lord.
Together, we know that no matter how bad things may look, mercy, love, and life have won.
And God has entrusted us to celebrate and share the best news of all time.
So, let’s get to it!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Amen.
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