Everyone knows that names are important. Perhaps ever since the
writer of Genesis recorded that Adam was given the privilege of naming
all the creatures, we have had a captivation with names. Parents spend
an inordinate amount of time, and rightly so, seeking the perfect name
for their child. Decisions of whether to remember a family member or
special friend are considerations for some parents; meanings of
the name also become significant for some parents. Why take so much time
to decide upon a name? Because a person’s name will last a lifetime
and will be used to identify him or her to others.
Names find themselves in some special places. Awards, diplomas,
plaques, newspapers, business cards, and even on brass plates affixed to
walnut doors. Maybe you have heard your name from some important people–a
coach, a celebrity, a teacher. Perhaps yours is one which is used in the
practice of "name-dropping."
Or perhaps your name has only been printed in the phone book, along
with a myriad of other faceless names. Maybe you’ve never seen your
name rewarded. Some can’t remember when you last heard your name
spoken with kindness.
Some parents give their children special names: Princess.
Tiger. Sweetheart. Bubba. Maybe you didn’t have a special name. Or
maybe you’ve devoted much of your life seeking to make a name
for yourself, doing something so that your name will be noticed. Perhaps
you have received other kinds of special names, ones you never
sought. Names of derision and hurt. Names like "loser" or
"stupid" or "nobody." If so, I’m sorry. I disagree
with the old childhood taunt, "Sticks and stones may break my
bones, but names will never hurt me," because names can
hurt. But you and I also know that a name can heal.
The name ‘Mary Magdalene’ can be found in the news often these
days. Whether it is a supposed marriage to Jesus, mother of his children
or connected to her lost tomb, Mary Magdalene is still a popular figure
today, albeit all conjecture.
Before meeting Jesus, Mary Magdalene had a rocky past. She was not
the kind of girl that you wanted your son to marry. After Jesus had cast
seven demons from her, she had followed him throughout the countryside
and then all the way to the cross. The pain she experienced on what we
call Good Friday was horrible. Her grief was severe. The man who had
given her hope and shown her unconditional love was killed on the cross
by the so-called good religious people. She had seen him die; she had
witnessed him gasp for his last breath; she had heard the seven last
words of Christ, his seven statements from the cross, including,
"It is finished." Even though Jesus had already died on the
cross, a Roman solider thrust a spear into his side; Mary Magdalene
witnessed this horrific act as well. She saw Jesus’ body placed into
the borrowed tomb and saw the large stone rolled across its opening to
seal it. But now it was early on Sunday morning, and with spices in
hand, she proceeded to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ dead body.
I think John was deliberate in telling us that Mary went to the tomb,
"while it was still dark." Certainly, the sky is darkest
before the dawn, but one can also read more into that verse. When Mary
went to the tomb, her circumstance was still dark.
To her surprise, the stone was rolled back. Her mind immediately
jumped to the worse but only logical conclusion: Jesus’ body must have
been stolen. Yet who would believe her? She rushed to Peter and
John; certainly they would believe her. After all, they were two
of Jesus closest disciples; surely they would want to know that Jesus’
body was no longer in the tomb. After telling them that "they have
taken away our Lord and we don’t know where they have laid him,"
with sleepy eyes, Peter and John raced to the tomb. Mary had run to find
these two disciples, and now they also were running to the tomb.
By the time Mary arrived back at the tomb, huffing and puffing,
adrenaline pumping, red-faced, teary-eyed and scared, she found the tomb
just as she had viewed it earlier, but with no trace of Peter and John.
Grief-stricken over the death of her dearest friend, distraught from the
fear of grave-robbers, and now abandoned again by Jesus’ other
followers, Mary was left with no other option but to stand outside the
empty tomb and weep.
I wonder if her grief and tears brought back the memory of what had
happened in Bethany a couple of weeks earlier. Jesus’ friend Lazarus
had died, and upon seeing the grieving sisters, Jesus also wept. Jesus
asked to be taken to Lazarus. They moved to the tomb, which was a cave
with a large stone covering the entrance. Jesus asked that the stone be
removed, and then Jesus called Lazarus, who had been dead for four days.
Jesus called him by name, "Lazarus, come forth." And out of
the tomb, wrapped in his grave-clothes walked Lazarus. Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead, simply by calling his name.
Now, Mary was weeping outside a tomb, whose stone had been removed,
and she finally decided to peer inside. It was her first peek into the
tomb, and instead of seeing a dead body, she saw two angels who asked a
simple question, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
"They have taken Jesus from this dreaded tomb, and I don’t
know where to find him." And with that, she couldn’t bear to hear
responses from inside the empty tomb, so she turned 180 degrees only to
find someone else. Since it wasn’t Peter or John, she supposed he was
the gardener.
But it was Jesus, who posed the same question which she had heard
from the angels, "Woman, why are you weeping?" The repeated
question brought Mary more aggravation and frustration; it was a
reminder that her friend was not only dead, but also gone.
To the angels she said, "They have taken Jesus," but in
response to this question, Mary pleaded, "If you have taken
him from here, please tell me so I can see him, so I can take
care of his body. He meant the world to me, and now that he is gone, my
world has been turned upside down."
And then Jesus called her by her name. In the first two inquiries,
she was called "Woman." But when Jesus called her name,
when his voice pronounced the name which she had thought she
would never hear again, she immediately knew he was alive. Countless
times, Mary had heard the melody of her own name spoken from the Savior’s
lips, but this sound would change her life forever. Desperation turned
to hope. Grief turned to joy. Death turned to life. When Jesus calls
your name, your world is never the same.
Jesus gave Mary a new start . . . again. His resurrection insured
that she would not have to face another imprisoning tomb. She was free
from grief, and granted hope for tomorrow.
If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have been given new life as
well. If you have responded to when Jesus called your name, you
know that feeling, the assurance that life can continue, the provision
that God’s presence will provide, the promise that you are not
alone. Because of the resurrection, we have hope that there is nothing
stronger than our God, not even death. No problem is too great, no
barrier is insurmountable, no circumstance can overtake us. We will
experience difficulty in this world; life will deal us an
occasional bad hand. At times, life will be rough, but the
reality is when Jesus calls our name, our worlds are never the same.
When we think that life can’t get any tougher, when the days can’t
get any darker, or when the skies can’t get any cloudier, if we
listen, we will hear Jesus call our name. The reminder of whose
we are amid the storms of life, the dread of disease, and even the
shadow of death is enough to give us hope. The reality that God will always
be with us, even in our darkest hour of need, will continue to grant
hope for the worst of times.
So today, if you are facing tough times, fearing what lies ahead of
you, wondering how you can make it, take heart, because Jesus has not
only risen from the dead, but Jesus is still calling your name. Although
the rock was placed over the entrance to the tomb, although soldiers
were commissioned to guard the tomb, although Jesus had physically died
on the cross, on Easter Sunday, he arose from the dead, giving all of us
hope in this life and in the life hereafter.
Jesus continues to speak my name and your name in times of
difficulty. Let’s not permit our plight to keep us from hearing Jesus
speak our name. Let’s not allow our tears to blind us from God’s
presence. Let’s not allow our perception of what is happening right
now to be the only answer. Just as he came to Mary Magdalene in her hour
of dire need, Jesus will speak your name and my name,
asking us not to lose heart, assuring us of his presence, indicating
that there is hope.
What will you and I do when Jesus calls our name? Will
we not recognize his voice because our attention is so focused on our
own situation? Will we be too busy to acknowledge that Jesus even wants
to help us? Will you and I turn a deaf ear, because we can’t
physically see his face? Or will you and I find hope in the fact that
Jesus knows us so well that even at our lowest point, he will call our
name bidding you and me to come to him for peace and assurance. How will
you and I respond when Jesus calls our name?
Aren’t you glad that Jesus not only knows our names, but
Jesus also calls our names. Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen
indeed. Thanks be to God for that kind of hope. Amen.