Why Are You Weeping?

Why Are You Weeping?

The Resurrection of the Lord – 4/5/2026

John 20:1-20

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our reading from the holy Gospel according to St. John in the twentieth chapter with special emphasis on verses fifteen and sixteen which read as follows:

“[Jesus] asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).”

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark. This is not only a description of the time of day, it is also an accurate assessment of the world as she knew it. The sun was not yet up, the night was still there, but more than that, it was dark in her mind and heart. Jesus was dead.

The One who had cast out her demons, the One who had spoken with authority unlike the scribes, the One who had healed the sick, forgiven sinners, and called the dead from their graves had been laid in one. She saw the Lord crucified. She had seen His suffering. She saw Him give up His spirit. She saw the spear pierce His side. She saw Him buried.

She went to the tomb not in hope, but in grief. Not expecting joy, instead she has resolved to fulfill one more sad duty of love. And when she saw that the stone was taken away, she did not yet think, “He is risen!” She thought only what sorrow always assumes: “Something has gone wrong again.” “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” This is the voice of fallen man. This is the voice of a world still trapped under sin and death. Even when the victory has already happened, the heart of man does not naturally believe it. We are slow to faith and quick to fear, quick to despair, quick to interpret everything according to death instead of according to the promise of God.

And if we are honest, that is not just Mary’s problem. It is ours too. Too often, we still live

Detail of Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection by Alexander Ivanov (1834)

as though the tomb might yet have the final word. We confess Christ with our mouths, and yet when suffering comes, when guilt gnaws at us, when death intrudes into our homes and hospitals and cemeteries, our old Adam still trembles as though death were the end of the story. We still carry around our sins as though Christ had not borne them. We still accuse ourselves of sin as though the blood of Jesus had not already been shed. We still fear death as though the grave were still undefeated.

Easter is not merely the Church’s annual celebration of something Jesus once did long ago. Easter is the divine contradiction of all our unbelief. Easter is the public proclamation that sin is forgiven, death is conquered, and Christ’s atonement has been accepted by the Father once and for all. The stone is rolled away not so that Jesus can get out, as though the risen Lord were trapped by rock and seal, but so that the disciples, and you, may look in and see that the grave is empty. Christ is risen. This is no mere symbol, not only some spiritual reality alone, not a metaphor for the memory of Christ in the hearts of His disciples. He is risen bodily, truly, historically, and once-for-all.

This central truth, that Christ is raised in His body, matters far more than many care to admit. If Christ is not bodily raised, then your sins are not bodily atoned for. If Christ is not bodily raised, then death still owns your flesh. If Christ is not bodily raised, then the Gospel is sentiment and not salvation.

But He is risen. And that means that His cross worked for your salvation. His resurrection is the Father’s verdict upon the sacrifice of the Son. It is the Father’s “Amen” to the Son’s “It is finished.” It means the payment has been made in full. It means the wrath has been propitiated. It means the curse has been exhausted. It means your justification does not rest on your religious sincerity, your moral improvement, your spiritual experiences, or your emotional certainty. Your justification rests on the crucified and risen Christ alone.

This is why Easter is so precious for terrified consciences. A guilty conscience is always tempted to ask, “But how do I know enough has been done? How do I know God is not still against me? How do I know my sins really are forgiven?” Easter gives the answer: The tomb is empty. If one sin remained unpaid, Christ would still be in the grave. If one accusation of the Law still stood unanswered, Christ would still be in the grave. If one drop of wrath remained for you to bear, Christ would still be in the grave. But He is not there. He is risen. And therefore the Christian does not say, “I hope maybe God will forgive me if I have tried hard enough.” The Christian says, “Christ died for me. Christ is risen for me. Therefore my sins are forgiven.” That is not arrogance, it is faith.

This is how the Gospel came to Mary. She was weeping outside the tomb. The angels asked, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Then Jesus Himself asked the same thing: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” This was not because He did not know. It was because He meant to reveal what her tears did not yet understand. She was looking for Jesus among the dead.

Too often, we do the same. We look for comfort in dead things. We look for righteousness in ourselves. We look for peace in the world by our own hands. We look for certainty in our feelings and inner life. We look for life and blessing everywhere except where Christ has promised to be found. But the risen Lord is not found by man’s speculation or sentiment. He is found where He reveals Himself.

And how did He do that for Mary? He spoke her name. “Mary.” And with that one word, everything changed. The sheep hear the Shepherd’s voice. Faith is created not by inner discovery, but by the living voice of Christ. This is still how the risen Lord deals with His Church. He does not merely remain a distant fact of history for you to admire. He comes to you now through His Word.

He still calls sinners by name. He still says, “I forgive you.” He still speaks through the preaching of His Gospel. He still raises the dead through the waters of Holy Baptism. He still gives His crucified-and-risen body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

This is where we confessional Lutherans must remain stubborn. The resurrection of Christ is not an abstract doctrine to be affirmed and then set aside. It is the beating heart of the Church’s life. Why do we baptize? Because Christ is risen, and Baptism unites sinners to His death and resurrection. Why do we absolve? Because Christ is risen, and has entrusted His forgiveness to His Church. Why do we commune? Because Christ is risen bodily, and gives us not a memory, but His true body and blood. Why do we bury our dead in hope at Christian funerals? Because Christ is risen, and those who sleep in Him shall rise also. Without Easter, the Church has no Sacraments, no forgiveness, no comfort, no future.

But with Easter, everything changes. And not only for the end of your life, but for this life now. For the resurrection of Jesus means that your life is no longer interpreted by your sin, but by His mercy. It means your failures do not have the final word. It means your shame does not have the final word. It means your grief does not have the final word. It means your cemetery plots do not have the final word. The final word belongs to the risen Christ.

His word is not condemnation for those who are in Him. His word is peace. His word is forgiveness. His word is life. Mary had come to the tomb expecting to honor a dead teacher. Instead, she was sent out as the first witness of the risen Lord: “I have seen the Lord.”

This is still the Christian’s  Easter confession. Not: “I have figured out religion.” Not: “I have mastered my spiritual life.” Not: “I have become worthy.” But simply: “I have seen the Lord.”That is enough. Christianity is not chiefly about what you do for Jesus. It is about what Jesus has done for you. He was delivered up for your trespasses. He was raised for your justification. He died your death. He carried your sin. He crushed your accuser. He sanctified your grave. And now He lives, never to die again.

So when the conscience accuses you, answer it not with your efforts, but with Easter. When Satan accuses you, answer him not with your improvement, but with Easter. When death terrifies you, answer it not with optimism, but with Easter. When your own heart condemns you, answer it with this: Christ is risen. He was crucified for me. He is alive for me. My sins are forgiven. My death is defeated. My life is hidden in Him.

This is the faith into which you were baptized. This is the faith by which you live. This is the faith in which you will die. This is the faith in which you will rise. The grave could not hold your Lord.

And because it could not hold Him, it will not hold you.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

 The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.