Mary Magdalene was standing in the darkness of the first Easter. Her reality was being challenged as told in the first verse of the 20th chapter of John.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
John 20:1
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.” Not the words of Easter to which we pay much attention as we run with Mary to tell Peter and John the news about the empty tomb.
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.” Not the words of Easter we emphasize as we stand with Mary weeping outside the tomb and hear Jesus calling her name as the risen Lord.
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.” This is not the first time that darkness defines the first day of the week in the Bible. The first five verses of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, tell the story of how chaotic darkness provides the possibilities for creation on the first day of the week in the opening creation story of the Bible.
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5
On the first day of the week, God ordered creative possibility by saying “let there be light” to darkness. On the first day of the week, Jesus spoke order to resurrected creative possibility even while it was still dark.
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark.” On this Easter Day, this first day of new creation made possible by the empty tomb of Jesus, I confess that I have jumped over the first verse of the 20th chapter of John as I have preached about Easter. I have wanted to rush forward to the good news about the empty tomb without taking time to hear the story of Easter while it was still dark.
As I have watched the news about Ukraine over the past month and a half, I have been confronted by the reality that before you can live in the light of the empty tomb, you must spend time in the darkness of the first day of the week. Before you can witness to faith in the risen Lord on Easter Day, you must spend time in the dark as you stand on the edge of faith in the risen Lord.
A Ukrainian Church of which I have become aware during the month and a half is called Calvary Chapel Kharkiv. Viktor Fisina has been pastor of this congregation for 11 years. His wife is Victoria and they have two daughters. Their family has relocated to Kviv which is in the western part of Ukraine. I invite you to hear their story on this Easter Sunday as told on the church’s Facebook page.
Kharkiv was a very peaceful, prosperous city with a huge IT sector. Nearly 1/3rd of IT companies are located in Kharkiv. It has a number of large parks, an opera house, two large zoos, Universities and has one of the biggest town squares in the entire Europe. This all is being obliterated now, with particular interest in civilian targets.
FEBRUARY 24TH CHANGES EVERYTHING
We were awakened by the huge explosion in the neighboring area. A merely 5 minutes later another explosion followed, shaking our entire building. We knew at that moment: our city started to being bombed by Russian army.
Immediately, we grabbed our documents and rushed out to get into the car. I began evacuating my family from the city to Western Ukraine, a city of Lviv, city in the utmost west of Ukraine. We still cannot fully comprehend what happened
We drove 28 hours non-stop through the middle of Ukraine to get here through enormous traffic jams and empty fuel stations. As we drove, we saw other cities being bombed along the way, the road was dangerous. Honestly, there was a time I did not know if we would make it….it was scary like all hell broke loose.
By God’s grace, we made it safely to Lviv. The city is overwhelmed with evacuees. When we arrived, our friends gave us a temporary shelter. Now, we’ve changed 3 places in under two weeks in the search for a more permanent residence. I realize I need to work, I am trying to work, but I am mentally exhausted.
But our story did not end here. Over the past two weeks, we’ve been helping a number of family members, friends, and church members to get to safety or get some supplies to carry on.
We now rent two apartments in an effort to provide housing and relief to evacuees. Since men of military age (18-60y.o) can’t leave, many families wish to stay here in Lviv or nearby towns. A number of visitors/families have been through those by now, some relocated further west, some relocating to the EU. One apartment hosts a family with two kids and a visitor, and another one hosts two families with kids and other people.
In Kharkiv, we still have a number of friends/church members who could not evacuate or chose to stay to try to ride it out and minister to those who need help. We’ve been sending help and supplies, finances, burning through our savings in order to help at least some.”
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” Friends, we proclaim the risen Lord in the dark places of life because we believe the tomb is empty. May God bless us as we see the Lord while it is still dark. May God bless us as we live in the dawning of the first day of the week.
While It Was Still Dark
by Pastor Marc Brown
April 17, 2022
Accompanying Scriptures: John 20:1-18
Fort Hill United Methodist Church
Order of Worship for April 17, 2021
Scripture Lesson John 20:1-18
The Good News “While It Was Still Dark”
Music “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”
Prayer
Blessing
Closing Music “Praise Him!” by Mark Hayes
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