None of the four gospels tells the whole story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We have to read all four to get the full picture. The well known “seven last words from the cross” for example, are not found in any one gospel account. In order to hear all seven words, you’ve got to read all four of the gospels. And, accounts of the resurrected Jesus’ appearances to his followers are spread throughout the four as well.

While all the gospels are important, probably each of us has his or her favorite. I imagine that most of us like the resurrection accounts in Matthew or in John. Of course, the story in Luke has its moments too. Who can forget the two followers of Jesus meeting him, but not recognizing him, on the road to Emmaus. After recognizing him, and recalling the experience later, they described it like this: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road!” What a beautiful way of talking about our experience with Christ – “the burning heart.” Probably that’s where the hymn writer got the inspiration for the words: “You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart.”

In comparing the gospel accounts of the resurrection, though, probably most people like the story in Mark the least. It is the briefest and gives fewer details than the others. But the thing that makes us most uncomfortable, I imagine, is the abrupt ending. Many Biblical scholars believe that the original gospel of Mark ended with verse 8 of the 16th chapter. The rest was added later, they believe. I suppose that’s one reason I like the account in Mark. It ends with the words: “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” And, just like that, it ends.

Why in the world would Mark have ended it like that? Jesus was resurrected. The women ran away in fear and said nothing to anyone. And the gospel ends right there. Why?

Some have called Mark, “the unfinished gospel”. It ends so abruptly, and it ends not with joy and celebration, but with amazement and fear. Unfinished. I guess that’s why I like it. Because it’s up to us now to finish it. Jesus has been raised from the dead. He has won the victory over those ancient enemies of sin and death. He has shown once and for all that this is God’s world, and God is in charge here. And all those things which are incarnate in Jesus’ life – love, truth, righteousness – are shown to be, not only beautiful, but also powerful. They are going to win. Okay, we see all of that in the resurrection. Now, the question is: what are we going to do about it? How will we respond to it? As Mark tells the story, it is unfinished. It is left for us to finish the story by what we say and by what we do. Can people see something of Christ in us? Can they tell, by looking at our lives, that something has happened to make us qualitatively different? Can they tell that Christ has happened to us? Tell me, what is the gospel according to us?

Perhaps we can get a clue about what we should do by looking at what the disciples did in the other gospel accounts. They responded to two invitations: First, come and see. Then, go and tell.

Look first at the story in the gospel of Matthew. In that account, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb early in the morning on Sunday. They were not expecting a resurrection any more than any of Jesus’ other followers. They went to the tomb to finish wrapping the body of Jesus with spices, a job they didn’t have time to finish on Friday because the Sabbath was about to begin. They found that the stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel announced, “I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then, go quickly and tell his disciples.”

They went running from the tomb, their pulse racing, their joy mounting. And while they were running, Jesus met them. And the first thing he said was, “Don’t be afraid!” What good news that is! Often you have heard me say that in the Bible, the opposite of faith is not unbelief. The opposite of faith is fear. That’s why, again and again we are told in scripture: “Fear not…Let not your hearts be troubled….Don’t be anxious…Don’t be afraid.” The basic choice we have to make in life is: shall we live by fear or by faith? Because of the resurrection, Jesus says that we don’t have to be afraid, we don’t have to be afraid of anything. God is. God is like Jesus. He is loving and powerful. He is in charge and He is going to win. We are in His loving and powerful hands. So, we don’t have to be afraid - ever!

The two Marys were invited to “come and see.” Once they saw, they went running to tell the story. Running. Running. There is an urgency about the gospel. There is an excitement about it. You don’t linger. You don’t stroll. You run to tell the good news of resurrection.

In the gospel of John, Mary Magdalene told Peter and the disciple Jesus loved that the tomb was empty. When they heard it, they, too, started running. They raced each other even. There is that urgency again. Running. They, too, were invited to “come and see.” That was a recurring theme in Jesus’ ministry. Whenever anyone questioned what he was doing or why he was doing it, he would always invite them to “come and see.” Jesus insisted, “By their fruits you will know them,” so, “come and see.”

That’s Jesus’ invitation to us as well. Do you believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead? Do you believe that Christ is with us now, as the risen and living and indwelling Lord? Do you believe that by living your life by faith in him your life will be ever so much better? Well, come and see. Try it out.

How do we know the truth of resurrection? How do we know the truth of the gospel? Let’s look at how those first followers of Jesus recognized the risen Christ and began to live again as faithful disciples. Thomas - you remember doubting Thomas. He said that he would not believe unless he could touch the nail prints in Jesus hands and feet. So, Jesus said, “Okay, have at it. Come and see.” I like that. There is nothing to hide. Ask your questions. Probe with your inquiring mind. Look everywhere there is to look. The more truth you find, the more God you find. God has nothing to fear from honest questioning. If you are like Thomas, at the end of all your searching you may recognize who he is. And then, like Thomas, you may be able to say, “My Lord, and my God”.

The two followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus recognized the risen Lord in another way. They walked together, they talked together, they studied the scriptures together - but in all of that they did not recognize him. Finally they recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.” They had shared many meals together. When he did that familiar thing, the breaking of the bread they said, “It is the Lord.” That is a suggestion to us that we meet him and recognize him in worship, especially in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus told us to break the bread and drink the wine “in remembrance of him.” So, we affirm that when we do that, in faith, Christ himself is present with us, giving us his gifts of love and forgiveness and guidance and strength. “Were not our hearts burning within us,” they said. That happens again and again as we come together in worship. I remember some of the first words we sang in youth choir as a Call to Worship: “Jesus stand among us, in thy risen power; let this time of worship be a hallowed hour.” I experience that. I meet him here, recognize him here, in worship.

Of all the ways of recognizing the risen Christ, I especially like the way Mary Magdalene recognized him. She met Jesus, there outside the tomb. But she was weeping, thinking that someone had stolen Jesus’ dead body, and she didn’t know where to find him. Thinking him to be the gardener, she asked for his help. Jesus called her by name, “Mary.” And that’s when she recognized him. It was a very personal, intimate moment, when he called her by her name.

It is always so when we hear our name called. When our name is called, it means that we are recognized as a distinctive, unique individual. We are not lost in the crowd. We are known by our names. And the good news is that every one of us is known by name. And, when we are open to it by faith, the risen Christ makes himself known to us as he calls us by our name. Listen. Do you hear it? He is singling you out. He is calling your name.

Some of us are leaving for Israel tomorrow. Some others will be leaving in about 10 days. For us it is not just another tour. It is a spiritual pilgrimage. Like the first century disciples, we are running to the tomb. We expect to find that it is still empty. And what we hope for, more than anything else, is to experience there the risen and living Christ, who will place joy in our hearts and a song on our lips. Because that’s what always happens when we meet and recognize the living Christ. That’s what always happens when Easter becomes real.

Whatever you have to do to make that happen in your life, do it. Accept the invitation to
“Come and see.” Run to meet him. Because, once you do, you will never again be the same.

As I said, those first century disciples responded to two invitations. The first was, “Come and see.” The second was, “Go and tell!” Well, if you do the first, you can’t help doing the second. Once you encounter the living Christ, you can’t keep still, you have to run. And you can’t be quiet, you have to tell.

Remember the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday? The people were shouting and celebrating, waving palm fronds. The religious leaders, fearful that an unruly crowd would arouse the wrath of Rome, told Jesus to make his followers stop, to be quiet. Do you remember what Jesus said in response? He said, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out!”

You can’t keep the good news of Jesus bottled up. You just can’t. If you have met the risen Lord and recognized him, if you understand what God has done for us through his life, death, and resurrection, there comes to us such a joy, such an excitement, such enthusiasm that we just have to go and tell. And, if you can keep from telling that story, then that is evidence that you have no story to tell!

I think about the Apostle Paul who met the risen and living Christ on the road to Damascus. It turned his life around and he proceeded to turn the world upside down. And, from that day on, even though he was rejected, beaten, ship-wrecked, imprisoned, and finally killed, his life was filled with joy. Even while imprisoned in Rome, not knowing whether he would live or die, still he exuded joy. Listen to what he wrote to the Philippians: “I have learned in whatever condition I am, to be content….Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice!” Once you have met the risen and living Christ, how can you keep from rejoicing and telling others? Come and see. Then go and tell.

There is a beautiful anthem that expresses it. I was privileged to sing for awhile with the Atlanta Sacred Chorale, under the inspired leadership of Dr. Eric Nelson. Dr. Nelson took a song by Robert Lowry and arranged it, and that anthem has become the unofficial theme song of the Chorale. The words are magnificent. Listen:

“My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentation;
I hear the sweet, though far off hymn that hails a new elation;
Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing,
It finds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing?

What, though my joys and comforts die? The Lord, my Savior liveth;
What, though the darkness gathers round! Songs in the night He giveth;
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin; I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes since first I learned to love it;
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart, a fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am His – how can I keep from singing?”

Isn’t that great? If what the gospel says is true – and I believe with all my heart that it is – if what the gospel says is true, how can we keep from singing? Once we have come to see, we must go and tell. And we must do it with joy and with song.

Do you understand, then, why I say I like the short version of Mark’s Easter story? It is an unfinished gospel. But it is our privilege to complete the story by the way we live and by the way we die, singing joyfully all the while.

There is a benediction that says it, and I’ll let this be the final word.

“He came singing love. He lived singing love. He died singing love. He rose in silence. If the song is to continue, we must do the singing.”

Prayer: God, our Father, enable us this day to meet the risen Christ in the deep places of our lives. As we meet him there, take away our fear and replace it with faith. Complete the gospel story in our lives by the faithful way we live and die. And, in the presence of our risen and living Lord, help us joyfully to sing the resurrection song! In his name we pray. Amen.