John 20:1-18 “Close Encounters”
Nobody expected it. Even though they’d been told. The whole story up to this moment seems odd. And then there’s the encounter. Had it happened today, April 1, we’d probably figure it for an April Fools Day joke. Crucified people stay dead. They just do. For some reason I’m thinking about the Steven Spielberg movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Maybe you remember Richard Dreyfuss’ character being so changed by something that’s happening to him that he begins to act really weird. Really. Weird. Devil’s Tower out of mashed potatoes weird. And what about Noah? Building a boat near no water weird. And the disciples? Trying to feed thousands with a few fish weird. And then, the encounter. The spaceship opens up. The rain starts falling around the ark. The baskets are full to overflowing. The gardener calls you by name and you recognize the risen Lord. All the foolishness begins suddenly, miraculously, overwhelmingly, life-changingly, to feel like God’s wisdom. What happens next will change your life. Are you ready for the journey?