One of the treasures of St Nicolas’ is the 16th Century brass with a picture of Jesus’ resurrection engraved on it. It is normally hidden by the carpet but we have a replica which is often on display or taken into schools and elsewhere. The brochure about the replica encourages people to read John 20:1-10 and provides this commentary on some of the key phrases readers will encounter:
- While it was still dark. Easter Services are often held at dawn. But the resurrection is not like day breaking. The new things God does often take place when we see no glimmer of hope; it is only later that we discover God was at work in our darkness.
- The linen wrappings lying there. When Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, John says Lazarus came out of the tomb wrapped in linen. So John now indicates that what is being discovered is something totally different from the mere resuscitation of a body.
- Mary stood outside the tomb, weeping. The two senior disciples have gone home. The first witness of this new thing that God is doing is not going to be a senior confident, believing man. It is going to be a low status distraught abandoned woman.
- She did not recognise Him, nor did she think he was naked having left his grave clothes behind. There is indeed something totally different about the risen Lord; in him we glimpse the multi-dimensional reality of God far beyond our limitations of time and space.
- Do not cling to me. Discovering the reality of the resurrection of the Lord is never going to be an end in itself, a security blanket nor a private possession. Each encounter with God is going to impel us to go on to something new.
- He showed them his hands and his side. The risen Lord may be totally different and even able to appear behind locked doors, but this doesn’t mean he is not the same man; there is no body left behind in the tomb and the wounds of crucifixion are on the risen body.
Canon Peter Mullins