Jeremiah 31:1-6 Colossians 3:1-4 Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

There are times in our lives so confounding and inexplicable that only the presence of angels can bring us clarity and solace.  Angels are messengers of God.  The Greek word used in the New Testament translates to “messenger” or “delegate”.

There are nearly 200 references to angels in the New Testament, but relatively few descriptions of encounters with humans.  The actual encounters between humans and angels come at the significant times of major transformative events – times when God has a particularly astonishing message that only the presence of angels could confirm.

Somehow, we always assume angels are female; yet, the angel who appeared to the Virgin Mary was Gabriel, a male, announcing God’s favor toward her, that through the power of the Holy Spirit, she would conceive and bear a son whom she was to name Jesus.  Across town, at about the same time, an unnamed angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to assure him that the child Mary had conceived is of the Holy Spirit and that Joseph should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife.

Months later, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem to alert them of the birth of the Messiah.  And, in the days following Jesus’ baptism, when he was driven by Satan into the wilderness, the writers of Matthew and Mark report that angels attended Jesus there in the wilderness once Satan had departed after 40 days of unsuccessful attempts to derail Jesus’s mission; it was at this point that Jesus’ ministry began.

In each of these accounts, the angels have been the messengers – the delegates of God bringing clarity and solace at a time of a major transformative event; an event that would redirect human history.

In today’s Gospel account of the Resurrection, Mary Magdalene encounters angels in the empty tomb, “sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.”

“Woman, why are you weeping?” they ask.

Without doubt, in spite of Mary Magdalene’s desperate response, they knew the answer.  And, at the same time, knew that Mary Magdalene’s tears would quickly become tears of inexplicable joy.  In the next instant, Mary Magdalene reeled around to find a stranger, quite suddenly to be identified as Jesus, the Risen Christ, soon to ascend to be with the Father.

“Do not hold onto me.” Jesus says.  Go and tell the others.

Just as the angels had brought God’s miraculous message to Mary and Joseph of the babe conceived by the Holy Spirit; just as the angel had brought the glorious message to the shepherds of the birth of the Savior; these angels in the empty tomb confirmed God’s most important message, the message of the world’s greatest, most transformative event:  Jesus, the Son of God, who was crucified, dead, and buried has risen from the dead.

Mary Magdalene, her heart bursting with astounding joy, her mind unable to grasp the reality, becomes the bearer of the message – the messenger – the angel of God.  Sit for just a moment with her joy.

What greater astounding joy could there be than to be the messenger of this message we celebrate today… Inexplicable joy, even and especially in this time of particular fear and uncertainty throughout this turned-upside-down world.

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

Let us, blessed to be the messenger-angels, go forth in the name of Christ.

Thanks be to God.  Alleluia!