By Reverend Laurie DeMott

The end? For the last two chapters, Mark has been telling us the horrible story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest, of the desertion of his best friends, of his trial, his conviction, and his execution. It hasn't been an easy story to hear -- too much blood and pain -- but Jesus had promised that God would do something remarkable after his death, and so we kept listening, waiting for it all to turn out ok.

And sure enough, when the women go to the tomb, they discover that it is empty but instead of glory and trumpets, we get:

"And terror and amazement seized the women, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." The end.

We waded through two chapters for this? Where are the lilies and the soaring hymns? Where are the Alleluias and Jesus smiling at his sad disciples, saying, "Hey guys, I'm back!"? Instead we just get: "and the women were terrified and amazed and they said nothing to anyone." The Greek says they were traumatized and ecstatic. They were terrified and speechless. Or as the Message translation puts it: "they got out as fast as they could, beside themselves, their heads swimming." The end.

Now here's the thing -- the people reading the gospel of Mark knew full well that somehow the message of Jesus' resurrection did get out, that eventually the women must have pulled it together and told someone because otherwise, how would we know about it today? Those first readers of Mark were sitting in a church where every Sunday they proclaimed the risen Christ. They knew the women eventually found the courage to speak. They knew Jesus appeared to the disciples and forgave them and that those cowards who fled before the cross finally discovered the strength of the Spirit and went on to become incredible missionaries of God's love. But, Mark said to his listeners -- says to us -- just because you know that Easter is on the other side of the tomb, don't rush to greet Jesus so quickly that you forget the terror of what this all means for those who follow him. Easter should scare the bejeebers out of us. Easter proclaims that everything Jesus promised is true -- there is new life for those who follow him -- but if it is all true, that means that to get to that new life, you've got to follow Jesus and Jesus' road goes by the way of the cross. No wonder the women were ecstatic and terrified.

New life is possible -- yay! -- but something will have to die first. Lord, help me!

To get to Easter, you have to go by way of the cross.

To get to new life, something will have to die first.

For some of you, maybe the things that have to die are small things, every day things, things that you constantly need to work to put aside in order to experience the promise of resurrection. Jesus' teachings are full of those small things -- turning the other cheek, loving our neighbor, and learning how to hold our tongues. It is our self-centered existence that has to die, sometimes a hundred times a day, if we are to receive a new life of purpose, wholeness and blessing.

For others of you, though, maybe the cross you face is more wrenching. Maybe it is something deep within you that needs to change, or maybe you face a whole re-ordering of everything you know. Getting from here to there will be a harrowing journey right through the heart of Golgotha. Christ promises that resurrection is waiting for you, but he doesn't promise that tomorrow will look anything like the life you are living right now and so for you, the terror of the empty tomb is very real. Moving toward the resurrection will mean letting go of your control over your life and letting Jesus take you where he will.

Easter -- real Easter -- not the chocolate bunnies and lilies but the Easter that shakes the earth and wrenches open tombs -- is scary stuff.

It's no wonder that the women were filled with terror.

But if Mark doesn't want us to forget the terror, neither should we forget that even in the midst of their deep fear and uncertainty, the women also felt ecstasy. They knew at that moment that Christ's word was true, that God's love was victorious, and that nothing could defeat the power of God to save us and remake our worlds. They knew that if they could just find the courage to follow him, Jesus himself would go before them to lead the way to hope, and blessing, and wholeness, and new life.

And we know that they did find the courage to follow Christ because somehow, at some point, they spoke of what they had seen and proclaimed the good news. So take heart.

And we know that the disciples found the courage to follow Christ because somehow at some point they let go of their guilt and fear and spent the rest of their lives in service to him. So take heart.

And I know that many of you have found the courage to follow Christ even when following him took you by way of the cross, and because you stayed true, the witness of your love and faith has brought hope to others. So take heart.

For those today who still stand staring into an empty tomb wondering if you have the courage to let the old die so that the new may live, hear the promise of Easter. Christ goes before you to Galilee and he will meet you there. Whatever the new life is that awaits, of this you can be certain -- you will not be alone. Christ will be with you. We will be with you. And as Christ beckons you forward, he says to you, "Do not be afraid because I promise that the terror of this moment will give way to the ecstasy of new possibilities and blessing and hope.

In that promise, take heart and follow. New life awaits.