Bible Tuesday for Easter Sunday, 2017

Jeremiah 31:1-6

At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall take your tambourines, and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy the fruit. For there shall be a day when sentinels will call in the hill country of Ephraim: “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.”

The image of God as the groom and Israel as the bride is a common one in Hebrew Scriptures. However, in this passage, that imagery is mixed with the description of the nation of Israel as one person: “when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away.”

Jeremiah is prophesying to the nation of Israel when it has been horribly rebellious, corrupt, and idolatrous. They have earned defeat by the Babylonians but they do not accept it. They keep praying to the myriad gods they have worshiped, in addition to Yahweh, that some deity will save them from enslavement. The above passage is a statement of love and a promise of salvation by God to this wayward people.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

2Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

14The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;

16the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”

17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

20This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

23This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

24This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Some scholars interpret this psalm as a victory song that has been reworked to celebrate Israel’s return from exile in Babylonia and the rebuilding of the Temple. It also is thought to be used during worship as a call and response litany. Architectural imagery is used throughout the psalm, culminating in the very familiar “cornerstone” metaphor.

Colossians 3:1-4

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

The writer of the letter to the church in Colossae admonishes his readers to trust in the resurrection that he assures them they already have. Why waste time fussing about “what you should eat, or what you should drink, or what you should wear? Seek first the kingdom of God, and then all these things shall be added to you.”

Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; 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, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

This gospel says that only the two Marys go to the tomb, while Mark says it is Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, Luke says they are all the women who traveled with Jesus from Galilee which are named in chapter 8 as Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Suzanna, and many others, and John says it is Mary of Magdala alone. Matthew alone says that the angel caused an earthquake when rolling away the stone.

The gospel of Matthew is the only one to have guards posted at the tomb to ensure no one steals Jesus’ body. The description of the angel recalls Matthew’s description of Jesus during the Transfiguration, a scene that causes the guards to pass out. Note that the women do not look into the tomb as they are invited to do, but race off to share this joyful, fearful news with the rest of the disciples.

But they are stopped on the road by the risen Lord, himself! The women in shock and surprise, kneel down at Jesus’ feet and worship him. Jesus has been the recipient of such extravagant adoration before his burial too, anointed with perfume and tears. Jesus responds to these women with words of comfort and the charge of evangelism. “You women see me now. Tell the rest that they will see me in Galilee.” In the gospel of Mark, the women are too afraid and tell no one anything, but in this gospel, they run to share the best news ever with anyone who will listen.