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Easter Season · Year B

Resurrection of the Lord

March 28, 2027

The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb, Annibale Carracci
The Holy Women at Christ's Tomb, Annibale Carracci, c. 1590sHermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
The women arrive with their jars and find an angel sitting on the lid of the sarcophagus, pointing into it. Annibale paints their recoil rather than their grief.Mark's account ends with the women afraid, and Carracci painted the fright rather than the joy.Annibale CarracciThe most gifted of the Carracci, who painted the Farnese ceiling and pulled Italian painting back from mannerism towards nature.Hermitage Museum, Saint PetersburgCatherine the Great's collection grown into one of the largest museums on earth, filling the Winter Palace and the buildings beside it.Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelJohn 20:1-18Jn 20:1-18 orMark 16:1-8Mk 16:1-8
Epistle1 Cor. 15:1-111 Cor 15:1-11 orActs 10:34-43
Old TestamentActs 10:34-43 orIsa. 25:6-9Is 25:6-9
PsalterPs. 118:1-2, 14-24Ps 118:1-2, 14-24

Overview & Insights

“I have seen the Lord.” (John 20:18)

The story of the empty tomb is Mary Magdalene’s story. To this point in the Gospel, Mary has been mentioned only once, with no further identification (19:25), probably because she is presumed to be well known to the Gospel’s readers. In Mark, Matthew, and Luke she is mentioned first among the women who came to the tomb on Sunday morning, but here she seems to come alone. Only her statement that we [plural] don’t know the whereabouts of Jesus’ body (v. 2) betrays a consciousness of others present with her at the tomb (contrast I don’t know in v. 13).

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Take it further: John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8

Commentary

Commentary on John 20:1-18Commentary on Jn 20:1-18 Working Preacher

Mainline exegesis of Mary Magdalene's dawn encounter at the empty tomb.

John 20 - The Empty Tomb and the Risen JesusJn 20 - The Empty Tomb and the Risen Jesus Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse walk through the resurrection appearances.

John 20:1 CommentariesJn 20:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentaries (Ellicott, Barnes, Meyer) gathered verse by verse.

Dawn: SALT's Commentary for Easter Sunday SALT Project

Reads Easter morning as the break of a new era where love has the final word.

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Loyola Press · Sunday Connection

Catholic Sunday Connection with background and family activities for the readings.

What Is Loved Is Resurrected, Easter Day (B) Sermons That Work · Episcopal Church

Episcopal preaching resource written for Easter Day, Year B.

Something Happened: A Sermon for Easter Word on Fire · Bishop Barron

Bishop Barron on the neatly folded burial cloths as a sign that someone broke out.

Background & Word Study

Gospel of John (Background)Gospel of Jn (Background) Enter the Bible

Luther Seminary introduction to John's authorship, themes, and structure.

Overview: Gospel of JohnOverview: Gospel of Jn BibleProject

Animated overview mapping John's signs, glory, and resurrection arc.

John 20:1 Greek InterlinearJn 20:1 Greek Interlinear BibleHub

Word-by-word Greek with parsing for the empty-tomb narrative.

The Church Fathers

Church Fathers on John 20Church Fathers on Jn 20 Catena

Patristic comments from Augustine, Chrysostom, and Cyril on the passage.

Sermons & Reflections

Rising Journey with Jesus

Essay on Mary Magdalene meeting the risen Christ while she remains in the holy dark.

Worship & Prayers

Easter Sunday, Year B: Lectionary Planning Notes UMC Discipleship

United Methodist worship planning, liturgy, and music notes for the day.

Podcast

#957: Easter Sunday – March 31, 2024 Working Preacher (Sermon Brainwave)

Luther Seminary’s homiletics roundtable on this Sunday’s appointed texts, including John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8.

Art & Music

Art in the Christian Tradition Vanderbilt

Searchable image database of art matched to the lectionary readings.

Study Hub

John 20:1-18 Lectionary ResourcesJn 20:1-18 Lectionary Resources Textweek

Aggregated commentaries, sermons, and worship links for the Gospel.

Questions preachers ask

What happens at the empty tomb in John?

Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled away, and the risen Jesus calls her by name; she runs to tell the disciples, I have seen the Lord.

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