Help! With my curious Easter Sermon
An experiment
Preaching from John’s account of the resurrection this year (John 20.1-18), I am wondering if there is some play between the first words of Jesus in the gospel and his first words after his resurrection?
It is striking to me that Jesus is the Logos, the word, and yet he doesn’t speak until 1.38. Who speaks before him? John the Baptist, the crowds attracted to John, Pharisees, John’s disciples who are drawn to follow Jesus. That seems like a lot of talking before the Logos gets a word in edgewise? But, when the Logos speaks, revelation happens! The Logos makes no proclamation, no declaration, but asks a curious question. “What are you seeking?” This isn’t the first time God comes in curiosity. His first words to hiding Adam were also not declarative, but inquisitive, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3.9).
God may ask these questions out of his own curiosity, and he may ask them for us. It is a pre-grace to consider the answers to these questions: Do you know where you are? Do you know what you are seeking? Do you know whom you are seeking?
Here is where you can help.
Do you have any ideas why Jesus’ first words are “what are you seeking?” but his resurrection words are “whom are you seeking?”
Why does God (and God in Christ) come asking questions?
How do questions function in the life of a disciple?
And in John 18:4, in yet another garden Jesus asks the Roman Cohort "Who do you seek?" not once, but twice...
Echoes from the borderlands of Eden as well... Genesis 3:9-11, where in that first garden, God calls to the hidden ones, "Where are you?" and "Who told you?" God is searching and knowing us and helping us to search and know ourselves by asking after us...