2025-04-20 John 20: 1-18 Resurrection is still happening

We have just heard the Easter story again - a story we know well. The empty tomb. The confusion. The joy. The wonder. It’s a story we tell every year, yet it still moves us. The resurrection isn’t just a past event. It’s about what continues. It’s a movement of God that continues. Christ’s resurrection didn’t end at the empty tomb. It began there. It continues when hope rises from despair, when someone forgives instead of holding onto anger, when love overcomes hate, when someone chooses kindness, justice, or mercy, even when it’s hard. The resurrection continues. This message is especially powerful for us today. Many of us have faced losses - loved ones, health, strength, or certainty. We carry memories, grief, and questions. But Easter reminds us: even in the darkest moments, God is not finished. Even when all seems lost, resurrection is possible. Because Jesus resurrected from the dead. Resurrection always comes after death. Without death, there is no resurrection. Mary stood in sorrow, thinking someone had taken Jesus’ body. She didn’t recognize resurrection at first, but then a strange voice called her name. And everything changed. Resurrection often comes not with loud trumpets or grand miracles but quietly, personally, in a way that touches our hearts. The resurrection continues throughout history. I’d like to share with you a true story about a young person in Korea. In 1970, Jeon Tae-il was a 22-year-old factory worker in Seoul, having started work at just 14. He was a devout Christian. And his faith deeply influenced his actions. One day, he realized how badly the workers, especially young women, were being treated. They worked very long hours in unsafe conditions for very little pay. Many became sick but couldn’t see a doctor, and no one listened to their cries. When Jeon Tae-il began studying the labour law on his own, he discovered something deeply troubling. The working conditions were not only unfair but they were illegal. He tried to speak up. But the government turned away. The factory owners didn’t listen. Even the churches remained mostly silent. He kept speaking the truth. He kept working to bring justice and dignity to the young women around him. Yet no one listened. Then, while trying to find a way to make people listen, he came to a bold decision. One day, he went to the front of the market-ironically named the Peace Market-where factories were packed with young workers. There, holding a book of Labour Laws, he set himself on fire. And before he died, he cried out: “We are not machines! Follow the law!” Something began to shift after his death. People began to wake up. Ministers, church members, students, and some workers alike. They started to ask. “Where was the church when this young man cried out?” “Where is God in the suffering of the poor?” “What does it mean to follow Jesus in a world full of injustice?” Some ministers said Jeon Tae-il’s death was not just a political act but it was a kind of crucifixion. It opened their eyes, like the resurrection opened Mary’s eyes. They shaped what is now called minjung theology, a theology rooted in the lived experiences of the people, especially those who suffer injustice. They came to see that God is not far away or merely watching from above. God is present and at work in the struggles of the poor, the rejected, and the silenced - not just comforting them, but moving through them as agents of history. And in their stories, Jesus rises again, not only as a symbol of hope, but as a force of transformation. This may seem like a heavy story. But I share it today to offer “hope”. What happened after Jeon Tae-il’s death was a kind of resurrection. A new movement began. People organized. Laws changed. Churches found renewed purpose. His sacrifice brought new life to many, and through their lives, he was resurrected. And isn’t that the message of Easter? That from sorrow, new joy can rise? That from death, new life can begin? Christ’s resurrection is not only about the past. It is rising still, in us, around us, through us. We see it when strangers are welcomed. When refugees are offered safety, the hungry are fed, someone forgives after many years, and the church finds new ways to serve and love its neighbours. This is the quiet, steady work of resurrection. Not always dramatic, but deeply real. Christ’s resurrection is happening even now, in places where daring justice is being lived out, where people stand up for what is right with courage and compassion, going beyond fear, even beyond the fear of death. It is present through those who follow Jesus with deep spirituality and bold discipleship, especially those who serve with humility and strength. And the good news is this: we are a part of it. You and I, with our stories, our faith, our small acts of love, we can help bring resurrection to life. We can be part of the rising. So today, we say not only “Christ is risen,” but also “Christ is rising, still.” In us. Around us. Through us. Let’s keep our eyes open for signs of resurrection. Let’s be people of hope. People of kindness. People of courage. Because resurrection is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning.