Called by Name: Finding the Risen Jesus Today

It was early on the first day of the week when Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb while it is still dark and finds the stone rolled away. The linen wrappings lie folded, but the body is gone; Peter and the other disciple run to investigate and leave puzzled, while Mary remains and weeps. Two angels ask why she is crying, and when she turns, she mistakes the risen Christ for a gardener until he speaks her name. The one-word address—“Mary”—shifts her grief into recognition and sends her to tell the others that she has seen the Lord.

The account reframes expectations: the resurrection upends assumptions about where and how God will be present. The empty tomb proves that death and human enclosure cannot hold what God wills to raise. Recognition of the risen One often arrives in simplest encounters—a single call, a remembered name, a shared meal. The narrative moves from personal grief to an entrusted mission; the risen Lord instructs Mary to go to “my brothers” and announce his ascent to the Father, linking intimate encounter with public commission.

The text also insists that the risen life is not confined to a building or a particular routine. The church bears witness to the resurrection, but the risen Christ is also present beyond the sanctuary, calling people into the world. Communion becomes a foretaste of the coming feast of the kingdom: at table, eyes open, recognition happens, and the community is given both nourishment and vocation. The liturgy that follows gathers that theology into action—thanksgiving, remembrance, and the sending of those fed to be agents of peace, hope, and service. The passage closes by urging a life shaped by courage, good works, and ongoing attention to the voice that calls each person by name.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The empty tomb changes everything Mary’s discovery of an open tomb dissolves prior expectations and forces a new reading of reality. Death no longer defines the center of the story; resurrection rewrites the horizon of hope and history. This invites a posture of vigilance: watch where despair once settled and look for new beginnings instead. [21:12]
• 2. Jesus refuses to stay confined The risen life refuses to be contained—neither a tomb nor a building ultimately claims Christ. That freedom unsettles settled practices and calls for faith that follows rather than clings. Expect God to appear in surprising places, not merely where rituals make comfort predictable. [36:43]
• 3. Recognition comes when named One spoken word—Jesus calling “Mary”—turns confusion into sight. Name-bearing embodies intimacy and authority; to be named is to be acknowledged and sent. Listening for that call trains the heart to discern presence amid chaos. [40:14]
• 4. Resurrection summons table and mission The risen Lord links recognition at table with commission to the world: eating with disciples opens eyes and propels witness. Communion becomes both remembrance and missional equipping, forming a people who are fed so they can serve. The feast anticipates a diverse kingdom where all are invited to sit together. [43:21]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:02] - Proclaiming Christ is risen
• [07:33] - Greetings and announcements
• [19:30] - Children’s moment
• [26:17] - Gospel reading: John 20
• [27:21] - Peter and the other disciple at the tomb
• [28:18] - Angels ask why she weeps
• [29:11] - Jesus appears to Mary
• [33:11] - Who are you looking for?
• [40:14] - Called by name: recognition
• [43:21] - Table, communion, and kingdom
• [67:32] - Benediction and sending

1. What was the first thing Mary Magdalene did when she saw the empty tomb?
2. What was the reaction of Peter and the other disciple after they saw the folded grave clothes inside the tomb?
3. Who did Mary mistake Jesus for when she first saw him after turning from the angels?
4. What was the specific word Jesus spoke that caused Mary to recognize him?

1. Why do you think Mary stayed and wept at the tomb after the two disciples had already left and gone home?
2. The sermon mentions that "the risen Jesus is a problem" [35:02] for Mary and for us. In what ways does Jesus's refusal to stay in the tomb or be confined to a church building disrupt our expectations?
3. The sermon states that Jesus calling Mary by name "puts to rest all her questions, at least in that moment" [41:17]. Why does hearing her own name spoken by Jesus have such a powerful, calming effect on her?
4. How does the act of sharing a meal, like the communion mentioned at the end of the sermon, help open our eyes to recognize the risen Christ?

1. When have you gone looking for Jesus in a specific place or situation, only to find that he wasn't there in the way you expected? [37:11]
2. The idea that Jesus "isn't the gardener in our employ" [39:46] suggests we sometimes try to direct God rather than follow Him. In what area of your life are you currently trying to give Jesus instructions instead of listening for His?
3. Jesus calls each of us by name [41:48]. What does it feel like, in a moment of fear or confusion, to be personally known and called by Him?
4. The resurrection sends us from the table into the world [57:23]. How does being nourished by communion equip you for your specific mission this week?
5. If the empty tomb proves that death cannot hold what God wills to raise, what is one area of "death" or "despair" in your life or community that you can now watch for a new beginning? [00:21:12]