‘Tender mercy and rich love’ – surprising encounters with the risen Lord Jesus

Tucked away in Paul’s glorious description of the saving grace of Christ in Ephesians 2 is a phrase that appears only this once in all of his letters: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

The “great love” of God for us. Polys Agape. That word “great” is used four times in John’s Gospel to describe the vast crowds that Jesus encountered. At Easter, we often associate the love of God with the death of Christ (rightly so), but rarely speak of the resurrection – and our resurrection with Christ – as being evidence of God’s love. But the risen Jesus, resplendent in power, majesty and authority, is the radiant glory of the great love of God.

In John 20 and 21, we read of a series of surprising encounters with the risen, loving Jesus. That first Easter Sunday, where the stone, the watch, the seal were all in vain, Jesus makes some surprising decisions. He has crushed the head of the serpent, burst out of the grave, ascended from the dead. He can say with certainty that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. The hands that bore the wounds now hold the sceptre of the universe. He has fulfilled the Scriptures and is declared to be the Son of God. Surely, as He strode out of the tomb, He would go to overthrow the seats of authority. The list of retribution is a long one. Pontius Pilate. King Herod. Caiaphas the High Priest. The soldiers who had crucified Him. All within a few short miles of Jesus – within hours He could be holding any of these figures to account for the evil crimes they had committed. Indeed, journeying to Rome itself and forcing Caesar from his borrowed throne would not be impossible.

In the first few days after His resurrection – the dawn of the new creation – Jesus reveals His heart once again. He does not overthrow the earthly rulers who have used their ill-gotten authority to crucify the very author of life. Instead, He spends these days with grieving Mary, doubting Thomas, and guilty Peter. The surprising love of the risen Jesus indeed.

Mary

Firstly, to Mary. Mary has already been to the tomb once that morning, showing the same devotion that had characterised her relationship to Jesus over the past few years. He is the one who had delivered her from demonic possession. And since then, she had lived to serve Him. She was there when He was crucified, and when He was buried. And she was there that Easter morning to tend to His body. Seeing the empty tomb, Mary is grief-stricken. The trauma of losing the one she had tethered her life to was compounded by the abhorrent injustice that someone could steal His body. She is delirious with grief, unable to even recognise Jesus as He comes to her. But with the same tender mercy that would be the defining feature of His kingdom, Jesus comes to Mary in her grief. There is no rebuke that she has forgotten His promises. Instead, Jesus – gentle and lowly – speaks her name. It is a scene reminiscent of Hagar’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord, with El Roi, the God who sees me. There is no grief too bitter for the sweetness of Christ’s tender mercy. A weekend like Easter may aggravate the griefs we bear – the empty chair at the table, the ungiven Easter egg, the unanswered phone call – but the risen Jesus sees and knows and He speaks your name with the same comfort that drove Mary to run and speak the word that changed history forever: “I have seen the Lord!” She has seen the Lord who saw her first.

Thomas

Several days later, the disciples are together and Thomas alone is yet to see the risen Jesus. He is, understandably, sceptical. Dead men don’t rise from the dead, no matter how much His friends say it has happened. Thomas names his terms – he wants to see and feel the wounds of Jesus. Given that rumours were still circulating that Jesus’ body had been stolen, this would give Thomas an answer either way. Jesus appears to the disciples, including Thomas, and pronounces peace to them. Jesus then speaks to Thomas – and of course Jesus knew Thomas’ demands – and invites him to see, touch, and believe.

Again, there is no rebuke. The risen Jesus speaks words of compassion and truth into Thomas’ doubts. As churches around the world preach the glorious news of Christ’s resurrection, we will encounter many who don’t believe this message. But as we join with the angels, and with Mary, telling the world of what we have found, know that we preach a risen Jesus who has compassion on the lost. Jesus doesn’t need to bludgeon doubting Thomas into the kingdom, arguing with the kind of force that wins the debate but loses the debated. Jesus reveals to Thomas His great love, by speaking into those doubts, and using them as the very means by which Thomas cries out “my Lord and my God”. Doubts are an open door for the message of the great love of the risen Jesus to enter. And one day – soon and very soon – we too will join Thomas in beholding His wounds as we eternally worship the Lamb who looks as if He has been slain.

Peter

The third surprising encounter is with Peter. Several days before, Peter had – three times! – denied that he even knew Jesus. But as they walked along the beach, Jesus reinstates Peter to His calling. There was, and is, more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us. Reversing Peter’s three denials, Jesus also affirms Peter’s calling to “feed my sheep” three times. No wonder Peter says that “in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1v3). Peter’s letters are filled with references to Isaiah 53. Peter, who betrayed Jesus by opening his big, stupid mouth over and over, is rescued from his guilt and shame by the One who was silent as a lamb led to the slaughter. Jesus bore Peter’s sin in His body on the cross, and gave the grace that established Peter’s calling. Peter was deserving of condemnation, but instead receives a commission. Paul had a similar experience with the risen Jesus: “Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ” (Eph.3v8). Great love indeed!

The risen Jesus did not build His kingdom by force. The powers of Jerusalem and Rome could have been so easily overthrown. But Jesus demonstrates His limitless power by doing what only He can do – transforming lives forever with His tender mercy and rich love. Our griefs, our doubts, our sins are all known to Him. And it is in these that we find His great love. The hope we have in Christ is stronger than the most overwhelming of griefs; the truth of Christ’s gospel is more compelling than our most convincing doubts, and the mercy of Christ is greater than the worst of our sins. Great love indeed!