“You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’” (Jo. 13:33).
Christian observance of the Easter season runs from the Day of Resurrection to the Day of Pentecost. Long after the Easter dishes are done or the dress put away or the last bit of candy from the basket is consumed, the Church is still celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ruling principle of our observance is not only that you can never get enough of a good thing, but that it also takes time to absorb what Easter means for us. It takes time to go deeper with Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, and to follow where he leads.
Easter, in other words, is a season when we’re on the lookout for Jesus Christ. It’s a journey of discovery. Jesus says in our Gospel today that the disciples will look for him, and his words spoken at the last supper set the stage for their encounter with him after his resurrection from the dead.
For instance, Mary Magdalene searches for him at the tomb, early on Easter day, expecting to find a dead body; what she discovers is something entirely different: Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Jesus says to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” (Jo. 20:15). It’s the same verb in both cases: you will look for me, you will search for me, you will seek for me.
Of course, Jesus also says in our Gospel that the disciples will not be able to follow where he is going. That doesn’t mean, however, that they won’t encounter him. Jesus says something very similar to Mary Magdalene on Easter day. “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father” (Jo. 20:17). Mary and the disciples are not looking for an earthbound Jesus, but for the risen Lord who has been raised from the dead.
Jesus says to Peter, just a few verses after our Gospel reading, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward” (Jo. 13:36). Peter may not be able to follow Jesus to the cross, but he will be among those who encounter him after he has been raised from the dead. Jesus does not tell the disciples that they will look for him but not find him. That was his message to the religious authorities earlier (Jo. 7:36), that Jesus repeats in our Gospel today, while leaving out the key phrase about not finding him. By implication, when the disciples look for Jesus they will find him and follow him.
I believe this is the case not only for Jesus’ followers then but also for us now. We’re also looking for Jesus Christ, who has been raised from the dead. We could puzzle over where we might find him if our Gospel did not make it absolutely clear where we’re supposed to be looking. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jo. 13:34-35).
If we’re seeking Jesus, we find him in our neighbor, with those who are near and far. This is the commandment that Jesus gave all of us at the last supper, when he took the role of a servant and washed the disciples’ feet. “For I have set you an example, that that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jo. 13:15). It is there, in acts of faithful service like Jesus’ own, that we will discover the one who is risen from the dead.
Remember what it says in the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew’s Gospel, “’Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’… ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’” (Matt. 25:37-40).
Today, at the Church of the Resurrection, we all have the opportunity to recommit ourselves to this search for Jesus Christ, by discovering him present in our friends, our neighbors, even our enemies. Some members of the Church are renewing their commitment to Christ and receiving the laying on of hands by the bishop with prayer, to become confirmed members of the Church. We will all have the chance to join in the renewal of vows, including this promise: “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?”
This is where we discover Jesus, risen from the dead. Christ is present here, in our midst, in his Body the Church. We look for him in faithful service; in our friends, our neighbors near and far, and even (even) our enemies.