John begins his account of the resurrection of Jesus like this: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark…” (John 20:1)
Early. First day. Dark. These images, this tension, this emptiness are all meant to recall another day, the very first day: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” (Genesis 1:2) John is creatively drawing some connecting lines in order to say something much bigger than simply naming the hour of the day and the status of the earth’s rotation.
He is saying, “This is the first day of God’s new creation.”
At this moment in the story, before Mary arrives at the tomb, there is still nothing but darkness and gloom and sorrow and loss and emptiness. But, as the saying goes, the darkness is darkest right before dawn. The sun is about to shine. The Son is about to rise.
And, as John began his Gospel saying, in another strong echo of the Creation account in Genesis, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) At this, the darkest of dark moments, the darkness thought that it had won. Yet life is stronger than death, just as light dispels the darkness.
Do not fear the dark. New days begin In darkness. They always have; they always will. Take heart. The Spirit hovers over the surface of those dark, deep waters. Wait as patiently as you can for the Light of the World to shine, ready to step out with him into his brand new Creation
