Rev. Dr. Jonathan Blanke, Senior Pastor
Pastor’s Corner for April 20-26, 2025
Whom Are You Looking For?
(John 20:1-18)
Last Sunday we stood alongside people who came to Jesus’ disciples with the words, “We want to see Jesus” (John 12:21). This weekend we stand near one of Jesus’ dearest friends and followers, Mary Magdalene, as the surprise of His resurrection has still not sunk in. We hear Jesus’ words to her: “Woman… whom are you looking for?”
The story is familiar…. so familiar we hardly hear it. But sandwiched in-between the family reunions, the Easter baskets, the egg hunts, and the Sunday morning brunches is a story of a confused woman looking for a dead body. That’s where we find the true meaning of Easter Sunday. Mary seems almost as grieved and distracted from the unexpected disappearance of Jesus’ earthly remains as she is by the loss of her beloved Teacher. It isn’t until the crucified yet risen Jesus asks the question, “Whom are you looking for?” that Mary comes to Life. It isn’t until the living Jesus who has died calls Mary by name (remember the promise? “The sheep hear [the voice of the Gatekeeper] and He calls them by name…” John 10:3) that she finds herself not at a reburial but a glorious encounter with the King! And there is hardly time for her to regain composure. Scarcely a moment after her tears have dried Jesus sends her on a mission of peace to those He now calls His own brothers and sisters (10:17). Easter may be a familiar tale, but it is all about an event that changes everything. Easter changes “the rules” regarding life and death. Nothing will ever be the same again.
Whom are you looking for? It might seem that the answer is obvious. It might seem at times that the point of life is to keep death at bay. To outsmart the stock market. To get the best job or the perfect marriage. To hold your loved ones as tight as possible before you must give them up. It might even seem, at times, that it’s God’s job to help you accomplish some of that. But could it be that the Jesus God has in store for you is bigger than your imagination dares even expect? Could it be that the Jesus God has in store for you has a new game plan for Life?
Watch out. The living Lord Jesus is no longer in the tomb. He’s out. He’s free. He’s on the loose. The One you might not be looking for is calling you by your name. The One you’re not expecting is leading you, once again, to Life.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Pastor Jonathan
Pastor Jonathan Blanke grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He received his Bachelor's degree from College of William and Mary in Virginia and attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biblical Studies, Book of John. He served as a Vicar at Messiah Lutheran Church in Richardson, Texas.
The Blanke family lived in Japan while he served as pastor and missionary to Okinawa Lutheran Church and taught Biblical Studies at Japan Lutheran College in Tokyo.
Pastor Jonathan lived in southern Maryland from January 2014 to November 2019 and was thankful to have served as the Sole Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lexington Park, Maryland.
He and his wife, Juli, have two grown children. In his free time, Jonathan likes to travel, "play around" on the piano, and enjoy the outdoors.
Click HERE to view a brief video from Pastor Jonathan.