The day Jesus rose from the grave is the greatest day in the history of the world. We celebrate everything about Jesus. We spend a whole month preaching, teaching and celebrating the birth of Jesus. We often dedicate one week - Holy Week - to the events leading up to and including the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is fitting that we visit this theme often throughout the year. This one truth is what sets Christianity apart from every other system of belief in the world! E.g Martin Luther once spent three days in a black depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. "Who's dead?" he asked her. "God," she replied. Luther rebuked her, saying, "What do you mean, God is dead? God cannot die." "Well," she replied, "the way you've been acting I was sure He had!" We know that all other religious leaders have died. Buddha died! Mohammed died! Every founder of every religion that has ever existed has died. However, only One has risen again from the dead! If we take the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ out of Christianity, then our faith would be no more than just another religious system. We would be condemning the souls of men to an eternity in Hell! If Jesus did not arise from the dead and is not alive today, then everything He did was for nothing. His death was a waste of a life - all of His teachings are simply the ravings of a madman! If Jesus Christ is not alive, then you have no salvation, there is no hope for the world and we are all headed to Hell! He is NOT dead! Yes, He was crucified, dead and buried. The third day He rose again from the dead. HE LIVES! In the 20 th chapter of John's Gospel we see the resurrected Redeemer! Jesus is very much alive and well today! We will look into these verses in John 20. Because we serve a resurrected Redeemer, we have hope in this life and even beyond this life and on into eternity. We will look at the resurrection of Jesus today through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. I. MARY AT THE TOMB II. THE MESSENGERS AT THE TOMB III. THE MESSIAH AT THE TOMB IV. THE MESSAGE FROM THE TOMB ----------------------------------------- I. MARY AT THE TOMB V. 1-11 The Resurrection A. Mary s Discovery V. 1-10 - Mary came to the tomb before daylight. She finds the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Immediately, she runs to find the disciples of Jesus and she tells them that the body of their Lord is missing from the tomb. When they heard this news, Peter and John ran to the tomb to see what had CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 1 of 7
happened. When they arrived, they both saw the linen clothes lying there undisturbed and the napkin that had been around His face lying folded, in a place by itself, v. 5-7. After they see these things, they return to their home. John, at least, appears to have believed that the Lord Jesus was alive from the dead, v. 8. 1. A word about the burial clothes. The Bible says that the linen clothes were literally "still in their folds." This means that they looked exactly like they were still around the body of Jesus. The burial spices would have hardened the cloths around the body and would have formed a cocoon. Apparently the cloths still resembled the shape of the body of Jesus. Then, there is the matter of the napkin. 2. The scene is very orderly and undisturbed. Had the body been taken by grave robbers or others, the wrappings around the body would not have been removed, and if they had been removed, they would not have been left in such an orderly way. Had the body been removed by others, the napkin would merely have lain where it had fallen. Instead, it had been folded and laid in a place by itself. Everything speaks of calmness and order in the empty tomb of Jesus! B. Mary s Devotion V. 11 - Peter and John went away from the tomb, but Mary stayed behind to weep and mourn the loss of her Lord. Why did she stay? Because she loved Jesus! The Bible, in Mark 16:9, tells us that Jesus had delivered Mary from a life of deep and dreadful sin. She loved Jesus for what He had done in her life. She was devoted to Him. When you stop to think of all He has done in your life, how could you not love Him? Mary sets the right example of love and devotion for all the followers of the Lord. The question that comes to mind is, "Do you love him as you ought to today?" C. Mary s Darkness V. 11 - All she saw was an empty tomb. It never occurred to her that Jesus was alive. If it were true that Jesus was dead today, Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:19 - If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 我們若靠基督, 只在今生有指望, 就算比眾人更可憐 1. Many Christians seem to live as if they believed Jesus was dead. There is no joy and no excitement in their lives. There is no deep burning desire to worship and serve God. We often act as if we are trapped in some dead religion that kills our joy and leaves us feeling miserable. May I remind you that you and I serve the Lord Jesus Christ? We serve the very One who went to Calvary, died CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 2 of 7
for sin and three days later arose from the dead to live forevermore! Thank God, I serve a risen Savior! 2. e.g. A family lost three children to diphtheria in the same week. Only a threeyear-old girl escaped the disease. On the following Sunday - Easter - morning, the father, mother, and child attended church. Because the father was the Sunday school superintendent, he led the session when all the classes met together. As he read the Easter message from the Bible, many were weeping, but the father and mother remained calm and serene. When Sunday school was over, a 15-year-old boy was walking home with his father. "The superintendent and his wife must really believe the Easter story," said the boy. His father answered, "All Christians do." "Not the way they do!" replied the young man. 3. If God is truly alive and is living in your heart, there will be a demonstration of His presence and of His joy in your life! We have seen - Mary At The Tomb II. THE MESSENGERS AT THE TOMB V. 12-13 A. Their Presence - There were two angels at the tomb. Two is the number of witnesses required to establish a fact. These angels have been sent from God to bear witness to the truth that Jesus is alive from the dead. Their's is a message of absolute hope and perfect assurance - Matt. 28:5-6! B. Their Posture - Sitting - A posture of absolute peace! If the body of Jesus had been missing and if there had been trouble at the tomb, you can be sure that these angels would have been busy. Yet, they sit as if to say, "All is well!" C. Their Picture - Rest - These angels appear to be at perfect rest. It is as if they are telling us, "The work is over, we can all rest now!" Every other time angels are pictured in the Bible, they are busy. They are shown carrying messages, fighting enemy armies, attending to the business of God. Now they are at rest! D. Their Plan - Verse 13 They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? 天使對他說 : 婦人, 你為甚麼哭? Their question is as if they were asking, "Should you be weeping? Doesn't this empty tomb call instead for rejoicing?" But, Mary, like so many of us, seems determined to live by sight rather than to walk by faith. Often, we fail to discover deep spiritual blessings because we refuse to look beneath the surface to see what the Lord is trying so desperately to reveal to us! We have seen Mary At The Tomb and The Messengers At The Tomb III. THE MESSIAH AT THE TOMB V. 14-17 CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 3 of 7
A. Mary's Confusion V. 14 - Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 說了這話, 就轉過身來, 看見耶穌站在那裡, 卻不知道是耶穌 1. In her weeping she realizes that she isn't alone at the tomb. She sees a man standing near her, but doesn't recognize that it is Jesus. (v. 15) Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. 馬利亞以為是看園的, 就對他說 : 先生, 若是你把他移了去, 請告訴我, 你把他放在那裡, 我便去取他 2. She doesn t recognize Jesus because no one has ever risen from the dead. It is not possible to her way of thinking - and to our way of thinking also. She continues weeping. 3. Isn't that just like us? We have His promise - Heb. 13:5...I will never leave you nor forsake you, 我總不撇下你, 也不丟棄你 yet we often fail to see Him in our circumstances. He is a risen Savior and He is always involved in what involves you. If you will look, you will always find Jesus during your time of need. B. Jesus Confronts Mary V. 15 - The Resurrection 1. Jesus now asks Mary 2 questions that are designed to expose her to the truth. a) Why are you weeping? 為甚麼哭?Why do you weep when you could be rejoicing? b) Whom are you seeking? 你找誰呢?- Why do you look for Him who is alive among those who are dead? (1) These questions imply that she could and should have known that. The Gospels tell us that Jesus had clearly said several times that he would rise again on the third day. However, the disciples are deaf to what Jesus says concerning his resurrection. He had great difficulty convincing them that he was going to die. It was only on Good Friday they realized his words were true. Even then none of them seemed to understand that every time he mentioned his death he also said he would rise again on the third day. (2) Mary was just like the disciples, and just like us! Have you ever found yourself in a circumstance, when all your hopes seem to disappear, and all seems to be lost? Have you found that often in those circumstances, and, Christian that you are, you immediately forgot all the promises of CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 4 of 7
God? You felt sorry for yourself. You became anxious and upset. I have. We so quickly forget the promises of God. (3) We should note that Mary turned herself around after speaking to Jesus and continued to stare into the tomb weeping. The tomb is a place of death, but the Savior is Life! Where are you looking today? Which way are you turned today? Toward Jesus, or toward the tomb? 2. The Call V. 16 - When Mary doesn't respond to His questions, the Lord simply calls her by her name and tenderly says, "Mary."There are 3 great truths revealed here that need to be mentioned. a) His call seals her, and our, redemption - in the words of Isaiah (Isa. 43:1) - Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 你不要害怕! 因為我救贖了你 我曾提你的名召你, 你是屬我的 b) His call is instantly recognized by His sheep - John 10:4. One word from the Great Shepherd and the weeper is transformed into the worshiper! The sorrow is changed to joy. All at the sound of His lovely voice. c) Mary immediately calls Him Master - She responds to His voice by affirming her love and devotion for Jesus Christ. This ought to be the immediate response of every child of God when you hear His voice. When God calls your name, may you also say, "Yes, Lord!" 3. The Command V. 17a Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; 耶穌說 : 不要摸我, 因我還沒有升上去見我的父 Mary must have flung her arms around the feet of Jesus, for He tells her to stop doing that. His command is based on 2 great truths: a) There was no need to hold onto Him for He is alive forever! (1) He is saying to her, "Mary, a new relationship has come into being. I am no longer going to continue with you in a close physical relationship. Touching me gives you comfort, but it will no longer be that way. I am going to ascend to the Father." (2) During the Last Supper Jesus told them, when He returned to the Father, He would send the Spirit. His Spirit would make Him available in a more wonderful and closer way than ever before. What he is saying is, "When I ascend to the Father, my nearness to you will be complete. Now go and tell my brothers (not "my disciples") that truth." CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 5 of 7
(a) Most Christians celebrate the Resurrection as a reminder that there is hope on the day when they have to leave this earth -- that because he lives we shall live also. (b) It also means He will be with us, not only at the hour of death, but He will be with us, His Spirit will be in us, from the day we put our faith in Him. b) The second great truth: He was about to go into the presence of His Father. What is accomplished when Jesus returns to His Father? (1) There He would offer His blood to God as the perfect and final atonement for the sins of mankind, Heb. 9:6-13! (2) Jesus was about to become the ultimate wave offering before the Heavenly Father. What is the significance of The Wave Offering? - (cf. Lev. 23:10-11). On the first day of the week, immediately following the Passover, the priest would take some of the wheat that was growing in the field. He would wave this before the Lord. It symbolized that this was the first fruits and that there would be more to follow. When Jesus appeared in Heaven before the Father, He presented Himself as our wave offering. He stood there as the first fruits declaring that there would be more to follow, 1 Cor. 15:23. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 但各人是按著自己的次序復活 : 初熟的果子是基督 ; 以後, 在他來的時候, 是那些屬基督的 In fact, every one who believes in Jesus will live because He lives! (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.). We have seen Mary At The Tomb; The Messengers At The Tomb; The Messiah At The Tomb IV. THE MESSAGE FROM THE TOMB V. 17b-18 A. It Is An Unusual Message - Mary was told to go and tell the Disciples that Jesus was alive and that He ascended back to the Father. It was to be a message of hope and blessing to those who mourned His death. This kind of message was not delivered every day! e.g. Someone 1 has said there are three questions we all ask of ourselves at one time or another, "Where do I come from?" "Why am I here?" and "Is it really necessary to leave?" Most of us wish we didn't have to say, "Yes" to the third. That is not what comforted Mary or any of the disciples at this point. It never crossed their minds that this event would give them a hope in the hour of 1 Ron Ritchie CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 6 of 7
death. What brought them great gladness was the realization, "Jesus is back again! We haven't lost him! He is here with us, and he will always be with us!" That is an unusual message! B. It Is An Unchanging Message - There are 3 parts of this message that never will change. 1. Jesus Is Alive - Rev. 1:18 The Resurrection 2. We are still commanded to come and see, then go and tell. The world needs to hear from a people who have been to the tomb and know that Jesus is alive. The world needs to hear of the Savior you serve! 3. All who come to the tomb and see, and who will place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved from their sins and will be born again. Conc: In the 6,000 years of recorded human history, the most important message that has ever been heard is this, "He is not here, for He is risen!" Do you know this risen Savior today? Are you trusting Jesus for your soul's salvation? As a Christian, it is obvious that you have come and seen, the question is, are you going and telling? What difference does the resurrection of Jesus make in your life on a daily basis? Do you know Jesus today? CAC Fort Myers 10/27/2013 1:30 PM Page 7 of 7