What a great opportunity to reflect on the reality of the Risen Lord. There are many benefits of preaching through books of the Bible, and this is one of those benefits, we get to approach the empty tomb of Jesus, in the text, and it is just prescribed for an Easter service. In fact, one should reflect on the risen Lord often in their walk with the Lord. What a wonderful promise we are given, because He lives, we live, because He walked out of the tomb, we can have new life in Him. Without the reality of the...
What a great opportunity to reflect on the reality of the Risen Lord. There are many benefits of preaching through books of the Bible, and this is one of those benefits, we get to approach the empty tomb of Jesus, in the text, and it is just prescribed for an Easter service. In fact, one should reflect on the risen Lord often in their walk with the Lord. What a wonderful promise we are given, because He lives, we live, because He walked out of the tomb, we can have new life in Him. Without the reality of the resurrection, the life of Jesus, including His death and crucifixion would not make any sense. All the miracles and teachings of Jesus would just be some railings of a madman had not Jesus rose again. The resurrections authenticated all the prophetic scriptures of a Messiah, and it authenticated the teaches of Jesus. After a period of uncertainty, shredded hopes, and fleeting faith, now will come the greatest event in the history of the world. This is the event we know as the resurrection. First, a resurrection of our Lord from the grave, then a resurrection of hope, faith, and assurance that God has not forgotten humanity, He hasn’t left this world to die and be swept away by its own sin.
Last week, the images penned by John, were ones of vivid recollection. Jesus went through such and ordeal on the cross that it sent His whole body into shock, so much so, that when He died, He was hungry, dehydrated, loss much blood, and around His heart was a canopy of fluid that came out with the blood when the soldier thrust the spear into His side. Jesus went through so much pain, they had to invent a word to describe it. The word we use is the word excruciating, this word means, “out of the cross.” John wrote what he saw and witnessed and made sure to ground his witness in scripture. Below the cross was a variety show of emotions, for we saw people that were broken and disheartened, and those that seemed to enjoy seeing death and hopelessness. People that were not happy unless others around them were unhappy and disheartened. People that were so unhappy about their plight in life, they wanted to drag others into their pit of despair with them. This was seen in the Romans and the religious hierarchy. We saw Roman soldiers that were moved more by the cast of a dice then they were by thousands of people dying daily. We saw people that were we so savage when it comes to their way of life, that if anyone moved them out of their comfort zone, there’s was going to be a fight, and this was seen in the religious Jews that John mentions. But, below that cross, was also noted two individuals that stayed close to the Lord, Mary and John, maybe just maybe something might happen, maybe God would bring Him down from there. He had done miracles before, He rose a man Lazarus from the dead, why can’t He come down? But we should be praising God right now that it pleased the Lord to bruise the Son. Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Today, we will see anew, risen hope and faith. That which seemed crushed on the cross will be resurrected in the empty tomb. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a foolish fantasy. However, if the resurrection of Christ did occur, it confirms His life, message, and atoning work.
I. A Light Shines In Through the Darkness: Joh 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
- No doubt that this was a trying time for the disciples and for the mother of Jesus. Matthew 28 and verse 1 adds the women Salome to the party. John focuses on Mary, On the first day of the week, Mary came to the tomb early, more than likely, there was still darkness over the land. She and the ladies mentioned in gospel accounts, Luk 24:10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, We might call this a “deep dawn,” right before there is any light, or just enough to see the path.
- Because Christ had been buried in a hurry, for the Sabbath coming soon, these ladies wanted to prepare Jesus’ body for proper burial. Mary makes her way to the tomb and she was taken aback when she saw the stone had been rolled away. There are places in scripture where we learn pieces about the characters and are inspired by their actions. Yes, Mary was a product of the fall and still sinful. Yes, Mary did not realize that Jesus had risen, and just like the darkness that was still on the land, so was her she spiritually. But in this moment, we also see a characteristic of devotion and dedication. Devotion is not an outdated ideal, it is a much-needed attribute. Mary, got up at the crack of dawn, to attend to the body of Jesus. She finds the 2 ton stone rolled away, a task that only the Lord could do, and she is recorded in this way… Joh 20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." That last statement informs us that they had no idea that they would find an empty tomb, they figured that the religious Jews would have taken the body. Simon Peter was broken because of his denial of the Lord, and now comes words of uncertainty. Even though John does not include the other women in this narrative, we know they are there because of the other gospel accounts and because he uses the word “we” as Mary explains the events that transpired at the tomb site. The darkest day in all of creation gives way to the brightest. Joh 20:3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
I try and imagine what the followers of Jesus went through, I try and place myself into the narrative. I am a firm believer that God wants us to interject into the scripture, not interject onto but into. If God’s word is to speak to us, we have to be thrust into its grand narrative. Try to see what Mary sees on the path, try to understand her as she tries to make sense of that empty tomb, try and set a frame work of devotion and servitude in your own life as Mary exhibits it to us as the modern reader. On that day and every day that follows, the only thing that will ever make sense is that Jesus is Risen. The resurrection of Jesus is the best explanation of the empty tomb. Listen church, you have been given the greatest gift you will ever receive. The gift of eternal life through the Messiah Jesus. There is no reason, in this great day of information and resources, to be ignorant of the things of God. The lord has given us so many tools to help us grow in our faith. Mary was in darkness, both physically and spiritually, but the risen Lord will open her eyes, and He will reveal to you as well, is will and way found in the Word of God. I am the type of person that believes God will grow His church to know Him more and His word more. If the Holy Spirit is living within you, don’t let me hear you ever say again, “we are just too dumb to understand,” if God can’t teach you then you don’t want to be taught. In Christ, there is the light of special revelation. We can have a hope and trust in God that people on the other side of the cross can’t claim, before when there was cloudy understanding of God, now, through the resurrection there is certainty. Who wants to grow in their faith? Who in here will never say again, I am not smart enough to learn more about God? Again, if the Holy Spirit can’t illumine your understanding, you are either lost or lazy. Which is it?
The Bible speaks of the urgency in the narrative and states: Joh 20:4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
Joh 20:5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Joh 20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, Joh 20:7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
- John outran Peter to the tomb, here is the author of the account we read, the same one that rest his head on the chest of Jesus at the table. Can you imagine, looking into that tomb and seeing those burial clothes laying there. The words of Jesus no doubt rang true. As if to shatter the myth that someone come and stole the body of Jesus, John sees, separated from the linen, was the face cloth, nicely folded. Why is this important, what kind of thief would take the time to tidy up before they left? It would be like someone breaking into your house, tracking mud on your nice carpet, then before they put the goods into their car shampooed the carpet. The body was not stolen, Jesus was alive. If the sight of this didn’t shake them to the core, then nothing would. With all of the elements in place, the words of Jesus about His death and resurrection coming back to their remembrance, with the clothes placed in such a way, and with the heavy stone being rolled away, we find that sometimes,
- II. Seeing is Believing: Eyewitness plays a very important place in the will of God for His church. There is the need to establish the church and the written canon of scripture, but before these come into existence, there needed to be a jarring of faith within those that clung to Christ as Lord. Jesus said to Thomas after the resurrection, just a few verses down, Joh 20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Because God has to speak to us as babes, and because our faith, beliefs, and mind has been distorted by the Fall, there are times in the scriptures when God has to show the miraculous so that we might believe. Such is the case with verses 8-10 that read: Joh 20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; Joh 20:9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Joh 20:10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
- Even though John did not understand the full extent of the resurrection, when he saw the linens, He believed on the Words the Jesus spoke earlier and through His ministry. Up until this moment, it did not click, they did not understand the scripture, Psa 16:10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, you will not allow your holy one to experience corruption.
Because the witness and power of the Holy Spirit had not dwelt with the church yet, the Lord establishes a witness with eye witnesses accounts. You and I cannot sit down with the physical Lord today and carry on a verbal or audible conversation with Him, we can speak to the Lord and with the Holy Spirit in conjunction with His word we can communicate with Him and have certainty in our faith and beliefs, but for the early church God wasn’t finished laying out His divine and special revelation. Thus, we have the phrase “seeing is believing.” Today, we take what we know of scriptures and by reasoning through them and inferences, we can piece together a reasonable response to any sceptic that might discount the physical resurrection of Jesus. SO, why do we believe Jesus Rose again?
- "Jesus predicted His resurrection, if you believe the Words of Jesus, then you believe what He said about His death and resurrection. (Matt. 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22).
- The Old Testament prophesied it, and because they have been fulfilled through Jesus, the resurrection stands as historically valid. (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37).
- The tomb was empty and the grave clothes vacant and folded, if those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9).
- There were many witnesses to the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat. (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John 21:1-9; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).
- The lives of the disciples were transformed. Though they fled and even denied Christ at the time of His arrest, they later feared no one in their proclamation of the risen Christ (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).
- The resurrection was the central message of the early church and still is. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church (Acts 4:33; 5:30-32; Rom. 5:21).
- Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives. We know that Jesus is alive not only because of the historical and biblical evidence but also because He has miraculously touched our lives."
Are you waiting to see something tangible before you believe and trust Jesus? You will wait until eternity and it may never happen. See, we line up with God on His terms on not ours. It is the Lord’s salvation to dispense as He wills and we can’t demand anything from Him. We first trust in Jesus by faith as He draws us unto Him, then…He gives us the assurance and the evidences we desire. You might be here this morning, and the Lord has revealed to you, right now, that His gospel is true and you need saving, wont you trust Him? For the church, there should never be a moment in our lives when we desire to stay in the darkness and be ignorant of the things of God. I want to be like Mary, or John, that rushed to see, that even though they didn’t understand it all, they rushed in to see a work of God. How about you, will you rush in, out of darkness, to see more of God?
