No Resurrection. No Hope.

NORTH PINE BEACH BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday 20th April 2025 – Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18

No Resurrection. No Hope.

How important is the resurrection of Jesus? 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 gives the answer.

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

Without the resurrection of Jesus

… Christianity is redundant.

… faith is a waste of time.

… there is no foundation to anything believers do.

Without the resurrection there is no hope.

With that in mind let’s read about the resurrection event in John 20:1-18

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get Him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Picture a garden.

There are large trees scattered here and there.

There are also some well looked after garden beds.

We can see paths winding to quiet shady places and grass lawns bringing it all together.

Somewhere in the garden is a rocky outcrop, a hole has been cut into the rock – it is large enough to walk into but you need to bend down to do so. To the side of the hole there is a large stone which looks like it has been discarded. In front of the hole there stands a woman crying – sounding in deep despair. It is Mary Magdalene.

Mary has been following Jesus and supporting Him since the first year of His ministry.

She was there when many of the miracles unfolded.

She has heard Jesus teaching many times.

She had witnessed first-hand the push back from the religious leaders.

She had been there when the large crowds had gathered.

She also had eaten with the tax-collectors and sinners.

Mary wasn’t just tagging along. Mary used her material possessions to support Him, and the other disciples.

Mary is committed to Jesus … perhaps even more than the 12 disciples.

It was Mary Magdalene, and other women

– and only John

who stood vigil the whole time Jesus was on the cross.

It was Mary Magdalene, and other women – but not the disciples – who diligently watched as the body of Jesus was laid into the garden tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.