SURPRISE!
John 20.1-18
S: Resurrection
C: Life, light, hope
Pr: JESUS BRINGS JOY OUT OF OUR MOURNING.
TS: We will find in our study of John 20.1-18 how God is an expert in performing the unexpected.
Type: Inductive
I. DARKNESS (1)
II. INVESTIGATION (2-7)
III. BELIEF (8-10)
IV. MOURNING (11-13)
V. SURPRISE! (14-16)
VI. LIGHT (17-18)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Rejoice in the life God offers
• Understand that darkness is never the end of the story
• Live in hope
Version: ESV
RMBC 08 April 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Over the past weeks, we have been studying the events that have led to what we call Good Friday.
What has been shocking is that in less than twenty-four hours…
• Jesus has washed the feet of His disciples,
• participated in a Passover meal,
• taught them many lessons,
• prayed in the Garden,
• been betrayed by one of His own disciples,
• arrested,
• healed an ear back on to a servant that has been sliced off by a sword,
• denied by another of His disciples three times,
• tried in a kangaroo court,
• sentenced to death by an official that knows that He is innocent,
• paraded through Jerusalem as a criminal,
• and then executed by crucifixion, an excruciating death.
…again, all in less than twenty-four hours.
It is no wonder that…
1. The disciples are left in stunned silence.
They feel hopeless.
It was all over.
All their dreams are shattered.
They are facing a blank wall, feeling utter helplessness.
They feel the shame of their denials and desertions.
2. The emotions of the moment are reflected well in C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where a surprise is waiting.
ILL Cross (S)
The movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is based on the classic novel by C. S. Lewis about four London children who are sent to a professor’s country home for protection during World War II. There, they find a magic wardrobe leading to a mystical land called Narnia. To defeat the White Witch, who holds the land under her evil spells, they must join forces with Aslan, the King of Narnia.
One of the four children, Edmund, has been promised a lofty position in the kingdom by the Witch if he will bring his siblings to her. He succumbs to the temptation, only to find that she has used him.
When Edmund is rescued from the Witch’s clutches and brought under the care of Aslan, the Witch protests. According to the laws of Narnia, Edmund, a traitor, must die. Aslan saves him, however, by willingly dying in his place.
- - - - - - - -
In this scene, Susan and her sister, Lucy, are walking away from the stone table on which Aslan’s lifeless body lies, when suddenly the ground shakes. They stumble and turn around to see the stone table broken in two and Aslan’s body gone.
"Susan!" shouts Lucy.
"What have they done?" asks Susan as they approach the stone table.
Suddenly, Aslan appears.
"Aslan!" they shout.
As the girls hug the huge lion, Susan perplexedly says, "But we saw the knife, the witch…."
Aslan responds, "If the witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she might have interpreted the Deep Magic differently; that when a willing victim, who has committed no treachery, is killed in a traitor’s stead, the stone table will crack, and even death itself will turn backwards."
Rating: PG for battle sequences and frightening moments
Elapsed Time: DVD chapter 20; 01:53:06 – 01:54:34
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures, 2005), directed by Andrew Adamson; submitted by Van Morris, Mount Washington, Kentucky
Death is not the end of the story!
It has been turned backwards!
How this correlates with our story today!
For…
3. We will find in our study of John 20.1-18 how God is an expert in performing the unexpected.
OUR STUDY:
I. DARKNESS (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.
John wants us to know that it is still dark when Mary comes to the tomb.
It is not only physically dark; it is emotionally dark as well.
And…
4. The darkness Mary was feeling became darker when she discovered that the body of Jesus was missing.
She, and the other ladies (John has chosen just to focus on Mary Magdalene), have come to complete the burial process.
The burial had certainly been done hurriedly and Nicodemus surely had not been able to use all the spices in the intended way.
But when she arrived, the stone to cover up the entrance had been moved.
The soldiers were gone.
And the body of Jesus was missing.
Her response is immediate.
There needs to be an…
II. INVESTIGATION (2-7)
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.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
Mary goes to Peter, who still seems to be the person in charge, in spite of his denials.
You can imagine this…
She storms into the house, out of breath, “His body has been stolen. I don’t know where it is!”
And we understand her conclusions.
I mean, what are the other possibilities?
It must be stolen.
So…
5. Peter and John rush to the scene.
This is no time for talking.
They didn’t ask her to calm down.
They didn’t say, “Tell us exactly what happened.”
No, they are out the door.
They are gone.
So the race to the tomb begins.
It is traditionally understood that John was probably younger and faster and gets to the burial place first.
So he looks in, but he does not go in.
But when Peter gets there, he does not hesitate.
He goes right in.
And the text tells us that he really is examining the situation.
What is found is an orderly scene, and not one of wild confusion.
When people were placed in tombs, during those days, they were placed on their backs.
They were wrapped in linen cloth with spices in them.
The arms were crossed over the torso.
The head was wrapped separately, like a turban.
Since the linens were all in place, what was apparent was that the body had not been stolen.
A thief does not steal a body and then fold all the linen very carefully and put back in its original place.
And for John, he gets it, and he is filled with…
III. BELIEF (8-10)
Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.
The text tells us that John sees with understanding.
6. John understands the implication of the evidence.
At that very moment, he believed that Jesus was alive.
The grave clothes were no longer needed.
The body has gone right through the grave clothes.
John admits here that he did not get the connection with Scripture.
He made that connection later.
First he believed that He is risen.
Mary, though, as she followed back to the tomb, had not made that connection.
She was still in…
IV. MOURNING (11-13)
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
7. Mary is overcome with grief.
It is an indescribable anguish that she is feeling.
In all the emotional turmoil, this is just one more indignity.
The body has been stolen.
She is so upset, she talks to angels, and she does not know it.
And then she talks to Jesus.
It is like there is a cloud about her.
She can’t see clearly.
She is still looking for a body.
But she is in for a…
V. SURPRISE! (14-16)
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
So when Jesus asks her what she is looking for, she thinks he is a gardener.
It is ironic.
Adam was a gardener, but this second Adam was so much more.
So much more…
For…
8. Mary receives the best news of her life.
With one word, it all changes.
One word…
Her name…
“Mary…”
And as soon as He says it to her, she understands.
What she did not think was possible…is.
The One who has changed her life…
The One who has given her life…
Her teacher lives!
And now her darkness has turned into…
VI. LIGHT (17-18)
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” — and that he had said these things to her.
She grabs Him.
And she is holding on tightly.
She is not letting go.
Now that she has found Him, she did not want to lose Him.
But He asks her to let go, for there is work to do.
9. Jesus gives Mary a mission.
There is news to tell.
She is a witness to the good news.
He has not been defeated by death.
Death has not had the last word.
Evil has not been able to conquer.
He is very much alive.
APPLICATION:
ILL Resurrection (S)
Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away — across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death.
The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river.
Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer and followed him across.
Isn’t that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death and came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him.
You see…
10. JESUS BRINGS JOY OUT OF OUR MOURNING.
Many of you may be battling with sadness in your life today.
You may be battling darkness.
It may be…
• illness
• broken relationships
• death
• struggling finances
• unfulfilled dreams
• losing what you love
• disappointment
But there is good news for us that believe in Jesus.
When we wait, He brings joy.
You see…
11. We are to understand that darkness is never the end of the story.
We know that the world is not always safe.
Sometimes, it seems as if everything is insane.
That which promises to satisfy, ends up being so unsatisfying.
We read the newspaper and watch the news, and we wonder why it always seems as if evil wins.
But the resurrection tell us this – that darkness does not have the last word.
Just as Aslan said in the video – death itself is turned backwards.
It is good news, and…
12. It is a story worth telling!
We have hope.
We live in hope, because He is alive!
And we have good news to tell, for…
• a living Christ is an all-powerful Christ
• a living Christ is a present Christ
• a living Christ is Christ who gives us life now
• a living Christ is a Christ who gives us life in eternity
• a living Christ is a Christ who gives victory.
Do you have this hope?
It can be yours today.
You can live above the problems of this world.
It is only one prayer away!
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
For Further Study: Psalm 2.7, 16.8-11, 30.5; Proverbs 8.17; Isaiah 53.9-12; Hosea 6.2; Jonah 1.17; Matthew 12.40, 27.40, 62-66; John 2.19, 10.3
BENEDICTION:
Dear Lord,
I know that I am a sinner
and that I need Your forgiveness.
I believe that Christ died in my place
to pay the penalty for my sin
and that He rose from the dead.
I now invite Jesus Christ to come into my life
as my Savior and Lord.
Amen.
It is not the prayer that makes you a Christian
But the meaning behind it
It is first believing
And then it is following
Come and see me after the service
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Bailey, Brad The Hope that Changes Life
Deese, Dennis The Death Conqueror
Stacy, Rick Mary Magdalene
Talton, Chris Going Away Empty-Hearted
Tow, Richard Mary Magdalene at the Empty Tomb
Books:
Hughes, R. Kent. John: That You May Believe. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999.
Keener, Craig S. The Ivp Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977.
Stern, David H. The Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., 1992.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs: ChariotVictor Publishing, 1989.
