Have you heard of the seven last words of Christ on the cross? Some of you may be very familiar with this, others of you may wonder what I’m talking about. When you look at all the gospel accounts and put them together there are seven sayings or "Words" that Jesus spoke as he was dying on the cross:
-Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34
-Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43
-Jesus said to his Mother, "Woman, behold your son." And to the disciple, "Son, behold your mother." John 19:26-27
-My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:36, Mark 15:34
-I thirst. John 19:28
-It is finished! John 19:30
-Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit! Luke 23:46
Three of these are from Luke, three are from John and one is from both Matthew and Mark. The selection of these from each of these gospel writers not only gives us a wider view of the crucifixion event, but they also tell us something about each gospel writer and his audience.
Reading the gospels and meditating on these words of Jesus have inspired many sermons, songs, and books dating back to the 16th century. Your life and faith can be enriched by reflecting on these. Traditionally, these seven sayings or "words" have beautiful theological themes: forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph and reunion.
Jesus died on the cross at about three o’clock in the afternoon on either Thursday or Friday. Scholarship is divided here. Friday has become the traditionally accepted day of Christ’s death on the cross, but personally, I am convinced it was Thursday. Either way, Jesus rose on Sunday, the first day of the week. It was this time of year almost 2000 years ago, on the first day of the week that Jesus, the Son of God rose from the grave and appeared alive again to witnesses. Their testimony about Jesus, the risen, living, reigning Christ, has changed the world. We can read that testimony in the pages of scripture: Jesus Christ prophesied in the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New Testament.
This morning I invite you to consider not just the last words of Jesus on the Cross, but also the first words of Jesus after his resurrection. Our text will be John 20:1-16. I hope you have your Bibles handy and will follow along. We will also do a little comparison with Matthew, Mark and Luke’s account as we focus on what John tells us. Certainly there is a great message for us all from the first words of the risen Christ. Read with me John’s testimony of the resurrection and what Jesus said.
John tells us in personal detail how Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the resurrected Christ. Unlike Matt. Mk. and Luke, he doesn’t mention any other women, though the apostles agree that Mary Magdalene was either first or among the first to see Jesus alive again. John tells us that this is actually Mary’s SECOND trip to the empty tomb this resurrection morning. The first time she saw the empty tomb she was distraught and ran to tell Peter and John (the apostle that Jesus loved) that Jesus’ body was gone!
John tells us that Peter and John ran to see the empty tomb. John got their first and looked in, but didn’t go in. Peter arrived and burst into the tomb to see what was going on. Then John enters with him. They see the grave cloths laying there. They see the face cloth folded up and lying by itself. (Guys, take a hint, Jesus folded his clothes). John says that they still did not understand from the scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead, verse 9. John saw and believed... but this belief may have come after he put all the pieces together. So there they are. Mary arrives with them. Peter and John go home leaving Mary to weep alone.
What’s going on with John’s gospel here??? I think John is making a point that the other gospels are not concerned with. Hang on to that and we’ll get back to it.
Mary is standing outside the empty tomb of her Lord, grief pouring from her soul in tears. What has happened to the body of her beloved Savior? Who could have done this terrible deed?
As she weeps, she stoops down to look into the tomb again. This time, it is not empty! This time, there are two angels! One is at the place of Jesus head and the other is at the place of his feet! Some scholars have observed that this seems to imagine the Ark of the Covenant where the two Seraphim on the lid of the Ark face one another and between them is the Mercy Seat where God Himself spoke with Moses and where the atoning blood was sprinkled to cleanse Israel from sin.
Is God picturing this for us in John’s testimony? Well, it is an attractive thought, and perhaps true, but John makes no reference to it and nowhere else is there anything to indicate it. Let’s just say that it is an amazing picture and fitting to the time and place.
What John does give us is very interesting. Listen to the angels... What do they say to Mary? "Woman, why are you weeping?" She answers them from her heart’s despair, "They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where he is laid." What is going on with John’s gospel here?
Consider Matthew, Mark and Luke’s account. In Matthew and Mark there are at least three women that come to the tomb together, and when they see angels at or in the empty tomb, what is their reaction? Holy terror! The angels say: "Do not be afraid; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified, HE IS RISEN! He is not here..." Matthew 28:5-6, Mark 16:6. Consider Luke’s account. Again there are women who come to the tomb, and when they see the angels, they look down in fright. The angels say, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. HE HAS RISEN!" Then the angels remind the women that Jesus told them this would happen.
Mark 16:9 tells us that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Matthew tells us that after the angels told them Jesus was alive as they were returning from the tomb, Jesus himself met them. They fell at his feet and clasped them and Jesus first words were: "Do not be afraid."
So what’s going on with these accounts and why the differences?
Liberal scholars say that there was no resurrection and that the gospels conflicting reports demonstrate it. But all of them report a resurrected Christ. All of them agree that Mary was at least among the first to see Jesus alive that day. The differences reveal a variety of audience needs, not a false witness to a historical event.
I believe there are different audiences for each of these gospel writers and they have a different focus or concern that is reflected in the telling of the gospel story. Each gospel writer has to select what to tell and the variation is not contradiction, but a different stress. We would like for the witness to be mathematically perfect, but whatever that may benefit us, I believe the variety and tension within the gospel witness benefits us even more.
Matthew and Mark stress the authority of the Christ and call us to a fearless witness. "Fear not" is a common statement in these gospels.
Luke stresses the fulfillment of scripture in Christ’s death and resurrection and calls us to recognize Jesus in the Old Testament scriptures. (See especially Luke 24:7-8, 25-32, and 44-49).
John has his own particular focus. First, he is personal. He likes to tell of Jesus encounters with individuals. So here at the empty tomb John doesn’t mention the other women, just Mary. He doesn’t mention the fright of Mary when she sees the angels nor the encouragement of them not to be afraid. John’s gospel takes a deliberately personal view of one woman’s love for her Lord. A delayed revelation of his resurrection allows us to see her deep concern that his body be treated with respect and given a proper burial care.
Second, John is deliberately slow to reveal the resurrection. Matthew, Mark and Luke all rush to say, "HE IS RISEN!" Even before anyone sees the risen Christ, the angels are announcing it! Not John. For whatever reason, John’s account lets us know that there was a relational process involved here. There are some beautiful things revealed through this that we can learn from.
Mary, weeping, stoops to look again into the empty tomb and sees the angels. She doesn’t seem shocked to see angels in the tomb and they don’t seem worried that she may be terrified. Instead the concern is with her sadness. "Woman, why are you weeping?"
Ahhh! John! What a heart for relationships! Only John tells of Jesus’ mother at the cross. Only John tells of the woman at the well. Only John tells of Nicodemus and Jesus’ conversation at night. Only John tells of the woman caught in adultery. Only John gives us the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. John’s is a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" gospel.
What do the angels say to Mary? "Woman, why are you weeping?" And what does she say? "They have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they have laid him." Her answer reveals her love and hopeless sense of loss. What was Mary expecting to find at the tomb this resurrection morning? What does this empty tomb mean to her at this point? John is stressing something here... What? Look what happens next.
Jesus himself stands there with Mary. Wow! This is Jesus first resurrection appearance! Mary turns to see him, but SHE DOESN’T KNOW IT IS JESUS! Imagine that? The one she is desperate to find is right there with her and she can’t recognize him.
Here are Jesus first recorded words after his resurrection... according to John’s gospel:
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"
Now John takes us inside Mary’s head. The last part of verse 15. See it there? Supposing him to be the gardener... Mary thinks what? She looks and sees Jesus, but does not recognize him so she thinks he is the gardener. Point??? Perhaps, Jesus is closer to us than we think!
Her words are: "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him." What is Mary thinking? What is she looking for? She sees angels who talk to her, and now Jesus himself is standing there where she can see him... but the lights haven’t come on yet. She is still hoping to take care of a dead man’s body. She is still worried and sad that someone has stolen it or taken it away. She still has no idea that Jesus could be ALIVE. Twice she is asked, "Woman, why are you weeping?" Don’t Jesus and the angels know?
What is John up to?
God doesn’t always reveal himself the way we expect or even wish he would. Sometimes the Lord prepares us through suffering to find glory. But suffering can be a real pain, a blinding barrier to seeing Jesus.
What is life like when your best hope is to give a proper burial to the only one you ever dreamed could save you? That’s Mary. John seems to be showing us that sometimes our discouragement can blind us from the glory of the living Christ. It can be hard to see Jesus powerful presence when we are faced with death and defeat. It’s hard to see Jesus through eyes filled with hopelessness and the tears of despair.
Unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke who give us the message of the risen Lord right off the bat, through the angels, even before Jesus is seen, John does something unique.
JOHN DELAYS THE MEANING OF THE EMPTY TOMB UNTIL JESUS CALLS YOUR NAME..
You’ve got to love verse 16. It’s the third "Word" of the risen Christ.
Jesus says one word: "Mary!" It is like a bolt of lightning to her. She is jolted out of despair and astonished into delight!
Remember John 10? Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Mary hears her name spoken by her Lord and Master and she cries out, "MY TEACHER!" (Rabboni is the possessive construct of the word). It appears that she grabs hold of Jesus and won’t let go. Do you blame her?
One of these days you and I are going to see Jesus too! This same Jesus will come again and every eye will see him. Every knee will bow before him. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. If you are one of his sheep, you will hear him call your name and invite you into his glorious presence to share life with Him together forever. It is going to be a really, really good day!!! Isaiah said it first and Revelation repeats it: "God will wipe away every tear from our eyes."
Jesus first words after his resurrection:
1. Why are you weeping?
What is it that brings tears to your eyes? Are you too tough to tear up? Jesus said, "Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." There are many things in this sinful old world that should bring us to tears... too many. Mary comes to the tomb mourning the death of her beloved Lord. We should all grieve over the sinful things that put Jesus on that cross. If we are ever to experience the Joy of the Lord in eternal glory we must first join with Jesus in his suffering and walk in the way of God’s love that rejoices not in evil but rejoices in the truth. (Romans 8:16, 1 Cor. 13).
2. Who are you seeking?
I like this question. Not, "What are you looking for?" Jesus doesn’t ask Mary what she is looking for, but "Who." Ultimately this is the greatest question of all. Are you looking for the Lord? Are you seeking his face? Is he the vision of your heart? Colossians 3 and Hebrews 12 teach us to fix our eyes on Jesus, to set our minds on things above where Christ is. Mary... she was looking for the Lord. She found much more than she ever expected!
If we seek the Lord with all our hearts, we will find much more than we could ask or imaging too.
3. Mary!
One day Jesus will call your name. The greatest blessing of all comes to those Jesus knows and who know his voice because we’ve been listening to it all of our lives and obeying it with all of our hearts.
