Resurrection Day
Theme: First Evangelist Mary
Text: John 20:10-19
Introduction:
The resurrection narratives in all four gospels record very precisely how things were moving from one stage to the other. All of them want to give credit to Mary Magdalene as the first person to meet the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. The first evangelist of the Kingdom of God was Mary Magdalene. Though Mary Magdalene had great enthusiasm for Lord Jesus Christ. She loved the Lord more than all others of her age and culture. She bathed Jesus with her tears and alabaster Balm (Luke 7:36-37 & John 8:7). She was found in Luke 8:3 as a woman healed from seven demons. Later she became a strong devotee and spent the time to listen to the Word (Luke 10:38-42). Mary had great faith in Jesus and in His Power (John 11:2,32). She continued her sacrificial giving to Jesus before his death she brought another costly perfume and washed feet of Jesus (John 12:1-3). Now Mary is a model believer of the early Christians.
20:1-9 Mary was a Fearful Follower
There were almost three women in the morning went to the graveyard. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome (Mark 16:1). Only a day has gone but everything seems to be bleak, gloomy and non-futuristic. They were afraid of the Constitutional authorities, religious leaders(John 7:13, 9:22) and guards. It was very natural after the defeat of a leader.
Fear is a very common emotion in the human body. We are more familiar with the word “Phobias”. “acrophobia” is fear of high places; “claustrophobia” is fear of closed places; “nyctophobia” is fear of dark places, etc. normally fear leads to instability, unhappiness and finally to defeat. It is the enemy of faith. It saps spiritual vitality and it can paralyze the soul”(Harold S Martin). Fear is one of the by-products of modern life no one could avoid. Fear of losing employment taunts the young and old together, marriages are under stress for young couples, and children struggle with social pressures.
Bible talks about two kinds of fear: A respectful fear to God and fear of men. Serve the Lord with fear and trembling (Psalm 2:11). Jesus told his disciples not to fear the men who can only destroy their bodies and not their soul (Mathew 10:28 & Luke 12:4).
Paul Johannes Tillich, a Lutheran Theologian, German-American, lived from 1886 to 1965. “He wrote about 3 types of worry. First is a worry about fate and death. Second is a worry about two feelings. The feelings are about two lacks. There is the lack of inner satisfaction. There is the lack of meaning to life. The third is a worry about being guilty and deserving punishment”.
John Bunyan in his Pilgrim Progress records a very interesting incident that at one point he met with two Roaring Lions blocking his way to heavenly city. He was more fearful to take further step but with courage he moved on, when he reached very near to the Lions, he found that the Lions were chained by God. How often, we are afraid of the chained defeated, powerless issues over us. God has confined and curbed them already.
When I am afraid I will put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3). Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord,... he delivered me from all my fears”. Psalm 23:4 “ Even though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil”. Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 91:4-5 “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” Mathew 10:31 “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows”. Great Prophet Elijah afraid of Jezebel and ran for his life (1 Kings 19:1-3).
Here, now the women disciples, as soon as they reached the garden they found an empty tomb. So they quickly returned to City and told Simon Peter and John, they rushed to the spot and confirmed the empty tomb. The open grave brought more fear than hope and joy. All of them did not heed to the words spoken by Jesus Christ while he was with them.
The search for Truth with unbelief always leads to an empty, fearful and useless situation in life. They had forgotten the new teachings of Jesus Christ on Resurrection. Throw away whatever fear you carry in your life. The fear of persecution, fear of rejection, fear of shame and ill-treatment, fear of defeats. Let’s cast all our fears, anxieties upon Jesus Christ.
20:10-17 Mary was a Tearful Seeker
There was an interest to search the dead body rather than living Words of Hope, Living words of encouragement and Living Saviour. The words of Angels did not bring any meaning to their life because of their preoccupied mind about the dead BODY of JESUS rather than the LIVING WORD of JESUS. They were looking among the dead who was living with them (Luke 24:5).
Mary was crying, she wept. She did not realise that Jesus was standing there. The voice of Jesus came to her but because of her unbelief, because of her preoccupied mind and the emotional response, she could not recognise the Voice of Jesus and the Person of Jesus. She thought he was a Gardener. The tears of Mary turned into Joy. She was searching for a decomposed body but she encountered with a resurrected body. Our tears can be turned into joy if Christ is present. Mary broke her Alabaster Jar and washed the feet of Jesus with Tears (Luke 7:37-38 and 44-48).
The Emmaus disciples thought he was a traveller and visitor (Luke 24:18)Often it's true for most of us, we don’t give attention to the voices of God coming through many servants of God. We treat them as our servants, our guest speaker, our employee, our Pastor and so on. Our ears are deafened to the preaching and teachings coming from the Pulpit. Our insensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit keeps us on the same state of Life. No spiritual growth, no enthusiasm to preach, no eagerness to carry the good news.
Tears is a powerful tool to reach any person on the earth, then its more powerful to reach God. Bible has plenty of examples of how saints used this tool to reach God on various occasions. Psalm 126:5-6. “Sow with tears to reap with joy”. Haggar was sobbing for her son and the Lord heard her voice, she begged for a cup of water for her Son but God opened up a stream which will never dry (Genesis 21:16, 16:13). Jacob wrestled and prayer with tears for his own salvation (Hoshea 12:4 and Genesis 32:24-25). Hannah cried unto the Lord in prayer for a son and she was answered by God (1 Samuel 1:7-8). David fasted till his soul finds rest in God (Psalm 69:10, 2 Samuel 15:30-31), further he says that God loves the contrite and broken heart (Psalm 51:17). Hezekiah prayed to God with tears and his life extended for 15 more years (2 Kings 20:1-6 and Isaiah 38:5). A father sought Jesus with tears for the healing of his epileptic Son (Mark 9:17-27). his same Jesus prayed aloud with tears to save himself from the Death of Separation (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus weeps with those who shed tears (John 11:33-35). Peter wept bitterly after he denied Jesus Christ but his repentance gave him a better life in the Church and society (Mark 14:72, Mathew 26:75 and Luke 22:62). Are you going through the valley of tears, soon it will disappear and God would lead you to great Joy (Psalm 84:4-5). Because, He will wipe away all our tears (Revelation 7:17, 21:4), and he leads to a joyful life and no more lamentation in your life (Isaiah 65:19).
20:18-19 Mary was a Cheerful Evangelist
Mary, She had seen the Lord. She had heard the Lord. All her fears have gone and all her tears were wiped away. Now she was told by the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to carry this great good news. The Good News is “Jesus is Alive”. Jesus told her to go and tell His brothers that HE IS ALIVE. Thomas Aquinas calls Mary Magdalene as an “Apostle to the Apostles”(John 20:17).
An evangelist is one who shares the “good news” of God’s love found and expressed in the person of Jesus Christ. All Christians are invited to ‘share the story of Jesus” so all are evangelists. The Greek word ‘evangelist’ appears three times in NT in Acts 21:8, Ephesians 4:11 and 2 Timothy 4:5 not as position but as gift and duty.
Evangelism is communicating this good news that the Saviour of the World saves you and gives his kingdom to you. Evangelism has gotten a bad knock. It is not harassing or intimidating someone. It isn’t about forcing your beliefs on anyone. It is not coercing or pressuring anybody to believe anything. Evangelism is just bringing the Good News of Jesus to everyone whom you are familiar with and living out before the unfamiliar.
Evangelism is an overflow of our life in Christ wherever we are. Evangelism happens naturally with our own circumstances. In essence, evangelization is the simple reality of experience and helping others experience God’s presence in every human situation. It’s about knowing God, entering into a relationship with him, and allowing all aspects of life to be transformed by that relationship. Evangelism may be hard work but joyful work Gospel changes lives and changes societies. How many tribes around the world had seen the Power of God and how God changed the tyrant rulers and wicked people on the earth.
Think of the person who first shared the gospel with you. They were bold, burdened and gifted people, evidently, they are holy people. Are we evangelists with these qualities. Evangelism believed to be one of the three pillars of Methodism. John Wesley believed in Holy Life and Evangelism. Social Holiness and Evangelism to all.
Wesley Quotes: "I want the whole Christ for my Saviour, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship and the whole world for my mission field." "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth."
I have never seen a Pastor or a missionary or an evangelist regretting doing ministry. Most of them live in poverty, needs and always live in faith. Many of them have sacrificed their good earnings, Luxuries and chose the path of persecution and reproach. But never ever they felt sorry for being a servant of God. Being an evangelist to carry the grace of God whomsoever they met and whomsoever they desired to share the Gospel according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
The encounter with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ changed Mary Magdalene as Fearless woman, she became the bold and vibrant woman to carry the good news. She became a woman of hope and life changer. She became cheerful to carry the evangelistic work along with the Church. She became the very sharp instrument of Jesus Christ to proclaim the Good news to the Apostles and to the world.
This resurrected Lord would change your course of Life. Encounter with Christ will make you an Evangelist of good news.
