Jesus has risen. The tomb was empty. The stone covering it has been rolled away.
• God has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He died on behalf of sinners and paid the penalty of our sin. God raised him from the dead on the third day
• The disciples were told of this before it happened, not just of His death but also His resurrection.
• Jesus told them that He will be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. In the Gospel of Mark, he said it 3 times.
• But it would take them a while more before they fully understand what it means.
We have just read John 20 an account of the resurrection of Jesus on the morning He was raised.
• All four Gospel writers describe the resurrection morning, but each one provides us with different details. We read John’s account today.
• It was in the early morning on the third day after His death, which is the first day of the week, a Sunday, that the disciples got to know that the tomb was empty.
John tells us of Mary Magdalene, the woman whom Jesus healed when He cast out from her seven demons (Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9) some time back in Galilee.
• She has become a faithful follower of Jesus and supporter of His ministry (Mt 27:55).
• She was among the few who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
• She was watching Jesus at the crucifixion (Mt 27:56, Mk 15:40), she was at the tomb when Jesus was laid (Mt 27:61, Mk 15:47), and now she was among the first to be at the tomb.
• Mary Magdalene has the honour of being the first to see the resurrected Jesus.
On this first Easter Sunday morning, she came to the tomb in grief, not expecting Jesus to be raised. The empty tomb only deepens her sorrow.
• John tells us, “Mary stood outside the tomb crying.” (20:11). As she wept, she saw two angels. They asked, “Woman, why are you crying?” (20:13)
• When Jesus appeared, He asked the same question, “Why are you crying?” (20:15)
Clearly we have a woman overwhelmed in sorrow. The empty tomb added to her grief.
• It was not good news. The body of her loved one was missing.
• Jesus stood by her and yet she could not recognise Him. Emotions clouded her eyes to the truth.
DON’T LET EMOTIONS BLIND US TO THE TRUTH
She was overcome by sorrow to see the truth of what has just happened.
• The last few days have been extremely emotional for her, having witnessed a loved one being crucified, died and buried in the tomb, up close.
• She was there when all of these happened. Having known and loved Jesus since her miraculous healing in Galilee, this end to Jesus was devastating.
• Her hopes have been dashed with the death of Jesus. It was a tragedy.
Sadness has a way of blinding us to the truth. It can shake our faith in God.
• Everything is interpreted in the negative. We see only the problem, the pain, the disaster. We see only our point of view, the human perspective - death is the end.
• And ‘if the tomb is empty, then His body must be stolen.’ That was Mary’s conclusion, her only conclusion.
• Even the appearance of the angels did not awaken her to think otherwise.
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In the Gospel of Luke, we have another very similar situation, happening on the same day, where two disciples of Jesus could not recognise Him.
• Luke 24:13-35. They were on the road to Emmaus, leaving the place of sorrow and hopelessness, Jerusalem.
• Jesus came alongside and talked with them, but they could not recognise Him.
• Luke said they were downcast, feeling sad and discouraged by all that has happened in Jerusalem. They were so overcome by grief to see the truth.
Listen to what they say to Jesus in Luke 24:22-24 "22…some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
• They could report the facts and yet leaving Jerusalem. You can almost sense the skeptism, “This is crazy, listen to what these women said, they were out of their mind…”
• They could only believe His death, not His resurrection, even though Jesus had already told them a few times that He would be raised on the third day.
Don’t let emotions blind us to the promises of Jesus and the truth of what God has revealed in His Word.
• Emotions are natural and fine, but our faith is in God and His Word. We are guided by the truth of God’s Word and not how we feel.
• Jesus guided the two disciples through the Scriptures and helped them see the truth in the light of the Scriptures.
• And they finally recognised Him at the end of the trip. Jesus has risen. This was the plan of God. He walked and talked with them!
When we see the truth, like these disciples, we will be filled with joy and hope.
• We would want to tell the world, that Jesus Christ is alive and there is hope in Him.
• The same thing happened to Mary Magdalene when she finally saw her risen Lord.
We do not want to be blinded by emotions, and secondly,
DON’T LET CIRCUMSTANCES BLIND US TO HIS PRESENCE
To Mary, what she saw was final. Jesus has died and was buried. She has seen it with her own eyes.
• She came to the tomb early in the morning, with some other women, bringing spices with them to anoint the body of Jesus.
• That was her purpose, to finish the unfinished task of anointing the dead because Jesus was taken down hurriedly on Friday night before Sabbath.
She was not expecting anything other than this. She was looking for a corpse.
• The circumstances blinded her to the realities around her – the stone was rolled away (how), the tomb was empty (why), the angels appeared (what is this) and then the “gardener” (who is he).
• None of these awakens her from her engrossed focus of looking for the body of Jesus.
Listen to how John the author describes Mary’s preoccupation:
• She reported to the disciples, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (20:2)
• Mary said to the angels, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (20:13).
• When she saw the “gardener” she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” (20:15)
• John penned it 3 times because Mary said it 3 times. She was convinced that Jesus’ body was taken by someone or stolen. That’s the only explanation for an empty tomb.
The Lord asked Mary, “Who is it you are looking for?” (20:15)
• The truth is, Mary was looking for a corpse. She said it three times, to the disciples, the angels and then to Jesus.
• “…tell me where you have put the body, and I will get it.” That’s the question we ask at the mortuary.
• Listen to what the angels said to the women in Luke 24:5, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
Difficult situations can blind us to the truth. We believe only what we can see and what we can understand. We tell ourselves what we think is true.
• It is hard to remember the promises of God and to believe that He is present when nothing seems to be right. During those times, we live more by sight than by faith.
• Troubles in life can cause us to question God because we cannot see Him in our difficulties.
• We ask, “Where is God when I am in pain? Where is He when I am suffering, when is God when it hurts?”
The truth is, the Lord is with us. The empty tomb does not mean a stolen body.
• In God’s plan, it means Jesus has risen! It means that Jesus has resurrected as He said He would.
• Mary has to recognise the One speaking to her and she did, finally, when Jesus called her name, “Mary”.
• That’s personal. The “gardener” knows her, by name. And she, at that point, recognises the familiar voice. Jesus would have called her that way many times.
• Immediately, she fell down in worship.
Do not let emotions and circumstances of life cloud our eyes from seeing Christ.
REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD HAS SAID
Hear the voice of the Lord again. Pay attention to what He says. Understand the Word of God and His promises.
• The angels said (Luke 24:6-8): “6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7`The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. 8Then they remembered his words.”
• Remember. We want to remember. We need to remember, especially during times of sorrow and difficulties. Jesus is by our side in our saddest and darkest moments.
• That was what the Lord did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Remember what was written! Remember the Word of God!
A mission team went to the villages in Bangladesh and was showing the JESUS film to an audience filled with people who had never heard the Gospel before. The villagers were watching the story of the life of Jesus.
Little children sat in front and at the aisles. The adults stood in the back.
As the story of Jesus’ crucifixion unfolded, there were tears and audible gasps. Many were moved with sadness.
As the Bengalis watched, one young boy suddenly stood up and said, “Do not be afraid. Don’t be sad. He will get up again! He will come back to life. I saw it before!”
The boy spoilt the show for the viewers. But we understand; he just couldn’t contain his excitement.
• “Jesus Christ will live again! Let me tell it to them and they won’t be sad!”
Are you excited today because Jesus is our risen Saviour and Lord? Are we glad that He is with us?
• Our hearts can be filled with the hope and joy like the first disciples.
• Don’t let emotions blind us to the truth, don’t let circumstances blind us to His presence.
• Let us tell the world of this good news, that Jesus Christ our Saviour lives and He is with us today.
Dear friends, Jesus Christ is our only Saviour.
• We need to be saved because we have sinned against God. Jesus paid that penalty of sin on the cross for us and bring us back to God.
• The resurrection of Jesus is more than just a miracle; it’s a sign, a proof that He is indeed the Son of God, the Saviour that God has prepared for our lost world.
• Believe in Jesus Christ today and receive the forgiveness of sin and a new life.
Let us close with this hymn: I Serve a Risen Saviour.
