Forgiven Much, Loved Much
John 20:1-18
Good morning, HE IS RISEN!!!!
The first Easter Morning didn’t start with an Easter egg hunt or worship music, unlike the worship we enjoyed this morning.
There were no Easter lilies, and the children did not wake up to chocolate bunnies and jellybeans.
The first Easter began with a grave site and a tomb.
If the story ended there, Easter would be a really sad story, but the story didn’t end there, because Jesus is alive, He is risen.
The Resurrection of Christ is the central belief of the Christian Faith. Without the Resurrection, there would be no reason to trust in the Lord and or to worship Him on Easter Sunday.
The Apostle Paul said, 1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. NKJV
Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of John 20,
The portion of scripture we will study today records what happened right after the Passover holiday weekend in Jerusalem.
The Jewish leaders had asked Pilate to make sure Jesus was dead on the Cross before the special holiday was complete.
So, the soldiers broke the legs of the two condemned men who were hanging beside Jesus, to speed up their death.
But when they got to Jesus, He was already dead, because He said, “It is finished” and He had given up His Spirit. To be sure, Jesus was dead, the soldiers drove a spear through His side.
I. Where’s the body?
Read John 20:1-4
None of Jesus’ followers were expecting His Resurrection.
Hundreds of years before Jesus was on Earth, the LORD gave many predictions about the death and the resurrection of Christ.
Prophesying about the Messiah 800 years earlier, Isaiah said…
Isaiah 53:12 Because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. NKJV
500 years earlier Zechariah 12:10 "they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Before the Cross, all of Jesus’ followers were sure that He was the Promised One from God and that He was going to set Israel free from the Roman oppression they were under.
All of Jesus’ followers were sure Jesus was the rightful King, so how could they have been wrong?
Here we are re-introduced to a woman named Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene was the woman Jesus cast the demons out of in Luke 8, and she was so grateful to the LORD for her new life in Christ so, she was the first one at the grave that morning.
Mary noticed the huge stone rolled away from the tomb and immediately ran to tell Peter and John that someone moved the body of Jesus because she still thought He was dead!
In vs. 2, John calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.
Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Jude 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. NKJV
If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, you can call yourself the one whom Jesus loves as well!
Peter and John were not expecting the Resurrection, so when Mary reported what she witnessed, they didn’t know what to make of it so, the men ran to the tomb to see it for themselves.
Every one of these people thought Jesus’ body was moved by someone because they were not expecting a Resurrection.
I wonder if we are expecting God to do something this morning.
This reminds me of the movie “The Incredibles”, when Mr. Incredible asks the Tricycle kid, “What are you waiting for?”
The kid replies, “I don’t know, something amazing I guess.”
That first Easter morning, Jesus did the most amazing thing, when He kept His promise and rose from the dead.
John was the youngest of all the Apostles, so it is funny he said in his Gospel how he beat the old man Peter to the tomb.
II. Seeing is believing.
Read John 20:5-10
John arrived at the tomb first and we don’t know whether it was reverence or fear, he didn’t go in, he looked in from the outside.
John immediately saw the linen cloths lying there and he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of what he was seeing. But Peter, true to his personality, showed up and pushed past John into the cave
John saw the folded linen cloths and he was convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Notice vs. 8 says, “he saw and believed” Jesus had Risen!
Seeing is believing is an idiom that means "only concrete evidence is convincing"
When John finally went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths neatly folded, he knew what that evidence meant.
The LORD can do the impossible- even by resurrecting something we had previously believed was dead.
Think back to when the angel informed Mary in Luke 1 that she was pregnant with the coming Messiah, even though she was a virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The angel told Mary in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible." NKJV
Maybe this morning you are thinking that nothing can be done to fix broken things within your life, but the LORD can do the impossible, even raise the dead, even resurrect dead dreams.
The LORD wants you to have a fulfilled life and that only happens when you allow Him to be the center of your life.
Jesus said in John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. NKJV
Can you imagine?
The LORD loved you so much that He not only sent Jesus to die and save you, but He actually came to give you an abundant life as well.
The LORD wants to overwhelm your life with His love and Grace so that you can experience an abundant life now, and an everlasting life for eternity.
Like the tomb that morning, sometimes, we need the LORD to remove the stone in front of our hearts.
However, to remove the stone in front of the tomb of your heart, you need to surrender your life, hopes, and dreams to Jesus, get your eyes off of yourself, and make Jesus your Lord and Savior.
The correct order of our hopes, dreams, and ambitions is found:
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. NKJV
If the LORD is in His rightful place in your life and you delight yourself in Him, His desires will become your desires, and you will have an abundant and fulfilled life.
Jesus will ultimately give us our hearts' desires not only here, but eternal life in heaven! The LORD has more love for you than you can imagine or even dreamed possible.
He has so much love for us Jesus took the Cross so we can live.
Heaven is the place where every dream you have is surpassed and Jesus taking the Cross and rising from the dead is our ticket to heaven if we accept His free gift of salvation!
Jesus is the only way we can receive forgiveness of sin and the reality for our deepest dream, a right relationship with the Father
The Great news about all this is, is that the LORD is the One who initiates this relationship with us…
But in our narrative, John showed faith as he believed Jesus had risen from the grave before he had ever seen the risen Christ.
It is hard to understand that Jesus’ closest followers did not understand the Old Testament scriptures stating the Messiah would rise again.
David prophesied 1000 years before the death of Christ…
Psalm 16:10, For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. NKJV
John would have said, “Before Peter and I got to the tomb, we did not realize Jesus was going to rise again, because we were not expecting the Resurrection.”
As Christ-followers today, we have some advantages that Peter and John did not have during their lifetime.
? We have the Holy Spirit living in us to give us discernment and wisdom to help us understand the things of God.
? We have the New Testament which serves as a light to be able to understand the Old Testament.
There is something else needed sometimes to fully grasp the LORD’s teaching.
We must go through trials and sufferings in order to fully understand some scripture.
David wrote the Lord is “My Shepherd” (Psalm 23) because he experienced the LORD as his own caring, correcting, Shepherd.
Had David never known the Lord as his personal caregiver, he may not have truly comprehended the meaning of Psalm 23.
David Knew the Lord as the one who was guided, comforted, and corrected by the Shepherd.
So, Peter and John left the tomb, believing the Lord rose from the grave, but they still did not yet fully comprehend the magnitude of what just happened.
These two men were trusting Jesus, but they did not have all the facts figured out yet.
Do you know that the LORD will accept you as His child, without having all of the facts just right?
Jesus wants us to trust Him, and He will reveal many things to us over time. So, these men went and saw and then believed.
III. Mary loved much.
Read John 20:11-15
There are fourteen appearances of Christ recorded in scripture after His crucifixion.
Why was Mary Magdalene chosen as the first person Jesus appeared to?
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. NKJV
Luke 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,
Luke 8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities — Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons. NKJV
Mary was truly in love with Jesus because she realized how much she was forgiven, she loved much because she had been forgiven much.
People who don’t realize how sinful they truly are, and what they truly were forgiven of, have a hard time loving Jesus for their forgiveness.
It is usually the people who don’t recognize how sinful they really are who look down on others while they have dirty hearts.
But something interesting to note here is that Mary did not immediately recognize Jesus; why?
Again, Mary was not expecting the Resurrection. Mary returned to the tomb grieving and not believing Jesus was alive.
Sometimes grief can cause us to be so single-minded that we don’t see what is right in front of us.
Mary was also weeping because of unbelief, and unbelief can cause spiritual blindness.
The angels asked Mary why she was weeping and she said in John 20:13, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." NKJV
She was so focused on her grief and unbelief that she didn’t recognize Jesus. John 20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" NKJV
Again, she answered in the same way because she was too focused on her grief to see Jesus standing right there.
Because Mary was not expecting a resurrection, in her unbelief, she failed to recognize Jesus even though He was next to her.
I wonder how often we get so consumed with our problems that we fail to recognize Jesus standing right next to us?
Jesus promised that He would be with us, during the good times and the bad, the desert times and the mountaintop experiences. He is never going to leave us, especially when times get tough.
IV. Jesus revealed Himself.
Read John 20:16-18
When Jesus called Mary by name, she immediately recognized her Savior.
John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” NKJV
Jesus was speaking to the church of Pergamum and said in…
Revelation 2:17, I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."
When people who love Jesus, hear Him call their name, they will follow Him, because He is the Great Shepherd.
He knows my name! He knows me personally, no matter how huge the world’s population, my God knows me individually.
When Moses was transferring leadership over to Joshua he said, Deuteronomy 31:7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel,
"Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.
Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." NKJV
Our LORD goes before us and prepares the way, and He is also our rear guard.
Isaiah 52:12 For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. NKJV
He is the God of Angel Armies and He is always by our side.
Jesus called Mary by name and immediately her perspective was changed because she recognized Jesus.
Jesus is so full of mercy and Grace that He calls out to us and reveals Himself even during our moments of unbelief.
Then notice, Jesus told her not to cling on to Him. The words cling to literally means to fasten one's self to, or to adhere to.
Mary was so excited to find out Jesus was alive that she latched onto Him. But like MC Hammer Jesus says, “Can’t touch this”
Jesus appeared to Mary before He actually went to the Father as the risen Savior to present Himself as our sin offering.
This is not speaking of the ascension that happens in the book of Acts, but it refers to the first meeting God the Son was going to have with God the Father after Jesus rose from the dead.
Imagine, Mary Magdalene, the former demon-possessed person had such a special place in Jesus’ heart that He showed Himself to her prior to speaking to the Father.
Again, Mary was truly in love with Jesus because she realized how much she was forgiven.
Basically, Jesus told her to go and tell the disciples about Him being alive and He would appear to them soon.
Notice the end of vs. 17, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"
Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, we can now call the LORD our Father and our God.
Jesus is God the Son; a member of the Trinity and we are given the right to become children of God through His shed blood.
V. Practical Application.
There is so much evidence for the Resurrection that there is no getting around it. All the eyewitnesses there that day must have Seen Something, but all failed in one specific area.
None of Jesus’ followers were expecting the Resurrection.
But in the age in which we live, we have so much proof and if we investigate the evidence for ourselves, we will believe.
Jesus loved us so much that he endured the Cross, but the resurrection is the proof that what He said was absolute truth.
Mary Magdalene was chosen as the first person Jesus appeared to, out of 14 appearances recorded after the crucifixion.
Jesus, said…Luke 7:47 I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." NKJV
Mary was truly in love with Jesus because she realized how much she was forgiven. People who don’t realize how sinful they are, have a hard time loving Jesus.
Mary returns to the tomb grieving and not believing Jesus was alive.
Sometimes grief can cause us to be single-minded, so we don’t see what is right in front of us.
She was also weeping because of unbelief; unbelief can cause spiritual blindness. Christ's followers need to remember…
? In the Happy Moments, Praise God!
? In the Difficult Moments, Seek God!
? In the Quiet Moments, Worship God!
? In Every Moment, Thank God!
When we are faced with difficult times in life, we need to believe and cling to the promises of God to see us through.
John 20:27 Do not be unbelieving, but believing." NKJV
When we are going through difficult times in life and trying to carry the load on our own…
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. NKJV
Many of us this morning have something going on in our lives that seems insurmountable, a tunnel without an end. There are so many things we can focus on that hinder our spiritual vision.
The LORD wants to provide a resurrection in areas of our lives that appear to be without hope, but the LORD is still in the business of showing up and performing God-sized miracles.
None of Jesus’ followers were expecting the Resurrection.
I want us to be a people who always expect God to show up, even when we don’t expect it.
May we, as His Children expect Him to show up, begin to walk by Faith, trusting Him to do all that He has promised. Because we are the ones whom Jesus loves!
And if your life is smooth sailing right now, don’t forget to thank Him during those times, because He is the one who has provided that peace as well.
John 20:31 these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. NKJV
The Bible is not a biography; it is a love letter from the Creator that shows how man began and then sinned, but God gave Jesus as the plan of redemption from the beginning.
The tomb was empty because He is Risen. Now we can expect a Resurrection from our worries and problems by faith today!
Always expect the Lord to show up and do something amazing!
