John 20:9 – The Best is Yet to Come
The Call to Worship had just been pronounced starting Easter Sunday Morning service in an East Texas church. The choir started its processional, singing "Up from the Grave He Arose" as they marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church. The last lady was wearing shoes with very slender heels. Without a thought for her fancy heels, she marched toward the grating that covered that hot air register in the middle of the aisle. Suddenly the heel of one shoe sank into the hole in the register grate. In a flash she realized her predicament. Not wishing to hold up the whole processional, without missing a step, she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued marching down the aisle. There wasn’t a hitch.
The processional moved with clock-like precision. The first man after her spotted the situation and without losing a step, reached down and pulled up her shoe, but the entire grate came with it! Surprised, but still singing, the man kept on going down the aisle, holding in his hand the grate with the shoe attached. Everything still moved like clockwork. Still in tune and still in step, the next man in line stepped into the open register and disappeared from sight.
The service took on a special meaning that Sunday, for just as the choir ended with "Hallelujah, Christ arose!" a voice was heard under the church shouting…"I hope all of you are out of the way ‘cause I’m coming out now!" The little girl closest to the aisle shouted, "Come on, Jesus! We’ll stay out of the way."
The simple faith of a little girl, the faith to expect Jesus to do great things. You know, we struggle with that simple faith. The faith to take God at His word. The faith to believe that God will do great things. Today, I want to look at one verse on scripture, in John 20:9, that has taken me aback a little. Let’s review the events on that first Easter morning. Several women – Mary the mother of James, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Salome, and others – were walking to the tomb where Jesus had been placed, before sunrise. They went to say goodbye to their loved leader.
But who would move the 2000-lb stone? When they got there, though, they found that it was already moved. An angel had rolled back the stone. And by the time the women got there, the grave was open and empty, and the guards were unconscious nearby. The women entered the tomb. Suddenly the angel appeared, along with another one, sitting where Jesus had been.
They stood up and said, “Don’t be afraid or alarmed. I know you’re looking for Jesus, who was crucified. But why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here – He’s risen! Remember the words He spoke when He was with you in Galilee? He said He would be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, but would rise again. Come and see where He was. Now, hurry – go tell His disciples, and especially Peter, that they will see Him in Galilee.”
So they women ran out, trembling, bewildered, confused and afraid. They said nothing to anyone until they reached the place where the disciples were staying. They told them the good news, and Mary Magdalene singled out Peter. I pick up the story in John 20:3-8.
Now, it’s this next verse that has caught my attention lately: v9. The disciples, Jesus’ closest friends, didn’t get it. They had heard Jesus tell of His death, but they didn’t get it when it happened. And they had heard Jesus tell of His resurrection, prophesying that He would be killed but be raised by the power of God. But when it happened, they just didn’t get it. They were in shock after watching Him die that it never entered their minds that He really would rise.
Now, just to stir this up more, Jesus’ enemies didn’t forget His words. They had caught wind of His teaching of rising from the dead. Now, they likely didn’t believe that He really would rise, but they wanted to make sure no-one came to steal the body, thus perpetuating the story. They placed a guard in front of the tomb, just to make sure that rumors of His rising didn’t happen. Do you see? Jesus’ enemies took Jesus’ words more seriously than his best friends did.
There were plenty of OT passages saying the Messiah would rise again. Like Psalm 16:10: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” And Isaiah 53:10, after describing the Messiah’s death, says: “He will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” There are many verses that speak of the Lord raising the dead after 3 days and so on. As well, Jesus had taken these passages and said, “These are about me!”
I find it funny and sad. After all that they knew about the Lord, after all the truths they had seen lived out in the flesh, after all the miracles they had witnessed, after all the goodness of the Lord they had tasted, still, the disciples were less likely to believe in divine activity than were Jesus’ greatest enemies.
Now, I know there is something to be said about their spiritual eyes being opened. That’s why Paul prayed for it in Ephesians 1 – to understand spiritual things. So the question is, have eyes been opened to it? Do we understand all that the Lord has done for us? Do we understand all that He has in store for us? Can we get even a little idea that He has more for us than we are currently experiencing? Folks, God had more in store for us than we are could possibly know.
It’s like an Easter egg. It looks good and pretty, but it’s only for decoration – until you get inside it. Then you find whatever – candy, chocolate… goodies. You know, some Christians never open up their faith. They like how it looks from the outside, but they never tap into all the good stuff in store for them. They don’t take God’s words seriously. They don’t believe there is more in store for them. They are quite content with what they have.
Some don’t believe you can have a clear conscience. But Hebrews 10:22 says you can. Some don’t believe it’s possible to really be forgiven. But 1 John 1:9 says it is. Some don’t believe it’s possible to live in the freedom of forgiving others. But Colossians 3:13 tells us that as we live in God’s forgiveness, He gives us the power to forgive others. Some don’t believe it’s possible to have real joy in this world. But Galatians 5:22 tells us that as we let God have His way in us, He will give us joy – and love and peace and patience and so on.
Folks, the empty tomb says that with God, all things are possible. He can do all things. No miracle is too big. No ocean is too wide. No challenge is too great for our God to make a way. Even at the lowest point in the disciples’ lives, God was moving and making a way. And He can do it for you too. He can break thru your darkness and give you so much more than an Easter egg, ornamental faith. He can change your life. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." Folks, God has more in store for you than you could possibly know.
We press on. We go forth. It’s a journey. Some days it’s 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. But God has so much planned for those who keep faithful, both in this life and the next. There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There’s one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What’s that?" came the pastor’s reply.
"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn’t it?" the young woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and I have also tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ’Keep your fork! It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!’ So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What’s with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork... the best is yet to come."
The pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did.
Folks, the best is yet to come. He’s given you the promise of it. But will you be like the disciples and have a hard time believing it? Will you struggle with God’s promises to you? Will you let discouragement and despair beat you down? Will you forget all that God has in store for you, both in this life and the next? Or will you rise above your ornamental, decorative faith and get to the heart of it all and find a relationship with God that is worth having? I challenge you today: if there is an issue that you need praying for, if there is an issue that you need to give to God, some element of your life that you know God wants to be in charge of, I challenge you… give it to Him. Write the issue down on the bulletin insert and pop it into the offering plate when it comes around after this next song.
