The Comfort of a Risen Savior
John 20:10-18
Intro: The fact of the resurrection is as well documented as anything in the history of the world. We have eyewitness accounts of our risen Lord. We have a more excellent testimony of his life in the person of the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, we have the record of the Word of God. Jesus Lives! He is just as alive today as he was on the hillside when he fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes. Paul spoke of the resurrection, and declared if Christ is not risen, then none of the dead shall rise. If he rose, then the believers will rise (I Cor 15). Furthermore, he said that this news and doctrine were words of comfort. I want to talk about the Comfort of a Risen Savior. He is a comfort:
I. When We¡¦re Sad: Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Joanna, Salome, and other women went to the tomb to anoint with burial spices the dead body of the Lord. Upon arrival they found the stone rolled away, and man in white sitting on it declaring the resurrection, and two men in white on the inside of the tomb reminding them of Jesus¡¦ words. They even told the women to get tell the apostles and then go to Galilee, for Jesus was going to meet them in Galilee. For fear they told no one save John and Peter. These two men ran to the tomb to find the women¡¦s report of an empty tomb to be true. They left wondering what the truth was. Mary Magdalene, however, stayed behind weeping. She did not know what to believe. Two men appeared again in white apparel and addressed her asking why she would weep. She left the tomb mourning the loss of her Lord thinking he was dead. Then the gardener appeared! Or at least she supposed him to have been the gardener. It was Jesus, and he called her by name alleviating all her sadness!
When we are at our lowest and it seems that the Lord can not be found, a risen Christ is a comfort to our troubled hearts. Just to hear him call our names make it worth going on!!
II. When We¡¦ve Strayed: The last time Peter saw Jesus was at the fire where he denied him. Jesus turned and looked at Peter as he denied him the third time, and Peter ran into a field and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62). Peter must have felt so unworthy of God¡¦s love and so guilty that the last time he had seen the Lord he had denied him. He may have wondered if God had cut him out of the plan,
ƒÞ but the angels in Mark 16:7 said to the women, ¡§Tell his disciples and Peter!¡¨ that Jesus is risen.
ƒÞ Peter was apprehensive about running to the tomb, for unlike John he could not look Jesus in the face with a clear conscious. Yet he longed to just tell the Lord how sorry he was so bad, that he did not hesitate to look into the tomb with hopes that Jesus was alive, and Peter¡¦s failure had not cost the Messiah a chance to rule.
ƒÞ Even after seeing Christ risen, Peter went fishing and took others with him. Jesus appeared on the shore and a backslidden Peter swam to him. Even still Jesus told him to feed the sheep! He had not been cut out of the plan of God. He had a place, and he was to follow the risen Christ and feed the sheep (John 21:3-22).
He is patient with us and will restore us to himself. A risen savior, living to forgive, is a comfort when we¡¦ve strayed!
III. When We¡¦re Suffering: on the isle of Patmos John was suffering, but the Great I am showed up (Rev. 1:12-18). When we are suffering for the Gospel¡¦s sake, it is a comfort to know that Jesus is alive, knows what we¡¦re facing, and has a crown waiting for the afflictions that we may endure!
What a comfort to know that he¡¦s alive and still in control! Whatever your need, it can be met by a risen Savior.
