"get Up Out Of That Grave" Series

Last Christmas, our family decided to do something different. We decided to take a vacation together in Orlando.

A few of us are runners and my Son wanted to run one of the Disney series of races so we went to Disney, camped out in Ft. Wilderness and had a “running vacation.”

I chose to do the Half Marathon yet the night before we were told that a huge thunderstorm/lightning storm was coming in and they were narrowing the mileage of the race from 13.1 miles to 7.1. Yet, if you are a “real” runner, that’s not kosher. If you are going to wear a shirt that says that you ran 13.1 miles you don’t run 7.1 and call it good.

That morning I got up and we arrived at the starting line at 3:45 a.m. Yet, my starting wave did not begin until around 6:00 a.m. so as the rain began to fall, I put my earbuds in, set my watch to record my miles, and started running the parking lot loop to get in a few early miles before I got in line for the race.

As I ran, I noticed that I was not the only crazy person who was running in circles at 4:00 a.m. in the morning on vacation and the longer I ran the more people joined us as the rain came down in torrents.

As I ran, I began singing and worshipping God with a song by Bethel Music recorded by Brandon Lake called: “I thank God.” The lyrics at the end of the song have what seems to be an endless series of words celebrating Jesus Resurrection that go like this:

Get up, Get up, Get up, get up (Yeah) Get up outta that grave (Okay) Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up out of that grave (Yeah) Get up, get up, get up, get up outta that grave (Yeah) --- as a matter of fact, I counted the lyrics-- 24 times in that refrain the song says: “Get up, get up, get up, get up outta that grave...”

Now imagine this for a moment. A middle aged white guy with an orange shirt that says on the back “Shut up and run” -- running circles through a Parking lot at 4:00 a.m. at Disney World, singing to the top of his lungs as he runs- Get up, get up, get up, get up out of that grave.. Yeah!!

My son chased me down and said: “Dad, I’m not sure you know what you’re doing because I know you’re caught up in your running and worshipping, but who are not believers probably have no idea what you are talking about and think you are crazy!”

Of course, we laughed about it, and so you will know, I didn’t stop singing. I just went with it. Why not? If they think I’m crazy they might need to remember that they are also running in a thunderstorm 13.1 miles on vacation too--- and I looked a whole lot happier than they did! I was celebrating the resurrection!”

By the way, I didn’t do 13.1 -- I ran 13.2 just for the fun of it but kept singing that song most of the way.

Transition:

In John 20 today, we see three runners:

a) In verse 2-Mary Magdalene saw the stone was rolled away so it got her running. Verse

2 says: “So she ran and came to Simeon Peter.

b) In verse 4- Peter and the “other disciple” (John) were running. It reads: “they ran

together.”

Running in the New Testament was undignified. It was considered culturally wrong and shameful. It required someone to grab their robe, pull it between their legs and take off. In their day it was about like a someone running down to the mall in their boxers. It was inappropriate and wrong.

Yet, they ran. They lost all sense of composure. There was something to be seen immediately. It couldn’t wait. The grave was empty and they had to go and see.

Transitional Sentence: This Easter morning, I want to invite you to come to the tomb with these runners and see what all the excitement is about. What’s exciting about the empty tomb?

I. Faith is Found At the Empty Tomb

vs. 1-2- “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simeon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they laid Him.

Explanation:

It had been a tough weekend for the disciples. Their King, Jesus had been arrested, beaten, had His clothing torn from His body and was nailed to a splintery cross.