The Resurrection Series

INTRODUCTION

• Here we are together today celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus!

• In the series entitled Signs, all of the signs we have looked at showed how God is at work through Jesus in the world, pointing out God’s overwhelming grace and love through Jesus.

• Today’s sign shows us God’s power.

• After his crucifixion, Jesus was buried in a tomb.

• Some of his disciples went to the tomb on the third day, but the stone was moved away, and the tomb was empty.

• At this point in the story, they didn’t understand what had happened (20:1–10).

• Mary Magdalene ends up being the first one to fully understand when Jesus appears to her outside the tomb.

• He sends her to tell the other disciples, so she goes and reports, “I have seen the Lord” (v. 18).

• These are elements of the resurrection most are familiar with.

• Through the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus is showing the world that the one problem we still haven’t figured out—two thousand years later, and everyone still dies—was no problem for God.

• When Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb, it was not a setback for God but rather a part of his plan to restore creation to its former relationship with him!

• Jesus showed that by rising after being dead for three days.

• Today, most of us would say we agree with what I have stated thus far.

• Easter after Easter, week after week, we gather together in the name of Jesus at church to worship.

• Day after day, we live life after coming together each or some Sundays.

• By the fact that you are here today or watching online, intellectually, I think most of us here today understand that Jesus rose from the dead.

• We also know this was a miracle done by God and that it was not normal up to this point in creation.

• Up to this point in human history, we die, and we are not resurrected.

• Our own resurrection from the dead is something we place our hope in Jesus for.

• Today we are going to be in John 20:1-18.

• I want us to consider something as we go through the narrative concerning the resurrection of Jesus.

• I will spoil it a little for you, and you will notice it in the outline today.

• I want to focus on the issue of expectation, or you could use the word ANTICIPATION.

• I want us to understand that the concept of EXPECTATION will drive how we live life, regardless of what we say we believe or what we think we believe.

• What we think or say that we believe has to make the long journey to our heart.

• Then we will allow Jesus to have true lordship over our lives.

• Let’s turn to John 20:1-2. I will be using the NET 2nd Edition Bible today.

John 20:1–2 (NET 2nd ed.)

1 Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance.

2 So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

SERMON

I. A lack of expectation by Mary.

• According to Luke 8:2 Mary was an early follower of Jesus.

• She is mentioned in all four of the Gospels.

• Mary was also mentioned in the story of Jesus at some of the most critical moments of the narrative.

• Mary was at the foot of the cross as Jesus died and was one of the last to leave.

• She was also the first one to come to the tomb,

• Mary would be the first one to see and touch the resurrected Jesus!

• In Luke 8:2 we are told that Jesus cast seven demons out of her.

• Mary was also a supporter of the ministry of Jesus.

• Mary was one of the last people at the foot of the cross, watching the life flow out of Jesus.

• Mary watched the whole thing; she knew that Jesus was dead.

• What did Mary see hanging on the cross?

• What did all of her senses tell her?

• They all told her Jesus was dead!

• Mary knew the teaching of Jesus.

• Jesus told His followers that He would die and rise in three days.

• When Jesus was teaching what would happen to Him, His followers did not like to hear it, but they seemed to believe it.