Where Have You Taken Jesus?

WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN JESUS?

John 20:1-16

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. There were three Native American tribes -- a Navajo, a Hopi, and an Apache -- who were speaking about how powerful their prayers were.

2. The Navajo said, "You know, we Navajos pray for healing, and the patients get well about half the time."

3. The Hopi said, "Well, we Hopis pray for rain, and it happens about 70% of the time."

4. Finally, the Apache spoke up: "Yes, but we Apaches have the sunrise dance, and it works every time."

B. TEXT: John 20:1-16

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." 16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

C. THESIS

1. Early on Easter morning, the women went to the tomb and found it empty. They went and told Peter and John, who ran down to look and confirmed it was empty, and they all went home.

2. But Mary Magdalene, having found deliverance and life through Jesus, could not live without Him. She went back to the tomb -- His last known location. Two angels appeared there, but she was not interested in angelic visitations others might make a lot of, she only cared about the person of Jesus.

3. As she stood there weeping, Jesus came, but in a disguised form. She thought he was the gardener. Many times after his resurrection (examples: the Emmaus road, here, John 21:1-14) Jesus appeared in forms that obscured or hid him from their sight.

4. Mary asked the supposed to gardener in verse 15, “Sir, if you have borne [taken] him hence [away], tell me where…”(KJV). So her question was, "Where have you taken Jesus?"

5. This is not a question to be asked for that day, but for all time. (And this question is similar to the question asked by Pontius Pilate, "What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? Matthew 27:22).

6. You see, we have the ability to take Jesus places. He is dependent on us to get around. We are His hands, feet, mouth, etc., because now He’s living inside us. He has no Body on the earth but us.

7. So "Where have you taken Jesus?" I want us to look at three possible places:

I. HOPEFULLY, NOT ANYPLACE BAD

A. MAKING JESUS STAY HOME

1. I've seen a drama about a college student who got saved and invited Jesus into his heart-house. He and Jesus became good friends and he took Jesus with him everywhere he went. But one evening some friends called the young man about a party where there were lots of girls and booze.

2. The college student got ready for the party and started to leave his apartment and Jesus, as customary, started to go out the door with him. He stopped Jesus, "No Jesus, I want to go by myself tonight."

3. Jesus replied, "But you agreed that we were best friends and that we would do everything together." The college student started to leave again and Jesus followed. The young man turned again, "No! You can't come!"