Sermon Manuscript

[Video: “Christ is Risen - Bumper” - 1:43]

Good morning! How are you doing church family! It is good to be here. And it is good to sing praises to our Risen Lord and Savior! If you are new to the Fountain and maybe this is your first time here we want to say “Welcome to you. We are so glad you are here.” You could not have chosen a better Sunday to join us! Because today is Easter Sunday! Today is Resurrection Sunday! Today is THE DAY! It is the day in which we celebrate the greatest event in human history! The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The day in which Jesus woke up, sat up, stood up, and walked out of the grave! And it is on this day that we gather together as a church family and celebrate along with other Christian churches in this state, in this country, and all around the world the message and the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

And so to get us started I want to remind us of where we were Friday evening. On Good Friday we came together and reflected upon the story of the crucifixion. And we did so by examining it through the eyes of a woman named Mary Magdalene. Mary, we learned, was a woman from a town called Magdala. That’s why she was called Mary Magdalene. And Magdala was a small fishing community or village located on the southwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. And while we don’t know much about her upbringing what we do know is that by the time she met Jesus she had got herself into big, big, trouble. Luke 8:2 tells us that at some point in Mary’s life she became demon-possessed. And not only demon-possessed but she was possessed with seven demons. That’s right! Seven. And so when those wicked and evil spirits came into her they would have taken control of her mind and body. Demon-possessed people often act in strange and sometimes frightening ways. They might speak normally in one moment and then in the next burst out in yelling and screaming. They could also have enormous amounts of power and strength. In one moment appearing normal and in the next being incapable of being subdued. They also often would hurt themselves and others.

This was Mary Magdalene. She was like many of us. She had made mistakes within her life but her mistakes and her decisions led to dark places that many of us will never experience. And she ended up being demon-possessed. But that all ended when she met Jesus. Because when Jesus came into her life He performed an exorcism and removed those seven wicked and evil spirits once and for all. And from that point forward Mary Magdalene became a follower of Jesus. She and a group of women including a woman named Joanna, whose husband was King Herod’s household manager, a woman named Susanna, and several others. Mary Magdalene or Mary from Magdala. These women, along with the 12, became followers of Jesus. And as a result, they would have watched Jesus perform many, many, miracles. They would have listened and learned from many of His messages. And over time they grew closer to Him and began to believe in Him. To believe that He was the long awaited Messiah.

They also began to love Him. And that’s what made what happened to Him so very hard. Because when Jesus and His disciples came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover something unthinkable happened. Something unimaginable. Mary was not there but the disciples would later tell her what happened. During Jesus’ Last Supper, after washing His disciples feet, He told them that one of them would betray Him. Then He dipped a piece of bread into a bowl and gave it to a man named Judas. Judas Isacariot. And told him, “What you are going to do, go and do it quickly.” And Judas left. Later that night in the Garden of Gethsemane Judas then returned. This time with a group of soldiers. Soldiers who arrested Jesus, put Him on trial, convicted Him of a crime He never committed, and sentenced Him to death. Death on a cross. At one point a Roman Governor named Pontius Pilate stood Him before a crowd and said, “What do you want me to do with this Man who is called King of the Jews?” And the crowd who had been coerced by the religious leaders of the day began shouting and screaming, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” And so they did.

He was beaten and scourged. Forced to carry the cross to a place called Golgotha which in Aramaic means “The Place of the Skull.” And then nails were driven into His hands and feet. And for about six hours He hung on that cross. Between two criminals. Struggling to lift up His body. Struggling to breathe. And while many had left Jesus at that moment Mary Magdalene was there. She stood nearby and watched everything that He did and listened to everything that He said. At one point He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” At another point He said, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” And at another point He said, “It is finished. Into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And with that He breathed His last.

Mary was there. Mary saw it all. Mary heard it all. Mary saw the events that took place. Mary heard the words He struggled to speak. Mary felt a taste of the pain and suffering He endured. Mary was there at the crucifixion of Jesus. But Mary was also there for His burial. Because after He died and the soldiers took Him off of the cross Mary watched as Jesus was taken to the tomb of a man named Joseph of Arimathea. And Mary watched as a man named Nicodemus placed myrrh and aloe upon His body. And Mary watched as a stone was rolled over the grave.

Mary was there. She was there for the crucifixion. She was there for the burial. But she would also be there to see and experience what would happen three days later. And today, as we look into that story, we’re going to look into that story through her eyes. So that we can see what she saw, hear what she heard, and feel what she felt. And it is my hope and my prayer that her story, the story of a woman who was there, will resonate powerfully with you this morning.

So let’s get started. If you have your Bibles, turn with me now to the book of John chapter 20. Today we are going to examine verses 1-18. If you would like to follow along with us online you can do so as always by using our app. Each week we use an app here at The Fountain called Church Center. So if you download it on your smart phone and choose The Fountain you can then click on Sunday Services, followed by Message Notes, and find everything that you need. You will also find many other helpful tools and resources on that app as well.

As you turn there and get prepared, let me just remind you that this story and what happened to Mary Magdalene is found in all four of the Gospel accounts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record what took place. So as we examine John’s account I’ll bring in some insight from the others. But here’s what John said. In John chapter 20, beginning in verse 1, we read:

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Alright. So John begins by telling us that these events took place on the “first day of the week” or Sunday. This is why we worship on Sunday and not Saturday. Jews worship on Saturday but we worship on Sunday because of what happens here. So John tells us that Mary goes to the tomb on the first day of the week and while it’s still dark. Other Gospel accounts actually tell us quite a bit more about what happened. Matthew, for example, tells us that Mary Magdalene did not go alone. She went with another woman named Mary who was the mother of James and Joseph. Mark tells us that there was a woman named Salome who went too. Luke tells us that Joanna was there too along with some other women. So there was a group of women who went to the tomb that morning. Matthew also tells us that on the way an earthquake took place. This is significant because an earthquake also took place right after Jesus died. Both signified how God was trying to grab people’s attention. Matthew also tells us that an angel of the Lord actually descended and rolled away the stone. But all of these details are left out of John’s account. John doesn’t give us any details about the women who went to the tomb, what took place as they went, or how the stone was rolled away.

Instead, what John tells us about is a “foot race”. Right? I mean. He says that when Peter and “the one whom Jesus loved” (a favorite self-reference for John himself throughout his Gospel) heard that the tomb was empty they ran. “Both of them were running together”, verse 4 says, but “the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.” Strange detail. One that I’ve always thought was funny. My brother Jeremy is here this morning with his son Sanford and it’s like when we relive stories of our “glory days” but I make sure to tell him that “I beat him.” So I might say, “You remember when I beat you on that day”, right? I hit your whiffle ball pitch or scored the touchdown or knocked down that last second jumpshot to seal my victory. You do remember that, right bro?” Honestly, my brother is 6’6” so it was probably more like my brother reminding me that he blocked my last second shot on the basketball court. That’s what really happened! But we all do that don't we? We kind of tease people we love with those “details”.

I “think” that’s what John is doing here but I’m not sure. What we know for sure is that John reaches the tomb first but doesn’t go in. He waits for Peter. Then Peter arrives and rushes in. John follows him. And when they go in they both see that the linen cloths are lying there and the face cloth of Jesus folded up and off by itself. John then says that when he saw the empty tomb he believed. He believed that Jesus was alive and had been raised from the dead but he also tells us that he didn’t understand yet that Jesus had to be raised from the dead. In other words, he didn’t understand that the Scriptures had prophesied and predicted this event. That would come later. But the point is that when John saw the empty tomb he believed.

Stop and think about that for just a moment. Some of us here this morning are not yet followers of Jesus Christ but we’re close. We’ve been listening to others tell us about Jesus and learning about Him for years. Maybe decades. But we’ve always had this one lingering question. We’ve always had this one nagging question which has kept us from accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and turning our lives over to Him. So if that is you then you are just like John. You are close. So let me ask you this question: What question do you need answered to give your life over to Jesus today? What question do you need answered in order to turn your life over to Jesus and be baptized? Because the waters of baptism are ready for you. This past week I was reminded that Deb Kraft and her twin sister Denise Dank were baptized on Easter Sunday fourteen years ago. So today is their Christian birthday. If you see them, tell them “Happy Birthday!” My mom years ago used to send me a birthday card on my Christian birthday. The day I was baptized. But today can be your birthday too! You can give your life to Jesus today. You could not choose a better day than today to give your life to Jesus and in just a few moments I’m going to give you that opportunity.

But we need to continue. Because John continues. And he goes back to the story of Mary Magdalene. Here’s what he writes beginning in verse 11. We read:

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Alright. So let’s dig into Mary’s story once again. We’re told that as she stood outside the tomb weeping that she stooped into the tomb. And when she did she saw two angels dressed in “white”. Matthew says that they were “like lightning” and as “white as snow”. Mark says that the angel looked like a “young man” wearing a “white robe”. And Luke says they were in “dazzling apparel”. But here John says they were sitting at where the head and feet of Jesus had been. They then ask Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping?” And Mary responds, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Interesting. It’s the exact same statement she made earlier when she spoke to the disciples in verse 2. But then she turned around and saw Someone but didn’t know who He was. So she said, “Sir, if you’ve taken Him away please tell me where you have put Him.” And Jesus said to her, “Mary”.

Wow! What a powerful moment! Jesus needed only to say her name and she immediately knew it was Him! The Bible says that the sheep hear His voice and know their Shepherd! And here Mary hears the voice of Jesus and He only needs to say her name once, “Mary!”, and she knows that it’s Him! Incredible! I love that! So she turns to Jesus and says to Him “Rabboni” which is Aramaic for “Teacher!” Aramaic, by the way, was the common language of the Jews in Galilee. And it was probably the language Jesus most often spoke. But Jesus continues by saying, “Mary, don’t cling to Me.” That sounds like a strange statement but Matthew tells us that when Jesus revealed Himself to Mary that she fell at His feet and worshiped Him. So Jesus says, “Don’t cling to Me because I have not ascended yet and gone back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” By the way, Jesus is not saying He’s not God. What He’s saying is that in this moment He is still both fully human and fully divine and that He’s leaving soon. So don’t get too attached to Him. The other accounts tell us that Jesus tells her to tell the disciples that He is alive and that they can see Him in Galilee. So she goes and tells the others. She goes and says, “I have seen the Lord!!!!”

Incredible! What an amazing story! Mary Magdalene, an unknown woman from an unknown town, living a life far from God in which Satan has complete control of her, meets Jesus and her whole life changes! She goes from being outcast in society to being a student and follower of a Rabbi named Jesus! And as listens and learns and grows and experiences Jesus she believes! She believes that He is the Son of God and the Sacrifice for Our Sins! She believes that He is the Promised One and the Anointed One! The Messiah who was promised to come and who now has come! And she believes that He is the One whom God has sent to save the world! She watched Him perform many miracles and listened to Him preach many messages.

And she was rewarded for her faithfulness by being there during the most important moments of His life. She was there when He hung on that cross and died. She was there when His body was wrapped and prepared and He was buried. But most importantly she was there when He was raised from the dead! She was chosen to be the very first person on this planet to see our Risen Lord and Savior! The very first person to see that Jesus is alive!!! So before we wrap up we need to think about what Mary Magdalene’s story teaches us. What do we learn from Mary that we can apply to our lives today? Well, I believe that Mary teaches us how we can accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Because Mary took 4 steps and her life challenges us to do the same. Here’s four steps she took on the first Easter Sunday that we can take on this Easter Sunday.

First, examine the evidence of the resurrection. Throughout this story Mary Magdalene is examining the evidence of the resurrection. She goes to the tomb and sees that Jesus is not there. She experiences an earthquake and finds the stone rolled away. She meets angels and then her Risen Lord and Savior. Throughout her story she discovers more and more evidence that Jesus is alive. And you and I need to do the same. We need to examine the evidence God has given to us in His Word about the truth claim that Jesus is alive. So examine the evidence of the resurrection.

Second, understand the significance of the resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the disciples had to take time to process what the resurrection meant within their lives. You and I must do the same. If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true then Christianity is true and all other world religions are false. If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not true then Christianity is not true. Christianity rises and falls upon the truthfulness of this one important claim. If Jesus is alive, it changes everything! It means that you can receive forgiveness of your sins. It means that you can be given a brand new relationship with God. It means that you can have Eternal Life and live forever with God. Why? Because if Jesus is alive then His death paid for your sins and His resurrection confirmed that your sins have now been paid. Everything rests upon this one claim. So understand the significance of the resurrection.

Third, believe in the assurance of the resurrection. Mary discovered that all signs point to the truth that Jesus is alive and when she met Him it confirmed that truth. She believed. You and I must choose to believe too. Currently, there are about 2.6 Billion people in the world who are Christians. That’s roughly 30%. So 30% of the world believes in the resurrection of Jesus and celebrates that truth today. But that also means that 70% of the world does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And all of us must make a decision. What do we believe? What do you believe? Do you believe that Jesus is alive today or not? Believe in the assurance of the resurrection.

Fourth and finally, share your confidence in the resurrection. Mary said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” She would have shared that truth, that one truth that she was there and was the first to see Jesus alive, for the rest of her life. And we must do the same. If you are a follower of Jesus then He is counting on you and me, just as He counted on Mary, to tell others that He is alive. He is counting on you to share what you believe with those who are seeking and looking for Him. With those who have questions about Him. With those who want to know why Easter and the fact that He is alive matters in their own lives. As believers, we must share what we know and what we believe with the people all around us. Because people need to hear what we believe and the confidence we have. So share your confidence in the resurrection.

You see, we need to be like Mary Magdalene. We need to examine the evidence of the resurrection. We need to understand the significance of the resurrection. We need to believe in the assurance of the resurrection. And we need to share our confidence in the resurrection. We need to be confident and speak confidently to others. Here’s a couple of quick quotes on the confidence we need to have. Lee Stroebel, who wrote the book The Case for Christ which talks about his journey from being an Atheist to becoming a Christian wrote this at the end of his book, “I didn’t become a Christian because God promised I’d have an even happier life than I had as an Atheist. I became a Christian because the evidence was so compelling that Jesus is the one and only Son of God who proved his divinity by rising from the dead.” And C.S. Lewis the famous author and theologian once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not because I see it but because by it I see everything else.” That is the confidence in Jesus we need. The confidence that He is our risen Lord and Savior.

Let me just wrap up this morning in this way. Yesterday I had the privilege of officiating the funeral of a woman who has attended our church for many years. Her name is Carolyn McNamara and she is known and loved by many here. From the first time I met Carolyn she was special to me. Partly because she had the same name as my grandmother who passed. But Carolyn McNamara became a grandmother to me. She loved me and my family. Always asked about Debbie and the boys. And when I would see her she would give me this big, big, hug. She always had the best hugs and I will miss those hugs. But Carolyn loved the Lord. And while yesterday was hard because we will miss her we celebrated the fact that we know where she is now. We know that because she loved Jesus that she has gone home to be with her Lord and Savior. And when I met with her family I told them, “You know, when I first learned that Carolyn had passed my first thought was, ‘Oh, wow.’ What a tough time to pass away right before Easter.” But then I had this thought and I told this to her family. “But you know what? From this point forward every single Easter you will celebrate the fact that you know where Carolyn is. That she’s gone home to be with the Lord. And the reason you are able to do that is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because she believed in the resurrection.”

So what about you? Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Will you accept Him today? Will you accept Him as your Savior this Easter? Will you accept Him today as both your Lord and your Savior? Maybe today will be the day in which you become like Mary by examining the tomb and choosing to believe? So…

Examine the tomb and accept the truth that you are now saved from sin.

Let’s pray.

[Prayer: For God to help us celebrate Jesus as our Risen Lord and Savior.]

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