June 10, 2018
Morning Service

It has been a journey for us to work our way through the Gospel of John and try to experience what the life of Jesus looked like. It certainly has been both challenging and rewarding.  One of the challenges was to try to understand why Jesus had to die such a horrific death.  Last week we studied the mock trial before Pilate, the scourging and mocking by the Romans, and finally His crucifixion.  It was all part of God’s perfect plan of salvation which is completed today.  Today we will look at culmination of God’s plan as Jesus arises from that grave we left Him in last week.  This week unlike last is a feel good, build your hope, and even shout for joy study that we all love to talk about.  My prayer today is that we gain an understanding of not only what happened on this resurrection morning but why.

John 20:1-10 Early on Sunday Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, darkness still being on it, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb.  (2)  Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to 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 have laid Him.”  (3)  Therefore Peter and that other disciple went forth and came to the tomb.  (4)  So they both ran together. And the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb.  (5)  And stooping down he saw the linens lying, yet he did not go in.  (6)  Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. And he saw the linens lying there.  (7)  And the grave-cloth that was on His head was not lying with the linens, but was wrapped up in one place by itself.  (8)  Therefore, then, that other disciple also went in, the one who came first to the tomb. And he saw and believed.  (9)  For as yet they did not know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead.  (10)  Then the disciples went away again to themselves.

·        Mary Magdalene did not come to the tomb alone.  The other gospels speak of the women who accompanied her.  They were bringing more spices that they had prepared for the body of Jesus.  They were not expecting Jesus to be arisen from the dead.  They were so shocked that they ran and told the disciples that someone had stolen the body.

·        I wonder what was going through Peter and John’s minds as they ran to the tomb.  Was there hope, fear or both?  I don’t think the thought of a resurrection came to their mind until they saw the linens lying there like there was a body, but there wasn’t.  Verse 8 says John saw and believed because there was no body to be found.  Even with John believing that Jesus had been resurrected; it would take time and the Holy Spirit’s guidance for him to truly understand what had really happened and what it really meant.

 

What had just happened?  Do you understand?

 

            We talked last week how Jesus was the only One who could pay the price for mankind’s sin.  Romans 6:23 tells us that the “wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Anyone who commits sin deserves to die and be separated from God beginning with Adam (Rom. 5:12).  Jesus lived a perfect life without sin which made Him able to offer Himself as payment for the stiff price that God required for the forgiveness of sin (I John 1:7).  The scriptures say “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” (Heb. 9:22)  Unlike the OT ritual of shedding the blood of bulls and goats, Jesus gave His blood creating our pathway to forgiveness once and forever (Heb.9 12).  Jesus said in “I am the Way the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 4:16) When you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, you are accepting the payment for your sins past, present and future.  You are accepting an invitation for God Himself to dwell within you in the person of the Holy Spirit.  That indwelling guarantees us eternal life and the presence of God to be with us always encouraging, guiding and teaching us His ways.  His death opens to us a pathway to have fellowship with God.

 

 How do we know God accepted His sacrifice as sufficient payment? 

 

The evidence is that He arose from that grave and proved that He had conquered death and sin (1 Cor. 15:20).  The OT prophecies had foretold this and Jesus Himself had said He would rise in 3 days (Mark 10:34).  He did exactly what He said He would do and that now builds our faith that He will fulfill all the other promises He made to us.  He has “made all things new.” (1 Cor. 5:17)  The work needed for atonement for our sins has been completed and accepted.  The old system of offering animal sacrifices has been fulfilled with the final sacrifice of God’s own Son (Heb. 9:14).  Our chains of sin have been broken.  Our salvation simply depends upon us accepting the gift and choosing to give our lives to God arising from our grave of baptism to begin life new (Romans 6:4).  We then become God’s children not His slaves.  He accepts us just as He accepts Jesus.  In fact, when God looks at us He sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus not our filthy lives of sinfulness. (2 Cor. 5:21)  When we accept Jesus we are covered with His righteousness making us worthy to have fellowship with God and one day dwell for eternity with our Savior.  We have hope and faith that all the things Jesus promised us will come to pass (John 14:1-3). 

 

I for one am tired of living like I don’t really believe this.  I no longer want to be standing on the shifting sand of what this world offers.  I choose to accept and believe God at His word and place my feet on the solid Rock. I am pushing all my chips into the middle of the table and betting my life that this offer of salvation is real.

 

John 20:11-18 But Mary stood outside of the tomb, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the tomb.  (12)  And she saw two angels in white sitting there, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  (13)  And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”  (14)  And when she had said this, she turned backward and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  (15)  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.”  (16)  Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned herself and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Master!)  (17)  Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”  (18)  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had spoken these things to her.

·        Mary was so blinded by her grief that she did not recognize Jesus at first, until He spoke her name.  Can you imagine the joy and elation she experienced at that moment?  She had to think “I watched Him die and I watched them bury Him, but now here He is alive and well and speaking my name.”

 

·        Along our journey with God, we too must come to this same point as Mary.  We must come to the same realization and understanding of who He is and what He has done for us.  We must look at Him in faith knowing He died for our sins, but now has arose from that grave to live evermore and make intercessions for us before His Father (Heb. 7:25).  This morning He is calling out your name and offering to you the free gift of your sins forgiven, fellowship with God and even eternal life.  All the requirements of God have been completed and accepted because we know that grave is empty and Jesus is alive.  All that remains is for you to accept His invitation.  You will never be the same.

·         Can you hear Him? 

·        What will your answer be?

 

Heavenly Father thank You for sending Jesus to be the Author and Finisher of our faith and please open our hearts, minds and spirits to understand the greatest love story of all time.