Here we are! It’s Easter Morning! We have the opportunity to join together to celebrate the risen Lord!
This Easter season, I’ve been really impacted once again by the Easter story. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been working hard to study these passages in order to preach about them. I don’t know if it’s the amount of time I’ve invested watching Jesus being whipped, beat, and hung on the cross as I’ve looked for music and video clips to use in these three services. At any rate, as I stand before you this morning, I want you to know how important this story is to each of us!
We will talk at the end of my message about the responsibility that each of us has to deal with the truths in this story, but as we go through today’s sermon, I encourage each of you to evaluate what your relationship is with Jesus.
As we think back through the events that we celebrate during Holy Week, we started last Sunday with the incredibly joyful celebration of Jesus coming into Jerusalem as the triumphant King that people thought would rule the nation and set them free from Roman oppression. Jesus spent Monday through Thursday doing miracles, speaking in the Temple, being challenged by the religious leaders, speaking on the Mount of Olives, being entrapped by the religious leaders, telling parables, speaking about His own Second Coming, being betrayed by Judas and the religious leaders, celebrating the Passover meal, giving the “Upper Room Discourse” and the “High Priestly Prayer”, praying in the garden, taken into captivity.
Then late Thursday through Saturday, He was betrayed by Peter, put through phony trials by the religious leaders and the Roman government, lied against by many “so-called witnesses”, whipped and beat, made to carry his own cross to the death site, and ultimately nailed to the cross and raised up to die.
What a week!! Can you imagine the intensity of emotions that Jesus and all those who were around him must have felt? From the incredible “thrill of victory to the agony of defeat”! From feeling like being with Jesus guaranteed a top spot in the new revolutionary government to being forced to run and hide or even deny knowing Jesus to watching Him be brutalized to the point of not being recognizable to his actual death on the cross!
BUT…now it’s SUNDAY, and things are DIFFERENT!
I often take things for granted as I have the privilege of reading the Bible and knowing how things worked out. I also struggle with my own sense of superiority and self righteousness as I read through these passages.
I want to scream, “Come on people…Jesus predicted His death AND His resurrection MANY times throughout the years you traveled with Him.” “How could you have been so slow or dumb to not get it?” “You didn’t have radio, TV, iPods, cell phones, movie theaters, or any of those things, surely you knew the Old Testament well enough to know those prophecies that explained the things that would happen!”
However…I do have the Scriptures to look at and I can read them and understand what God is saying…about the things that have happened. Truthfully, I still have questions about how all of the events in Revelation and Daniel and other places will play out…why…because they’re still in the future!
So, this morning, I’m asking you to give the disciples and the ladies some slack as we investigate the events on Easter Morning. Again, remember that their emotions are wound tight and the events of the previous week are still swirling like crazy in their minds!
Let’s pick up the story in the Gospel of Matthew today. I’ve been reading all of the Gospel accounts this week, and I encourage you to take some time to reread the stories of this week of passion! Each writer gives their own take on the situation and gives us a slightly different perspective of what happened.
Matt. 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
So, here we have the story! Even on that Sunday morning, the ladies such as Mary, his mother, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, another Mary who was the mother of James, and maybe others had determined to get together some additional spices for the proper burial for Jesus. They got up early and headed toward the tomb. They were so devoted and so focused that they forgot that they would not be able to remove the huge stone in front of the door so they could take care of Christ’s body.
As the ladies were on their way to the tomb, there was an earthquake that shook the ground and an angel came and moved the stone out of the way. The appearance of this angel was so terrifying that the guards passed out! Evidently, it’s not a great experience for those who are not following the Lord to encounter a heavenly being! Things were so bad that we’re told that these guards later are paid off to lie about the whole angel thing and say that they fell asleep and the disciples came and stole Christ’s body!
Anyway, the angel told the women to not be afraid, but instead to check things out, because Jesus had indeed come back from the dead…just like He had promised!
We, as Christians, are reminded here in these first few minutes of the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection that the Good News…the Gospel…the fact that Jesus is living indeed is something that MUST NOT be kept to ourselves. It MUST be shared! The angel told the ladies that they needed to go tell the disciples…how? QUICKLY!
Often times when I’m preparing my sermons, I’ll check several different translations to see what different nuances a particular Greek word may carry as it gets translated into English. Usually, the various versions of the Scriptures will use multiple words to reflect the same word from the Greek or Hebrew. However, I checked out nearly a dozen versions on this particular word, and guess what…every time it’s translated QUICKLY!
There is an urgency in spreading the Good News! It is IMPORTANT that once we’ve experienced the truth that Jesus is alive that we go out and tell others that truth. Remember, while these women traveled with Jesus, they didn’t have the title of disciple or even deaconess…they were just normal citizens like you and me that God entrusted with this life-changing message.
How are you doing on this task? Are you telling others about Jesus? Have you had spiritual discussions this week with others about our Lord who is no longer in the tomb but has risen from the dead?
Several years ago, I had a pastor friend who’s denomination was trying to figure out why their particular group had incredible growth going on in their churches in South Korea, but were losing members here in the US like crazy. As they got to doing the research, they discovered that the average Korean was inviting two friends a week to come to church with them, while the average American for the same denomination was inviting someone once every FORTY-SEVEN years!!!!
Think about it, when was the last time that you QUICKLY ran to invite someone to experience the resurrected Jesus? When was the last time you said to a friend…hey, want to come to church with me this week…I’ll even buy you lunch afterwards J.
Now, let’s pick up the story over in John’s Gospel to see what he records as Mary and whoever went with her find the disciples:
John 20:2 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.
John 20:11 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.
Isn’t it interesting…the ladies still didn’t grasp what was going on! They ran and told Peter and John about Jesus being gone, and we presume that they mentioned that there was an angel there that told them Jesus had risen from the dead. However, in the midst of all the surprise and emotional distress, they still were unclear about what was going on.
In fact, even when Peter and John made it to the tomb to investigate things for themselves, they didn’t get it either. I hope that makes us all feel a little better that even the people who spent the most time with Jesus on this earth had problems understanding and comprehending the incredible truth of Christ being alive!
As these first two disciples investigate the “crime scene”, it finally hits John, and he finally believes that Jesus is alive again. Think about it…this is the same guy who was part of Christ’s inner circle. He’s the same guy who argues that he’s the most important one in the group. He’s the same guy who has an especially close relationship with the Lord, and it’s only now that he believes! So, if you have struggle with your faith at times, you’re in great company!
John reiterates here that neither he nor Peter really understood the Scriptures or what Jesus had clearly stated for that matter about the fact that He would rise from the dead. We often times give the Apostle Thomas a bad name for being “doubting Thomas”, but here we’re told that these two disciples didn’t truly believe until they had personally seen the empty tomb!
After Peter and John leave the tomb and go home, Mary stays…evidently alone at this point. I’m not sure where the other women are that had originally come to the tomb early that morning with her, but at this point, it seems like she’s by herself.
She talks to the angels again and expresses her grief that she doesn’t understand this whole resurrection thing yet. Having already heard that he’s risen and not there, she still thinks His body is lying around somewhere.
Instead of asking more questions of the angels, she turns to leave the tomb and runs into Jesus…Whom she doesn’t recognize. She again asks about where Jesus’s body is. At this point, Jesus speaks to her and she recognizes Him and hugs Him.
Jesus then instructs her to once again go and find His brothers/His disciples and tell them not only that He’s not in the tomb, but also that He’s REALLY ALIVE!
Now, we have not only an angel, but Jesus Himself telling Mary that she needs to spread the Good News to others, and she goes and does just that.
As I reflect on these two passages, I have concerns for us as individuals. Here we are in the Word celebrating the fact that Jesus did exactly what He said He would do! He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Yet, those closest to Him didn’t get it! Those who had listened to sermon after sermon after sermon and who had spent countless hours at the feet of the Rabbi, missed so many things! In fact, we’re told just a few verses after the first passage that we looked at that some of the disciples still doubted what was going on several weeks later as Jesus prepared to go back to the Father!
Why didn’t they get it? Why didn’t they believe Jesus when He clearly told them what was going to happen? Where they daydreaming during His messages (our pastor over in Normal calls that mind surfing)?
My firm belief is that if it was possible for these close followers of Jesus when He was here in person to miss the purpose, then it’s totally possible that you could be sitting here this morning and you’re missing it.
I’m NOT saying that to be ugly nor to question your relationship with Jesus! But, the reality is…I’m nowhere near the communicator that God’s Own Son was! None of you have walked around for three years with me in an official mentorship program! You get the picture.
As I work with teens, I often tell them that just because they eat at McDonalds, they aren’t a Happy Meal. Just because you go out to your garage, you aren’t a car. In the same way…just because you’re at Goodfield Baptist Church on Easter Sunday…or every Sunday for that matter, you don’t necessarily have a personal relationship with the risen Lord!
I wonder, was it embarrassing for Peter to say to John…boy, I NEVER saw this death and resurrection plot coming? Why didn’t Jesus ever mention it? How did John do…I was the disciple He loved, I thought I should be the Assistant King in His new Kingdom, but boy I must have really missed something???
Maybe you’re here this morning, and you’ve never made that official step of accepting Christ’s payment for your sins through His work on the cross and His work of coming back to life. The Lord’s own guys and gals didn’t get it right away. So, there’s no need to be embarrassed…even if you’ve been coming 10, 30, 50, or more years! If you feel like you need to make sure that you understand and know Jesus, I’d love to get together with you…during this last song where we talk about the Wonderful Cross, or some other time during the week!
Caleb will you guys lead us in this final song?
No comments:
Post a Comment