2007 Book of Hebrews Series – “Resurrection” – Easter Sonrise Service
John 20
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – April 8, 2007

Prayer Introduction: The 4 Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – give 4 different accounts of the resurrection. Luke’s account is an historically researched account – mainly through the Apostle Paul. Mark’s account comes from the first hand account of Peter. Matthew was one of the disciples; but John was at the tomb on that Easter Sunday morning.

All 4 accounts are true, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; but John’s account is a first-hand account. He was there. This morning I want to read the series of resurrection appearances that is recorded in the 20^th chapter of John’s Gospel. Let’s pray…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!

I. The Empty Tomb (vv.1-9) – READ John 20:1-9

Have you ever had a bad day when you just wanted it to end and start over the next day? There is something very cleansing that can take place with a good night’s sleep.

            I used to have a bookmark that said, “Each day is a new day – a gift from God.” Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

            Each new morning is a new morning of God’s mercies – his steadfast love – “great is thy faithfulness” we sing.

            This is what Resurrection Sunday is all about. “Early 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.”

            “It is always darkest before dawn” it is said. How dark it was for Mary as she approached the tomb; but then she discovered that Jesus wasn’t in the tomb – and the light began to shine.

            Then came Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved (that’s John, the author of this Gospel, referring humbly to himself). They didn’t just walk to the tomb. They didn’t even run. They sprinted. Jesus wasn’t there – and the light shined brightly.

            The end of verse 8 says that John went inside the empty tomb “He saw and believed.” Jesus is risen, just like he said. Today is a new day – full of God’s mercies, love and faithfulness.

            Now, verse 9 says that they did not yet understand that the Scriptures (that is the Old Testament) had said Jesus must rise from the dead. They would come to understand that more fully as time went on.

            In fact, this is one of those statements that disprove ridiculous conspiracy theories from the likes of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and James Cameron’s “The Jesus Tomb” – which suggest the disciples knew the Messiah had to rise from the dead, so they stole the body and just told people he had risen from the dead.

            They were clueless about the resurrection – and admit it. They didn’t believe in the resurrection until it happened; and it would only be later that Jesus would help them understand the resurrection as foretold in the Scriptures.

            It has been said – “The stone was rolled away from the door, not to permit Christ to come out, but to enable the disciples to go in.”

            It was foretold and it did happen. Because it did, each day is a new day – a gift from God – a living illustration of God’s grace in which you are forgiven for everything that you did (or didn’t do) yesterday.

            Live each new day as it is – a new day. Live the resurrected life.

II. Jesus and Mary Magdalene (vv.10-18) – READ John 20:10-18

It seems that everyone is trying to make a buck on the notion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.

They weren’t married. Only in a sex-crazed culture, where people equate love with sex, would people think that Mary’s love for Jesus and Jesus’ love for Mary was anything but the love of two friends – or a parent’s love for a child.

            The Greek language has different words for love. Eros, from which we get the word erotic, is romantic love. That word just plain isn’t in the Bible.

            The word that is used in the Bible is agape (unconditional) love or filia (brotherly) love [from which we get the word “Philadelphia” – “The City of Brotherly Love.”]

            Why did Mary remain at the tomb crying while Peter and John returned to their homes? She wasn’t just crying, other translations more rightly say that she was weeping.

            An addendum on the end of Mark’s Gospel account (which should probably not be considered authentic, but may still have elements of truth) say that Jesus had driven seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. Perhaps she was weeping, because God’s forgiveness for her was so profound.

But look at the text and I think you will see another reason. We have already seen, in verse 8, that John believed in the resurrection when he went into the empty tomb. But in verse 13 we see that Mary may not have yet believed. The two angels asked why she was weeping and she says, “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She is standing at the front of the empty tomb, but she has not believed Jesus was resurrected. Verse 14 says she turned and saw Jesus, but didn’t realize it was him. Not until Jesus speaks to her in verse 16 does she realize it is him.

And suddenly weeping turns to rejoicing; mourning turns to dancing. She hugs him, not wanting to let go; but Jesus tells her that he is not yet returning to heaven – but she will see him again. Go and tell the others.

Every year thousands of people climb a mountain in the Italian Alps, passing the “stations of the cross” to stand at an outdoor crucifix. One tourist noticed a little trail that led beyond the cross. He fought through the rough thicket and, to his surprise, came upon another shrine, a shrine that symbolized the empty tomb. It was neglected. The brush had grown up around it. Almost everyone had gone as far as they cross, but there they stopped. Far too many have gotten to the cross and have known the despair and the heartbreak. Far too few have moved beyond the cross to find the real message of Easter. That is the message of the empty tomb (Lavon Brown).

Roman Catholics wear a crucifix with Jesus still on it. Many Protestants don’t have the jewelry, but spiritually live as though Jesus were still on the cross – that he still lay in the grave.

He is alive. You are forgiven. Al Mohler has said, “optimism is naive, but pessimism is atheistic.” There is no pessimism for Christians.

You should never walk with your head down in defeat. In the moments of despair go back to the cross, and then walk past it to the empty tomb, and remember that He is alive. And if Jesus is alive there is no need for despair.

Live each new day in the optimism of the empty tomb. Live the resurrected life.

III. Jesus Appears to His Disciples (vv.19-23) – READ John 20:19-23

Imagine that you are one of the disciples standing in the upper room Sunday evening. You have heard Peter and John tell about the empty tomb – and their belief in the resurrection. You have heard Mary Magdalene tell about talking with Jesus. And Luke’s Gospel tells us that two people were telling you that they had seen Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

            When suddenly Jesus is standing there – and says, “Peace be with you.” Luke’s Gospel says, “They were startled and frightened…” You think?! “…thinking they saw a ghost.”

            Jesus, knowing this, invites them to look and touch him – and see that he was flesh and bones, not a ghost. And John’s Gospel then says that the disciples were “overjoyed” You think?!

            Luke’s Gospel tells us that at this time Jesus opened the disciple’s minds to understand that the Scriptures had said he must die and then be raised back to life.

            But he then commissions them to spread the word. Jesus doesn’t open your mind and heart just so you can believe and leave it at that. Jesus tells us that he was sent to you in order to send you.

            It is not enough to be a disciple; you must also go and make disciples. It is not enough for you to be forgiven; you must go and forgive others, that they may know they are forgiven.

            The NIV really translates verse 23 poorly. They make it sound like people are forgiven if you forgive them. The forgiveness is in the “perfect tense” so it literally reads – “If you forgive anyone his sins they have been forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they have not been forgiven.”

            This is simply a call to proclaim the gospel of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. If a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord we can declare that they have been forgiven; but it they reject Christ then we must declare that they show they have not been forgiven.

            But how can anyone accept Christ if we do not go and tell them about Christ? Imagine if Peter and John didn’t tell anyone about the empty tomb. Imagine if Mary didn’t tell anyone about talking with Jesus. Imagine if the two never told anyone about talking with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. Imagine if the disciples after seeing Jesus never told anyone that they had.

            It is impossible to imagine them not telling everyone the amazing news that Jesus is risen. So why should it be possible to imagine any of us not telling anyone?

            Do you know that Jesus is risen? How can you not tell everyone you see?

Louis Evely wrote, “The best proof that Christ has risen is that he is still alive. And for the immense majority of our contemporaries, the only way of seeing him alive is for us Christians to love one another.”

            Live each new day, in the optimism of the empty tomb, spreading the good news of forgiveness through Christ. Live the resurrected life.

 IV. Jesus Appears to Thomas (vv.24-31) – READ John 20:24-31

He is known, to this day, as “the Doubting Thomas.” He was not there on the evening of that Easter Day in the upper room when Jesus appeared. It was a week later when Jesus came into the locked room and Jesus said to Thomas, knowing exactly what Thomas was thinking, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

            So he did. And he did.

            Then Jesus says something very important, that applies directly to us this morning, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. That’s you. You believe not because you’re smarter, cuter, better, holier; you believe, because Christ has been revealed to the eyes of your inner heart by the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!

Sydney Carter sings of the crucifixion and resurrection in his song, “I Danced in the Morning”: I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;/It's hard to dance with the devil on your back./They buried my body and they thought I'd gone;/But I am the dance and I still go on:/Dance, then, wherever you may be;/I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,/And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be/And I'll lead you all in the dance, said he.

Jesus is alive. Let him lead you in the dance of faith. Believe not because of what you see with the eyes on your face, but what you see with the eyes of faith.

            Live each new day, in the optimism of the empty tomb, spreading the good news of forgiveness through Christ, in faith. Live the resurrected life.

MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!