1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,560 As I was meditating on the resurrection this week, I found 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:07,280 myself exploring all the insights in the Scriptures, 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,480 namely in the Gospels, to just refresh my memory and to revisit 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:18,040 some things that we often know. And then skimming through what 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,600 the Word of God reveals, specifically about the events 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:27,720 that followed Christ's conquest of death, I encountered the very 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:32,439 first words that Jesus spoke after leaving the tomb empty. 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:39,280 Have you ever wondered what Christ's very first words were 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,560 when he rose from the grave? Well, when you consider the 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:50,480 sequence of Christ's post resurrection appearances, you'll 11 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:54,120 learn that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. 12 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,960 That's actually plainly stated at the end of the Gospel of 13 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,680 Mark. And that encounter is disclosed 14 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,600 to us in greater detail in John's writings, where he takes 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,720 us to that early Sunday morning and vividly describes it, 16 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:13,360 focusing on Mary's experience as she arrived at the burial site 17 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,560 of her Master. And it's in that testimony where 18 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:24,560 we locate the first documented words that Jesus said after 19 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,120 defeating death. And I'm sure that after reading 20 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,640 it, you will never forget it. Turn with me to John chapter 20 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,960 and let's look together at one verse here, verse 15, John 20, 22 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:49,590 verse 15. Jesus said to her, woman, why 23 00:01:49,590 --> 00:01:54,920 are you weeping? Whom are you seeking, Supposing 24 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,200 him to be the gardener? She said to him, Sir, if you 25 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,320 have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I 26 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,080 will take him away. The first recorded words of 27 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,120 Jesus is in the form of a question. 28 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:14,160 Woman, why are you weeping? That fascinates me. 29 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:19,440 And it should compel us to pause, to zoom out, and to see 30 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:25,800 what took place before this and what follows it, to have Christ 31 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:29,960 approach Mary in this way. And that's what I want us to 32 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:31,920 consider in our short time together. 33 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,160 So let's read this in its entirety, beginning in verse 11 34 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:40,360 down through verse 18. But Mary stood weeping outside 35 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,200 the tomb. And as she wept, she stooped to 36 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,560 look into the tomb, and she saw 2 angels in white sitting where 37 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,600 the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 38 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,840 They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? 39 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,880 She said to them, they have taken away my Lord, and I do not 40 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,000 know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned 41 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,320 around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was 42 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,360 Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why 43 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,800 are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? 44 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:14,680 Supposing him to be the gardener? 45 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,920 She said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me 46 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,040 where you have laid him and I will take him away. 47 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,160 Jesus said to her, Mary, she turned and said to him in 48 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,720 Aramaic Rabboni, which means teacher. 49 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,880 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet 50 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,160 ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, 51 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,080 I am ascending to my Father, and your father to my God and your 52 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,080 God. Mary Magdalene went and 53 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,000 announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and that He 54 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,560 had said these things to her. Verse 11 May be a little bit of 55 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,560 an awkward place to begin reading this account, so I think 56 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,840 it'll be helpful to just remember a little bit of the 57 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,240 back story here. If you look back at the 58 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,160 beginning of the chapter, we discover that Mary makes her way 59 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,400 to the tomb early in the morning, even before the sun 60 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,360 pierced the horizon. She's there to pay her honors, 61 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,120 but upon coming to that place, she saw that the that the stone 62 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:15,160 was rolled away, and this alarmed her. 63 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,760 So immediately she makes her way back to Peter and John and she 64 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,240 tells them, assuming the worst, they've taken his body. 65 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,880 Somebody kidnapped the body of the Lord. 66 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,680 Peter and John immediately make their way to this place, and 67 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,000 upon arrival, the Scriptures tell us that they silently, yet 68 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:41,640 carefully investigate the scene. There are the clothes, but 69 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:46,120 there's no body. And quite unexpectedly, the 70 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:51,040 disciples, in a state of confusion, walk away and they go 71 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,200 back home. That is how this section 72 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,600 concludes before we read what we find in verse 11. 73 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:03,440 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. 74 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:09,000 There's something deeply commendable about Mary choosing 75 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,320 to stay where Jesus was laid while the disciples walked away. 76 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,640 This in no way is an attack on Peter and John, but you cannot 77 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,240 deny that Mary's refusal to leave so quickly speaks volumes 78 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:27,160 about her yearning for Christ. It's a beautiful demonstration 79 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,960 of how Mary understood her relationship with the Lord. 80 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,880 Her connection to Christ was not reduced to obeying some 81 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:40,200 commands, adhering to some moral code, joining a community of 82 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,760 religious people, or even signing up for an exciting 83 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:49,200 ministry. What Mary reveals here is that 84 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,880 her relationship with Jesus Christ was rooted in a sincere 85 00:05:53,880 --> 00:06:01,600 and genuine love for the person. And the rest of the scene 86 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,160 confirms a very powerful truth. Christ honors those whose hearts 87 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:10,440 yearn for Him. More than anything else, the 88 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:15,960 fact that Mary was the first person that Jesus chose to 89 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,800 reveal Himself to means something. 90 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:25,120 It reveals that He blesses those who desire Him. 91 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,240 This precious woman love the Lord. 92 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,240 She had rich affection for him. She's broken. 93 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,760 In fact, I was struck by her reaction when she eventually 94 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,000 looked into the tomb to see what Peter and John saw. 95 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,800 And what does she find? She sees 2 angels in white 96 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,680 strategically seated at the slab where the body of Jesus was 97 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,480 laid, one at the head and one of the feet, invoking the imagery 98 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,600 of the cherubim who are infused on the Ark of the Covenant, 99 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,960 looking down on the mercy seat. We don't have time to get into 100 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,960 that as much as I would like to, because what we want to consider 101 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:11,280 is what these two angels said or asked Mary while her face was 102 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:17,840 being stained with tears. Woman, why are you weeping? 103 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:26,280 And her answer moves me. Look again at verse 13. 104 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,600 They sat her a woman. Why are you weeping? 105 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,800 She said to them. They have taken away my Lord, 106 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,360 and I do not know where they have laid him. 107 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:38,200 Isn't this remarkable saying? What's so remarkable about it? 108 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:44,360 Mary, standing in front of angels, is not distracted for a 109 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,400 moment. She's unfazed by their 110 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,360 mysterious appearance. No curiosity. 111 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,720 Curiosity is sparked. There's no diversion here. 112 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,440 Where had they taken him? Why is she not moved by what 113 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:04,880 she's seeing? Because her heart is already 114 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,840 consumed with Christ. She's after Christ. 115 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:15,280 She wants to find Christ. Oh, how easily our pursuit of 116 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:25,800 Christ is interfered, is meddled with pivots by things, even good 117 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:31,120 things. And yet this woman shows us as 118 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,520 an inspiring model that it is possible to not allow anything 119 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,640 or anyone get in the way of what should be our greatest goal. 120 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,280 Getting nearer and nearer to Christ. 121 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,000 I notice she boldly calls him my Lord. 122 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,760 Do you see that in verse 13? They have taken away my Lord, 123 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:52,680 even though in her mind Christ is dead. 124 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,760 Imagine this for a moment. In Christ's greatest 125 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:04,960 humiliation, Mary is unashamed to call him my Lord when it was 126 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:10,760 very dangerous to be associated with Public Enemy #1 Mary is 127 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,120 unafraid to say He is my Lord even in front of these 128 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:17,400 strangers. And from a human, carnal, 129 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:22,360 unbelieving standpoint, there is no benefit of declaring Jesus 130 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,800 Christ is Lord because he's supposedly dead. 131 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,160 And yet, Mary is unwavering in her devotion to Christ. 132 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,840 Where is my Lord? I must find him. 133 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,240 This woman loved the Lord Jesus. She adored Him. 134 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,360 And while her standing and her searching is admirable, her 135 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:51,240 weeping is not. The angels asked a very 136 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,880 important question when they asked Why are you weeping? 137 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:58,520 Because her answer reveals that her tears ultimately stem from a 138 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:03,760 misunderstanding of the work of Christ and what he had promised. 139 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,360 There is no reason to weep. If Jesus was still in the tomb. 140 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,040 And that's what you saw, Mary, you have every reason to weep, 141 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:17,240 and so should we. But the tomb is empty. 142 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:21,280 So why are you weeping? Here's what this shows us. 143 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:28,120 Mary's tears, like us, are often because we bring unnecessary 144 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:33,720 sorrow upon ourselves, and that sorrow is stimulated because we 145 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:39,600 fail to grasp who Jesus Christ accurately is and what He said 146 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:44,720 to us. How many times did Mary hear it? 147 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,160 Surely she found herself around the disciples. 148 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,560 Surely she heard what Christ taught about his own death, his 149 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:54,240 own burial, his own resurrection. 150 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,000 And she missed it. Her and the other disciples 151 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,640 should be at the tomb, rejoicing. 152 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,120 He gave him a play by play. What's going to happen? 153 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:08,200 Instead, she's there, weeping. Where did that come from? 154 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,720 Unbelief. Where'd that come from? 155 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:16,120 Missing what Jesus said. And listen, we are much more 156 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,120 like Mary in this than we would like to admit. 157 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:23,800 Christ's word is right in front of us. 158 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:30,560 His character is spelled out so obviously, and yet we still weep 159 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:32,200 for things that we shouldn't be weeping about. 160 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,360 This is a common trait of the disciples. 161 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,440 By the way, do you remember when Jesus sends them off into the 162 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:46,760 sea and a storm comes in and visits those disciples while 163 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,920 Jesus stays back on the shore and the winds are battering them 164 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,200 and the waves are crashing up against their vehicle? 165 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,440 And all of a sudden that sight we find Jesus walking on those 166 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:04,040 very waters in their direction? Do you remember what the 167 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,760 disciples said according to Matthew's version of the story? 168 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,360 Let me remind you what they said in Matthew 14. 169 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:15,760 Here in verse 26 they said something that I think is quite 170 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,880 humbling for us. But when the disciples saw him 171 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:24,520 walking on the sea, they were terrified and said it is a 172 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:29,360 ghost. And they cried out in fear. 173 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:37,840 It is a ghost. And So what we have here is how 174 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:45,600 we can often miss it, that Christ is present, that Christ 175 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,880 is faithful, that Christ is near. 176 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:55,160 And we see other things. Mary doesn't see it. 177 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,040 And so she's here confused. She's here trying to solve this. 178 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,120 She's here trying to make sense of this puzzle. 179 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:09,400 And what's fascinating here is that Christ is going to show his 180 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,720 ultimate patience for this woman. 181 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,960 So she's here showing her love. She's here showing her devotion, 182 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,960 yes, but her weeping is not justified. 183 00:13:24,390 --> 00:13:26,630 And the one truth that is profoundly powerful enough to 184 00:13:26,630 --> 00:13:30,870 purify perception of everything is this Jesus Christ is alive. 185 00:13:32,830 --> 00:13:38,350 That one single reality can stop many tears from flowing if we 186 00:13:38,350 --> 00:13:42,840 really believe it. So let me borrow the the 187 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,240 question of the angels and ask each of you in this room, are 188 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,560 you weeping? And if you are, why? 189 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:57,040 Why are you weeping? And once you've identified the 190 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:02,120 cause of your misery and the the pain that seems to be so fierce 191 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,640 and so overwhelming, let me ask you another question. 192 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,480 Have you ever tried taking the object of your sadness and 193 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,200 placing it in the light of this glorious fact? 194 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:18,040 Jesus Christ is alive? Have you ever consciously done 195 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:19,720 that? Have you ever intentionally 196 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:25,360 moved your sorrow to that place in your heart? 197 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,440 Because Mary forgot what Christ said. 198 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,560 She's weeping. And when we lose sight of that 199 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:41,640 same truth, we too will find ourselves paralyzed, puzzled 200 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,680 unnecessarily. Because if He's alive, that He's 201 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:46,600 sovereign over all things, including death. 202 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,960 And if He's alive, then He is, yes, governing the entire 203 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,680 universe, but not just the nations, and not just the stars 204 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,840 and not just kingdoms. But He promised to shepherd your 205 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:01,680 daily life with His infinite wisdom and unstoppable power. 206 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,240 So why are you weeping? I challenge you. 207 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:13,440 Anything that causes that agony, take it to the Lord and stamp on 208 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,080 it. Well, Christ is alive, so my 209 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,640 body may be sick, Christ is alive. 210 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:24,920 I may fear death, but Christ is alive. 211 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,080 I may not know the next step in this life, but Christ is alive. 212 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:34,520 Mary unfortunately didn't see it. 213 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,000 And perhaps you're sitting there today and you're thinking, well, 214 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,080 listen, you're preaching to the choir, brother. 215 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:41,760 I believe Christ is alive. I showed up here. 216 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,200 OK, maybe you do believe that Christ is alive, but perhaps 217 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,840 your stumbling block is not necessarily that event, but the 218 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,280 character of the one who did race from the grave. 219 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,960 And if that's you today, then I want you to consider what this 220 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,440 risen Savior does for this miserable follower of His. 221 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,480 Look again at verse 14 of John 20. 222 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,800 Having said this, when she said, they've taken away my Lord. 223 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,840 Having said that, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, 224 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:22,720 but she did not know that it was Jesus. 225 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,840 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? 226 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,200 Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the 227 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:31,320 gardener? She said to him, Sir, if you 228 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,480 have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I 229 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:34,800 will take him away. Is that something? 230 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,440 Mary? What are you going to do with 231 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:42,760 the body anyway? So much can be said about these 232 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,720 verses, but let's simply start by acknowledging how Jesus 233 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:51,840 Christ chose to approach Mary. Notice that He didn't scold her, 234 00:16:53,040 --> 00:17:00,840 doesn't even rebuke her. He shows up and he tenderly and 235 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,400 patiently guides her by way of reflection. 236 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,319 She didn't get it the first time when the angels asked the 237 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:11,319 question, Why are you weeping? And so he asks it again. 238 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:14,440 That's patience. That's kindness. 239 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,680 And more than that, he adds to that question to help her 240 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,920 investigate her own heart, examine her own soul. 241 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,160 I need you to think about this with me. 242 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:31,920 This is the very first encounter that Jesus has with any one of 243 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,120 his fathers after he vacated the tomb. 244 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:42,240 What does it show that Christ prioritized comforting the one 245 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:47,000 who is clearly in the most anguish, The one that was 246 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:52,320 singing about Christ who conquered death is so rich with 247 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:56,480 compassion for every single one of us in this place. 248 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:05,480 The first thing that He does is come and clarify the confusion 249 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,520 that is causing internal chaos in this woman's heart. 250 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:11,160 That's the first thing that He does. 251 00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:16,440 And the Holy Spirit indicates that here, in order for you to 252 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:20,160 know one of the primary truths that I must embrace about the 253 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,040 resurrected crisis, that He cares about my tears. 254 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,560 He actually cares. Yes, this one who's in control 255 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:40,080 of all things, this one who defeated death, sin, Satan, one 256 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,560 of the top things to do on his list on that resurrection 257 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:49,800 morning is I must comfort Mary. That's the heart of Christ. 258 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,160 And yet Mary in this moment shows us, we regularly fail to 259 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:04,320 recognize the Lord as we should. You notice here that in the 260 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:08,000 midst of her frantic state, Jesus is right there. 261 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,240 So she's looking into the tomb. She sees the two angels, she 262 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,560 answers their question. And having said this, she 263 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,280 turned, you know, some try to figure out why she turned. 264 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,440 Did she hear the steps? Did the angels motion? 265 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,800 This is all speculation. One of my favorite ones though 266 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:31,640 is that the angels and seeing Christ stood up and she looked. 267 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,040 You know, Christ is near to us in our pain than we think, but 268 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,800 we often miss it. We fail to believe it. 269 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,520 We're looking for feeling. We're looking for something 270 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,240 tangible. Some write it in the sky, and 271 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,520 yes, this is a resurrection appearance, but it shows us a 272 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,640 principle that is true to this day about the resurrected 273 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,360 Christ. He's close, and you and I must 274 00:19:57,360 --> 00:19:59,480 develop the eyes of faith to see that. 275 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,040 Well, Mary doesn't see that, and there's debate again about why 276 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,720 she couldn't recognize him when she turned around. 277 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,520 Right. She turns around and she sees 278 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,400 him, but she doesn't see that it's Christ. 279 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:12,200 Was it because it was still dark? 280 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,800 Was it because her eyes were filled and blinded? 281 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:17,640 Because of her tears? Was it because of her hysteria? 282 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:19,960 Was it a combination of both? Some say it's because Jesus 283 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,840 cloaked Himself, but it doesn't say He did that. 284 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:25,840 So let's not distract ourselves from what this is trying to 285 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,800 teach us. She did not perceive Him in the 286 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,440 midst of her confusion and turmoil. 287 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,320 We often do the same. Again. 288 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:42,240 I alluded to the disciples who were on that water and it was 289 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:44,160 about to ravish them and destroy them. 290 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,520 And here's Christ coming and they say it's a ghost. 291 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,560 It's a ghost. Hold on. 292 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,160 The one who is sovereign over the waves, the one who is 293 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,640 unmoved by the winds, the one who is for you, the one who sent 294 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:03,040 you, you see as a ghost. You know, there are many good 295 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,840 hearted believers who are more ready to acknowledge the 296 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:11,360 presence of demons and Satan in the midst of their problems 297 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,280 instead of acknowledging the Providence of Christ, instead of 298 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,120 acknowledging the power of Christ, we're more ready to say 299 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:21,400 it's a ghost than it's this. And you fail to see He's there. 300 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,280 He's always been there. He's not surprised by the storm. 301 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,800 You may be, but He's sovereign over it. 302 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,120 And here's Mary where she looks at Jesus. 303 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:37,640 He's right behind her, touching distance. 304 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:41,160 And what does the text tell us? She supposed that he was the 305 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,920 gardener. Why? 306 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,640 Gardener of all things, you know, John tells us. 307 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,160 Why are you there in John 20? Go to John 19. 308 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:56,440 Look at John 19, verse 41. Now in the place where he was 309 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:01,160 crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in 310 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,680 which no one had been yet been laid. 311 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:09,360 Jesus tomb was in a garden. And so Mary, turning to see this 312 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:11,640 man standing there, assumes that in the early hours of the day 313 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,200 the gardener has come to do his job. 314 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,880 And in her desperation she looks at the gardener thinking maybe 315 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,320 the gardener took Jesus away. Do you, do you know where you've 316 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:21,520 laid him? Can you tell me where you've 317 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:22,520 laid? I'll take him. 318 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,960 I wonder if you and I can sense a theme that John is trying to 319 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:33,880 illustrate. Obviously because he is being 320 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:35,840 led by the Holy Spirit. Think about it with me. 321 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:42,320 Christ was raised from a tomb in a garden, because long ago sin 322 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,960 entered into the world in a garden. 323 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,760 And in that garden long ago, the Lord walked in the cool of the 324 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:50,400 day. To do what? 325 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,920 To pronounce a curse, a sentence of death that would impact the 326 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,320 world forever. But now, on this resurrection 327 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,080 morning, the Lord stands again in a garden, not to pronounce a 328 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,960 curse, but to send forth a message of hope and salvation 329 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,360 until the world is fully restored again. 330 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,120 This is a new day not just for Jesus. 331 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:15,680 This is a new day not just for Mary. 332 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:23,960 This is a new day for mankind. So Mary thinks it's the 333 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,240 gardener. She's just she's falling apart 334 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,080 and we can applaud it because she loves Jesus so much, but we 335 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,080 also have to come gently say, Mary, there's you don't have to 336 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:39,280 weep like this. And everything is about to 337 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:40,600 change. She's about to realize very 338 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,720 quickly this is no gardener. Why? 339 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:49,680 Because look at verse 16. Jesus said to her, Mary, you 340 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,840 can't be a gardener because you wouldn't know my name. 341 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,680 You're not a landscaper. And I am sure that the way Jesus 342 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:03,200 said Mary's name had a ring of familiarity. 343 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:10,120 The tone, the pronunciation, everything about Jesus saying 344 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:14,880 her name unlocked the revelation and simultaneously flooded her 345 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:21,840 heart with joy and peace. It's an amazing thing to believe 346 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,880 that this resurrected Christ knows us by name. 347 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,560 Yes, we are sheep, but guess what? 348 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,960 Sheep are named? You don't get A tag on your ear 349 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,640 with a number on it. He knew her name. 350 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,360 She knew how he said her name. So when he said it, she melts. 351 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,480 And once again, Mary's reaction inspires me. 352 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,560 The first thing that she does when she hears her name spoken 353 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,520 in the way only Jesus can is turn her back to the angels and 354 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,880 from her lips cry Rabboni. So the movement here seems to 355 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:01,920 indicate that when she was looking into the tomb initially 356 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,120 and the angels were there asking the question, she answered it. 357 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,520 She senses the presence of someone else. 358 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,840 She, I, I think this is what's happening. 359 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:14,640 She turns her head only, but then when she hears her name, 360 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:19,560 she turns completely and she says Rabboni. 361 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,360 And John helps us in the meaning of this title means teacher, but 362 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:27,160 it's more than Rabbi Rabboni. It's a, it's a term of yes, 363 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,960 endearment. It's an emphatic way of saying 364 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:35,200 rabbi. It's like my teacher, my master, 365 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,960 my Lord. Listen, although it's personal, 366 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,160 Mary shows us something so important. 367 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:50,800 She gives Christ His due a title of dignity, respect and honor. 368 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:56,880 That's what spontaneously shoots out of her heart and her lips 369 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,760 when she discovers this is Him. And it teaches us something very 370 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,320 important about how we should and how we must relate to Jesus 371 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,600 Christ. Christ is intimate. 372 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,160 Christ is loving. Christ is thoughtful. 373 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,800 Christ oozes with mercy. Christ is very intentional with 374 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:23,040 each of us. And Mary who experienced the 375 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:24,880 love of Christ. Understand that this is the same 376 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,800 Mary whom the Gospels tells us Jesus delivered her from 7 377 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,320 demons. She knew the love of Christ. 378 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:34,360 She knew the power of Christ. She knew the rescuing grace of 379 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,640 Christ, and she in this moment is about to know a fresh 380 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,920 revelation of her, of his personal lover. 381 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,000 And yet none of that diminished her reverence for him. 382 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,120 You know when I first got saved in the early years. 383 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:53,600 Being a Christian, I notice how some people act as if the 384 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:57,800 invitation to be close to Christ gives license for us to be 385 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:05,120 cheeky with Christ, to be a little too casual with Jesus. 386 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:17,000 Be careful, Praise God, He is incredibly approachable, but 387 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:22,920 never forget that He is King. He is exalted forever, He's 388 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,880 matchless in His Majesty. He is infinitely holy. 389 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,840 The Seraphim dare not even look at him with their bare eyes. 390 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,880 So he is shepherd, He is friend, He is the lover of our souls. 391 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:45,880 But Mary shows us as close as Christ can get to us and longs 392 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:53,360 to be with us. He used to be reverenced, He 393 00:27:53,360 --> 00:28:00,920 used to be feared. Rabbi and I and notice we come 394 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,280 to the end of this story. We see Mary moving merely from 395 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,240 turning her head to turning her body to now clinging to Christ 396 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,320 and we know that because what does Jesus say in verse 17? 397 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:11,880 Jesus said to her, do not cling to me. 398 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,840 Now I'm aware that the King James, which was really the only 399 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,680 and the most notable and famous Bible in the English speaking 400 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,920 world for hundreds of years, renders this part as Touch Me 401 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:28,080 Not so people get the idea that what Mary was doing here was 402 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,320 just simply touching him. But the the language and the 403 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,960 context suggests, especially in the original Greek, the word 404 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,080 more accurately means to fasten oneself to. 405 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:44,800 So you have to understand what Mary is doing here is clutching, 406 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:54,560 grabbing, not just embracing. But what makes this prohibition 407 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,040 from Christ more difficult is when we factor in the broader 408 00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:00,360 context of the resurrection. Because we heard at the opening 409 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,640 of the service that when the group of women who visited the 410 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,000 tomb were making their way back to the disciples to say what the 411 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,680 angels told them, Jesus appears and he says, greetings. 412 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:09,640 I love that. You know what that means. 413 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:14,880 Hello. And that one hello. 414 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:20,360 Obviously the site of Christ before them makes them drop to 415 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,640 their knees and it and it says that they held fast to his feet. 416 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,000 Why didn't he stop them from doing that? 417 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,160 There's no indication at the end of Matthew that he says don't, 418 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:33,080 don't, don't grab my feet. What about Thomas when he shows 419 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,720 up in that meeting because he missed the first one when Christ 420 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,600 appeared and Jesus looks at him, he says, Thomas, he extends his 421 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:40,640 wounds. He says come touch him. 422 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,720 He invites him to touch him. What about the end of Luke 24 423 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,280 when Christ has another meeting with the disciples and he says, 424 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,160 look, I'm flesh and bone here. Touch. 425 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,600 So why in this case, when Mary Magdalene wants to grab him, the 426 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,760 Lord says do not. And we don't have time today to 427 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,520 explore every possible view. But in my opinion, the most 428 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:10,280 convincing is that Jesus Christ understood the intent of Mary's 429 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,160 action. Here He read the motive. 430 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,440 He understood why she was doing this, and the motive behind her 431 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,560 clinging is that she wanted to restrain him. 432 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:28,240 She wanted to keep him. She wanted to have him the way 433 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,400 she has always known him before his death. 434 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,840 Physically present, practically accessible. 435 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:43,160 And Jesus in the same verse, let's Mary know it would no 436 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:48,200 longer be this way. I must ascend to the Father. 437 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,840 And in doing so, Mary, along with every other true believer, 438 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:59,080 would experience what Christ taught about and promised after 439 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,440 His ascension and His exaltation, the indwelling of 440 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,640 the Holy Spirit. This is a new era. 441 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,840 This is going to be a big change for marrying the other followers 442 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,520 of Christ. But Christ also assured them 443 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,360 that it would be better. Sure, it's not physical. 444 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,520 Sure it's not tangible. But it's going to be spiritual. 445 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:20,360 And part of that spiritual blessing is that there is 446 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:24,640 uninterrupted access to Christ any place, anywhere. 447 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:29,240 All of us at the same time can have Christ one-on-one. 448 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,400 Mary, this whole thing is not done yet. 449 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,120 Don't think that it's going to be the way it was these past few 450 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,160 years. It's going to be different. 451 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:50,760 Don't cling to me. But we have to be careful, 452 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,280 because although Christ has risen and he's ascended to 453 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,560 heaven, and though we are enabled to engage with him on a 454 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:00,240 spiritual level, the Lord Jesus Christ, pay attention, please. 455 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:05,920 It's still flesh and bone. Understanding that important 456 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,440 theological truth helps us make sense of what Jesus says in this 457 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,600 verse. Notice this. 458 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,200 He tells her to relay this message to the disciples. 459 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:23,080 I am ascending to my Father, and your father, to my God and your 460 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:27,280 God. So those who deny the deity of 461 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,240 Christ will often come to this text and corner Christians and 462 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,640 ask the following If you claim that Jesus Christ is God, how 463 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:43,520 can he claim that he has a God? Resurrection is a very emotional 464 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:44,680 experience by brothers and sisters. 465 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:46,760 We have to be able to explain why we believe what we believe. 466 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:55,160 He says my God. And this statement would have 467 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:59,400 been easy to explain had he made it before his death and 468 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,200 resurrection. Because we would, I hope, be 469 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,600 able to say that the reason why Christ can say my God is because 470 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:09,000 the Father is his God by virtue of his humanity. 471 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:17,280 Jeremiah 3227 tells us the Lord who is the God of all flesh. 472 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,720 And remember that verse, The Lord who is the God of all 473 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:22,960 flesh. That's what the Lord says. 474 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,560 So when Christ, the second person of the Trinity, takes on 475 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,760 flesh, he assumes that the Father now is his God by virtue 476 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,240 of his humanity. Great. 477 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:37,120 But here's where people stumble. Jesus made this declaration, 478 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:40,160 made this statement after his death and resurrection. 479 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,080 If it was before his death, I could just say, yes, he became 480 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:50,280 man because of that. He relates to God as his God. 481 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:57,400 But now he rose from the grave. And if you found yourself 482 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:01,320 troubled by this or maybe confronted, not knowing how to 483 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,560 answer, today's the day where it changes. 484 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,840 It's very simple really, because what we have to understand about 485 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,520 the resurrection is that when Christ did indeed defeat death, 486 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,600 when he did walk out of that tomb, he did not do so 487 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:21,080 spiritually as some cults claim. He did not ascend invisibly as 488 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,719 some assume He did, both with a glorified body. 489 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,840 Christ physically arose. Christ physically ascended. 490 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:34,440 You ready for this? Christ is physically seated at 491 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:42,600 the right hand of God. So that same body that was 492 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:45,880 pierced, the same body that was beaten, that same body that was 493 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,840 hung, that same body that was prepared to be buried, that same 494 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:51,159 body that went into the tomb is the same body that came out of 495 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:55,440 the tomb. What does that lead to? 496 00:34:55,639 --> 00:35:00,640 Well, if he is still flesh, though glorified, then the truth 497 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,560 of God being his God as a man still remains. 498 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,440 And that's why even after his resurrection, that's why even 499 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:10,160 after his ascension, where we find in Revelation where Jesus 500 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,760 is giving letters to the churches, he still says in some 501 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:18,280 of those places, my God, why? Because he is flesh forever, the 502 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,880 God man seated at the right hand of power for eternity. 503 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,080 We often think that when Christ came into this world and took on 504 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:32,400 flesh, He unzipped the flesh and He just moved on as though 505 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,240 things are going back to the way they were in eternity past. 506 00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:37,400 Not so when Christ came in the flesh. 507 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,520 He added to His divinity humanity forever. 508 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,480 That's the extent of the price that Christ paid for us. 509 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:48,480 I wonder what a sight it was when Christ ascended to heaven 510 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:51,960 and He went up to those gates and for the first time ever, 511 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:59,760 flesh and blood glorified, entered into that place, and not 512 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:06,240 just entered into that place, but walked up to the Father and 513 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:10,000 sat beside him. And the Father accepts it 514 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,360 because his Son accomplished his will. 515 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,040 Oh, there's more to be said about this. 516 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:21,720 Let's land it soon. Here. 517 00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:27,000 Notice that Jesus also said, yes, He is my Father, your 518 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:33,200 Father, my God, and your God. But one might wonder, why didn't 519 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,360 he just say our Father and our God? 520 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:39,680 That would have simplified the message, right? 521 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:44,480 Jesus is very careful with his words. 522 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:48,440 Do you believe that? I believe that with his recorded 523 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,840 words in red and with his entire word from Genesis to Revelation, 524 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,600 he's very precise when he needs to be. 525 00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:59,440 The reason why Jesus makes this distinction, my Father, your 526 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:01,560 Father, my God, your God, is because he wants to teach 527 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:05,360 something very important about his status before God and that 528 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:12,000 of the disciples. He does now invite the disciples 529 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:16,200 to understand that He is your Father and He is your God. 530 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:24,120 But he also wants to make clear that God being Father to him has 531 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:30,720 always been from eternity past. God being Father to Christ is 532 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:34,400 because of Christ's nature. That has never changed. 533 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,480 But God being Father to the disciples and us is not because 534 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,400 of our nature. It's because of adoption. 535 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:48,240 He is my Father by virtue of my standing as the Son of God. 536 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,240 It always was. He is your Father because of 537 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:59,720 grace, and you were invited into that relationship because my 538 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:08,440 resurrection seals that status. And that's why He can say what 539 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:13,360 He said to Mary about how He identified these disciples. 540 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:18,400 Look at it again in verse 17. Do not cling to me, for I have 541 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:22,800 not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers. 542 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,960 My what? My brothers. 543 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,800 So if you're sitting there today as we wrap things up and you 544 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,400 think to yourself, that's a wonderful, wonderful explanation 545 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:38,320 of how Christ is so soft and patient towards Mary Magdalene. 546 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:43,000 But I'll admit, preacher, my devotion to Christ is nowhere 547 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:48,000 near Mary's. I'm more like those two 548 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,440 disciples on the road to Emmaus who are making their way back 549 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:51,960 home like, well, I guess he wasn't the hope. 550 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,440 A little bit of sadness there, but I'm ready to move on with my 551 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,680 life. Mary can't seem to function 552 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:04,400 here. And if that is what you're 553 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:09,280 thinking in this place, remember where the 12 disciples were at 554 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:15,400 this point, Judas is gone. Yes, Thomas is. 555 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,040 Who knows where the others obviously fearful. 556 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:27,560 The greatest failure that the disciples committed was walking 557 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:33,000 away from Christ in his greatest time of need, denying Him, 558 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:38,480 walking away from Him, and not believing what he had said about 559 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,480 His own resurrection. This is the lowest of the low 560 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:46,160 for the disciples. You know what Christ tells Mary 561 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:48,520 to tell them. Go tell my brothers. 562 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,040 If you said my servants, I would have been happy with that. 563 00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:00,280 If you said my anything, we can praise Christ for his 564 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:04,160 acknowledgement, but of all things he says, go tell my 565 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:11,830 brothers. The disciples walked away. 566 00:40:11,830 --> 00:40:15,550 The other disciples are hiding. They're still my brothers, 567 00:40:17,510 --> 00:40:21,230 they're still mine, they still belong to me. 568 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:28,160 Who is this Jesus? You know, I'm fully aware that 569 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:32,840 there are people in here who might want to be somewhere else. 570 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:37,680 It's possible that you're here physically, but your heart is in 571 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:43,960 a different place because you're perhaps disappointed with God, 572 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:49,480 angry at God, living in sin, with all that you know about 573 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,480 God. But you know what the 574 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,840 resurrection does for those who believe it and those who have 575 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:59,600 put their faith and trust in it. It secures a relationship with 576 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:06,000 Christ that is unfathomable, that even in your distancing and 577 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:11,440 your separation and your back turned on Him, if you belong to 578 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:16,320 Him, the Lord looks at you with eyes of love. 579 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:27,560 Go tell my brothers. He doesn't give up on us, we 580 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,640 give up on Him. He's never failed us. 581 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:34,920 We fail Him. He's never told us anything that 582 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:37,040 was untrue. We don't believe Him. 583 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,120 And yet in this pathetic display of devotion on the part of the 584 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:56,360 disciples, Jesus says, Go tell my brothers, and what does Mary 585 00:41:56,360 --> 00:41:57,960 do? In verse 18, Mary Magdalene went 586 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:01,200 and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and that 587 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:10,040 he had said these things to her. Can you imagine this woman who 588 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:14,120 had seven demons living inside of her, delivered from Christ 589 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,400 and because of her love her though, though her faith was not 590 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,280 fully developed, though she didn't have all the answers, 591 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:25,080 Christ honored her longing. And He came so carefully and so 592 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,120 lovingly to help her get out of this darkness. 593 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:33,960 And more than that, He gives her a message to give to the 594 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:41,980 apostles. Everything about Jesus and His 595 00:42:41,980 --> 00:42:46,260 resurrection appearances shows grace upon grace. 596 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:51,760 Let me think about it. You would think that Christ 597 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:53,880 might make an appearance to Pilate after he rose. 598 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,400 Hey, Remember Me? What about the religious 599 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:01,960 leaders? What are you going to say now? 600 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:05,720 He doesn't do that. What does he go to? 601 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:14,720 The first person? Mary lost, bewildered, heaving 602 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:33,280 Mary, what about the disciples? Go tell my brothers this amazing 603 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:36,960 God that we serve, that we can know, that we can draw near to, 604 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,840 that we can experience, made what I'm speaking about 605 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:46,320 available because He chose to come into this world, take on 606 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:52,960 flesh, to be killed and crucified so He can purchase 607 00:43:54,880 --> 00:44:01,200 what we've always needed. Friday we recognize the bread 608 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:05,040 and the cup. And in God's Providence, as we 609 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,520 always do in the first Sunday of the month, we recognize the 610 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:15,000 bread and the cup, but with an added reminder that flesh of His 611 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:19,400 was broken on our behalf. But that same flesh rose, 612 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:25,760 glorified, and Jesus Christ one day will come back bodily, and 613 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:29,000 we will be with him forever. I wonder if you know this Jesus 614 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,960 of whom I speak. I wonder if you've experienced 615 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:34,720 this Jesus. These are not just nice stories 616 00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:37,480 that people put together. These are historical accounts, 617 00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:43,120 and they are meant to show you who Jesus is and what he is 618 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,320 like. Are you not drawn to him? 619 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:52,040 Are you not moved by Him? Do you not want to have Him? 620 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:57,120 He is available and the way you access Him is by faith. 621 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:01,600 The way you experience Him is in a moment you realize I am a 622 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:06,560 Sinner, I am vile, I am guilty. It was my sin to put Him on that 623 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:09,720 cross, but He paid for it and so I received this gift. 624 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:15,320 Lord, forgive me, I repent. If you're willing to make me an 625 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:19,680 enemy into a brother and to a sister into a child of God, if I 626 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:23,800 can through you be able to call God the Holy 1 enthroned in 627 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:29,120 heaven as Father, I receive it. Why would you not? 628 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:36,840 What's better than that? And believer, maybe today you're 629 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:40,560 like Mary. You have an intense love for 630 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,560 Christ, but you're confused about some things. 631 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:47,120 Jesus is near to you than you imagined. 632 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:51,640 And if you never want to fall into that place again where 633 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:54,360 you're weeping tears and staying up and losing sleep for things 634 00:45:54,360 --> 00:46:00,680 that you shouldn't get into the Word, know what he has said, 635 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:06,560 know who he is, and you'll save yourself from unnecessary tears. 636 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:09,880 Maybe some of you in here are like the disciples. 637 00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:11,760 You're here. You're not really here actually. 638 00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:17,520 So be it. He still loves you and he 639 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:22,320 summons you. He doesn't want you to live 640 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,240 another moment outside of his perfect will. 641 00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:26,440 Would you respond to his conviction today? 642 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:32,120 So this is a table of remembrance of what Christ has 643 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,840 done for us. And it is prescribed for 644 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,360 Christians, those who have put their trust in the message that 645 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,840 these emblems represent. So if you are a Christian here, 646 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,040 you were invited to eat at this feast. 647 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:45,480 But if you're here today visiting us, we're so glad that 648 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:48,000 you're here. But know this, we honor Christ, 649 00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,440 we believe his word, we want to love Him and obey him above all 650 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:53,160 else. And what he asks is that you 651 00:46:53,160 --> 00:46:55,880 would not partake if you do not belong to him. 652 00:46:56,120 --> 00:47:02,080 However, you can belong to Him, and while you see people taking 653 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,680 these elements and you sit there, realize that these people 654 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:07,320 are making a declaration. I've been saved by grace and you 655 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:11,080 can be saved by that same grace. Every person walking up here is 656 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,600 not holier than thou. Every person that's making their 657 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:15,560 way up here saying I've been forgiven. 658 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:24,600 Jesus is real to me, and I'm here to remind my own soul that 659 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:28,160 it's because of what He has done that I am redeemed forever. 660 00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:35,160 So let's prepare our hearts, shall we, and ask Him to make 661 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:37,720 himself more real to us by faith. 662 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:45,360 We thank you, Father, for these truths. 663 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,400 Just a glimpse of what you were like. 664 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,880 Because when we see Christ, we see also who the Father is. 665 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:59,360 Distinct, yes, and persons, but one, an entity, one in being. 666 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:02,880 And what we've come yet again to the table to partake of the 667 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:07,400 truth of what Christ has done for us 2000 years ago. 668 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:13,400 Help our hearts savor these things with the revelation that 669 00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:17,640 the Christ who appeared to marry the Christ who asked for the 670 00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:23,120 disciples, as the Christ who loves us and sees us no 671 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:27,440 differently, we rejoice in these things together in Jesus name, 672 00:48:28,160 --> 00:48:29,360 Amen. Amen.