Good morning Crossing Church. How are you doing today?
It is so good to be with you to be in the house.
The Lord with the people of the Lord, surviving the Thanksgiving
that we just experienced and I hope you'd you're getting
through all of that. We had a great time at our house
and you know, really there's so much to be thankful for isn't
there? I mean, there's so many things
that that can just Cloud our minds and push us away from
that, but we need to have those Times of Thanksgiving and I've
been thankful for this series in the Book of John just kind of
reboots us, you know, into these Timeless truths.
That John relays to us. I'm excited about the series
that's coming up. It's called the gift I need.
And if you want to get into the spirit of that next series, use
your phone, get on that QR code. And on there there's a place
where you can record the worst. You ever got and people can
share in that and that can lighten your mood and help you
to enjoy this season. That's coming up even more.
And also on that QR code are of all of our locations are the
dates of all of our Christmas Eve services.
This is that rare year happens. Once every seven years that
Christmas falls on Sunday. So once you to be taking a look
at that all of our different locations, you can, Can see what
we're offering probably somewhere in the neighborhood of
40 plus services. So I want to welcome all of you
that are joining at all of our locations, all of them across
this region. If you're inside her online,
we're thankful for you as well. And last week, I was talking
about what Jesus did to pay for our sins when he died on the
cross. And we got to hear that from the
only new Rider, that was himself an eyewitness John.
He was there. You know, I wasn't there, you
weren't there, but he was there and so he's able to share with
you, what he saw with his own eyes.
What he heard with his own ears? Of course, there's a lot of
reflection that happens when we think about the cross, but it
wasn't just the cross, you know, last week was only half the
story and I'm excited this week to give View the rest of the
story that happened after the cross.
Because John didn't write what he wrote.
So that you would understand the death of Jesus.
He wrote them so in his words that you might believe and then
have life in his name and that comes with an understanding, not
only of the crucifixion but also of the resurrection and I find
it really interesting of all the gospels.
John. He doesn't waste a single
sentence on the mechanics of the Resurrection.
You know, all the rest of them, they talk about exactly what
happened in the the garden. You know the where the tomb was
and and the stone being rolled away, what happened with the
guards and what happened with the angels coming down on all
that John doesn't even talk about that.
Instead he reveals the impact that the resurrection that the
resurrection had and he zeroes in on three individuals and
that's kind of how it is with Jesus.
Right? He's not just about the masses.
He's about the individual just like he's about you and these
three individuals and their stories, the portraits.
That, that that John paints of them.
I think he's just so helpful and so enlightening for us and I'm
going to call him the denier, the disbeliever and the devotee,
okay? The denier, the disbeliever and
the devotee and that would be Simon Peter Thomas and Mary
Magdalene. And I want to begin with Mary,
the devotee. See, Mary is this picture of
utter devotion. And you'll make sense to me that
she would be as devoted as she was because she had been saved
from something unimaginable to us.
The Bible says, in 2 different places that she was demon
possessed, and she was not only demon-possessed, she was demon
possessed by seven demons. She was a condo for demons.
I can't imagine what that would have made her life.
Like now, the number 7 in the Bible numbers have particular
meanings in the Bible and the number 7 in the Bible is the
number of perfection or completion.
And and so, you know, we can be very literal and say they were
seven particular demons. But one thing I pull from that
is that she was completely utterly controlled completely
under the control of these evil spirits inside of her.
And that would have meant that she was completely hopeless.
Like her life wasn't hers anymore.
There wasn't a decision that she was making anymore.
She was under this other controls whole just horrible,
right? And then Jesus steps into her
life. And exercises.
Those demons out of her. She's in her right mind.
What a gift would have been what our Incredible Gift to be
liberated and experience the freedom.
That only Jesus could provide listen to me.
Jesus didn't have to rise from the dead for her to be devoted.
Because he had saved her from that.
It's incredible and she was the first one to go to the tomb.
When we hear about what happened with Jesus in the resurrection
and we read in John chapter 20 starting in verse 11 and says
now, Mary, stood outside the tomb.
Crying and as she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and
saw two angels in white seated, where Jesus body had been one at
the head and the other at the foot.
And they asked her woman. Why are you crying?
They've taken my Lord away. She said and I don't know where
they have put him. At this, she turned around and
saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was
Jesus. Now contextualize what you just
read with me? Mary comes at night.
She comes before the sun rises and I want you to think about
that. I mean, that would be a
frightening thing to to walk through the streets of
Jerusalem. Not really a familiar place to
her and find the cemetery at night.
To go honor the body of Jesus. So she comes at night and she
has no plan to do what she wants to do.
Because it was customary, that people would would honor the
dead by doing things with their body, like, putting spices on
their body. By, you know, anointing them by
ministering to them, because of what nature would nature would
take its course. And so she wanted to serve, she
wanted to do this thing. Thing, but she had absolutely no
plan. She was there when Jesus died on
the cross. When he was laid in the Tomb,
she was an eyewitness. And so she would have known
where the tomb was. She would have known that.
A stone was rolled in front of it.
She may or may not have known that.
There was a Roman Detachment of soldiers.
She may have or may have not have known that there was a seal
placed in front of the Tomb. I mean either she didn't know
that or she didn't think about that because she had no plan,
how am Am I going to move a stone away?
How am I going to break a seal? How am I going to get around?
These soldiers? To do what I want to do?
She had no plan. And actually, I really admire
that about her. Because I wouldn't have been
that person. I would have been the person who
had to have a detailed plan. How many of you would have had
to have a detailed plan? I mean, I need to know what to
bring and how many people and what time and when do we meet
and how do we? Yeah, I would have had to have
all that to handle all of the potential.
Pitfalls, not her. She just went, she just went And
I think it's amazing. Did you read that that her
devotion and her the pain that she's experienced blinds her
from realizing that there are two angels sitting in this tomb.
May there's two men wearing why going?
Why are you crying? And it just completely, she can
just completely lost by, she doesn't even think about that.
Because of the grief that she's experiencing.
And it also tells you this that she did not have Resurrection
hopes. She wasn't thinking, well, maybe
he rose from the dead. Quite the contrary, look at 15.
And 16 says this, he asked her. Now this is Jesus that he, she
doesn't recognize him woman. Why are you crying?
Who is it? You're looking for thinking.
He was the gardener. She said, sir, if you have
carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get
him like she was going to be able to get a body and put it
back in the Tomb. So amazing Jesus said to her,
Mary. and she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic rabboni
which means teacher How does Jesus meet Mary Magdalene?
I think he is savoring the moment.
I think he is loving this moment that he was going to be able to
reveal himself to her in this way because of the strength of
her faith and her devotion. I think he waited for her in the
garden. He could have done a lot of
other things, you could have shown himself to a lot of other
people, but he chose her and he chose that moment at Daybreak.
And he asked her this question. I mean, it's such a silly
question. Why are you crying?
But why would anybody be crying in a cemetery?
Why are you crying? But it's a really important
question. Even though it sounds like a
silly one, because the reality in her mind is she has great
reason to be crying. But Jesus being there means that
everything that every reason she would have to cry, has been
completely undone. Today.
Right now, some of you may have great reasons for crying.
Maybe there's something going on in your life.
Maybe these holidays dredge up memories that are not as great
as you wish and maybe you're just trying to get through them
rather than enjoying them. Hard to be thankful when this
happened, or when that's happening right now.
Maybe you're crying, but have you thought?
That maybe you're not realizing what Jesus has already done.
Maybe you're a little like her. That you see the finality of
certain things, someone who's not at the table this year, or
something along those lines. But you don't realize what Jesus
is already done for you and everyone else and in spite of
what might be happening in your life right now, in your lower
story. Right now, there is so much to
be thankful for because we have Jesus to be thankful.
And then I love the word she uses.
And I don't think that John put this word in by accident, the
word rabboni. Now, the word rabona in the word
Rabbi are the same words and the word Rabbi means teacher.
Rabona is the same word, except it's in the formal instead of
the familiar. And I think that's important
because, you know, there are people that have come up with
these narratives that Jesus and Mary had this kind of a thing
going on. People have written novels about
it. But these words that John
records as an eyewitness are proof.
That that's not true that she respected him deeply as her
teacher and followed him. As a mentor as a guide and as a
teacher and that's why she used that word oh there's a lot we
can learn from this portrait of Mary but let's just stop with
her for a minute and go to the next one we all remember this
portrait because of this man's reputation and that would be
Thomas and when we talk about Thomas we use a word with him
usually. And what is that word?
Yeah doubting Thomas. And I look at Thomas and I
consider him the disbeliever or the realest because that's
really just a part of who he was.
That's how he was wired by God. That he is, this realist kind of
person. Look at John 11:16, then Thomas
also known as didymus, this means twin, he was a twin of
somebody, I don't know what we don't know who said to the rest
of the disciples let us also go that we may die with him.
So Jesus has just told his disciples, he's going to
Jerusalem and the disciples know that people are looking for
Jesus to kill him, and if they're going to want to kill
Jesus, their own want to kill his followers to.
So, I mean, it's a serious thing for Jesus to go to Jerusalem for
Passover. Now, you can look at this, a
couple of different ways you can look at Thomas and go, did he
say that? Let's just go with him so we can
die with him. Did he say that sarcastically
where he would say? Well then, let's go with him so
we can die with him. Or do you think that he was
looking at it and saying it realistically?
Okay, let's go with him so we can die with him.
I don't know if it's one or the other.
I think it's both of them because I think this is kind of
how Thomas is wired, a little of both, It plays out later in the
upper room, Jesus is giving these incredible words.
I mean incredible, incredible words in my father's house are
many mansions. if it were not, so I would have told you I go to
prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I
will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there
you may be also whether you go, I go, you know, in the way, you
know, and then John 14, 5 Thomas said to him, of course, it was
Thomas Lord, we don't know where you're going.
So how can we know the way, you know how Jesus answered that?
I am the way the truth and the life.
No one comes to the father but by me yeah we may know the
answer to that but I love the way that Thomas just asks this
obvious question and he's looking for a concrete answer.
Where are you going? I don't know this way you're
talking about. He is a realist.
And then John 20, 24 to 25 when we get on this side of the
Resurrection. Now, Thomas, also known as
didymus. One of the twelve was not with
the disciples when Jesus came. So Jesus is already appeared to
the disciples, but Thomas wasn't there.
So the other disciples told him we have seen the Lord.
But he Thomas said to them, unless I see the nail marks in
his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my
hand into his side. Look at these four words.
I will not believe. Well, that's pretty strong
language. And I think his doubt about the
validity of Jesus, resurrection is an honest doubt.
However, his empirical thinking, you know, I mean the less I can
see it here at taste. It touch it.
Smell, you know, that kind of thing.
I think that somehow shows that there's something darker going
on something even cynical that's going on inside a Thomas because
he doesn't ask a question. He makes a declarative
statement. I will not believe So I don't
think the word out is really that good of a description about
his attitude because it's more of a rejection of the testimony
of his fellow apostles, then it is a questioning.
And then what happens Jesus appears in the room.
How does Jesus meet Thomas? We've discussed how he met Mary
Magdalene. How does he meet Thomas?
John 20 26 to 29 a week later. His disciples were in the house
again and Thomas was with them though the doors were locked
Jesus came and stood among them and said peace be with you.
Don't you think that Jesus was kind of looking over Thomas over
there in the corner? Peace be with you.
Because he speaks to him. Put your finger here.
See my hands, reach out your hand, and put it into my side,
stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, my Lord and
my God. Did Jesus told him?
Because you have seen me. You have believed?
Blessed are those who have not seen?
And yet have believed? Hmm.
See, I don't think we recognize this and Thomas.
Certainly, didn't that even when Jesus wasn't appearing in the
room? He was in the room.
So when Thomas was saying that stuff, Jesus was hearing it
because he was repeating it back to him.
Right. Jesus knows Thomas, he
understands Thomas, he knows that he's a realist and he meets
him, where he is even calls him a doubter which I think is
grace-filled because he's more of a denier than a doubter.
He's more of a disbeliever than a doubter and yet Jesus gives
him that Grace and do you know why Jesus leans into Thomas?
Do you know why he doesn't lean away?
It's because he knows his potential.
The potential Thomas would have if he was convinced now seeing
is not faith and Jesus makes that clear.
It's a lack of faith but that was what Thomas needed in that
moment to unlock his potential. And with that statement My Lord
and my God the realest Thomas has full confidence in who Jesus
is and what he has done and he never deviates from that.
You know, that understanding that happened in that moment
between Thomas and Jesus took him further than any other
Apostle would ever go. You remember, Jesus says later
on you'll be my Witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea Samaria to the
ends of the Earth and I'm sure a lot.
All those Apostles would have thought.
Yeah, you know, eventually it'll get to the ends of the Earth
Thomas, didn't wait for future generations.
To take the message of Jesus, to the ends of the Earth.
He did that himself. You know how?
I know that because he died in Chennai, India, which is the
point as far as you can go, he literally went to the ends of
the Earth and he was javelins, while being in prayer on his
knees. Wow, learn a lot from Mary
Magdalene. you can learn a lot from Thomas on this side of the
Resurrection, but maybe the most poignant story of all Is the one
that John saves to last the denier.
Simon, Peter, how would you describe Simon, describe Simon
Peter? I would use words like
enthusiastic strong-willed, impulsive brash.
He was definitely a natural born leader, but he definitely has a
dark side to his personality. So let's start with that in John
21, three and four. Now, this is a weird place to
start. I'm going out to fish.
Well, here's what Simon had done, Simon Peter had left
Jerusalem and he gone back up to Galilee not a short Journey
about 90 Miles by foot gone. Back up to Galileo, Galileo,
Galilee where he was raised going back to fishing.
I'm going out to fish Simon. Peter told them and they said
we'll go with you because he obviously took some of his
Apostles with him. He is a natural-born leader.
So they went out and got into the boat, but that night, they
caught nothing early in the morning, Jesus stood on the
shore. But the disciples did not
realize that it was Jesus. There could not have been a
better seen a better setup than Jesus creates In This Moment.
It's awesome. Because it's exactly the same
scene as it was in Luke Chapter 5.
If you go back to Luke 5, because Jesus is teaching, these
guys have been fishing all night Peter, Andrew James and John.
So Peters, one of them, they're washing their Nets because it's
been a complete bust. Haven't caught anything all
night. Jesus gets done and he says,
hey, why don't you throw out your nets for a catch?
You know, and Simon Peter says, hey dude, we've been fishing all
night long. We haven't caught anything, you
know, stay in your lane Jesus. We're professional fisherman.
You Preach. Will fish kind of deal. but if
you say so, And so they dirty their Nets again and they throw
them out in the water. And of course, the story is
every fish in that Lake went into that, net till they were
break, the Nets were breaking and they couldn't haul them in.
And in that moment Jesus was speaking Simon Peters language.
The language of fishing And Simon Peter realized he was in
the boat with him, not just a teacher.
But God. And that's when when Peter said
depart from me because I'm a sinful man, you know what he's
saying? You're looking into my heart.
You know me. And Jesus says don't worry,
Simon from now on, you're going to be catching people.
Beautiful story. And here Jesus, weaves the same
story again, just like, it was when Simon Peter was called into
Ministry with Jesus. He does it again on the same
Lake in the same place and they haven't caught anything off
tonight. And then Simon Peter.
Has this experience. I want you to think about the
demons that Simon Peter is fighting, why is he up there?
He knows what he's done. He knows when he, you know,
Simon Peter. This British guy pulls a, his
sword in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus is
arrested and he met names, one of the servants, right?
Cuts in ear off to surgery to die.
He'd already told Jesus, you know, deny you I would die for
you. Jesus is already told him, you
know, he's gonna deny him three times.
And when they arrested, Jesus, Peter follows doesn't go into
the house but stays out on the courtyard while he's out in the
courtyard, people start accusing him and pointing their finger at
him and say, aren't you a Galilean weren't you with Jesus?
Aren't you one of his disciples that he denies and denies and
denies and eventually curses And denies and then went out and
wept bitterly. He knows what he's done.
What a hypocrite. He is what a poser.
He is what a poser he has been. Don't you?
Imagine that there are demons inside of him that he's
fighting? That are saying those things to
him. How fake is your faith?
Really Simon Peter? And I bet you, he kept his shame
from everybody else. I don't think he went to the
other Apostles that he was fishing with and said, hey guess
what I did, because they weren't around So, the like continues
inside of him. And so he goes to Galilee, why?
Because he's wanting to escape those feelings, he wants to go
back to an abandoned life because that's what he deserves.
Until Jesus steps into the picture just like you did with
Mary just like he did with Thomas, he steps into the
picture with Simon Peter. You know what it's time to face
the music. John 21 verse 7, then the
disciple whom Jesus loved. That's John said to Peter.
It is the Lord. And as soon as Simon Peter heard
him say it is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around
him, for he taking it off and jumped into the water.
He makes his way to shore because he is going to face the
music. You know what it's time for.
It's time to have a little walk with Jesus.
Some of you right now. Today, this moment it's time to
have a little walk with Jesus. And have a talk with him.
It's time to confront those demons. but if you're taking a
walk with Jesus, You don't have to confront those demons alone,
he'll be right there with you. John records.
Those next moments and as painful as those next moments
were for Simon Peter in that confrontation in that
conversation, the result of it was better than the removal of
those regrets and Demons Inside. Am it was reconciliation.
The same words that John records.
Jesus. Crying out from the cross even
though Simon Peter. Wasn't there to hear it?
It is finished. Now applies to Simon Peter
because what he did in denying him Has been overcome by the
grace of his Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ.
These people in their stories are so completely different and
yet Jesus meets them right where they are and ministers to them.
If he can do that with them. Can he do that with you?
Is he available to do that right now?
Does he desire to do that right now?
I love the fact that Jesus didn't assemble people who were
just like him. He put people together that were
so completely different because he's the greatest of leaders and
Jesus has this ability to meet you right where you are and then
leads you to the place that he intended for you, if you'll just
follow him. so now the question gets personal, Which one are
you? Are you the devotee?
Are you the disbeliever? Are you the denier or you
something different than all of those?
Maybe you're facing something right now.
Maybe you're connecting with the feelings of these three that
John shares with you and maybe you're feeling and experiencing
something completely different. God knows I don't Maybe you're
looking for a different outcome than the one you have.
Right now, maybe you're looking for the release of a
circumstance. Maybe you're looking for
forgiveness from what you cannot take back.
Maybe you're saying to God and your silence is you sit there.
Why are you letting this happen to me?
I got a call a few weeks ago from my oldest sister.
Carolyn telling me that. My second oldest sister, Arlene
was in the hospital and she wasn't doing well.
Arlene. 17 years older than me. Carolyn's 19 years older.
Man the baby, the family. They wanted me to pray.
I end up driving down there and spending some time with her.
I mean, she's the most one of the most, if not the most
intelligent person, our family, incredible follower of Jesus
Christ. Knows the scriptures.
Like you would not believe. And yet she was struggling.
And she's had a rough few weeks, she's in the hospital.
They tried to get things under control to the number of
procedures that made her a lot weaker that she went to wheat
rehab. She did a week in rehab, got her
a little bit stronger went back home, wasn't there 24 hours
before more issues back to the hospital?
They're going undergoing. A bunch more tests and difficult
procedures making her even weaker and now she's in skilled
care. And I don't care how strong you
are in the Lord or in his word, those things can be really
daunting. and for her, she was struggling with discouragement.
Am I next oldest living sister? My sister Kathy's closest?
To me, also been in the conversation via text and
whatever she sent, Arlene, a message that she had seen in red
and thought it would give her some encouragement and Arling
responded, how just encouraging it really was because what Kathy
gave her and what she shared was a whole new point of view and I
would like what we have been experiences as a family And that
encouragement to flow over you today.
So, I'm going to share that with you.
The first reference in it is a reference to Joseph in the Old
Testament. The one with the mini, the coat
of many colors and this is what Kathy sent to Arlene.
I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that prison out of that
pain. And I would have cheated Nations
out of the one. God would use to deliver them
from famine. I would have pulled David out
out of Saul's spear-throwing presence out of the caves.
He hid away in out of the pain of rejection and I would have
cheated Israel, out of a god hearted King.
I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her
only family out of being placed in a position.
She never asked for out of the path of a vicious power-hungry
fo, and I would have cheated a people out of a woman.
God would use to say their very lives And I would have pulled
Jesus off. Off of that cross.
Off of the road that led to suffering and pain off of the
path. That would mean nakedness and
beatings nails and thorns and I would have cheated the entire
world out of a savior out of salvation.
Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more
pain. And no.
I want to pull you out. I want to change your path, I
want to stop your pain but right now I know I would be wrong.
I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and
cheating the world out of so much good because God knows.
He knows the good this pain will produce.
He knows the beauty. This hardship will grow.
He's watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of
this and he's promising, you that you can trust him, even
when it all feels like more than you can bear.
So, instead of pulling you out, I'm lifting you up, I'm kneeling
before the father and I'm asking him to give you strength to give
you hope. I'm asking him to protect you
and to move you when the time is, right?
I'm asking him to help you. Stay prayerful and Discerning,
I'm asking him how I can best love you and be a help to you
and I'm believing he's going to use your life in powerful and in
beautiful ways ways that leave your heart grateful and humbly
thankful for this road, you've been on Me tell you, it's it's
good to have a family like that. Where we can rest in the grace
and the goodness, the love of God, even when we can't see it,
we can't feel it. And it doesn't make sense to us.
And I know that at times like this in the Years, some of us we
let the lower story take over. But it's time to raise our eyes,
to lift up our eyes, and realize that the upper stories there as
well. And that God loves you.
That he has a plan for your life that Jesus died for you, and
he's coming back for you someday.
Would you reflect on that? As we move to a time of
decision, so, What's getting in the way?
In your life right now. What's keeping you from being
able to focus on the goodness of God and being thankful?
and these other things that are coming into your heart and into
your mind, it's hard, isn't it? You know, a lot of you, I'm
sharing that story about my family and you connect with
that, you're connecting with it right now, different names,
different circumstances but a lot of the same emotions.
Right. I think this is a place where we
understand each other. But if we could just not think
so much. About the things that are
happening in the Earth. So much about, you know, I can
be thankful because of all the things I've received.
From a human Earthly. Perspective.
But instead, to see something greater of what I have received
that. I could never earn a knife could
never deserve. There's some of you here today
that have never stepped into an intimate personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. And he has come all this way.
And I said to you, he was in the room when Thomas was saying,
what are you saying Thomas? Couldn't see him, but he was
there and he's in this room right now and he knows the
argument, you're having in your own head right now.
He knows all the stuff that you're thinking right now, but
he's still here right now. And he's here for you right now
and he sees your potential, he knows what he what you're
capable of because he made you that way.
And he's looking for your heart to say yes to him.
And if you have never said, yes to an intimate personal
relationship with Jesus Christ, you can do that today, you can
do that right now. There's going to be somebody
standing over there by that baptistry that would love
nothing more than to talk to you that pray with you.
And to help you. On a journey that somebody help
them find. All the way to the Gates of
Heaven. And Jesus saying, welcome home.
Well done. This is what I prepared for you.
Many of you are here today, and you made a decision for Christ.
You're walking in that relationship, and that's great.
But, you know, that stuff gets in the way.
And sometimes this world and the cares and the burdens and the
challenges, the circumstances that you face, they can become
overwhelming and overpowering. And that's why we need time.
That's why these steps are up here in front of you because
just takes some time before the Lord.
Because he changes everything. For Mary.
It was rabona. It was, I don't have a reason to
cry anymore. For Thomas, it was I've stop
doubting and now I'm believing and I'm going to act on that.
I'm putting my skepticism away. and for Peter, I can look you in
the eyes. Again, I can face you because
you've taken away my shame. For you.
God knows. Jesus knows, it may be today.
You can admit that to him. And feel his strong hands
holding you and lifting you back up to face a world, but never
alone. But you stand with me.
And let's pray together. Heavenly father in Jesus name we
come to you because we have the name of Jesus to speak and
because of him we have confidence to approach your
throne and we ask you father that today.
We're not asking you to move. We need to move closer to you.
Whatever form that takes today. I pray that we would listen to
your spirit at work in our hearts and move in your
direction. In Jesus name, amen.