I Have Seen The Lord

4-5-26

Resurrection Sunday

Hoonah-Hadley

John 20:1-18

Call to Worship Psalm 118:1-2, 18-24

Daily Verse John 20:18 (NIV)

I Have Seen The Lord

“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that He had said these things to her.” We want to begin with the end in mind. Mary Magdalene was tenacious, diligent, determined, single minded, would not be denied until her longing was fulfilled. Indeed, it was fulfilled and then some. She is the epitome of searching, seeking, knocking, asking. Matt. 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Our message today is simple, follow Mary’s example until you can say without doubt, hesitation or apology, “I have seen the Lord!” Scriptures give us many examples of encounters with Jesus, this, the first witness to the resurrected Christ. As is standard, there are many characters, many observations to be had and questions to be answered. God’s word is forever setting Christ in our midst. Today He has rolled away the stone, not so Jesus can get out, but that we might join Mary and peer in as often as we need to, at least until we are certain it is still empty. From beginning to end, the bible shows us who God is and who we are in light of His sovereignty. Two notable, obvious observations straight away, we have Mary, a woman, and we have her going “to the tomb early, while it was still dark.” This particular Mary can be found in Luke 8:2 “…Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons.” One of the many lessons taught here is that “to whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48)

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In this gospel only Mary Magdalene is named among the women. Matthew’s gospel has “as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” We have of course Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha, and now this Mary mentioned in each of the four gospels as one of Christ’s female disciples. She seems to have been prominent among a group of women that followed and served Jesus from the outset of His ministry in Galilee, to His death and beyond. These women provided for Jesus’s ministry “out of their own resources”, suggesting they had some financial means. Luke 8:1-3 several women are mentioned, “and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene…and Joanna the wife of Chuza…and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.” As true believers in Christ, we don’t worship women, apostles, prophets, Kings, disciples or any others, but we can give credit where credit is due. Women play a major role throughout scripture, serving Him in life, witnessing His crucifixion, and going “to the empty tomb early, while it was still dark.” Second observation, scripture puts a strong emphasis on early in the day. Gen. 19:27 “And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.” 28:18 “Then Jacob rose early in the morning…” Exodus 8:20 “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Rise early in the morning…’” Joshua 6:12 “Joshua got up early the next morning…” Judges 6:38 “Gideon rose early the next day…” 1 Sam. 15:12 “Early in the morning Samuel got up…” 17:20 “Early in the morning David left…” Matt. 21:18 this being Jesus, “Early in the morning, as He was on His way…” Mark 1:35 “Now in the morning, having risen long before daylight…” John 21:4 “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore…”

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It is not enough to preach the gospel or to hear it only, “but be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22) It is our prayer, our hope, our call to heed, to be obedient to the word of God, to the God of the word, to the word become flesh in Jesus Christ, and that word rises early. Exodus 23:19 “Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.” Prov. 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of your increase.” God wants our best, not what’s left at the end of the day. His economy calls us early, “until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts.” Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark and a result of that obedience, that diligence, she had the first one on one conversation with the risen Savior. While the world, the wide gate is sleeping and the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour, enter the narrow gate where few tread, open the Word, come to the Light where you are sure to have some one on one time with He who turned the world upside down when the stone was rolled away, and join Mary by going out into the world and proclaiming, “I have seen the Lord!” The bible is a treasure to behold, but its design is not a trophy to keep on the shelf of your heart, it is a witness to things above, here on earth. Colossians 3:2,23-24, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Mary’s encounter with the risen Lord is no accident, God choses to whom and when He will reveal Himself. John 6:39-40 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose not one…that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life…” Do you see? God gave you to Christ.

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So, Mary arrives in the dark, sees the stone rolled away, she runs and tells “Simon Peter and the other disciple”. They take off running, one out runs the other, they take turns looking in to confirm Mary’s report. Vs. 8-10 “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their homes.” There are some interesting things going on here that we could run with, but as Alistair says, “You’re reasonable people, read it for yourselves and ask God to show you.” We could say that life is a race, the apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8) We could say these gentlemen were exercising some demons. Peter of course was last seen denying Christ, he was left with the unbearable burden of unforgiven sin at the death of his friend. John of course, “the one Jesus loved”, who leaned on Jesus breast at the last supper, was left desolate after the crucifixion. If Mary’s report was true, there was a glimmer of hope that prompted the race. John, called to document the event to demonstrate the fact of the resurrection, but it was also imperative to demonstrate the effect it had on those that witnessed it. The mere documentation of the event has no value whatsoever unless it wrought ’s a change within our hearts and minds. Five groups are mentioned in this chapter, Mary, Peter, John, the disciples as a group, and Thomas. The resurrection took them from fear to courage, despair to worship, mourning to missionary, penitent to preacher, bereaved to love, timid to fearless heralds, doubter to confessor. The resurrection changes everything. God rolls away the stone over our hearts, that we might be determined, single minded in our search until we can say without doubt, “I have seen the Lord.” Amen!