THE FIRST SEVEN WORDS OF THE RISEN SAVIOR
TEXT - JOHN 20: 1 - 16
INTRO. - There are many sermons and books on the Seven words
of the Cross. These words explain the purpose of the cross
and the character of Christ.
The first seven words of the Risen Savior after the
Resurrection explain what the Resurrection has done for us
and has to offer us.
The seven words of the Cross give a message from God to all
the World.
The first seven words of the Risen Christ give a message from
God to the Church --- to his people.
The Resurrection of Christ was the miracle of miracles.
Without it --- No Savior
No Sure Word of God
No Salvation
No Hope beyond the Grave
In John Masefield’s drama The Trial of Jesus, there is a
striking passage in which the Roman centurion in command of
the soldiers of the cross comes back to Pilate to hand in his
report of the day’s work. After the report is given, Pilate’s
wife beckons to the centurion and begs him to tell how the
prisoner died. When the story had been told, she suddenly
asks,"Do you think He is dead?" "No, lady" answers the
centurion, "I don’t." "Then where is He?" to which the
Roman replies, "Let loose in the world, lady, where...no one
can stop His truth." The gospel of the resurrection is an
indisputable fact, an indispensable faith, and an
irresistible force.
LET US LOOK AT THESE SEVEN FIRST WORDS OF THE RISEN CHRIST
SPOKEN ON THAT FIRST EASTER MORNING AND SEEK TO MAKE SOME
APPLICATIONS FROM THE WORDS TO OUR OWN LIVES.
I. WOMAN WHY WEEPEST THOU - Vs.15
The first word of Christ after the Resurrection is to a woman
in a garden. I wonder if there is not some symbolism here. It
was in the first garden with another question asker that a
woman was questioned and as a result sin was brought into the
world. See Gen.3
The woman is weeping. Think of the tears through the years.
Tears would have never been apart of life had there been no
sin. Even Jesus wept - shortest verse in the Bible.
Here Jesus stands on resurrection ground and asks, "Why
weepest thou?" He did not take away the tears but he was
there as an answer to her tears. He will not take away your
tears yet but he is the answer to the reason for our tears.
And One Day ---- Rev. 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes"
Mary did not recognize the Lord. Perhaps it was her tears.
Maybe it was the time of day. It could have been the clothes
of that day which had a hood for sun, wind, and weather.
It probably was because she was not looking for Him.
II. MARY - Vs.16
A - Jesus called Mary by name. Christ knows his disciples
individually. He called Thomas who was a doubter at this time
but still a disciple by name in vs.29
B - Jesus knew people in the resurrection and so will we.
See I John 3:2
Moses and Elijah knew Christ and each other on the Mt. of
Transfiguration. I believe we will know each other in
heaven. Our relationship to each other will be different than
here on earth but we will know.
C - Every disciple knows the Savior’s voice. "My sheep hear
my voice". If you do not know when the Lord is speaking to
you then you are headed for trouble.
D - Those who love the Lord the most get the greater
blessing. Notice Vs.10 and 11a. They loved but it seems by
her actions that she loved more and had the blessing of
meeting him first.
III. GO TELL MY BRETHREN - Vs. 17
She had the message of the Resurrection. The Resurrection
gives us a message to tell to the world. The message that sin
had been paid at the cross. the message that we have a hope
beyond the grave. The message of a resurrection for ourselves
one day and a great reunion day. See I Thess. 4:13 - 18
All preaching across the centuries becomes useful or useless,
worthwhile or worthless on the truthfulness or not of the
Resurrection.
Mary had a message for the disciples - then they ad a message
for the world - vs.25
We have a message. The cross gives us a message. The
resurrection gives us a message and a power to deliver it.
Are we going to tell it?
IV. PEACE BE UNTO YOU - Vs. 19 - 21
The promise of peace. The peace with God and the peace of
God. Peace and not blame. Peace and not fault-finding. Peace
and not rebuke were the first words ...
Sin takes away peace.
Troubled hearts, troubled consciences, trouble due to the
conquences of sin. There is no peace to be found in the
world. We find war, fear, and troubles, but no peace.
How may we find peace? Through the Price of Peace!
The peace with God
The peace of God
V. AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME SO SEND I YOU -- RECEIVE YE THE
HOLY GHOST -Vs.21b - 23
Here is the call to service and the power to serve.
There is a job to be done for the Lord.
That is the reason he has left us here instead of taking us
home to heaven immediately after conversion.
We are powerless without Him. He puts his power inside us
through the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The Cross gives us the message - The Resurrection gives us
the power. See Rom.1:1-5
VI. REACH HITHER...BE NOT FAITHLESS BUT BELIEVING - Vs. 27
A word to doubting Thomas.
Notice several things:
1. Notice how much a Christian may lose by not regularly
attending the assembly of God’s people. Compare Vs.24
and Vs.26
2. Notice how kind and merciful God is to the slow to
believe, the sincere doubter. When a man doubts after
proper evidence, God calls it folly and foolishness. But
to the sincere doubter, the Lord says, "be not faithless
but believing"
Vs.26 ---Thomas was there at the next meeting and JESUS CAME!
He met the Lord and you can meet him too.
You can meet him by faith
by prayer
by God’s Word
by confession of sin
VII. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE
BELIEVED - Vs. 29
A word to us today. He is speaking of us. We are saved by
faith - Eph.2:8 - 9. We are to walk by faith - Rom.3:24
Faith brings blessing -- in time and for eternity!
Mary lost the Lord in vs.13 --- but she found him because of
the resurrection and his love.
How do I know that Christ is risen?
What proof have I to give?
He rescued me from sin’s dark prison
And I began to live.
How do I know He left the tomb
That Easter long ago?
I met him at the dawn’s fresh bloom
And life is all aglow.
How do I know he gained for me
Access to Heaven’s door?
Christ’s work in me is guarantee
Of life forevermore.
How do I know that Christ still lives
Rich blessings to impart?
Abundant grace and peace He gives
and lives within my heart.
--copied.
