Sermon Central
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Living Hope - 7 Of 14 Series
Contributed by Russell Metcalfe on Jan 28, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: It is a wonderful thing to know the story of Jesus. But it is an infinitely more wonderful thing to believe, to be persuaded deep in one's heart that Christ is alive, and to make Him our own personal Lord and Savior.
Easter Sunday—April 12, 1998
(April 11, 1993)
Living Hope
John 20:9 He saw and believed.
The seeds of life had been sown.
Wonderful, living words.
Wonderful loving deeds
The seeds fell on warm hearts and cold hearts.
They fell on good ground and stony ground.
And there the seeds of life waited
Now the Sower was gone.
All of a sudden it was winter,
It was night,
And it had never been this dark, this bleak,
Ever, ever before
Then, suddenly the Sun came up,
And it was springtime.
Some of the seeds began to feel the stirrings of life.
Some of the seeds knew they must respond.
The WORD was calling them to LIFE!
BELIEVING WITHOUT WORDS
The first person to believe in the Risen Savior was John the Beloved. His coming to this living faith is stated in just four words. He saw and believed. (8)
John is modest to a fault. He never calls himself by name throughout the book. But he does not deny what happened in his heart when he looked into the empty tomb. He had not yet even seen the risen Jesus. That would come later, and John would meet Jesus again and again. John's vision of the glorified and risen Jesus would finally surpass every vision, at least until we all behold Him face to
face.
But that first beginning is recorded so simply that it is easy to pass over as insignificant. John saw and John believed.
John saw what? The empty tomb. The empty grave-clothes. And that was all John needed. He remembered Jesus had said, "I will rise again the third day!" He remembered Jesus had said, "I will not leave you comfortless!" The seed has been planted in pure and fertile soil, and a miracle took place: John believed! That was it!
Mary's revelation is so much more dramatic. A sinner, a notorious sinner, she was the first to see the Savior! But John was good ground. The seed had lodged well.
John stands for millions of believers who have been implanted with the Good Seed of the Gospel before they ever came to rebellion, or before they knew enough to doubt.
John stands for many who know that Jesus is alive long before they reach the age of full understanding.
John stands for those who are so inclined to believe in Jesus that they know even before they know HOW they know! And never despise such faith! It will mature. It will be tested. It will have its revelations.
John was first!
FAITH IN THE GARDEN
The first person to see the risen Savior was a woman. She was without doubt a remarkable woman, with a strong character that had been refined and prepared for faith by the redeeming grace of Jesus. Her past keeps coming back to us; when she first met the Nazarene she had been possessed of seven devils. Jesus had set her free, and she had been a part of the faithful few that went all the way to the cross with Him.
But after the crucifixion Mary came to a dead stop. Her life was totally circumscribed by a visible, tangible Authority. She would gladly have died for Him, but she had not fully grasped how He had died for her! Her hope was in a living Messiah. And she had seen Him die on a cross.
She loved Him so much she wanted to go as far as she could in showing Him respect and honor. But all the words He had spoken, and all the things He had done were history now. Except that she still was free of the demons.
She went to honor a dead Jesus, but she went with love. And the hunger and cry and aching of her heart were answered in a way she never could have imagined. It is one of the most beautiful scenes in all holy writ.
Jesus, Himself, came to the Garden where she was. He came near and spoke her name. "Mary!" And within her the dormant seed of faith sprang to life!
"Master!"
Mary stands for the millions who have come to faith through love of a Christ they have been seeking. Perhaps we all have sought in the wrong places at times for Jesus. It may be that we have "supposed" and have almost mistaken the truth in the error of our suppositions. And then the living, risen Savior has spoken our name! I know you! And you know Me, too!
Mary stands for those who go looking with love for the Master.
FAITH THAT CAME IN TIME
It was a different kind of 'coming to faith' that John used for the very climax of his Gospel.
Thomas was a man who missed church on the first Easter Sunday. Perhaps if he had been there it might have been different. But it wouldn't have been so good for you and me if we didn't know this story of Thomas.
