Introduction:
Life can sometimes take us down some highways and byways that seems as though there is no hope or no tomorrow. We can even be in church looking for a break through and while we’re in church we feel good. We even believe that we can over-come the situation. And it even seems a though that pressing situation has never happened.
But when the benediction is over, the music has stopped playing, the shouting has stopped, and it’s time to go home, the thoughts of where we’ve been and what we’re dealing with begins to re-enter our minds and we’re right back to the same thinking. We began to say, “My Lord, how am I going to make it? Am I on anybody’s street? It seems as though our condition has become our conclusion. Can I talk about it?
Let’s just tell the truth and keep this thing real. A lot of times we’re in that boat because we truly don’t recognize just whom or what we are dealing with. Well I’ve been there. Are you with me?
Point Number One: Looking For The Wrong Answers In The Right Place
Now Mary Magdalene had a special relationship with Jesus. She remembers how Jesus set her life free and changed her life forever. She did not forget what it was like to be in bondage. She did not forget how life was before she met the “Master.”
Like many of us, when we’re in a jam/tight situation and we pray to God to come to our rescue, He rescues us. Shortly after the rescue, shortly after He has brought us out we forget. Sometimes we come down with the SADS’ Syndrome “the Spiritual Alzheimer’s Disease Syndrome.” This disease can be contagious. It causes us to soon forget where the Lord has brought us from.
Every now and then, we need to go back down memory lane. That’s why we sing the song in church, “I’ll Never Forget What He’s Done For Me. I’ll Never Forget How He Set Me Free.” “I’ll Never Forget How He Brought Me Out” “I’ll Never Forget Forever.” That’s why praisers and worshippers are different. Just because you’re praiser doesn’t make you a worshipper. A praiser has to be pumped up to praise, but a true worshipper just has to think about the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done. Their souls can’t help but to cry out!
Now when Mary went to the tomb, she was not expecting to see what she saw. She was expecting to still see the stone covering the entrance to the tomb, as it was where Jesus was laid to rest on that Friday, which was three days ago.
Little did she understand who/whom she was dealing with. Mary’s condition appeared to her to be her conclusion. Mary was looking for the wrong answers, but she was in the right place.
Some of us are guilty of the exact same thing. I just got to keep this thing real.
I often went to churches with my buddies not only to hear the Word, but to check out the ladies. We were in search of a nice spiritual woman.
Come on ladies, you are no exception. You were there looking too. Let’s just be real about it. Everybody’s not in church for the same reason.
Some are in church to be the disruptors of the church; better known as hell raisers.
Some are in the churches to sabotage the leadership of the church with their own little private coo. You know the private coo in countries try to over-throw the government. That’s why I say everybody that’s standing in your corner is not standing with you. You better hear me.
I’m not saying that Mary did not believe that Jesus was who He said he was, but what I’m saying is that she really did not understand what was really happening. She was confused about what was and what had happened. Mary was revealing an unquestionable love.
Mary revealed an unquestioning love because she still considered Jesus as her personal Lord even in death. In John 20:13 she said: “They have taken away my Lord.” Mary is a supreme example of one who loves and believes, although she did not fully understand.
She was one of the last to leave Jesus at the cross (cp. Mark 15:40, 47); one of the first to attend the tomb; and one who still called Him “Lord.” Her belief was a belief of love—not a belief based upon intellect or understanding.
She knew what Jesus had done for her, and she loved Him for it. Jesus was her Lord, dead or alive (cp. John 20:13f).
Her lack of understanding was her condition, but it was not her conclusion.
Point Number Two: Woman Dry Your Tears, It’s Time To Celebrate!
If you go back and look at verse 15 it says, "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it are you 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 go and get him."
Mary was truly confused. She actually thought that someone had taken the body of Jesus the Christ. Mary was having a false identity problem.
The commentary clearly states that Mary actually though the man was a gardener and perhaps he had removed the body of Jesus for some reason.
As Mary continued talking to the angels, she sensed another presence behind her. She immediately turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize Him. She did not know that it was Jesus.
And Jesus asked her this question: “Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” Now keep in mind that a graveyard is a place where one weeps and looks for a grave.
The point is this: Mary’s condition was that she was seeking a dead Savior, a Savior who was like all other men - frail and powerless to do anything about life and death, eternity and heaven.
Her whole being was focused upon a grave where her dead Savior was lying. But she still did not realize that it was not her conclusion.
Mary’s condition was living as the world lives, as a “stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world”
(Ephesians 2:12). But it was still not her conclusion.
Mary had another condition: Mary was facing in the wrong direction. She was facing into the grave. She had turned back around to face where the body had been lying (John 20:14, cp. John 20:16). She still did not realize that it was not her conclusion.
There is no question about the point Jesus was trying to make here. This is the point He was wishing to convey to Mary.
There was no need for such convulsive weeping. Weep and grieve, yes, but there is a limit. Mary could have and should have seen Him sooner.
Jesus looked at Mary and said, “Mary.” She immediately knew who He was. In the scriptures Jesus says “My sheep will know my voice.”
There is a message here for everyone. We need to fix our eyes upon Jesus in confronting death. Too often, when we see the dead and become so wrapped up in grief that we forget the risen Lord and the great hope He gives us. Jesus the Christ gives us HOPE!
How do you know we have this hope preacher? He gives us this hope because:
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 5:24 says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
John 14: 2-3 says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms (mansions); if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
1 John 5:11-12 says, “And this is the testimony, God has given us eternal life and this life is in His son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Conclusion:
Just before I take my seat, I just want to revisit a statement in my final point. That statement is “It’s time to celebrate. It’s time to party hardy in the Lord. But some folks can’t celebrate because they can’t explain the why.
How can you say that preacher?
I can say that because no one can explain the mystery that took place from Calvary to the grave. Preacher what are you talking about?
Scientists with all their knowledge cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Science with all its formulas cannot formulate how Jesus got up from the grave.
The President of this United States with all of his cabinet members cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Theologians with all their theology cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Fortune Tellers with all of their tarot cards and charms cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Buddha with all his candles and beads cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Louis Farrakhan with all his followers cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
The Jehovah’s Witness with all of their witnessing and Watch Towers cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Confucius with all his knowledge could not explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Josephus with all his historical knowledge could not explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Nostradomus with the ability to see into the future could not explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Pythagoras and all of his mathematical formulas could not calculate how He got up from the grave.
Einstein with all of his calculations for relativity could not explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
Daddy Grace with all his blessings could not explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
All I know is that the Bible said He got up on the third day and that’s good enough for me. I could care less about the how, I’m so glad that He did.
I can say it because on that Friday when everyone thought that the condition at the cross was the conclusion. They thought that the old rugged cross, which hung on Cavalry better known as the Hill of the skull was the end, but they were highly mistaken.
They thought Just like Mary Mageline, that the tomb was the condition and the conclusion of Jesus the Christ. But On That Friday.
GO TO CALVALRY
But on that Friday, after he gave up the ghost, Jesus still had some work to do. He was not just thinking of himself. His mind was focused on you and myself down in the future.
After He gave up the ghost, he took a trip down into Sheol better known as hell. He had a preaching engagement. His preaching engagement was a three-day revival. He had to set the record straight for those that had lost their opportunity to the gift of life.
He walked through the tunnel of hell in all the horrible noise and the horrible stench. As He walked several demons came up to Him but they could not look at Him. They had to flee.
Those same demons went to Satan and said, “Here comes that Man. He dressed in a white robe and His eyes are flaming like fire. I just couldn’t stand to look into His face.
About that time Jesus arrived down into the belly of hell. Jesus said,
“Satan, give me my keys (Jesus reaches over and takes the keys out of Satan’s hands) because I have come to tare down all strong hold and also to set the captives free.
Jesus roles up His sleeves and begins to have a revival. He preached all Friday evening. He preached all Friday night. He preached all Saturday morning. He preached all Saturday afternoon. He preached all Saturday night. He preached all Saturday night. He continued preaching in to Sunday morning.
But as the morning begin to mature, Jesus looked at His Holy Ghost watch and said, “Satan I’ve got to go, but I promise you I will be back. When I do come back, I’m going to deal with you personally.
Jesus started His walk back through the tunnels of hell and back to the tomb.
Early one Sunday morning something special happened. I said early one Sunday morning something special happened. I said early one Sunday morning something special happened.
He got up from the grave with all power in His hands.
PRAISE GOD!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
