Sermon 5: Easter Questions
82 Hours: Countdown to the Resurrection
Chuck Sligh
Preaching April 21, 2019
TEXT: John 20:1-18 – “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
Adapted from a sermon by David Dykes titled, “Three Easter Questions You Must Answer” on SermonCentral.com.
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – What TV show are these characters from?—Bert, Ernie, The Cookie Monster; and Kermit the Frog. (Answer: Sesame Street) Those were Muppets, but one of the earliest human characters on the show was a man named Mr. Hooper. His real name was Will Lee and he was on Sesame Street for thirteen years before he died of a heart attack in 1982.
The producers faced a dilemma: How to explain his death to 10 million kids. They could have just concocted a story about Mr. Hooper retiring to Florida, but instead they decided to tell the children honestly that he died. But because this was public television, they didn’t want to mention anything religious or spiritual.
So, on the day of the show, Big Bird walks out and says he has a drawing to give Mr. Hooper and says, “I can’t wait to see Mr. Hooper again.”
A cast member said, “Remember, Big Bird, we told you that Mr. Hooper died.”
Big Bird said, “Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, I’ll give it to him when he gets back.”
He puts their arms around Big Bird and says, “Big Bird, Mr. Hooper isn’t coming back.”
“Why not?” Big Bird asks innocently.
And the final line was, “Big Bird, when people die, they don’t come back.”
The gospel of Sesame Street isn’t good news at all. What a sad message to teach children: “When people die, they don’t come back.” But that’s not the message of Easter. The good news of Easter is that because Jesus came back from death, we, too, will live after death.
We have now gone past hour 0 in our countdown of the 82 hours from the Last Supper to blast-off time—when Jesus rose from the dead.
In today’s text, we read about Mary Magdalene, one of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection. She was the last one at the cross and the first one at the tomb. She had to answer three Easter questions that day, and they’re the same three questions each of us must answer today.
I. FIRST IS THE QUESTION: “WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”
After the two disciples returned left the tomb, Mary ventured a look inside the dark tomb and she saw a two angels. The angels asked her in verse 13, “Woman, why are you crying?” She responds, “They’ve taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they’ve laid him.”
Then Mary turned around and saw a man that she assumed was the gardener. That makes sense because the Bible says that the tomb was carved out of a limestone cliff inside a garden, and honestly, the LAST person she expected to see was Jesus!
This stranger asked the same questions the angels had asked in verse 18: “Woman [or we would say today, “Ma’am”], why are you crying?” Now I assume the angels asked the question out of curiosity. They probably thought, “Why is she CRYING? Jesus is ALIVE, for goodness sake!”
But Jesus, who knew her heart, asked the question out of compassion. He loved Mary and moved by her tears, asked her, “Why are you crying?” He knew the answer, but He wanted her to say it, and she answered honestly, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where He is.”
That’s a question Jesus is asking you today—“Why are YOU crying?” Don’t just sniffle and say, “Nothing. I’m really okay.” He already knows why you’re crying; He just wants you to admit your need
There could be as many different answers to that question as there are people here today. Even for those of us who know the Lord, tears are a part of our existence. As Horatio Spafford penned in his famous hymn, there are times when, “When sorrows, like sea billows roll.”
What are you going through right now that’s causing you pain and sorrow?
• You may still be stinging from the death of a loved one.
• You may be hurting because of a recent diagnosis you or someone you love has just received.
• Your eyes may be filled with tears because of problems with your children.
• The list is endless.
But Jesus SEES your pain and He CARES ABOUT your pain. The Bible says that He is our High Priest who is touched by the feelings of our weakness.
None of us are immune from tears.
• Susan and I have wept at the graves of both of our parents bringing us grief at the loss of the ones who gave us life, nurtured us, reared us and cheered us on.
• I wept when Susan was at the point of death, when the doctors weren’t sure she would make it through a couple of nights after her appendix burst and she waited two days before going to the hospital.
• Susan and I have experienced tears of hurt from criticism and betrayal.
Like all of us here, we have had our share of tears.
The point I’m trying to make is that tears come to all of us, and when Jesus asks, “Why are you crying?” we all have been where Mary was that sad morning. But praise God, Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
I have found that I learn my greatest lessons during times of sorrow. Someone wrote a little poem that says,
I walked a mile with laughter; she chatted all the way.
But I was none the wiser for all she had to say.
I walked a mile with sorrow, and not a word said she.
But oh, the things I learned when sorrow walked with me.
II. IN VERSE 15, THE SECOND QUESTION MARY HAD TO ANSWER WAS “WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?”
Mary’s answer showed the deep love she had for Jesus. She still didn’t recognize Jesus. She thought she was talking to the gardener, so she said, “Sir, if you have taken Him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Now I want you to think about that for a moment. Mary might have weighed 110 pounds in that day if she was average size. Let’s assume Jesus weighed 165, and John tells us that Nicodemus and Joseph had wrapped His body in 75 additional pounds of aloe and spices. So, this little woman thought she was going to heft His 240-pound corpse over her shoulder and carry it back inside the tomb.
Folks, THAT’S LOVE! Her HOPE was shattered, and her FAITH was absent, but the LOVE was still there. And remember, among faith, hope and love, Paul said the greatest of these is love.
At that point Jesus could conceal Himself no longer. He simply spoke her name, “Mary.” (or literally, “Miriam” in Aramaic). Suddenly, as recognition dawned on her, she fell at His feet and answered His second question of “Who are you looking for?” She was looking for JESUS; and she had FOUND Him!
Can I let you in on a little secret?: Jesus knows your name too. In fact, He knows everything about you. You could easily imagine Him calling your name right now and asking, “[Dave, or Marie, or Will, or Rose, or whatever your name is], Who or what are you looking for?”
In other words, what is your goal in life? Everybody is looking for someone or something.
• They’re looking for truth or purpose—that one secret that’ll make their life better.
• Or they’re looking for the newest, the biggest, and the greatest next BIG THING.
• Or they think life is all about accumulating more and more WEALTH.
• Or they think life is all about experiencing the greatest THRILLS.
• Many people spend their entire lives scrambling up the ladder to SUCCESS only to get to the top and realize it’s leaning against the wrong wall.
Solomon, the wisest man besides Jesus, once wrote, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
Mary knew what the “one thing” was: JESUS. In Luke 10 Jesus is at the home of another Mary and her sister Martha. He says to a frantic, angry Martha, “You are full of care and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)
Mary had been seated at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. A relationship with Jesus is the one thing that will give your life meaning.
Many of us came to Christ from a Christian family. It was neat, clean and logical. But even for people who come from a messy past, Jesus is the answer. Mary Magdalene had battled seven demonic appetites and Jesus changed her.
I recently read the testimony of a writer named Anne Lamott. – In her book, Grace (Eventually), she says she didn’t come to Christ by a leap of faith; instead it involved several misguided staggers to God. Here’s part of her testimony:
“On the seventh night after my abortion, I discovered...I was bleeding heavily. …I thought I should call a doctor…but I was so disgusted that I had gotten so drunk one week after my abortion that I just couldn’t wake someone up and ask for help. I got in bed, shaky and sad and too wild to have another drink or take a sleeping pill.
After a while as I lay there, I became aware of someone with me, hunkered down in the corner…the feeling was so strong that I actually turned on the light for a moment to make sure no one was there—of course, there wasn’t. But after a while, in the dark again, I knew beyond doubt that it was Jesus. I felt him as surely as I feel my dog lying nearby as I write this.
I was appalled. I thought about my life and my brilliant, hilarious progressive friends. I thought about what everyone would think of me if I became a Christian, and it seemed an utterly impossible thing that simply could not be allowed to happen. I turned to the wall and said out loud, ‘I would rather die.’
I felt Him just sitting there watching me with patience and love. I squeezed my eyes shut but it didn’t help because it wasn’t my eyes that were seeing Him. I finally fell asleep, and in the morning He was gone.
The experience spooked me badly and everywhere I went I felt as if there was a little cat following me, wanting me to reach down and pick it up. Wanting me to open the door and let it in. And when you let a cat in and feed it a little milk, it stays forever.
One week later, I went to church. I was so hung over I couldn’t stand for the songs. This time I stayed for the sermon. I thought it was ridiculous, like someone trying to convince me of the existence of extraterrestrials, but the last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. I felt as though the presence of God was washing over me. I began to cry. I raced home and felt the little cat running along at my heels. I opened the door of my house and I stood there for one long minute, and then I hung my head and said: ‘I quit.’ I took a deep long breath and said out loud, ‘All right, You can come in.’
She found who she was looking for all along. Have you?
III. THE LAST QUESTION WAS NOT VERBAL, BUT MARY ANSWERED IT BY HER ACTIONS.
Jesus couldn’t conceal His identity any longer. When He saw the love Mary professed, He simply spoke her name. When she heard her name spoken by Jesus, Mary realized it was the Lord, her despair was turned to delight and she could only utter one word, “Rabboni.” Luke in verse 16 that the Aramaic word, “Rabonni,” literally meant “Master.” She was declaring that Jesus was her Master.
Have you, like Mary, fallen on your knees and declared that Jesus is your Master? You may consider yourself a skeptic. There was a skeptic among the disciples, a disciple by the name of Thomas. That first Easter night, Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was missing. When he returned, they told him the good news—that Jesus was alive. But Thomas was a skeptic.
He said, “Yeah! Right! I won’t believe that cock-and-bull story until I can place my fingers in the nail prints in His hands.”
One week later, Jesus showed up again, and Jesus invited Thomas to literally put his finger in Jesus’ nail-scarred hands, and to put His hand into his side. Thomas didn’t need to; there was Jesus in the flesh. He confessed to Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26-28)
Would you make the same confession this morning? Will you fall before the Lord and confess Him as your living Lord?
CONCLUSION
We discussed three Easter questions in, or implied in, our text this morning. May I ask you one more Easter question?—Do you know for certain you will go to heaven when you die?
Most people believe that if you are good enough, you can earn your way to heaven. One of Satan’s most popular lies is that you can earn your way to heaven by your works. There is only one way to heaven, and that is when you fall before Jesus and confess Him as your living Savior.
Romans 10:9 says, “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
I recently heard a Muslim who had become a Christian share his testimony. He said, “I was looking at the lives of both Mohammed and Jesus. Then I came to a fork in the road. One led to death and a tomb in Medina. The other led to an empty tomb and a resurrection. I decided to follow the living way.” Before the end of his life Mohammed wrote in the Qur’an, “I don’t know where I’m going.” – In Surah 46:9, Mohammed wrote, “I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you.”
But Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live!” (John 11:25)
The choice is simple: Choose the living way. Choose the way, the truth, and the life—Jesus Christ.
Illus. – A few years ago, some missionaries in Bangladesh were showing the “Jesus Film” to several hundred villagers to whom the story of Jesus was new. They sat there enthralled with the life of Jesus. But as the torture and crucifixion of Jesus was depicted in the film, there were tears, and gasps, and people were yelling in response to the treatment Jesus was suffering. When He finally died and they put Him in the tomb, there was an uproar of sorrow. Suddenly, a young man jumped up and screamed, “Do not be afraid. He gets up again! I saw it before!”
That’s our Easter message: “I’ve seen the Lord! He got up again! Do not be afraid!”
Mohammed was wrong; Sesame Street was wrong—Those who have put their faith in the Living Lord, Jesus Christ, WILL come back and get up again!
That’s why we can sing, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. / Because He lives all fear is gone. / Because I know He hold my future. / And life IS worth the living just because He lives!
