The Voice of Victory
John 20:11-16
Intro. A study of the Gospel of John will reveal that the author is the Apostle John, one of four books of the Bible he wrote. This is of course the fourth and last Gospel. We can see that Matthew presents Christ to the Jews as the Messiah-King, Mark to the Romans as the Conquering Servant, Luke to the Greeks as the Son of man. The Gospel of John presents Christ to the Christian as the Son of God, the incarnate Word of God. We know that the key words of the Gospel of John are believe and life. Probably one of the most famous Bible verses in all the world is found here in John 3:16. The theme of the Gospel of John can be found in its key verse, John 20:30,31. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Of course the greatest of those signs that the Lord did is recorded here in our text verses, as we read about the resurrection of our Lord.
Read verses 11-16
The resurrection of Christ is the most important doctrine of the entire Christian faith. Everything stand or falls on the Lord’s resurrection. Paul said in I Corinthians 15 that if Christ is not raised from the dead than we are all liars and our faith is in vain. That is certainly true. In his book Evidence that Requires a Verdict, Josh McDowell made the statement that the identity of Jesus was one of three things, He was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.
There are those that would like to proclaim Christ as a great teacher, but not as Lord. I proclaim to you that He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is the one that spoke the universe into existence. Throughout the New Testament we see Him healing the sick, making the blind to see, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, or loving the unlovable. However, above everything else that Jesus said or did, it is His resurrection from the grave that proves Him to be the Son of God. If we are unable to believe His statements concerning His resurrection, how are we to believe anything else. To doubt the resurrection is to doubt the entire Bible.
There were many great miracles that we see Christ doing throughout the pages of scripture. We see blinded eyes made to see. We can see the five thousand being fed with two fish and five loaves of bread. We see Lazarus being raised from the dead, the water into wine, and many other great miracles. Yet, one of the greatest things we see the Lord doing is healing the broken heart of one of His children. This is exactly what we see taking place in our text verses. Notice three things with me tonight that happens here, three things that I trust will be an encouragement and a help to you.
I. Mary’s Valley
The first thing I want you to notice tonight is Mary’s valley. Geography teaches us that a valley comes between two mountains. It is a low place. Surely that would describe this point in Mary’s life. One the one side, a mountain. She has spent time with the Lord, loving Him and learning from Him. Life was truly good. Until the valley. Now, she has watched as they have taken her Lord away. She watched as they crucified Him on Calvary’s mount. Now, as a final act of love, she wants to anoint His body for a proper burial.
No doubt you can imagine the questions racing through Mary’s mind at this point. Why did He have to die? How could this happen? No doubt as she went to the tomb that day she was still broken hearted and in shock at what had happened just days earlier.
It would be easy to imagine then how the shock and terror quickly grew as Mary made her way to the tomb. Imagine the horror and the thoughts that no doubt flood her mind as she approaches the tomb and sees the stone is rolled away. They have moved the Lord. They did not want Him to have a proper burial and so they have stolen His body. Mary went back to the disciples to inform them of what had happened. We then see her coming back to the tomb with Peter and John. As the two disciples look into the tomb, they see the linen clothes lying, yet they go not in. They simply go back home, leaving Mary there at the sepulchre, heartbroken.
They have taken her Lord. All her hopes and dreams now seem to be over with this shocking tragedy. How in the world is she going to make it through this? What is she going to do now? I don’t believe that Mary had ever faced a storm like this in all her life. She is in such grief that she has forgotten the promises of Christ. Time after time He promised not to leave, promised that He would rise again. Was that all a lie? Could it be that He was not the Christ? That He was merely a crazy man? Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so deep in a storm that you begin to wonder, is He really the Christ? Where is He now? He promised to be with me, but I don’t see Him anywhere around.
Mary is going through a tremendous valley. She is in such a storm that she has lost her faith. Time after time Jesus warned them of His crucifixion, but also assured them that He would rise again. Those promises now seem to be broken, as Mary does not remember them. It has been said that Faith anticipates the fulfillment of God’s promises. That’s true. Had Mary and the other disciples believed and had the faith they needed, they would have been standing outside the tomb waiting for His resurrection, rather than trying to annoint His dead body
It is very possible that you are here tonight and you are going through a valley unlike any other you have ever faced. You feel as if the Lord has abandoned you and lied to you. You are so deep in the valley that you are on the verge of losing your faith. You feel, like Mary, that all hope is gone forever. Well, I not only see Marys Valley, but I also see
II. Master’s Voice
I not only see Mary’s Valley here, but I also see the Master’s Voice. Watch this. Peter and John leave the sepulchre. They go home. Mary stays. Not only does she stay, but she looks inside and sees the place where Christ was laid. She sees two angels and asks them if they know where His body is. As she is standing there, not doubt sobbing, she fails to notice a man standing behind her. She is so blinded by her grief, that she can not see Christ in this situation.
Isn’t that the way we tend to get in storms? We become so blinded by the valley, that we fail to see Christ working in it? Nonetheless, she turns and this Man asks her the same question that the angels did, Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposes that this man is the gardener. No doubt she thinks of this man as friendly, for if he wasn’t he would have run her off or something. So she asks Him if He knows where they have taken the body of the Lord.
Isn’t it amazing that the very answer she is looking for, she is talking to, yet she is so blinded by grief and sorrow that she cannot see that? Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so grieved by the valley that you fail to see the answer to your prayers right in front of you? We next see one of the greatest conversations in the Scripture, and it is a conversation that takes place in two words. Jesus simply looked at Mary and said, “Mary.” Suddenly the blinders fell from her eyes and she knew that she had not only found the body of her Lord, but she had found her Lord. She simply looked and Him and said, “Master.”
Have you ever been to the point where you thought that it was all over. You thought you were going down for the count, that the Lord had forgotten all about you, felt like you were a stepchild now. Thought God could care less about you, then all of the sudden, when you least expected it, He called you by name? Mary never expected the Garderner to be the answer to her prayer, but He sure was. If you’ve ever been there, than you can understand Mary’s response as she simply says, “Master.”
III. Marvellous Victory
Lastly, I see a Marvellous Victory. No longer do we see Mary standing at the sepulchre sobbing, but we know see her at the feet of Jesus, worshipping. I believe, according to the Lord, that as soon as Mary said Master, she grabbed hold of Him, never to let Him go again. What’s happened, she has passed throught he valley, and is now on the mountain on the other side. We can know that by looking at verse 18. No longer is she sobbing and weeping, but she is not sharing with the disciples that she has seen the Lord, and not only seen Him, but talked with Him. What a mountain top.
You may be here tonight and you may be in the valley. You may think that it is all over, that He doesn’t care for you anymore. To you I simply say this, wait on the Lord. Not only wait, but listen, listen for the day He calls you by name. I can assure you that it will happen. No valley lasts forever, for there is always a mountain top on the other side. Psalm 30:5 reminds us that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
