Sermon Tone Analysis

March 29, 2012

By John Barnett

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Jesus lives—The Tomb is empty.

Death is defeated—The Grave is opened.

God is in control—His Word is true.

The Devil’s power is destroyed—God won.

Historic Faith can say Christ Lives—but Saving Faith always says Christ Lives in me!

*Saving Faith says Christ Lives in Me*

Have you cried out “God be merciful to me” through Christ and confessed that you have broken God’s Law and are “the sinner” that Jesus died and rose to save?

If not you can today, Jesus is here, alive and with His arms open wide to you!

Today we celebrate Christ's Resurrection.

But what does Christ's rising from the dead imply to us today who are saved, and know Him personally?

It means that Christ now is free to be everywhere all the time.

During His earthly ministry Jesus could only be in one place at a time.

Open with me to the Garden Tomb, on Resurrection morning in John 20:11-16 .

Today, many of us are so often like Mary heading to the Tomb on Resurrection Sunday.

All the memories of Him flooded her mind.

Jesus had loved her, forgiven her, and made her so many promises.

But now Jesus seemed to be so far away, all of those things seemed distant to Mary.

*When Jesus Seems Distant—Find the Risen One*

Mary needed to see Jesus.

That is why she was last at the Cross, and first at the Tomb.

Mary came needing Him, and was now first to see the Risen Christ.

Only He could strengthen her faith and comfort her heart and that is what He did.

John 20:11-16 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.12

And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.13

Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”14

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.15

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”16

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!”

(which is to say, Teacher).

NKJV

Do you sometimes feel distant from the Lord?

As we go through all the struggles of life, most of us seem to arrive at those distant times, far from the quietness of the garden on Resurrection morning.

We slowly drift away from some of the gracious assurances that Jesus offered to Mary.

So much of His ministry was assuring the disciples of what they already knew, and encouraging them to do what He left them here to do.

From the Manger to the Cross Jesus had been for 33 years in only one place at one time.

He had humbled Himself, He had emptied Himself, and He had limited Himself.

He was localized, operating in one place at a time.

*Christ's Awesome Ministry*

For 3 years Jesus awesomely served in the power of God.

Wherever He went Christ's very Presence made sure that death fled, disease faded, and despair melted.

Broken bodies that came in contact with Jesus were mended, ruined lives repaired, sightless eyes restored, empty ears filled with sound, missing fingers returned, and hungering lives satisfied.

Everywhere he went, wherever he was, whenever he was there the presence of Jesus meant – death, disease, and despair were no more.

But Jesus only did that from being in one place at a time.

Crowds came to him, multitudes flocked to him, and none were disappointed—He helped them all.

But sometimes the crowds were so great that people were pressed out and had to resort to digging through rooftops, climbing trees, and reaching down through the feet of the crowds just to grab the tassel of his robe.

All of this is because He was just one person, who was limited to being in one place at a time.

By now after having said it so many times, you have probably caught the drift of where we are going.

As we step into the garden that surrounded the borrowed tomb on resurrection morning—something has wondrously changed.

Jesus is no longer trapped by time and space to be in one place at a time.

He seems to be everywhere at once.

For the next forty days we find that Jesus crisscrosses the tiny land of Israel from north to south.

We find Him on mountaintops, back roads, inside locked rooms, on the shore, and everywhere else that He is looked for or needed.

He meets the grieving women at the Tomb, comforts the sorrowing Mary, calms the frightened disciples inside the locked room without opening the door, shows up at dawn on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, confronts and restores a soaking wet Peter, assures a doubtful trembling Thomas, visits with everyone of the 500 others who had believed on Him.

All that in an occupied country crawling with spies, soldiers, and religious leaders filled with hatred.

And for forty days after the Empty Tomb, He is never seen even once by any unloving eyes, He is never touched even once by unloving hands.

Christ's Presence was available unstoppably – everywhere.

Now think again with me about Resurrection morning.

The Empty Tomb meant something had changed—Christ's availability.

For 3 ½ years anyone who could find Him could have any need met, any fear removed, and oppression lifted, any chain broken, any defilement cleansed away…if you could find Him.

Jesus solved all problems by His presence.

Jesus came to people where they were and one by one transformed them.

But Jesus was only in one place at one time.

*Jesus Available Anywhere*

But after the Cross and Empty Tomb, Jesus was available anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

So because Christ rose: any sin could be forgiven, any doubts could be overcome, any sadness could be comforted, any disappointment could be stopped, any fearfulness could be arrested, any loneliness could be ended, any defilement could be cleansed…anywhere, anytime, and by anyone.

So what does that mean?

Jesus demonstrated to us by His visit to John on Patmos what He was doing with every church and for every believer.

He was doing for all of us what He did for the disciples during His earthly ministry.

Often we fail to understand the magnitude of what really happened.

Here is what had changed—after the Resurrection Jesus was no longer limited to one location.

Jesus could be at anytime with everyone in anyplace.

Think of all of Christ's power we see in the Gospels available everywhere and all the time!

That was God unleashing Jesus Christ to be everywhere available!

To best see what Jesus is doing today, turn with me to Revelation 1:9-18, which is the only eye witness account with a complete description of the Risen Christ.

It was over sixty years after Resurrection Sunday another meeting took place.

It was also on a Sunday, a Lord’s Day.

And in the flawless record of that meeting comes seven perfect descriptions of what Jesus looks like.

And from those seven descriptions we find out exactly what He is doing then and now!

Will you see Jesus anew and afresh with me, and experience all that He wants to do in your life and mine today, and in the days ahead—if we will invite Him to be at work in us?

*Seeing the Risen Christ*

Revelation 1:9-18:

/"I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.

And having turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lamp stands: One like the Son of Man; clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.

But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.

Amen.

And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."/

If you’ll closely look at each of these seven descriptions John records, you will find the Four Gospels describe a matching ministry of Christ's while He was on earth.

John actually sees Jesus doing after the Resurrection, just what He did while He was here on Earth before His death, burial and Resurrection.

Jesus is the same—yesterday, today, and forever (Heb.