Sermon Tone Analysis

This hymn is the story of incredible heartbreak that turns into incredible joy.

The hymn was written by C. Austin Miles, a well-known hymn writer of his day.

In 1912, music publisher Dr. Adam Geibel—himself a successful organist, conductor, and composer of Gospel songs—asked his friend Miles to write a new song for Easter.

Dr. Geibel insisted that it be a hymn, “sympathetic in tune, breathing tenderness in every line; one that would bring hope to the hopeless, rest for the weary, and downy pillows to dying beds.”

C. Austin Miles (1868-1946) began considering various biblical texts.

A pharmacist turned hymn writer and church music director, he was also an amateur photographer.

One day while in his dark room waiting for film to develop, Miles was reading from John’s Gospel, the 20th chapter, when he had a profound spiritual experience in which he saw an incredible vision of Mary Magdalene visiting the empty tomb.

He saw her leave the tomb and walk into a garden where she met the Master and heard Him speak her name.

Miles later wrote of the experience, /“As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene.

I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary's life, when she knelt before her Lord, and cried, "Rabboni!"

Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has since appeared.”/

Later that evening he composed the musical score.

The song was published that same year and became a theme song of the Billy Sunday evangelistic crusades.

Next to The Old Rugged Cross this hymn has been one of the most popular gospel hymns ever written.

They hymn tells the story of Mary Magdalene.

Just two days earlier, she had watched as Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross where he died.

Now, on a Sunday morning she has come to finish the embalming procedure so hastily started the day he died.

But she discovers the stone rolled away and an empty tomb and assumes that the authorities have moved the body.

Not only had she watched him die, but now there is the added grief compounded upon grief associated with a body snatching.

Anxiety and heartbreak hardly describes her feelings.

She goes to tell the disciples.

Peter and John go running to the tomb with Mary in close pursuit.

The two apostles are not there very long and leave.

Mary leans her head upon her arm at the tomb and weeps.

She is left there by herself to nurse her despair and disillusionment.

Suddenly, she hears a voice.

She turns and discovers that Jesus is alive.

In a flash her heartbreak bursts into effervescent joy.

In her exuberance she falls at our Lord’s feet, clasping them and crying out, “Rabbi!”

After a brief conversation she hurries to find the disciples, and with animated ardor tells the disciples, that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

What are some of the practical truths this great hymn of the faith teaches us?

I want to concentrate primarily on the chorus.

!

I. JESUS WALKS WITH ME

#. there is great consolation in knowing that Jesus walks with us in our everyday lives

#.

His presence is real because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit

#. Mary discovered this for herself on that first Easter morning

#.

she went to the garden where Jesus was buried

#. she went early in the morning, while the dew was still on the roses

#. and she hears a voice falling on her ear and it’s the voice of Jesus

#. in their conversation The Son of God discloses that she needs to go tell the disciples that He is risen and will soon be returning to the Father

#. this knowledge gave her great joy

#. the prophet Malachi wrote:

* /“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.

And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”/

(Malachi 4:2) NIV

#.

I have no doubt that on that first Easter Sunday, as Mary goes racing to find Peter and John that she was just like a calf released from a stall

!! A. GOD WALKED AS WE WALK

#. here is one of the great truths of the Bible — the pre-existent Son of God became man in Jesus that He might redeem men from the curse of the law

* /“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”/

(John 1:14, NIV84)

* ILLUS.

J. B. Phillips said, /The Christian faith is founded upon ... a well attested sober fact of history; that quietly, but with deliberate purpose, God himself has visited this little planet./

#.

God, in His infinite grace and mercy, chooses to have fellowship with us

#. but the only way He could have fellowship with us was to provide atonement for our sin that we might be justified in His sight

#. it was always the Father’s plan that the Son would come in the flesh to provide the atonement we needed

#. that atonement was provided by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross of Calvary for the sins of mankind

* /“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”/

(Isaiah 53:5, NIV84)

#. the Bible clearly teaches that the Jesus who walks with us and talks with us is the Son of God

#.

John the Baptist believed this

* /“Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”/ (John 1:32–36, NIV84)

#. the people Jesus healed believed this

* /“Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked.

“Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”/

(John 9:35–38, NIV84)

#. the Disciples believed this

* /“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”/ (Matthew 14:31–33, NIV84)

#. the demons believed this

* /“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”/ (Mark 3:11, NIV84)

#. most important, Jesus believed it about himself

#. there are numerous Scriptures where Jesus reveals Himself to be the Son of God

#. let me share a couple significant passages

* ILLUS.

#1 In John’s gospel we have the account where four men cut a hole in the roof of a home where Jesus was staying in order to lower a friend who was a quadriplegic into the presence of Jesus.

Jesus heals the man by forgiving him of his sins which highly upset the Jewish religious leaders who are present.

They seek to stone him because he has claimed to be God who is the only one who can forgive sin.

Speaking of himself, Jesus tells them . . .

* /“I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.”/

(John 5:25–26, NIV84)

* ILLUS.

#2 In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus clearly refers to Himself as the God’s only Son.

* /“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”/ (John 3:18, NIV84)

#. why in the world would God lay aside His eternal power and divine glory and lower Himself to become a servant?

#. a clue is found in the Book of Hebrews

* /“Since we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has gone into heaven, let us hold on to the faith we have.

For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses.

He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.

Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace.

There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.”/