133 Gripped by the Victory of God

Easter reminds me that God is powerful. Last week we dropped the mother of all bombs - the largest non-nuclear bomb to ever be dropped. We are capable of incredible power. Only God has the power to raise the dead. I am reminded of those that I will see again.

Easter reminds me that God is love. God sent his Son in the most incredible act of love ever. Get this, God’s love wasn’t motivated by what he saw in us, but by what is in him.

Easter guarantees eternity. No matter how hard or troubled our lives might be, Easter reminds us there will be a time when Jesus will raise us out of the brokenness and sinfulness of this world and be with us in paradise.

Easter guarantees security. No matter how messed up our lives get, Easter reminds us that there is one who is risen and reigning. He will see us home.

Easter guarantees delivery

Transition

If you have a Bible will you open it to

I’d like to take you back in time this morning to witness a scene from the greatest day in history, April 5, 33. It’s early in the morning. A woman named Mary Magdalene had come while it was still dark and found that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John raced to investigate but now they are gone. She cries alone.

Magdalene is not her last name, she is from the town of Magdala. Before she came to Jesus her life was a demon-possessed wreck. Jesus changed all that and gave her freedom and purpose. But now, he is crucified. Hope died. His body isn’t ever here to finish the proper burial procedure. She stands alone, sobbing.

Mary - her life was jacked before Jesus. Now hope is gone.

Exposition

John 20:11 NIV

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

Have you ever hurt so bad that you didn’t even know the next step to take? It can come for a number of reasons but loss seems to be the most devastating. Oh sure, I understand the theology of it all - they aren’t really there but that doesn’t stop the pain. There stands Mary, sobbing. She’s not going anywhere. She doesn’t know that something “universe-altering” has happened.

I wonder how often lives are lived in the tragedy of suffering without really knowing the resurrection has happened. Jesus has already won! How many lives are spent mourning when they could have the foundation of the resurrection to anchor their lives.

John 20

John 20:12–13 NIV

In her devastation, she bends down and looks into the place where Jesus’ body had been laid.

John 20:12–14 NIV

John 20:

She stoops to look in

Gentle reproof

John 20:12–15 NIV

and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are 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 get him.”

Mary looks into the tomb and sees two angels. Can you imagine? One sitting at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had been laid. The other at the head.

One of the angels asks a question. But, its more than a question, its a gentle reproof. Why are you crying? He’s not looking for information.

Notice Mary still refers to Jesus as “my Lord.” All of her hopes and dreams were placed in his hands - now his crucified, nail-pierced hands. But her love and devotion is so strong that she still refers to him as Lord.

For

John 20:14 NIV

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

Then the oddest thing happens - she turns around. Why would she turn around? I’ve read about loads of situations is Scripture where people speak to angels. Typically, they assume that they’re dead meat or they fall to the ground. Why turn around? The text doesn’t say. Do you think it’s because the angels see the King of the universe and their faces hit the dirt? I wonder...

Mary turns around and assumes shes talking to the gardener! Honestly, this isn’t an inconsequential detail.

OT References

Who was the first gardener is the Bible? Adam. At the beginning of creation, Adam was to care for the garden but he failed and was sent into the wilderness. But now the greater Adam is here. He triumphed in the wilderness so you and I could live in the garden. Now Mary is speaking to the true gardener who is beginning his great work of making all things new.

Don’t separate your Old Testament from the New Testament. Everything in the OT was building to this moment. Every picture pointed to this!

Think about it:

The righteous man Abel was murdered by his brother Cain and Scripture tells us that his blood called out from the ground for justice. Jesus is the greater Abel who’s blood cries out for forgiveness.

God provided Noah with an ark to bring him through the ocean of God’s wrath. Now Jesus is the ark who will bring his family to safety through God’s judgment.

Isaac was laid on an altar but was spared when God provided a ram. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

Joseph was mistreated by his family and wrongfully accused but rose to stand at the right hand of Pharaoh. Jesus was mistreated by his family as well and wrongfully accused but now he has ascended to the right-hand of God the Father!

David was the unlikely young man who fought the mighty giant Goliath and saved his people. Jesus is also the unlikely Savior who fought the mighty giants called, Satan and sin, and saved his people.

DON’T MISS THIS ALL OF HISTORY LED TO THIS MOMENT!!!

And there is something else that you’ll miss in this scene if you’re not careful. How many remember the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark”? They were looking for the Ark of the Covenant. The movie was fake but the Ark is real. Show pic.

The Ark represented the literal presence of God. Inside of the Ark was the actual stone Ten Commandments that God gave Moses and a few other items. The top of the Ark was called the Mercy Seat. There was an angel at each end. Once a year the high priest would sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat. The idea is that as God would look and see his broken Law, he would see the blood, the sacrifice.

Hang on, we’ve seen this before. What did Mary see when she looked into the tomb? An angel seated at each end where the sacrifice had been! Jesus isn’t a picture of the Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat is a picture of Jesus!

It’s all about Jesus the great Savior of the world. Mary has no idea that she is standing in the center of history! Jesus is the victory of God!

And then Jesus gives the most heartfelt sermon in the entire Bible is just one word.

Noah

And then Jesus gives the most heartfelt sermon in the entire Bible is just one word.

Isaac - who wasn’t simply offered as a sacrifice on the Mountain

David

Ark of the Covenant - the ultimate place where God meets his people

The Bible isn’t about you! Its about the Victory of God and his name is Jesus!

Mary doesn’t realize she is standing at the centerpiece of all of history.

He preaches an entire sermon in one word.

John 20:16 NIV

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Can you imagine? Can you imagine how the hope of Easter would have washed over Mary? Sorrow is gone! Hope has been restored!

One word; Jesus simply said Mary. She heard the voice of the Great Shepherd and she knew exactly who it was speaking. Everything was going to be alright.

It’s translated Mary but technically Jesus calls her by her real name, her ancient Hebrew name, Miriam, the name of Moses’ sister who sang her wild song of triumph after watching Israel’s God defeat the Egyptians in the Red Sea.

One word; Jesus simply said Mary

John 10:27–29 NIV

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

My sheep hear my voice

I imagine there are folks here that will hear his voice today. You hear him now through his proclaimed word. (present Gospel)

Jesus simply said, “Mary.” It’s translated Mary but technically Jesus calls her by her real name, her ancient Hebrew name, Miriam, the name of Moses’ sister who led the people in worship announcing God’s deliverance. Mary Magdalene doesn’t know it, but she’ll live up to her name. God will use her to tell of this great victory again.

Right now she’s simply content to hold onto him with everything she has.

John 20:17–18 NIV

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:17 NIV

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

Do not hold on to me. The old King James said, “Touch me not.” That’s not the best understanding. Jesus isn’t wanting to avoid touch. Later in the day, he’ll invite Thomas to touch his wounds. Mary can’t cling onto him. He was ascending.

John 20:17

Now, ascension isn’t about Jesus going away. There’s no need to hang onto him like he’s going to disappear! His mission was complete. He was crowned King on the cross and now he would ascend to his proper place as King of the Universe and send the Holy Spirit to walk with believers and expand the Kingdom.

Do not hold on to me - ascension isn’t about Jesus going away. He was crowned King on the cross and now he ascends to his proper place as King of the Universe

But notice something very significant has changed:

Jesus said, “My Father and your Father, my God and your God.” Rarely is God referred to as Father in the OT and typically only with Israel’s King. But now, because of Jesus’ victory of Easter, you and I can call God Father. Jesus has a unique, perfect relationship with God the Father. Through Easter he invites you to the same. We have a new identity. His Father is now our Father. His God is now our God. We have been adopted into the royal family.

The only person who dares to wake a King up at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access. Tim Keller.

Everything is different because of Easter.

If by faith today you put your hope in this Jesus who was crucified, buried, and resurrected, you will be adopted into his family as well. His Father will be your Father. His God will be your God. Easter won’t be about a rabbit, Easter will be about life.

The scene ends with an Unlikely Apostle to the Apostles

Jesus says go to my brothers. The word apostle means “sent one.” In this way Mary becomes the apostle to the apostles. Go announce to the world that I’m alive! At Easter, Mary became the first Christian evangelist.

If this story were made up, no one would have added this detail. Roman society generally didn’t trust the testimony of women. But this isn’t the way with Jesus. Easter is the story of God’s love for men, women, white folks, black folks, Latinos, Asians, blue collar, white collar, no collar equally. Easter He breaks every barrier we foolishly set up. He washes away our sins and tells us to proclaim his victory everywhere to everyone. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done God can wash away yesterday and guarantee forever! Not only that, he will use you to advance his Kingdom. That’s the beauty of Easter! God uses surprising people to do extraordinary things!

Christians, our primary task as Christians is to tell the world about the victory of God through his risen Son Jesus, to tell the world that he is Lord, and to go as an agent of that new creation which began when he came out of the tomb that first Easter morning.

But this highlighting of Mary, though hugely important for us to grasp, is not the main thing I have on my heart to say to you this Easter Day. Having established that apostolic vocation – the call to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus – not only includes women, but began with them, let us simply and prayerfully reflect on vocation itself, the primal Christian vocation to bear witness to the risen Jesus, to announce that he is the world’s rightful Lord, and to go as an agent of that new creation which began when he came out of the tomb that first Easter morning.

The craziest part is that he calls you and me to tell his story! Again and again this call comes as the voice of Jesus breaks through tears of pain and hurt, as with Mary; through doubt and distrust, as with Thomas; through previous failure, as with Peter. Easter calls us to dedication to Jesus. It’s a call to tell the world about him - to live out the reality of his resurrection in our homes and neighborhoods.

Mary. It’s translated Mary but technically Jesus calls her by her real name, her ancient Hebrew name, Miriam, the name of Moses’ sister who sang her song of triumph after watching God defeat the Egyptians and bring his people through the sea. She doesn’t know it, but she’ll live up to her name. God will use her to tell of this great victory again.

There are those who hear his voice today. Maybe he’s calling you to respond like Mary and take his message to others. Open your life to God and his purposes no matter where it might lead. Bring the wonder of Easter to a lost and hurting world. Don’t think; surely not me. God calls surprising people and he causes them to do extraordinary things. ‘Go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Through Mary’s obedience to that command, the risen Jesus launched the message of Easter. Who knows what he will do through yours?

therefore, the call to full-time Christian ministry comes, as it did for Mary, as a renaming, the gift of a fresh identity, the call not just to do something but to be something, someone in whose total dedication to the gospel the power of the resurrection has full scope to work in the world. I believe there are people in the Cathedral this morning to whom God is saying: You are the person, and today’s the day. And if you think that might be you, then when you come up to receive the Eucharist make that a moment of openness, openness to the life of the risen Christ, openness to the purpose of God wherever it takes you. God calls surprising people and he gets them to do extraordinary things. ‘Go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Through Mary’s obedience to that command, the risen Jesus launched the message of Easter. Who knows what he will do through yours?