Sermon Tone Analysis
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"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
"People Of The Rolled Stone"
(John 20:1-18)
*INTRODUCTION:*
A three-year-old little girl was just as anxious for Easter to come as she had been for Christmas to come.
Mom and Dad took her shopping.
They picked out a new dress and a new white bonnet and then stopped to buy her a new pair of shoes to go with her outfit.
When they got home and laid out all the new things, the little girl said, /"I can't wait for Easter, Daddy!"/
Dad asked her, /"Well, do you know what Easter means, honey?"/
The little girl replied, /"Yes/."
/"Well, what does Easter mean?"/
In her own sweet three-year-old way, with a smile on her face, she raised her arms, and at the top of her voice she said,/ "Surprise!!!"/
What better word could sum up the meaning of Easter! Surprise death!
Surprise sin! Surprise disciples!
Surprise world!
Jesus is alive!
He is risen!
Easter is a day full of surprises.
* *I recently read about a phenomenon of Nebraska.
Early in the spring when things are just beginning to turn green and the hint of spring is in the air, like everywhere else people begin looking for the first flowers, the first real signs of spring.
You can look and look but you won't see a thing.
But then one morning you will wake up, look out the window and the yard will be filled with little orange flowers that have sprung up overnight.
They're called /"surprise lilies."
/ And every spring, just when the time is right, they burst forth with the beauty of spring, they burst forth with the promise and hope of new life.
(1)
Today we've come to celebrate that same kind of event.
Today we celebrate Easter, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
That very first Easter Sunday was a day chock full of surprises.
*I.
IT SURPRISED THE WOMEN AND MEN:*
* A.
*That first Easter surprised a whole group of women.
They woke up early and before daylight headed out to the tomb.
They had witnessed the death of their friend and Savior.
They witnessed the unceremonious and hurried way he was shoved in a borrowed tomb.
Nothing had been done properly.
None of the burial procedures had been followed.
They had just barely had time to wrap Jesus' body in the linen clothes before the tomb had been sealed on Friday.
Now here it was Sunday and they were finally able to go and do that which should have been done.
But it wasn't easy.
Their grief was nearly overwhelming.
As they approached the burial area, it suddenly dawned on them that they needed someone to roll the stone sealing entrance to the tomb.
They continued to walk, while they discussed who.
However, when they reached the tomb, they were in for a surprise, the stone had already been rolled away.
Mary Magdalene immediately took off running and told the disciples that someone had stolen the body.
Mary was surprised by the empty tomb and the rolled stone.
She didn't know it yet but she and all the rest were in for an even bigger surprise.
The heavy, ponderous stone that had worried the women and sealed Jesus in the confines of that tomb carved out of rock was but a pebble compared to the Rock of Ages inside.
Mark tells us that an angel appeared to the women and told them that Jesus wasn't there because,/ "He had risen from the dead."/
* B.
*That first Easter surprised the men, too.
Their grief may have been worse than the women's.
Life was over for them.
Their world had come apart at the seams.
That for which they had given three years of their life; the one for whom they had given up their livelihoods, was gone; crucified, dead and buried.
They were sitting huddled in fear, hiding from the Romans and their own Jewish leaders.
They were afraid the same thing would happen to them that had happened to their leader.
Somehow they had all made it back to the Upper Room.
It seemed like a safe haven, even though the memories of other times, happier times, haunted the place.
They locked the door and looked to each other for leadership.
But their grief and confusion was so deep that no one could offer any kind of leadership.
They were each just barely holding on.
And that was when the women surprised the men.
The women burst into the grief filled room with a message that was startling and almost unbelievable.
But it was enough to shock them out of their gloom.
Peter and John took off running.
From a distance they could see the stone had been rolled away.
That surprised them and spurred them on.
John was the first one there.
He skidded to a stop and bent down to look in.
What he saw really surprised him.
The tomb really WAS empty.
True to character, Peter barged right on past John.
He didn't even bother to bend down and look.
But for John, that glance into the empty tomb was the biggest surprise of his life.
It set him on his heels.
Until that moment, the stone which had sealed the tomb had also sealed all hope.
It had sealed their fate and buried their dreams, their vision, their hope for the future.
But suddenly, the rolled stone allowed the light of the empty tomb; the light of Christ the Son of God, to flood John's heart and soul.
It rolled aside the stones of defeat and despair.
They were replaced with a growing joy and amazement.
*II.
IT SURPRISED SIN AND DEATH:*
* A.
*That first Easter Sunday surprised the women and it surprised the men, but there is no one it surprised more than sin and death.
Sin and death had hung around in the background, egging on those who were opposed to Jesus.
They plotted His downfall.
On Good Friday they stood at the foot of the cross licking their chops and rubbing their hands in wicked anticipation and glee.
They could hardly contain themselves as the darkness rolled in to engulf the world in grief.
When Jesus uttered the words, /"It is finished,"/ death cackled and sin danced with joy.
All they had to do was wait for the tomb to be sealed, then they could have their way with the world.
No more Son of God to contend with.
No more good always triumphs over evil.
Now sin and death had the world in a strangle hold.
And they weren't about to let loose.
This is what they had been waiting for.
God had been defeated.
The game was up and the enemy had won.
Or so they thought.
The party was probably still going on that first Easter Sunday morning.
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