0:00 As I was meditating on the resurrection this week, I found myself exploring all the insights in the scriptures, namely in the gospels, to just refresh my memory and to revisit some things that we often know. And in skimming through what the word of God reveals, specifically about the events that followed Christ's conquest of death, I encountered the very first words that Jesus spoke after leaving the tomb empty. Have you ever wondered what Christ's very first words were when he rose from the grave? Well, when you consider the sequence of Christ's post resurrection appearances, you'll learn that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. That's actually plainly stated at the end of the gospel of Mark, and that encounter is disclosed to us in greater detail in John's writings, where he takes us to that early Sunday morning and vividly describes it focusing on Mary's experience as she arrived at the burial site of her master.
1:15 And it's in that testimony where we locate the first documented words that Jesus said after defeating death. And I'm sure that after reading it, you will never forget it. Turn with me to John chapter 20, and let's look together at one verse here, verse 15. John 20 verse 15. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping?
1:52 Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. The first recorded words of Jesus is in the form of a question. Woman, why are you weeping? That fascinates me.
2:15 And it should compel us to pause, to zoom out, and to see what took place before this and what follows it to have Christ approach Mary in this way. And that's what I want us to consider in our short time together. So let's read this in its entirety beginning in verse 11 down through verse 18. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
2:53 They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?
3:13 Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means teacher. Jesus said to her, do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.
3:49 Now verse 11 may be a little bit of an awkward place to begin reading this account, so I think it'll be helpful to just remember a little bit of the backstory here. If you look back at the beginning of the chapter, we discover that Mary makes her way to the tomb early in the morning even before the sun pierced the horizon. She's there to pay her honors. But upon coming to that place, she saw that the that the stone was rolled away and this alarmed her. So immediately, she makes her way back to Peter and John and she tells them, assuming the worst, they've taken his body.
4:23 Somebody kidnapped the body of the Lord. Peter and John immediately make their way to this place and upon arrival, the scriptures tell us that they silently yet carefully investigate the scene. There are the cloths, but there's no body. And quite unexpectedly, the disciples, in a state of confusion, walk away and they go back home. That is how this section concludes before we read what we find in verse 11, but Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.
5:04 There is something deeply commendable about Mary choosing to stay where Jesus was laid while the disciples walked away. This in no way is an attack on Peter and John, but you cannot deny that Mary's refusal to leave so quickly speaks volumes about her yearning for Christ. It's a beautiful demonstration of how Mary understood her relationship with the Lord. Her connection to Christ was not reduced to obeying some commands, adhering to some moral code, joining a community of religious people, or even signing up for an exciting ministry. What Mary reveals here is that her relationship with Jesus Christ was rooted in a sincere and genuine love for the person.
6:00 And the rest of the scene confirms a very powerful truth. Christ honors those whose hearts yearn for him more than anything else. The fact that Mary was the first person that Jesus chose to reveal himself to means something. It reveals that he blesses those who desire him. This precious woman loved the Lord.
6:32 She had rich affection for him. She's broken. In fact, I was struck by her reaction when she eventually looked into the tomb to see what Peter and John saw. And what does she find? She sees two angels in white strategically seated at the slab where the body of Jesus was laid, One at the head and one at the feet, invoking the imagery of the cherubim who were infused on the Ark of the Covenant looking down on the mercy seat.
7:00 We don't have time to get into that as much as I would like to because what we wanna consider is what these two angels said or asked Mary while her face was being stained with tears. Woman, why are you weeping? And her answer moves me. Look again at verse 13. They said to her, woman, why are you weeping?
7:28 She said to them, they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Isn't this remarkable? Saying, what's so remarkable about it? Mary, standing in front of angels, is not distracted for a moment. She's unfazed by their mysterious appearance.
7:51 No curiosity is sparked. There's no diversion here. Where had they taken him? Why is she not moved by what she's seeing? Because her heart is already consumed with Christ.
8:07 She's after Christ. She wants to find Christ. Oh, how easily our pursuit of Christ is interfered, is meddled with, pivots by things, even good things. And yet this woman shows us as an inspiring model that it is possible to not allow anything or anyone get in the way of what should be our greatest goal, getting nearer and nearer to Christ. And notice she boldly calls him my Lord.
8:47 Do you see that in verse 13? They have taken away my Lord even though in her mind Christ is dead. Imagine this for a moment. In Christ's greatest humiliation, Mary is unashamed to call him my Lord. When it was very dangerous to be associated with public enemy number one, Mary is unafraid to say he is my Lord even in front of these strangers.
9:15 And from a human, carnal, unbelieving standpoint, there is no benefit of declaring Jesus Christ is Lord because he's supposedly dead and yet Mary is unwavering in her devotion to Christ. Where is my Lord? I must find him. This woman loved the lord Jesus. She adored him.
9:41 And while her standing and her searching is admirable, her weeping is not. The angels asked a very important question when they asked why are you weeping because her answer reveals that her tears ultimately stem from a misunderstanding of the work of Christ and what he had promised. There is no reason to weep. If Jesus was still in the tomb and that's what you saw Mary, you have every reason to weep and so should we. But the tomb is empty, so why are you weeping?
10:20 Here's what this shows us. Mary's tears, like us, are often because we bring unnecessary sorrow upon ourselves, And that sorrow is stimulated because we fail to grasp who Jesus Christ accurately is and what he said to us. How many times did Mary hear it? Surely she found herself around the disciples. Surely she heard what Christ taught about his own death, his own burial, his own resurrection, and she missed it.
10:57 Her and the other disciples should be at the tomb rejoicing. He gave him a play by play of what's gonna happen. Instead, she's there weeping. Where did that come from? Unbelief.
11:10 Where did that come from? Missing what Jesus said. And listen, we are much more like Mary in this than we would like to admit. Christ's word is right in front of us. His character is spelled out so obviously and yet we still weep for things that we shouldn't be weeping about.
11:34 This is a common trait of the disciples, by the way. Do you remember when Jesus sends them off into the sea and a storm comes in and visits those disciples while Jesus stays back on the shore? And the winds are battering them and the waves are crashing up against their vehicle. And all of a sudden in that sight, we find Jesus walking on those very waters in their direction. Do you remember what the disciples said according to Matthew's version of the story?
12:07 Let me remind you what they said in Matthew 14 here in verse 26. They said something that I think is quite humbling for us. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, it is a ghost. And they cried out in fear. It is a ghost.
12:36 And so what we have here is how we can often miss it, that Christ is present, that Christ is faithful, that Christ is near and we see other things. Mary doesn't see it. And so she's here confused, she's here trying to solve this, she's here trying to make sense of this puzzle. And what's fascinating here is that Christ is gonna show his ultimate patience for this woman. So she's here showing her love, she's here showing her devotion, yes, but her weeping is not justified.
13:24 And the one truth that is profoundly powerful enough to purify a perception of everything is this, Jesus Christ is alive. That one single reality can stop many tears from flowing if we really believe it. So let me borrow the the question of the angels and ask each of you in this room. Are you weeping? And if you are, why?
13:51 Why are you weeping? And once you've identified the cause of your misery and the the pain that seems to be so fierce and so overwhelming, let me ask you another question. Have you ever tried taking the object of your sadness and placing it in the light of this glorious fact, Jesus Christ is alive? Have you ever consciously done that? Have you ever intentionally moved your sorrow to that place in your heart?
14:29 Because Mary forgot what Christ said, she's weeping. And when we lose sight of that same truth, we too will find ourselves paralyzed, puzzled unnecessarily. Because if he's alive, then he's sovereign over all things including death. And if he's alive, then he is, yes, governing the entire universe, but not just the nations and not just the stars and not just kingdoms, but he promised to shepherd your daily life with his infinite wisdom and unstoppable power. So why are you weeping?
15:06 I challenge you. Anything that causes that agony, take it to the Lord and stamp on it. Well, Christ is alive. So my body may be sick, Christ is alive. I may fear death, but Christ is alive.
15:25 I may not know the next step in this life, but Christ is alive. Mary, unfortunately, didn't see it. And perhaps you're sitting there today and you're thinking, well, listen, you're preaching to the choir, brother. I believe Christ is alive. I showed up here.
15:44 Okay. Maybe you do believe that Christ is alive, but perhaps your stumbling block is not necessarily that event, but the character of the one who did raise from the grave. If that's you today, then I want you to consider what this risen savior does for this miserable follower of his. Look again at verse 14 of John 20. Having said this...
16:14 When she said they've taken away my Lord. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.
16:34 Isn't that something? Mary, what are you gonna do with the body anyway? So much can be said about these verses, but let's simply start by acknowledging how Jesus Christ chose to approach Mary. Notice that he didn't scold her. Doesn't even rebuke her.
16:56 He shows up, and he tenderly and patiently guides her by way of reflection. She didn't get it the first time. When the angels asked the question, why are you weeping? And so he asked it again. That's patience.
17:13 That's kindness. And more than that, he adds to that question to help her investigate her own heart, examine her own soul. I need you to think about this with me. This is the very first encounter that Jesus has with any one of his followers after he vacated the tomb. What does it show?
17:39 That Christ prioritized comforting the one who is clearly in the most anguish. The one that we're singing about, Christ who conquered death, is so rich with compassion for every single one of us in this place. The first thing that he does is come and clarify the confusion that is causing internal chaos in this woman's heart. That's the first thing that he does. And the Holy Spirit indicates that here in order for you to know one of the primary truths that I must embrace about the resurrected Christ is that he cares about my tears.
18:27 He actually cares. Yes, this one who's in control of all things. This one who defeated death, sin, Satan. One of his top things to do on his list on that resurrection morning is I must comfort Mary. That's the heart of Christ.
18:54 And yet Mary in this moment shows us we regularly fail to recognize the Lord as we should. Did you notice here that in the midst of her frantic state, Jesus is right there. So she's looking into the tomb, she sees the two angels, she answers their question, and having said this, she turned. You know, some try to figure out why she turned. Did she hear the steps?
19:23 Did the angels motion? This is all speculation. One of my favorite ones though is that the angels in seeing Christ stood up and she looked. You know, Christ is nearer to us in our pain than we think, but we often miss it. We fail to believe it.
19:42 We're looking for feeling. We're looking for something tangible, some... Write it in the sky. And yes, this is a resurrection appearance but it shows us a principle that is true to this day about the resurrected Christ. He's close.
19:56 And you and I must develop the eyes of faith to see that. Well, Mary doesn't see that. And there's debate again about why she couldn't recognize him when she turned around. Right? She turns around and she sees him, but she doesn't see that it's Christ.
20:10 Was it because it was still dark? Was it because her eyes were filled and blinded because of her tears? Was it because of her hysteria? Was it a combination of both? Some say it's because Jesus cloaked himself, but it doesn't say he did that.
20:23 So let's not distract ourselves from what this is trying to teach us. She did not perceive him in the midst of her confusion and turmoil. We often do the same. Again, I alluded to the disciples who were on that water, and it was about to ravish them and destroy them. And here's Christ coming and they say, it's a ghost.
20:49 It's a ghost. Hold on. The one who is sovereign over the waves, the one who is unmoved by the winds, the one who is for you, the one who sent you, you see as a ghost? You know, there are many good hearted believers who are more ready to acknowledge the presence of demons and Satan in the midst of their problems. Instead of acknowledging the providence of Christ, instead of acknowledging the power of Christ, we're more ready to say it's a ghost and it's this and you fail to see he's there.
21:22 He's always been there. He's not surprised by the storm. You may be, but he's sovereign over it. And here's Mary where she looks at Jesus. He's right behind her touching distance.
21:38 And what does the text tell us? She supposed that he was the gardener. Why gardener of all things? You know, John tells us why. Are you there in John 20?
21:48 Go to John 19. Look at John 19 verse 41. Now in a place where he was crucified, there was a garden, And in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had been yet been laid. Jesus's tomb was in a garden. And so Mary turning to see this man standing there assumes that in the early hours of the day, the gardener has come to do his job.
22:15 And in her desperation, she looks at the gardener thinking maybe the gardener took Jesus away. Do you do you know where you've laid him? Can you tell me where you've laid him? I'll I'll take him. I wonder if you and I can sense a theme that John is trying to illustrate, obviously, because he is being led by the Holy Spirit.
22:35 Think about it with me. Christ was raised from a tomb in a garden because long ago sin entered into the world in a garden. And in that garden long ago, the Lord walked in the cool of the day to do what? To pronounce a curse. A sentence of death that would impact the world forever.
22:58 But now on this resurrection morning, the Lord stands again in a garden, not to pronounce a curse, but to send forth a message of hope and salvation until the world is fully restored again. This is a new day, not just for Jesus. This is a new day, not just for Mary. This is a new day for mankind. So Mary thinks it's the gardener.
23:24 She's just... She's falling apart. And we can applaud it because she loves Jesus so much, but we also have to come gently say, Mary, there's... You don't have to weep like this. And everything is is about to change.
23:39 She's about to realize very quickly this is no gardener. Why? Because look at verse 16, Jesus said to her, Mary, you can't be a gardener because you wouldn't know my name. You're not a landscaper. And I am sure that the way Jesus said Mary's name had a ring of familiarity.
24:05 The tone, the pronunciation, everything about Jesus saying her name unlocked the revelation and simultaneously flooded her heart with joy and peace. It's an amazing thing to believe that this resurrected Christ knows us by name. Yes, we are sheep, but guess what? Sheep are named. You don't get a tag on your ear with a number on it.
24:34 He knew her name. She knew how he said her name. So when he said it, she melts. And once again, Mary's reaction inspires me. The first thing that she does when she hears her name spoken in the way only Jesus can is turn her back to the angels and from her lips cry Rabboni.
24:58 So So the movement here seems to indicate that when she was looking into the tomb initially and the angels were there asking the question, she answered it, she senses the presence of someone else, she... I I think this is what's happening, she turns her head only. But then when she hears her name, she turns completely and she says, Rabboni. And John helps us in the meaning of this title, means teacher. But it's more than rabbi.
25:24 Rabboni, it's a it's a term of, yes, endearment. It's an emphatic way of saying rabbi. It's like my teacher, my master, my Lord. Listen, although it's personal, Mary shows us something so important. She gives Christ his due, a title of dignity, respect, and honor.
25:52 That's what spontaneously shoots out of her heart and her lips when she discovers this is him. And it teaches us something very important about how we should and how we must relate to Jesus Christ. Christ is intimate. Christ is loving. Christ is thoughtful.
26:13 Christ oozes with mercy. Christ is very intentional with each of us. And Mary who experienced the love of Christ understand that this is the same Mary whom the gospels tells us Jesus delivered her from seven demons. She knew the love of Christ. She knew the power of Christ.
26:32 She knew the rescuing grace of Christ. And she, in this moment, is about to know a fresh revelation of her... Of his personal love for her and yet none of that diminished her reverence for him. You know, when I first got saved in the early years being a Christian, I noticed how some people act as if the invitation to be close to Christ gives license for us to be cheeky with Christ, to be a little too casual with Jesus. Be careful.
27:13 Praise God, he is incredibly approachable, but never forget that he is king. He is exalted forever. He's matchless in his majesty. He is infinitely holy. The seraphim dare not even look at him with their bare eyes.
27:35 So he is shepherd. He is friend. He is the lover of our souls. But Mary shows us as close as Christ can get to us and longs to be with us, he is to be reverenced. He is to be feared.
27:56 Rabboni. And notice, we come to the end of this story, we see Mary moving merely from turning her head to turning her body to now clinging to Christ. And we know that because what does Jesus say in verse 17? Jesus said to her, do not cling to me. Now I'm aware that the King James, which was really the only and the most notable and famous Bible in the English speaking world for hundreds of years, renders this part as touch me not.
28:25 So people get the idea that what Mary was doing here was just simply touching him, but the the language and the context suggests, especially in the original Greek, the word more accurately means to fasten oneself to. So you have to understand what Mary is doing here is clutching, grabbing, not just embracing. But what makes this prohibition from Christ more difficult is when we factor in the broader context of the resurrection. Because we heard at the opening of the service that when the group of women who visited the tomb were making their way back to the disciples to say say what the angels told them, Jesus appears and he says greetings. I love that.
29:09 You know what that means? Hello. And that one hello, obviously the sight of Christ before them makes them drop to their knees, and it and it says that they held fast to his feet. Why didn't he stop them from doing that? There's no indication at the end of Matthew that he says, don't don't don't grab my feet.
29:30 What about Thomas? When he shows up in that meeting because he missed the first one when Christ appeared. And Jesus looks at him and says, Thomas. He extends his wounds. He says, come.
29:40 Touch him. He invites him to touch him. What about the end of Luke 24 when Christ has another meeting with the disciples? And he says, look, I'm flesh and bone here. Touch.
29:53 So why in this case when Mary Magdalene wants to grab him, the Lord says, do not. And we don't have time today to explore every possible view, but in my opinion, the most convincing is that Jesus Christ understood the intent of Mary's action here. He read the motive. He understood why she was doing this. And the motive behind her clinging is that she wanted to restrain him.
30:23 She wanted to keep him. She wanted to have him the way she has always known him before his death. Physically present, practically accessible. And Jesus in the same verse lets Mary know it would no longer be this way. I must ascend to the father.
30:51 And in doing so, Mary along with every other true believer would experience what Christ taught about and promised after his ascension and his exaltation, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is a new era. This is gonna be a big change for Mary and the other followers of Christ. But Christ also assured them that it would be better. Sure it's not physical, sure it's not tangible, but it's going to be spiritual and part of that spiritual blessing is that there is uninterrupted access to Christ.
31:23 Any place, anywhere, all of us at the same time can have Christ one on one. Mary, this whole thing is not done yet. Don't think that it's gonna be the way it was these past few years. It's going to be different. Don't cling to me.
31:49 But we have to be careful because although Christ has risen and he's ascended to heaven and though we are enabled to engage with him on a spiritual level, the Lord Jesus Christ, pay attention please, is still flesh and bone. Understanding that important theological truth helps us make sense of what Jesus says in this verse. Notice this. He tells her to relay this message to the disciples. I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God.
32:25 So those who deny the deity of Christ will often come to this text and corner Christians and ask the following, if you claim that Jesus Christ is God, how can he claim that he has a God? Resurrection is a very emotional experience, but brothers and sisters we have to be able to explain why we believe what we believe. He says my God, and this statement would have been easy to explain had he made it before his death and resurrection because we would, I hope, be able to say that the reason why Christ can say my God is because the father is his God by virtue of his humanity. Jeremiah thirty two twenty seven tells us, the Lord who is the God of all flesh. And remember that verse.
33:20 The Lord who is the God of all flesh. That's what the Lord says. So when Christ, the second person of the trinity takes on flesh, he assumes that the father now is his God by virtue of his humanity. Great. But here's where people stumble.
33:35 Jesus made this declaration, made this statement after his death and resurrection. If it was before his death, I could just say yes, he became man. Because of that, he relates to God as his God. But now he rose from the grave. And if you found yourself troubled by this or maybe confronted not knowing how to answer, today is the day where it changes.
34:04 It's very simple, really. Because what we have to understand about the resurrection is that when Christ did indeed defeat death, when he did walk out of that tomb, he did not do so spiritually as some cults claim. He did not ascend invisibly as some assume. He did both with a glorified body. Christ physically arose.
34:28 Christ physically ascended. You ready for this? Christ is physically seated at the right hand of God. So that same body that was pierced, that same body that was beaten, the same body that was hung, the same body that was prepared to be buried, the same body that went into the tomb is the same body that came out of the tomb. What does that lead to?
34:55 Well, if he is still flesh though glorified, then the truth of God being his God as a man still remains. And that's why even after his resurrection, that's why even after his ascension where we find in Revelation where Jesus is giving letters to the churches, he still says in some of those places, my God. Why? Because he is flesh forever. The God man, seated at the right hand of power for eternity.
35:25 We often think that when Christ came into this world and took on flesh, he unzipped the flesh and he just moved on as though things are going back to the way they were in eternity past. Not so. When Christ came in the flesh, he added to his divinity humanity forever. That's the extent of the price that Christ paid paid for us. I wonder what a sight it was when Christ ascended to heaven and he went up to those gates, and for the first time ever, flesh and blood glorified, entered into that place.
35:59 And not just entered into that place, but walked up to the father and sat beside him, and the father accepts it because his son accomplished his will. Oh, there's more to be said about this. Let's land it soon here. Notice that Jesus also said, yes, he is my father, your father, my God and your God. But one might wonder, why didn't he just say our father and our God?
36:38 That would have simplified the message. Right? Jesus is very careful with his words. Do you believe that? I believe that.
36:47 With his recorded words in red and with his entire word from Genesis to Revelation. He's very precise when he needs to be. The reason why Jesus makes this distinction, my father, your father, my God, your God is because he wants to teach something very important about his status before God and that of the disciples. He does now invite the disciples to understand that he is your father and he is your God. But he also wants to make clear that God being father to him has always been from eternity past.
37:28 God being father to Christ is because of Christ's nature. That has never changed. But God being father to the disciples and us is not because of our nature, it's because of adoption. He is my father by virtue of my standing as the Son of God. It always was.
37:50 He is your father because of grace. And you are invited into that relationship because my resurrection seals that status. And that's why he can say what he said to Mary about how he identified these disciples. Look at it again in verse 17. Do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to the father, but go to my brothers.
38:23 My what? My brothers. So if you're sitting here today as we wrap things up and you think to yourself, that's a wonderful, wonderful explanation of how Christ is so soft and patient towards Mary Magdalene. But I'll admit, preacher, my devotion to Christ is nowhere near Mary's. I'm more like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus who are making their way back home.
38:50 Like, well, I guess he wasn't the hope. A little bit of sad sadness there, but I'm ready to move on with my life. Mary can't seem to function here. And if that is what you're thinking in this place, remember where the 12 disciples were at this point. Judas is gone, yes.
39:14 Thomas is who knows where. The others, obviously fearful. The greatest failure that the disciples committed was walking away from Christ in his greatest time of need. Denying him, walking away from him, and not believing what he had said about his own resurrection. This is the lowest of the low for the disciples.
39:45 You know what Christ tells Mary to tell them? Go tell my brothers. If he said my servants, I would have been happy with that. If he said my anything, we can praise Christ for his acknowledgment. But of all things, he says, go tell my brothers.
40:10 The disciples walked away. The other disciples are hiding. They're still my brothers. They're still mine. They still belong to me.
40:24 Who is this Jesus? You know, I'm fully aware that there are people in here who might wanna be somewhere else. It's possible that you're here physically, but your heart is in a different place because you're perhaps disappointed with God, angry at God, living in sin with all that you know about God. But you know what the resurrection does for those who believe it and those who have put their faith and trust in it? It secures a relationship with Christ that is unfathomable.
41:03 That even in your distancing and your separation and your back turned on him, if you belong to him, the Lord looks at you with eyes of love. Go tell my brothers. He doesn't give up on us. We give up on him. He's never failed us.
41:30 We failed him. He's never told us anything that was untrue. We don't believe him. And yet in this pathetic display of devotion on the part of the disciples, Jesus says, go tell my brothers. And what does Mary do in verse 18?
41:57 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her. Can you imagine? This woman who had seven demons living inside of her, delivered from Christ. And because of her love for her, though though her faith was not fully developed, though she didn't have all the answers, Christ honored her longing, and he came so carefully and so lovingly to help her get out of this darkness. And more than that, he gives her a message to give to the apostles.
42:40 Everything about Jesus in his resurrection appearances shows grace upon grace. I mean, think about it. You would think that Christ might make an appearance to Pilate after he rose. Hey. Remember me?
42:57 What about the religious leaders? What are you gonna say now? He doesn't do that. Where does he go to? The first person, Mary.
43:12 Lost, bewildered, heaving, Mary. What about the disciples? Go tell my brothers. This amazing God that we serve, that we can know, that we can draw near to, that we can experience, Made what I am speaking about available because he chose to come into this world, take on flesh, to be killed and crucified so he can purchase what we've always needed. Friday, we recognize the bread and the cup.
44:03 And in God's providence, as we always do in the first Sunday of the month, we recognize the bread and the cup. But with an added reminder, that flesh of his was broken on our behalf, but that same flesh rose glorified. And Jesus Christ one day will come back bodily, and we will be with him forever. I wonder if you know this Jesus of whom I speak. I wonder if you've experienced this Jesus.
44:33 These are not just nice stories that people put together. These are historical accounts, and they are meant to show you who Jesus is and what he is like. Are you not drawn to Him? Are you not moved by Him? Do you not want to have Him?
44:53 He is available. And the way you access Him is by faith. The way you experience him is in a moment, you realize I am a sinner. I am vile. I am guilty.
45:05 It was my sin that put him on that cross, but he paid for it. And so I received this gift, Lord, forgive me. I repent. If you're willing to make me an enemy into a brother, into a sister, into a child of God, if I can, through you, be able to call God the holy one enthroned in heaven as father, I receive it. Why would you not?
45:30 What's better than that? And believer, maybe today you're like Mary. You have an intense love for Christ, but you're confused about some things. Jesus is near to you than you imagine. And if you never wanna fall into that place again where you're weeping tears and staying up and losing sleep for things that you shouldn't, get into the word.
45:59 Know what he has said. Know who he is, and you'll save yourself from unnecessary tears. Or maybe some of you in here are like the disciples. You're here. You're not really here, actually.
46:12 So be it. He still loves you, and he summons you. He doesn't want you to live another moment outside of his perfect will. Would you respond to his conviction today? So this is a table of remembrance of what Christ has done for us, and it it is prescribed for Christians, those who have put their trust in the message that these emblems represent.
46:39 So if you are a Christian here, you were invited to eat at this feast. But if you're here today visiting us, we're so glad that you're here. But know this, we honor Christ. We believe his word. We want to love him and obey him above all else.
46:52 And what he asks is that you would not partake if you do not belong to him. However, you can belong to him. And while you see people taking these elements and you sit there, realize that these people are making a declaration, I've been saved by grace, and you can be saved by that same grace. Every person walking up here is not holier than thou. Every person that's making their way up here saying, I've been forgiven.
47:19 Jesus is real to me. And I'm here to remind my own soul that it's because of what he has done that I am redeemed forever. So let's prepare our hearts, shall we? And ask him to make himself more real to us by faith. We thank you, father, for these truths, just a glimpse of what you are like.
47:50 Because when we see Christ, we see also who the father is. Distinct, yes, in persons, but one in entity, one in being. And, Lord, we've come yet again to the table to partake of the truth of what Christ has done for us two thousand years ago. Help our hearts savor these things with the revelation that the Christ who appeared to Mary, the Christ who asked for the disciples is the Christ who loves us and sees us no differently. We rejoice in these things together in Jesus name.
