Easter Sunday

[0:00] When you begin to study the Bible, it's just one story.

[0:20] Look at Skylar this morning. Is she all dressed up and pretty? It's just one story. It starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation.

[0:33] And you're always looking for something new to add to that story. And if you've ever tried, and most people don't even study the Bible, that's just not, they're just not able to.

[0:50] Really, they're not able to. The Bible is a deep book. It's got multiple meanings to it and everything that is true right here can be turned around over there and mean almost something else.

[1:02] When you begin to find out, just to give you a brief summary of what I'm talking about, what was Mary's husband's name? Which one? There was 11 Josephs in the Bible.

[1:18] And how do you know which Mary I'm talking about? Because there's six Marys, five of them in the New Testament. When they crucified Jesus, there was three Marys there at the crucifixion.

[1:30] So it gets kind of hard to... Which one? And that's why I understand that it is kind of hard to understand a lot of things.

[1:46] I studied hard and long on this yesterday. I got up and I studied long and hard on it this morning. But I just want to give you what I got in the last few minutes when I was in my office in there.

[1:56] It's in John 20. I want to start in the first verse and read down through verse 10.

[2:12] It said, In the first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early while it was still dark.

[2:26] unto the sepulcher and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth to Simon Peter.

[2:42] By the way, there's ten Simons. Ten Simons. Ten different Simons. Then she runneth to Simon Peter.

[2:53] That's why they had to give him a last name. Simon Peter. And to the other disciple, which Jesus loved.

[3:10] Now, who did Jesus love? Now, the Bible never tells you who that is. It does not ever tell you who it is. But do we know who it is? Who's the disciple that Jesus loved? Huh?

[3:22] John? Now, let's see. There's four Johns. Which John? John the Baptist? John the Revelator? John the Beloved Disciple.

[3:40] An Apostle. Amen? He was also John the Revelator. Then she runneth to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved.

[3:52] And saith unto them, They've taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. And we know not where they have laid him. And Peter therefore went forth and the other disciple and they came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together.

[4:03] And the other disciple did outrun Peter. And he came forth to the sepulcher. And he's stooping down, looking in, and he saw the linen clothes lying. Yet when he not in. Then saith Peter following him and went into the sepulcher and seeth the linen clothes laying there and the napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in itself in a place by itself.

[4:24] Then went in also that other disciple which came first into the sepulcher. And he saw and believed. And he saw and believed. Everybody say he saw.

[4:35] He saw. And he believed. What did he see? He didn't see anything. What did he believe? He believed that Jesus was resurrected from the dead when he didn't see anything in there.

[4:48] Now the question could be is where'd he go? The question could be is where's the four quadrions of soldiers that were supposed to have been there. The question could be is where's the angel?

[5:01] The question could be is how'd the stone get rolled back? There's a lot of questions that could be asked. I'm not going to answer any of those. It says, For as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead.

[5:16] Then the disciples went away again unto their own homes. Who went away? Then the disciples went away again into their own homes. Let me see. This is the message I want to preach right here. This little one.

[5:32] Then the disciples went away to their own home. But Mary, I wanted to tell you about the four degrees of darkness that are around the tomb.

[5:48] I wanted to tell you about the pleasure and pain side of God. I wanted to tell you so much this morning but we'll get to it another time. I want to talk about the humility that even though all the rest of them had left, the disciples left.

[6:06] This is Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus had already cast seven demon spirits. And the Bible teaches this. He that is forgiven the most loveth the most.

[6:24] If that's really true then I must have had an awful lot to be forgiven because I sure love Jesus with everything that's within me. But then the other disciples Peter and John they left and Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping and as she wept she stooped down and she looked into the sepulcher.

[6:57] And she sees two angels that where were they at when Peter and John was in there? They left. They left. How many people Brother Darrell was down there in the hospital and on the wall adjacent to his room there's a huge side of the hospital wall and over there on the wall there's a picture and it's not really a picture nobody painted it.

[7:23] But if you look you'll see Jesus. You'll see Jesus he's still down there he's been there for I don't know how long they said people used to come from everywhere to see the picture of Jesus. First time I looked at it I didn't see it.

[7:36] The next time when I came back next day or the day after that I could draw you a picture of exactly what it looked like because then I saw it. They were in the tomb Peter and John they didn't see. They didn't see the angels.

[7:50] But Mary Magdalene stooping down she saw two angels in white one sitting at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain and they say unto her woman why weepest thou?

[8:14] She saith unto them because they've taken away my Lord I don't know not where they've laid him and when she had said thus she turned herself back and when she turned herself back the Bible said that she saw Jesus when she turned herself she saw Jesus standing there oh listen and she knew not that it was Jesus Jesus said unto her woman isn't that a funny address woman why weepest thou?

[9:03] He wanted to hear it he wanted to hear it let me tell you this because I may not touch this in the rest of my message here but Mary Magdalene is a type and a picture of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ somebody said oh he couldn't take somebody that was a harlot caught in the very act of adultery and had all these demonic spirits oh yes he will and he did woman why weepest thou?

[9:32] and she's supposing him to be the gardener the gardener why did she think he was a gardener?

[9:44] I read in the book of Genesis the second chapter the eighth verse don't lose your place because I'm coming back here Genesis the second chapter in the eighth verse says and the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed in the fifteenth verse and the Lord God told the man took the man and he put him in the garden to dress it and to keep it and the word keep means to what a dress means to cultivate and keep or preserve the garden from all intruders it comes from the Greek word shamar which means to hedge about to protect this is the first reverence to an enemy of God that may be able to get into the garden

[10:50] Adam failed so sin entered in and Satan became the pseudo ruler of the restored earth in verse twenty and Adam gave names to all the cattle the fowls of the air to every beast of the field but for Adam there was not found and help meat for him and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and he closed up the flesh thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken out of man made he woman and he brought her unto the man and Adam said this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man the main the main job of any man is to protect his garden most of us here are adults so if you're not you won't probably understand it anyway in your garden is where you plant your seed the first

[12:14] Adam failed to protect his garden which was Eve because what else did the devil want in the garden he didn't want the tree of life he didn't want the tree of knowledge good and evil he didn't want anything he wanted that woman he did not protect his wife from the devil and the devil came in and planted a seed thought in her mind we he sowed a tear in her garden we you can be as gods knowing good and evil and the woman believed the lie because the devil sowed the thought in her mind the Bible said in the first Adam in 1st Corinthians 15 and 45 the first Adam was made a living soul and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit the first

[13:15] Adam was who Adam the son of God made of the image and likeness of God the last Adam was who Jesus Christ whom Hebrews it says that made him the express image and likeness of God now here we have Mary she's in the garden back in the garden and here she's crying she says and Jesus says woman same word same word in Genesis 2 here and God made took a rib out of a man and he made a woman and he called a woman because she was taken out of man and he put him in the garden God already knew that Peter and John was going to leave he already knew man if I could preach you the rest of the message how that I told you 15 minutes I gotta quit I'll get back over here to where I was woman why weep is thou does anybody know where weeping comes weeping comes on the pain side why are you crying because I got my feelings hurt because I fell down and I stomp my toe and I skimmed my knee and I bruised my ego why are you crying because they didn't let me sing and they had everybody else in church to sing and they didn't let me sing you know why she was crying because they took my

[14:56] Lord and I know not where they have laid him she's supposing him to be the gardener the gardener like Adam was a gardener now Jesus Christ the last Adam he is a gardener because he's in the garden and he's by ready to sow a seed and she said to him sir if you have born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away now if you'd read the whole story you'd find out that when Jesus died that Joseph of Arimathea who being a rich man and being part of Sanhedrin council along with Nicodemus they went and they begged the body of Jesus and they took him and they took a hundred pounds of spices and everything and they wrapped Jesus up in that with that hundred pounds of spices in it and all that stuff and Mary and if you'd read the story you'd find out that everybody else left but Mary

[15:58] Magdalene and the other Mary followed everybody else went on home it was over the Sabbath was beginning they couldn't you know everybody headed home except Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and you know why they followed along behind weeping and wailing and crying because they were going to see where they was going to put him and they was coming back and here this little old woman is I can't imagine her being much over 120 pounds where had they put him at if you would tell me where you bought him I will go and get him and I'll carry him away I don't know how much Jesus weighed but he had to probably weigh at least 150 pounds somewhere between 150 and 200 then 100 pounds of weight you know what she's saying by faith by faith I'm going to pick him up and I'm going to take him away amen Jesus said unto her

[17:05] Mary Mary I can turn my back and all y'all can call my name and in the midst of all y'all calling my name if my wife calls my name I'm going to say no that's her and right there that was my wife you know why calls I've heard her call my name before if we're in the supermarket if we're in Walmart and people are everywhere and she hears me holler Pat you know what she stops Jesus said my sheep know my voice my sheep know my voice and another they won't follow amen hey my wife knows my voice hey I know my wife's voice amen that's my garden that's my garden I planted my seed I've got two children and six grandchildren I protect her

[18:06] I watch over her God has given me to be the husband man the husband man is another name for a gardener you are the husband man you are to raise your children woman at first she didn't recognize that name but when he said Mary then she immediately said Rabboni which means master Jesus oh my Lord I thought you were dead I thought you were gone I thought they hid you away I didn't know what I was going to do I didn't know what I was going to do she ran over and she and Jesus saith unto her touch me not for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my father and your father and to my God and your God and that's the end of the message but let me tell you what happened she went to Peter and John and James and Bartholomew and Nathaniel and told her hey I've seen him

[19:18] I've seen him and they did not believe you know why the world isn't saved it's because they do not believe that Jesus Christ is alive and he's resurrected and he's living inside of me and he's living inside of you and that we have seen him I am an eyewitness to the resurrection because the word of God said because he lives we shall live also amen and we have already passed from death unto life because Jesus lives amen amen amen because he lives I can face tomorrow because he lives all my fear is gone

[20:29] I came here 17 years ago I brought some strange doctrine in here I brought a message about a crucified way and nobody had ever heard anything like that crucifying your flesh why the world are you talking about I brought a message of there's one glory of the sun and one glory of the moon and one glory of the stars there's one star different from another star in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead and they said what are you talking about came preaching a message about the soul went forth to sow the seed and some seed fell into good ground and some seed brought forth 30 fold and some seed brought forth 60 fold and some seed brought forth 100 fold and they said what are you talking about is that in the Bible and it's all in the Bible I came preaching a message of not just heaven and hell but a new heaven and a new earth and a new city and a lake of fire and death and hell are cast into the lake of fire and they said what are you talking about came preaching that there's white robes white raiment and white linen revelation 19 7 and 8 said let us be glad and rejoice for the marriage of the lamb has come and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in white linen clean and white for white linen is the righteousness of saints what are you talking about

[21:57] I can't tell them a bride's message a bride's message you can be in the bride I begin to tell them about there's a prize that you can gain it's more than just salvation it's more than just getting saved and coming to church and getting a hold of the ghost and baptizing Jesus name and then saying I'm ready for the rapture but honey that's there is a growing up until we come into the fullness of the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ unto a perfect man amen and I can see it and I know a lot of you when you heard that you thought he is crazy especially when you heard that bride's message you thought well now the bride is going to be the hundredfold amen the wedding supper is going to be like an eastern wedding and at an eastern wedding they had the guest you know and we even do I don't know where they got this at but all the groom's side sit on one side and all the bride's side sit on the other side and then they had the groom's men and the best man

[23:00] I never understood why the best man didn't get the wife if he's the best man he's not the best man he's second best man because the best man is groom then you got the bride and you got the bridesmaid amen but in the Bible see the way we get in here now the groom walks out and he's standing here and he's waiting for his bride to come and then the organist gives a signal all rise and then but honey it won't be that way when we get to heaven because it wasn't that way in Matthew 25 everybody else is already there the bride the Bible said at midnight there was a cry made behold the bride groom cometh go you out to meet him and they that were ready the rapture is going to take place and they that were ready the wise trimmed their lamps the foolish said we don't have any oil in our lamps give us of it's time to get ready to go on that day while there's hell on earth for three and a half years of tribulation time times and a half time there's going to be a wedding going on in heaven the marriage supper of the lamb of

[25:01] God not the Passover lamb anymore but the lamb of God who is now the lion of the tribe of Judah the devil trying to imitate him go about as a roaring lion seeking him he may devour but honey he can't devour anything or anyone that he don't have to first go say Jesus can I get that one they doing pretty bad and then Jesus all right you go get that one for a lamb chop but honey he said I am he that was dead and I'm alive forever more and have the keys to death and to hell and to the grave and I just get a little excited because when I talked about that bride everybody immediately thought there's no way that I can get down there's no way that I can grow up to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ there's no way that I could attain the mark of the prize of the high calling of God which is in Christ

[26:19] Jesus there's no way that I can make the bride I can't get the prize just like the little boy on the on the on the on the merry! let me tell you what you're right you're right you're right you can't make it and I can't make it but there's somebody greater inside of you and inside of me and he's the maker he's the breaker he's the one that's gonna make sure that we make it because it's not in how strong you are how fast you run or how smart you are how much of the word you have it's how much love you got in your heart that I want to see my Jesus I want to be like him Lord you show me what you want me to do and Lord I want to be a willing vessel to do what you want me to do and that'd be my little Easter message April the 20th 2003!

[27:19] Praise the Lord like that little boy said if you want to hear the rest of you should sing that message I!

[27:50] Hallelujah because he lives all fear is gone because I know he holds!

[28:23] Just because He lives Oh, because He lives I can face tomorrow Because He lives All fear is gone Because I know Yes, I know He holds the future My life is worth the living Just because He lives