[0:00] I want you to open your Bibles if you would to John chapter 11 and verse 40. Honestly, all we'll get done is to read quite a bit of scripture tonight about the resurrection. While you're turning, I'd like to tell you that while we were on our trip to Israel, which I know because of the way things worked out, we didn't even get a chance for people to share with you.
[0:17] You ought to talk to them. I will be making another trip and taking people. Miss Sherry is there maybe some church people who are going back over there. And so looking forward to doing that. But while we were over there, my favorite place was the Garden Tomb.
[0:30] And Gordon's Garden Tomb. It was a wild place. And the guy that guided us around was a British fellow. And, but he loved Jesus. So that's what made it so sweet.
[0:41] And we got there. And as he walked in, he started explaining all about the place and showing us everything around there. He kept saying, now we believe this is the place. Right out here is what we think might be Golgotha, the place of the skull.
[0:54] And you can kind of see the imprint. And right there is the road. And Jesus would have been crucified here on the ground. Not up on the hill like in the movies. But down here on the road where as people walked by, they could curse him and read the thing over there.
[1:07] And there was right there on the road. And that's how Romans tended to do it. And it was right here in the garden. And just like in the Bible. And then just past the garden, there's a new tomb. He said, we believe this is the place.
[1:19] But it's really not about a place. It's about a person. He said, so if it's in a place, it's still about the person. He probably said, it's not about a place. It's about a person. About every time he did that, I didn't testify like you.
[1:31] I testified like somebody really enjoyed it. And so he took us in. And he showed us the scriptures. So just interesting things. And when they buried somebody in Israel in those days, they would take them in.
[1:45] They had a room just inside the sepulcher. And just inside was a preparing room. And that's where they fixed the body. And then further inside of the cave or in the sepulcher would be the place where the body would lay.
[1:56] And the body would lay there for about a year. And at the end of a year, the meat would have all rotted off. And then they would go in and they would pick up the bones and stick them in a bone box. And then that would stay there. And then other people could be buried in that same tomb.
[2:10] But what they believed to be his tomb is not straight in like that. It's actually to the right. And old Bob said, well, you know how it says it in the scripture. They had to stoop down to get in.
[2:21] You'll notice the entrance is real short. And it says that she looked to the right and saw him. And you'll notice you have to look to the right to see the grave. And it just over and over went through it. And then Bob would say, but you've got to remember, it's really not about the place.
[2:34] It's about the person. And so if the resurrection doesn't excite you, you don't understand the Bible or you're not saved. If Jesus dying for us doesn't, I thought the Lord's Supper, I don't ever want to take it for granted.
[2:51] I don't want to ever get used to it. I don't want to ever forget that God in human flesh sacrificed himself so that I could be saved. I'd just like to read scripture with you.
[3:01] And I wish you'd look it up in a paper Bible. I know that's getting to be an anathema anymore. But I'd really like to see you underline this stuff just because it's so good. And you can see it the next time you come through it.
[3:11] If not, highlight it in your Bible on your iPad or whatever it is you're using. I'm not against you using iPads, obviously. But I just think it'd be fun if you'd underline this.
[3:22] Look at John 11, 40. And I'm just going to talk through this scripture. I'll not get around to preaching any of it tonight. Look at this in verse 40. Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with spices as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
[3:38] Now, if you've got your Bible open, you need to underline this. Took they the body. You need to underline that. Took they the body. You know what? At that point in this scripture right here, as John writes down the story, he understood full well that we are not our body.
[3:55] That our bodies may have different things happen to us, but that's not who they are. And he knew that wasn't Jesus. Take the body. And I just would like to remind you as you watch people die and as you go to funerals, you don't sorrow like people who have no hope.
[4:11] When you go there and you see that body laying in that casket, that's not your loved one. That's the best a mortician could do to make the leftovers look like what it used to be when he was in there or she was in there.
[4:24] But they have departed that body and gone to another place, even saved or lost. It's just a body. Verse 41. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden.
[4:37] And in the garden, a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus, therefore because of the Jews' preparation day, for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.
[4:50] Now open your Bibles, if you would, to John chapter 20 and verse 1. John chapter 20 and verse 1. I just want you to underline some other things as we go through the reading. In John chapter 20 and verse 1, the Bible says, The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.
[5:14] I'd just like to ask you to underline in your Bible there, first day of the week. And if you'd like to know why we meet on Sunday, we don't celebrate Jesus' resurrection only on Easter Sunday.
[5:25] We use every Sunday to remind everybody we serve a risen Savior. We meet every time we meet on Sunday. We're saying this is the day that he arose.
[5:37] He arose on the first day of the week, and that is Sunday. He arose on Sunday. Look at it. The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher.
[5:48] So it wasn't a sunrise service. It was still dark. It was a John Pearson kind of morning. She went there to rescue. It was yet dark.
[5:59] She went there to take care of the body, and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher. She got there. The stone's been removed. That stone had been put there so nobody could steal his body.
[6:11] But the stone had been removed. Verse 2. She runs and comes to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. You've got to love this guy.
[6:21] The Holy Spirit even lets him write it this way. That's John the apostle. And John, in this passage of Scripture, is going to be the other disciple. And he says, whom? Jesus loved.
[6:32] You know, Jesus loved them all. But John's the special one. And he says, Peter got there, and John, I got there. And he said, they got there and said unto them, she ran to them and said, they have taken away the Lord.
[6:47] You need to underline that. They have taken away the Lord. And she doesn't yet understand who he is. She hadn't figured out who he is. And in the passage of Scripture, as we read it, I think you're going to notice she hadn't quite figured it out.
[7:03] I mean, she heard all the stories and she heard him preach. But she is totally focused on he's dead. Like every other person is dead, he's dead.
[7:14] She said, they've taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. And we don't know where they laid him. They took away the Lord, and we don't know where they laid him. Peter, therefore, went forth, and that other disciple, that's old John, and they came to the sepulcher.
[7:29] So they ran both together, and John, the other disciple, outran Peter, and he got to the sepulcher first. And he's stooping down. That's that comment I made.
[7:40] And he's stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then comes Simon Peter following him, and he went into the sepulcher, and he sees the linen clothes lie.
[7:51] And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the clothes, but wrapped together in a place. Then went also the other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and you got to lie on this.
[8:03] He saw and believed. Now, look at that. You know, he didn't understand. The guys had a hard time. It's kind of hard and foreign to the mind to believe that he's really going to die, and he's really going to be buried, and he's really going to be risen again.
[8:20] Is that another genre when he's talking? Is he talking poetically when he says, I'll tear down this temple and build it again in three days? Is he talking symbolically when he says, I lay down my life? And then all of a sudden, he is dead.
[8:32] They're devastated. They don't know what's going on. But when he got to the grave, and he looked in, this is what it says in John, he saw and believed.
[8:43] He's like, he did it.
[8:59] That's exactly what he said he was going to do. You got to underline it. If you don't underline that, I don't know how you read that without going, wow. I read it, and I'm like, wow. He saw and he believed.
[9:09] For as yet, they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. See, they hadn't figured it out. You know, you can have Bible in your hands.
[9:20] You can have it preached to you. You can have it taught to you, and somebody else can understand it. But until the Holy Spirit illuminates you and makes you realize or illuminate the Scripture and makes it come alive to you, you can hear it.
[9:32] You can even understand what's being said, but it won't captivate your heart until it just takes control of you until he does that. They knew not the Scripture. They didn't understand it.
[9:42] He'd said it. They didn't quite get it. You might be like that. Sometimes I think that might be why you don't give to missions. I think that might be why you're resistant sometimes to sending missionaries or sending your own kids because that Scripture somehow has got to get a hold of you, and you've got to go, man, I see it, and I believe it, and it captivates me.
[10:03] Verse 9, they knew not the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went away again into their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked in the sepulcher.
[10:14] And she saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. And the angels say, they say, unto her, woman, what are you crying about?
[10:30] Why weepest thou? The angels knew exactly what happened. The angels were like, he ain't dead. Nobody's told his body. What you upset about, woman? But not all that's being said.
[10:41] It's just kind of understood when you read the story. And here she comes right back again with the same statement. Look at it. Underline this in your Bible. She said, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they've laid him.
[10:56] Now, you've got to understand, if you know the Scriptures, he's in control the whole time. There was never a second when Jesus was like, man, they were grabbing me and jerking me around. He even told, you remember when Pilate looks at him and said, if you knew who I was, how much power I had, you'd be showing a little respect.
[11:12] And Jesus basically says in Tennessee, he'll be like, oh, buddy, back at you. If you knew who I was, you'd be the one trembling. You don't have any authority I didn't give you. I'm in charge here.
[11:24] If she still hadn't gotten it. They've taken away my Lord. I loved him. I followed him. He was my teacher. But he's dead now. I've just come to do a little homage to his body.
[11:37] What did they do with him? Verse 14. When she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing, but she didn't know it was Jesus.
[11:50] Now, people have asked me, how come she didn't know it? I'll tell you how come she didn't know it. Because I'm telling you, if one of us died and you knew we were dead, that we showed up again, you'd be like, Lord, help me.
[12:01] You look like him, but you can't be him. She doesn't know who it is. She doesn't recognize him. She doesn't recognize him. And so Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping?
[12:12] Who are you looking for? Whom seekest thou? And she figured he was a gardener. She's supposing him to be the gardener. Said, sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where you laid him and I'll take him off your hands.
[12:27] If you're the one that stole his body, the poor, helpless, dead, Jesus's body. You'll just tell me where it's at. I'll pick it up for you and I'll get rid of it.
[12:40] And I just love this next part. You got to underline that part right here. She's still defeated. She is still discouraged. And I just love verse 16. You got to underline this part.
[12:50] And Jesus said to her, Mary. You know where he's at?
[13:01] Could you tell me where he's at? Mary. And she knew. I got goosebumps. She said, I'm sorry.
[13:12] I know y'all are so staid you couldn't give a testimony. You don't get excited. But I just got goosebumps. He looked at her and said, Mary. She turns back around and says, Master. Rabboni.
[13:22] Which is to say, Master. I love this. I can think of him as going, Mary, you dang bat. Didn't you hear me preach? Didn't you hear what I said?
[13:34] Can't believe you don't believe. But he's so sweet. She's all. Have you ever had your wife get like that? No. A tizzy. You know, she's in a tizzy and you just got to look at her and go, come on, Betty.
[13:46] And it's like, you got to bring her back to reality. Well, ain't nobody can do that like Jesus. She heard that name. She heard her name come off of those lips.
[13:57] And she was like, he's here. It's real. Verse 19.
[14:08] In the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, so it's Sunday evening, when the doors were shut and the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst of them and said, Peace be unto you.
[14:26] Now, it's the same day. He just arose. And it's the same day. And it's evening. It's on Sunday afternoon. And the doors are shut. And the apostles, now you need to know that they're assembled for fear and circle this of Jews.
[14:37] They're not afraid of the Romans. Romans are looking for people to kill them for stealing the body. The Jews are looking for people. But they're afraid of other religious people. And Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said, Peace be unto you.
[14:54] He didn't scold them either. He didn't say one harsh word. He looked at them. I mean, I'd have gone in the room and said, Bunch of dingbats. Did I tell you I was going to come back?
[15:05] Did I tell you I'd be alive? Won't you believe next time? He did some of that sometimes while he's alive. But this time he just, Peace. And he goes, You want to touch it? Look at it. Verse 20.
[15:16] And when he had so said, he showed them his hands and his side. He's like, I really am him. Remember where they put the nails? See where they stuck that spear in me?
[15:28] That's me. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Now verse 21. I mean, you can't really read the Bible without everything climaxing in.
[15:42] Go to the world. If you ever read the Bible. I don't even understand how preachers preach the whole Bible and they'll have a missionary church. I hear about guys preach the whole New Testament for 30 years and don't send missionaries.
[15:56] Don't get it. Look at this. He said, he showed him his hands and his side. The disciples were glad and then said, Jesus, again, hey guys, peace to you.
[16:09] Everything's all right. And then he said, as my father has sent me, even so send I you. You need to underline that. His father sent him from another planet.
[16:23] No, from outside the planetary system. His father sent him from heaven all the way to a planet. And he said, just like my father sent me, I'm sending you guys now. You see, my father wanted y'all to know about his love.
[16:36] Wanted y'all to know that he had made a way for you to be saved. And my father sent me and now I send you. And now I send you.
[16:46] As my father has sent me, so send I you. Just a second ago, Andy said, you can't do it without the Holy Spirit, without his power. Jesus is the vine.
[16:57] You heard that. That was true. That's good. So in verse 23, breathed on him and said, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Here he is.
[17:07] Look at that. You need to underline that. Receive ye the Holy Ghost. And he gave him a promise. Boys, y'all got power.
[17:18] Whoever sins you remit, they're remitted. And whoever sins you retain, they're retained. I want you to skip all the way down to verse 31 now.
[17:29] Well, let's go to verse 30. You know, Thomas will show up in the story. We just don't have time to get to it all. Thomas wasn't there on Sunday night. And when you skip some of the meetings, he might just show up.
[17:40] And he showed up and Thomas missed it. And when they tweeted out on the, you know, they hit Twitter right there in the service. And they said, man, Jesus showed up alive. Let us see his wounds.
[17:52] Thomas is at the house. No, that's not true. And they tell Thomas during the week. And Thomas shows up and says, listen, guys, I won't believe it till I see him with my own eyes. And I touch him. Next week, Jesus shows up and says, hey, Thomas, I hear you.
[18:05] Didn't believe, so go ahead and touch. But in verse 30, he said, many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples. And they're not written in this book.
[18:18] But John took this book and on purpose picked what you needed to know so you could believe that Jesus died for you, paid for your sins so you could go to heaven. And similar to what he said in 1 John 5 and verse 13 when he said, these things are written unto you here.
[18:32] He said, these are written that you might believe. You should underline that. I wrote this book and I picked out. All the things he did wouldn't fit in all the books in the world.
[18:44] The planet's not big enough to hold him if he wrote everything he ever did. So I just picked out a good gospel track and I call it the book of John. And it's all there to get you to know Jesus. It says that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name.
[19:05] So I'd study the book of John if I was you. I'd study the whole Bible if I was you. But as you go home tonight, I wish you just know this. We've argued and fought throughout history about a whole lot of stuff.
[19:20] But all believers have always known this. He died for us. All the believers since way back in the days of the apostles knew this.
[19:31] We deserve hell, but Jesus died. And we believe that he was buried. And he rose again on the third day. Jesus is alive.
[19:43] And if I had time to preach, here's what I would tell you. And then he said, so you see how my father sent me? That's the way I send you. As a church that believes in the resurrection, our father sent Jesus to us.
[20:00] And Jesus sends us to the world. Right outside these doors, they don't know Jesus. Right outside these doors, people that run around with us and people that live in our community and people that live next to us, they don't know Jesus.
[20:14] And we're sent. Right outside our doors are people that live in a place called Sri Lanka today where over 200 people were killed just because they were quote unquote Christians and probably not even believers.
[20:26] They probably woke up in hell. Probably Roman Catholic type people, not real Christians. I'm not trying to be ugly. But we are under instructions.
[20:38] Let's tell the world what Jesus did. So you say, how does that affect me? Well, I don't know. Give your children. Ask God to take your kids. Ask God to take your grandkids.
[20:51] Give your money. Send missionaries. Knock on doors. Invite people. Whenever you go around a community, you realize the lady who waited on us, served us at the restaurant today, needed an invitation to church and to come to know Jesus.
[21:07] Realize we are on a mission. Churches that forget that, fail him. And churches that forget that, die.
[21:18] And that's what I'm doing. And that's what we're doing.
[21:35] Karenrocco, مت here. I think we'd love to hear. Amen, sing, sing, sing. Breathe in front, sit. Look at that, to walk a young distance. And do well. Oh, yeah. There's no way to walk outside the neighborhood. There's no way to walk a walk into that. And I think that's what you're doing right now. So let's watch a walk into the same direction.