WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.780 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. It is wonderful 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:20.760 that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, either 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.920 by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:31.520 for us that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:37.939 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, we really, 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:42.579 I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the Bible, 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:48.760 they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:54.560 do what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.340 non-Christian checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:04.680 hesitate to send us questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:07.780 types of things that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:20.480 Let's just bow our heads in prayer. Father, help us to have a great confidence in your Word. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:26.560 A confidence, Father, not only in our minds, and we would like to have that, Father, but also in our 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:34.300 heart, in the very center of who we are. We invite and give you an unqualified permission and invitation 00:01:34.300 --> 00:01:40.080 that your Word, this Word, would enter into our hearts in a very deep way, and that your Word would 00:01:40.080 --> 00:01:46.900 form us, that you would change us by your Word. And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:50.100 and our Savior. Amen. Please be seated. 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:59.940 I wasn't taking a selfie, by the way. I'm turning on my phone to turn on the stopwatch so I don't 00:01:59.940 --> 00:02:05.500 preach for three hours. No, I wouldn't preach that long. You'd all be left the room by then. 00:02:06.180 --> 00:02:10.680 You know, one of the things I love about the Bible, which is so, especially the Gospels, 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:18.060 is they have all of these really human elements in them, just exactly the way we human beings act. 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:23.659 It's actually really funny. Not in every commentary, but some commentaries, the human bits of the story, 00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:31.900 they find problematic, but they're not really problems. There's constantly things in the Gospels 00:02:31.900 --> 00:02:38.460 that just show these are exactly how human beings act. It helps us to understand that while this is a 00:02:38.460 --> 00:02:44.620 story in time and place, and rooted in time and place, it's a story for every time and every place, 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:49.980 because ultimately God is the author. But these human authors who were first used to write this, 00:02:50.100 --> 00:02:55.719 they have all these human elements. And we can see this right off the bat in one of the things 00:02:55.719 --> 00:03:01.219 which causes some people to be a little bit puzzled. In fact, it's the human parts that people 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:06.300 often try to mock in the story. So let's look at it. What we're looking at today is sort of the second 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:16.320 part of the early morning events of Easter Sunday, and it's John chapter 12, sorry, John chapter 20, 00:03:16.880 --> 00:03:22.400 and we're beginning at the 11th verse. John chapter 20, and we're going to begin at the 11th verse. 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:31.140 And just a context, once again, this is written by John, who's the beloved disciple. He was an eyewitness 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:39.459 for almost everything in Jesus's ministry for three years, and he's writing this biography of Jesus 00:03:39.459 --> 00:03:46.699 when many eyewitnesses were alive to comment on it. And what's just happened, if you look at the four 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:52.839 different ancient biographies together, you'll see that a group of women went to the tomb very, very, 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:58.099 very, very early, while it's still dark, wondering how the stone, how they're going to get the stone 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:05.099 removed so that they can deal with Jesus's body. You know, even this is a very, very human little 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:10.359 bit of a gesture, and I hope, don't jump on me. I hope this, you don't consider this to be sexist. 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:16.159 But let me tell you, if you came to my house, and we were going to be sitting, and I wanted to try to 00:04:16.159 --> 00:04:23.420 set a very nice table for you, I wouldn't do as good a job as my wife. Maybe if she was away, I would 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:28.560 sort of set the table, but she'd come, and she'd want to just make it, like, way better. And I'm 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:34.360 betting that the reason so many women went on this Easter morning to go to the tomb is, yeah, these two 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:38.740 guys went, and they wrapped the body, and I'm sure they're saying to themselves, I'm sure they didn't 00:04:38.740 --> 00:04:44.080 leave any flowers, there's probably spice all over the ground, they didn't tidy things up, and we're 00:04:44.080 --> 00:04:49.740 going to go and make it look really good, because they want to honor the corpse of Jesus. Anyway, they go, 00:04:49.740 --> 00:04:55.519 and they discover the soldier's gone, the stone has been blown away, and the grave is empty, and they 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:59.120 all go running different things, and there's different accounts. And if you go back and you 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:03.879 read all of the different accounts, there's nothing in any accounts that contradict each other, but 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:08.420 there's different ways that you could put a chronology to it. But out of all of those events, 00:05:08.540 --> 00:05:13.800 eventually Mary Magdalene runs to Peter and John, tells them that the grave, that somebody's stolen 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:22.420 the body of Jesus. And so Peter and John go taking off to go to the tomb, and Mary follows behind, 00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:27.819 maybe just a foot or so behind, or she walks, or whatever, we're not sure. And what we see here 00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:34.340 right now in the story is taking it up from that moment. Peter and John have gone, and look at this, 00:05:34.400 --> 00:05:41.220 verse 11, and this is just so human, isn't it? But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:50.580 and she weeps because she loved Jesus, and he's dead. She weeps because of the oppression and the 00:05:50.580 --> 00:05:57.060 injustice of the occupying Roman forces that crucified Jesus and humiliated him through crucifixion. 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:05.200 She weeps because the religious leaders of her own people, rather than standing up for Jesus, 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:12.500 had a role in capturing him, and they wanted him dead. And now she's weeping because, dang it all, 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:19.300 they can't even look after the body. They've stolen the body, and she weeps. And then she does this 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:24.079 thing, which, as I said, sometimes commentators find very puzzling, but you shouldn't be puzzled. 00:06:24.180 --> 00:06:29.680 Look what she does next. Verse 11 still, but Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:36.079 she stooped to look into the tomb. And lots of people say, that doesn't make any sense. Like, 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:40.519 why'd you go and look in the tomb again? Well, let me tell you. Before we lost our building, 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:45.819 and before the condos on the other side of our building were there, there was a place where 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:51.660 Christian brothers lived. And the Christian brothers allowed us to have four free parking spots, 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:58.280 all 24-7 in their parking lot. And on Sunday mornings, we could fill their parking lot. 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:04.219 And they did it all for free. And every Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, Barbara Allen would 00:07:04.219 --> 00:07:09.500 remind me that we should send a thank you. And so I went and I bought, I don't know, eight bottles of 00:07:09.500 --> 00:07:14.659 wine or something like that. And I went and gave them to the brothers as just a token of our appreciation 00:07:14.659 --> 00:07:21.039 for them letting us have these parking spots. Anyway, one of my sons had borrowed the van one day, 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:23.980 and I get a call. Dad, the van's stolen. 00:07:26.980 --> 00:07:31.400 I probably said all the stupid, dumb things that Dad say in a situation like that. Like, 00:07:31.460 --> 00:07:36.040 how could it be stolen? Are you sure it's stolen? Like, completely stupid things. 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:40.200 Because I didn't, you know, it's not as if we have vehicles stolen all the time. And I just say, 00:07:40.259 --> 00:07:46.259 oh, look, there you go. 53rd time this year. So anyway, I come down, and what's the very first 00:07:46.259 --> 00:07:53.259 thing I do? I go to see if the van's still there, if the van's gone. As if my 19-year-old 00:07:53.259 --> 00:07:59.039 son isn't capable of remembering where he parked and recognizing whether a van is still there, 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:05.060 or a 20-year-old son, however he old. It was the first thing I did. And when I was in graduate 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:11.139 school the first time, I had been gifted a really, really expensive racing bicycle, 00:08:11.139 --> 00:08:17.039 and a road bike. And I'd gone to the library one day, and when I came out of the library, 00:08:17.139 --> 00:08:22.779 the bike was stolen. And this was really crushing, because I didn't have insurance. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.500 I could never afford a bike like that. I needed my bike to get around. And I must have gone five 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:33.879 different times back to that spot. Every time. I don't know, I mean, what, the bike's just going 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:38.159 to reappear? I don't know. It's just a very human thing. She's crying, and she looks in the tomb. 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:43.919 Now, this next bit in the story is also something that gets people's knickers in a twist. 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:50.620 Like, look what happens next, verse 12. She looks in, and she saw two angels in white, 00:08:51.179 --> 00:08:57.419 sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. Now, this gets some 00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:04.319 people all in a bit of a frazzle, and there's ways that they mock it. And it's funny, the mocking 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:08.160 and the puzzling that they have is over the simplest bit of the story, and what they miss 00:09:08.160 --> 00:09:12.000 is the momentous thing about the story. You know, so very simply, they say, ah, you know, 00:09:12.040 --> 00:09:16.120 how come Peter and John looked in there, and they didn't see angels? And now Mary looks in there, 00:09:16.160 --> 00:09:19.800 and she's, well, no, no, like, that's a stupid, that's not a very wise type of objection. 00:09:20.060 --> 00:09:25.780 I almost said a word, you know, we tell our kids not to say. And, um, stupid, that's the word, 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:30.320 not something really bad. Anyway, and, and, but the, I mean, the issue is, if anybody, 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:33.180 I mean, you know, I mean, there's obviously a whole pile of people who don't believe angels 00:09:33.180 --> 00:09:38.620 exist, and we set those aside for a moment, but angels, by their very nature, are not creatures 00:09:38.620 --> 00:09:45.200 that we can just see by our own power. An angel has to will to be seen, otherwise you'll never see it. 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:50.440 The angels might or might not have appeared there when Peter and John were there, but even if they 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:56.720 were, they didn't will to be seen, but they willed to be seen by Mary when Mary looked her head in 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:01.019 there. That's a very simple way to deal with the story. It's quite remarkable, isn't it? In fact, 00:10:01.040 --> 00:10:06.160 just as an aside, the Bible tells us that there are many angels here, that when we worship on a 00:10:06.160 --> 00:10:11.620 Sunday morning, we worship with angels. We can't hear their voices, but we worship with angels. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:18.000 We worship not by ourselves, but also with angels in, in the company of heaven. It's really a glorious 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:23.800 thought to think that, you know, but they, they remain unseen. But anyway, what's, but what's the big 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:29.719 thing which is missed? And the big thing which is missed is how did she know that one was sitting 00:10:29.719 --> 00:10:36.279 where Jesus's head used to be, and the other one was sitting where his feet used to be? Well, if you 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:41.279 go back and you read the part just before this, verses six and seven, you'll see, and this is the 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:49.159 momentous thing, it's quite astounding, is that the grave cloths were still there, but Jesus's body 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:54.179 was missing. So why was this, why is this a really remarkable thing? Well, it's remarkable for a 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:59.539 variety of reasons. Let's say Frank and I decided that one day we're going to rob an ATM. In fact, 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:04.740 we're going to rob several ATMs. Now, I don't know, maybe some of you, if I pick one of you to rob an 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:10.699 ATM with, you know how to stick a card in, like in a science fiction, you know, spy thing. You type some 00:11:10.699 --> 00:11:16.659 things in, and all of a sudden it starts spitting out all of the $20 and $1,500 bills inside. But most of us 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:20.899 aren't like that. Probably the only way to steal it would be to steal a backhoe, 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:28.079 take that whole stupid ATM machine out of the bank, take it away, and then we could take, 00:11:28.179 --> 00:11:32.559 in our leisure, we could take chisels or whatever, crowbars, and finally open that thing up and get 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:37.759 all the money out of it. That's how we would do it. Only the dumbest thief in the world would try to 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:42.360 take the crowbar and the chisels and stand there while everybody could see them trying to break into 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:49.360 the ATM machine. And even if you found a thief so stupid that he would stand by the ATM machine, 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:55.039 hammering away at it, trying to break it apart so he could steal the money, even if he was that stupid, 00:11:55.100 --> 00:12:00.460 he wouldn't be so stupid that after he'd taken the money, he'd very quickly try to put the whole 00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:08.720 machine back together again. Like that just wouldn't happen. So it was very common in the ancient world 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:15.879 for wealthy people when they had been, the corpses of wealthy people, that people would try to steal 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:22.080 their bodies, at least in this time of Israel. And the reason they would try to steal their bodies 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:28.180 isn't that they were gruesome, although maybe some of them were gruesome. It's because of two things of 00:12:28.179 --> 00:12:37.479 great value. The first thing of just a moderate value is that they have the body and they roll the body 00:12:37.479 --> 00:12:47.039 in a big piece of cloth and intermingled with rolling it up are lots of spices. And in the case of rich 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:53.339 people, in the case of Jesus, because Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy, as was Nicodemus, and they're the two men 00:12:53.340 --> 00:13:02.200 who did this, 75 pounds of spices. And like in today's dollars, that would be worth like, I mean, 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:08.220 that would be worth 50, 60 thousand dollars of spices, plus the cloth. So when they would steal a 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:12.300 body, they weren't stealing the body, they didn't care about the body, the body would just be thrown 00:13:12.300 --> 00:13:19.200 away somewhere. They'd take the whole body and leave so that they could disentangle the linen, the cloth, 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:25.180 and they could take out the spices and resell it, which I know is unbelievably gross. But that's a 00:13:25.180 --> 00:13:30.500 separate matter. That's what they did. Obviously, if they have no conscience to disrespect the grave, 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:35.040 they don't have any conscience about selling spices that have been next to a decomposing body. 00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:39.600 That's a whole other thing, just a gross aspect of the story. So the point of it is, though, 00:13:40.300 --> 00:13:44.440 that what you see there and what you see here is that Mary's able to see the grave clothes. 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:51.840 And so she can see that one angel is sitting where the headpiece was, and the other angel is sitting 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:57.420 where the feet would be. Because the way it's described in the original language, it's if all 00:13:57.420 --> 00:14:04.280 of a sudden you have this body enwrapped with spices and cloth, and then the body vanishes from it. 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:11.240 The body vanishes, leaving behind the cloth and the spices. 00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:19.899 It's one of the many powerful pieces of evidence that Jesus not only did die, which isn't really 00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:26.459 a dispute, but that he really did rise from the dead. And also tells us a little bit about the nature 00:14:26.459 --> 00:14:31.439 of the resurrection, that his body could just be gone, that no longer had to stay there. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:37.960 Now, here I've sort of taken this way, but I want you to notice that part of the story, 00:14:38.040 --> 00:14:41.860 which is really important. The thing about seeing two angels, that's a simple thing. 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:45.820 Nobody should be particularly bothered about that. But then most of us would say, 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:50.500 well, that's cool, like angels, like what happened? Like what did you talk about? 00:14:51.300 --> 00:14:55.580 One of the most common things that I have with my wife, I'm telling her about some things 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:59.820 that went on, I want to let her know something that I learned that day, and I tell her the conversation, 00:14:59.820 --> 00:15:03.640 then she'll ask me a couple of very good questions. And I'll always tell her, well, 00:15:03.660 --> 00:15:07.700 the conversation just moved in a different direction. And that's sort of what happens here. 00:15:07.760 --> 00:15:12.700 We'd like to know about the angels, but the conversation, well, look what happens. It's verse 13. 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:22.560 So the angels are there, and before Mary can say anything, they say to her first, you know, woman, 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:30.800 and it said with respect, why are you weeping? She said to them, they have taken away my Lord, 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:34.500 and I do not know where they have laid him. 00:15:40.579 --> 00:15:44.819 And she doesn't end up talking about anything about the angels or anything like that. 00:15:45.579 --> 00:15:51.539 She just tells them, you know, I'm looking for Jesus's corpse. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.740 You know, one of the other powerful evidences for the truth of the resurrection 00:15:55.740 --> 00:16:01.600 is that in none of the accounts, none of the ancient biographies, do Christians look good. 00:16:03.580 --> 00:16:08.639 They all look every single, like, as you continue to listen to this story, 00:16:09.419 --> 00:16:12.200 Mary doesn't believe that Jesus is risen from the dead. 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:15.600 Jesus died. Dead people stayed dead. 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:18.639 And he is dead. He didn't rise from the dead. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:23.139 And Peter doesn't, you know, John, like the women, all the disciples, 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:28.299 all the way through in all of the accounts until Jesus finally appears as resurrected. 00:16:28.740 --> 00:16:32.779 Even the empty tomb does not convince Mary that Jesus rose from the dead. 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:34.679 She just thinks the body's been taken. 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:36.639 She doesn't stop to think about it for that. 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:38.639 You know, maybe later on she's saying, of course, that's so stupid. 00:16:38.699 --> 00:16:42.480 Of course he had to have risen from the dead because the way the grave cloths, 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:43.960 and of course they must have been angels, 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:45.799 and all these things she would have thought about later. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:51.259 But in the moment, they're just continuing selling the story that Jesus is dead, 00:16:51.319 --> 00:16:53.139 and she's looking for his body. 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:57.519 Now the next bit, which puzzles people, I can't be dogmatic, 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:04.919 but I think there's a very plausible way and a very human way to understand what happens next. 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:07.039 I'll show you what the problem is. 00:17:07.059 --> 00:17:08.039 Look at verse 14. 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:09.799 So she's just said to the angels, 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:13.700 they've taken, you know, I don't know where they've laid Jesus. 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:15.500 Verse 14, 00:17:15.900 --> 00:17:16.920 And having said this, 00:17:17.840 --> 00:17:19.900 she turned around and saw Jesus standing, 00:17:20.380 --> 00:17:22.640 but she did not know that it was Jesus. 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:26.299 Now the question is, like, why did she turn around all of a sudden? 00:17:26.980 --> 00:17:28.799 And I think the reason is like this. 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:30.940 She's looking at the angels, 00:17:32.100 --> 00:17:35.180 and it's clear from the text 00:17:35.180 --> 00:17:38.200 that Jesus doesn't sort of walk behind her, sneaking up on her. 00:17:38.860 --> 00:17:40.539 Jesus just appears behind her. 00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:43.440 And why did she turn around? 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.399 Could have been that human sense of other people present. 00:17:48.339 --> 00:17:52.920 It could have been that human sense that you sometimes have that somebody's looking at you. 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:56.079 I mean, that's a puzzling thing in and of itself. 00:17:56.180 --> 00:17:59.539 Why does it sometimes we feel somebody looking at us? 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:03.079 But I think more likely what happened is, 00:18:03.379 --> 00:18:05.819 we see it, Mary saw a change in the angels. 00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:11.240 Maybe they all of a sudden stood and looked behind her. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:16.920 Maybe all of a sudden they smiled in a different way, looking behind her. 00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:21.139 Maybe there was a bowing of their head while they looked behind her. 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:24.300 But she sees the angels looking behind her. 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:27.000 I mean, this makes complete and utter sense. 00:18:27.600 --> 00:18:31.040 This is the Lord of the angels who's now standing behind Mary. 00:18:32.340 --> 00:18:34.140 And so Mary turns around. 00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:38.660 And it's caused lots of people problems over the years 00:18:38.660 --> 00:18:42.960 as to why she didn't recognize him. 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:45.240 Some of the explanations haven't been, 00:18:45.420 --> 00:18:47.120 especially of older commentaries, 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.640 weren't very complimentary of women. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:50.180 They would say, well, you know, 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:52.620 we know women have this hysterical type of nature, 00:18:52.860 --> 00:18:55.280 which, you know, is all just, you know, garbage. 00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:57.779 And some will say, you know, 00:18:57.819 --> 00:19:00.059 well, she was so crying she couldn't see. 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:01.859 And others are saying, well, you know, 00:19:01.899 --> 00:19:03.859 maybe it's a bit dark still. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:05.960 And others are saying that there's a sun behind them. 00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:07.599 But it doesn't, in fact, 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:10.440 the story makes it even more complicated than that. 00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:13.759 Look what happens in verse, you know, 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:15.579 in verse 14, she doesn't recognize Jesus. 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:18.779 Verse 15, Jesus said to her, 00:19:19.379 --> 00:19:20.680 woman, why are you weeping? 00:19:21.180 --> 00:19:22.019 Whom are you seeking? 00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:24.619 You might be able to explain away Mary's, 00:19:24.619 --> 00:19:26.779 you know, having some tears in her eyes 00:19:26.779 --> 00:19:28.399 or the sun streaming behind Jesus, 00:19:28.539 --> 00:19:30.099 but she'd recognize his voice. 00:19:30.939 --> 00:19:33.619 Like, good grief, I'd recognize Louise's voice. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:37.259 Like, none of those things explain 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:39.479 why she doesn't understand him when she speaks. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.759 You're right, and since the story makes it even worse. 00:19:44.719 --> 00:19:46.159 And then she does something here, 00:19:47.099 --> 00:19:50.039 look at this, that once again is very, very human. 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:52.399 Like, Jesus said to her, woman, 00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:53.139 why are you weeping? 00:19:53.219 --> 00:19:53.879 Whom are you seeking? 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:55.760 And supposing him to be the gardener, 00:19:56.080 --> 00:19:56.780 that's so funny. 00:19:57.220 --> 00:19:59.000 Remember I said, yeah, this story keeps selling 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.380 that Mary and the early Christians 00:20:01.380 --> 00:20:03.220 don't believe Jesus had risen from the dead. 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:05.620 She says to him, sir, if you have carried him away, 00:20:05.760 --> 00:20:06.920 tell me where you have laid him, 00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:08.540 and I will take him away. 00:20:10.740 --> 00:20:12.440 And then Jesus said to her, Mary. 00:20:13.580 --> 00:20:15.420 She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:17.800 Rabboni, which means teacher. 00:20:18.600 --> 00:20:19.980 Here's the very human thing. 00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:23.200 Just imagine for a moment you're going to a reception. 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:28.519 And at the reception, you're going to be meeting somebody. 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:30.299 You know there's going to be a couple of people that you know. 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.019 And so I come into the reception, 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:33.700 and I take my glass of wine, 00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:34.940 but I'm looking for Andrew. 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:36.680 I want to hang out with Andrew and Victor. 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:40.860 So I take it from the waiter or the waitress, 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.460 and as I'm taking it, I'm looking around 00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:44.940 because I'd like to see Andrew and Victor 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:45.920 and have a talk with them. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.340 And so I turn away from the person. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:51.220 And so Mary, she just thinks it's the gardener. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.560 She's not going to spend all her time talking to the gardener. 00:20:53.600 --> 00:20:55.120 She's looking around like, where's Jesus? 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:56.340 Where's the body of Jesus? 00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:59.940 And then Jesus says Mary's name, 00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:03.340 and Mary now turns right back and looks. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:07.360 And as we see, look here in verse 17, 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.220 what she obviously does is she doesn't just look at Jesus. 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:16.279 She throws herself at Jesus and hugs him, grabs him. 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:19.559 One of the reasons that, once again, 00:21:19.620 --> 00:21:21.460 we know that this is a physical resurrection. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:23.440 It's not just a spiritual thing. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:24.519 It's not an hallucination. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:25.920 It's a physical thing. 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:30.400 And just before we go any further, 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.600 you know, if you go back and you read, 00:21:32.980 --> 00:21:34.420 I think it's John chapter 10, 00:21:35.220 --> 00:21:37.079 Jesus has this very beautiful piece 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:38.779 about comparing himself to, you know, 00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:40.059 he says, I am the good shepherd. 00:21:40.059 --> 00:21:42.159 And one of the things he says 00:21:42.159 --> 00:21:44.759 is that the good shepherd knows his sheep by name. 00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:49.339 See, this is one of the things that's so beautiful 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:50.379 about the Christian faith. 00:21:50.700 --> 00:21:58.240 He doesn't just say, I love middle-aged, white people 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:02.519 with graduate educations who live in postmodern countries 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:03.359 like Canada. 00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:05.899 He says, I love George. 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:11.780 You know, he doesn't just say, you know, I love engineers. 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:14.620 No, he loves Uzo and he loves Tommy, right? 00:22:14.800 --> 00:22:16.420 He doesn't just say, I love lawyers. 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:19.400 He says, no, I love Victor and I love Owen. 00:22:21.100 --> 00:22:22.060 And on and on. 00:22:23.420 --> 00:22:25.780 And so what happens is what we're seeing here 00:22:25.780 --> 00:22:28.980 is we're learning something about what the resurrected body is like. 00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:31.880 On one hand, in a resurrected body, 00:22:31.880 --> 00:22:33.160 if you want to go through a barrier, 00:22:33.259 --> 00:22:34.220 you just go through a barrier. 00:22:34.420 --> 00:22:36.700 You're going to see that if you go and read the rest of the Gospels. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:39.480 And you're learning in a resurrected body 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:41.880 that it's a body, you can hug it. 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.519 And later on, you're going to see that he can eat fish 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.120 and there's still the wounds on his side. 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:50.759 But the other thing about the resurrected body 00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:53.200 is that it's still very clearly the person, 00:22:53.620 --> 00:22:55.819 but there's also something different about the person. 00:22:55.819 --> 00:22:59.419 But more importantly, that we now see that the resurrected body 00:22:59.419 --> 00:23:00.779 is a little bit like an angel, 00:23:00.899 --> 00:23:02.939 not in terms of being non-physical or invisible, 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.359 but that Jesus has to will to be recognized, 00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:09.519 just like the angels have to will to be recognized. 00:23:09.740 --> 00:23:12.939 It's so beautiful that the angels there and Jesus are in the same story, 00:23:13.379 --> 00:23:14.439 showing the same principle. 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:17.359 Angels will that Mary can see them. 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:22.460 Jesus now wills that Mary can see him, 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:24.119 and he does it by calling her by name. 00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:28.019 He does it by calling her by name. 00:23:30.779 --> 00:23:32.279 Look at verse 17. 00:23:32.399 --> 00:23:33.179 Jesus said to her, 00:23:33.259 --> 00:23:34.220 Do not cling to me. 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:39.159 One of the unfortunate things is the old King James Version 00:23:39.159 --> 00:23:40.679 translates it as touch, 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:42.519 which isn't accurate in the Greek, 00:23:42.980 --> 00:23:43.819 and it's unfortunate, 00:23:44.659 --> 00:23:47.439 because it causes problems to figure out 00:23:47.439 --> 00:23:48.799 why he's able to be touched later. 00:23:48.980 --> 00:23:51.480 But it's not that Mary is just giving him 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.839 the biggest hug in the world. 00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:56.099 I mean, and this is so believable, right? 00:23:56.199 --> 00:23:57.539 Because all the way through this, 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:58.879 you see how much she loved him. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.299 She was one of the people there 00:24:00.299 --> 00:24:02.539 watching him be crucified. 00:24:02.919 --> 00:24:04.579 She's one of the people who watched 00:24:04.579 --> 00:24:06.839 Nicodemus and Josephus, 00:24:07.779 --> 00:24:08.619 not Josephus, 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:09.740 Joseph of Arimathea, 00:24:10.179 --> 00:24:12.539 take the body of Jesus to the cave, 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:13.819 and she saw where the cave was. 00:24:14.139 --> 00:24:16.419 She's one of the women going to prepare 00:24:16.419 --> 00:24:18.079 the body of Jesus even better 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:19.419 on the third day. 00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:21.820 She's the one who goes and tells the apostle. 00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:23.640 She's the one who goes back to the tomb. 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:25.420 She's the one who's weeping inconsolably. 00:24:26.340 --> 00:24:27.400 She loves him, 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:28.640 and so she hugs him. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:32.340 And then Jesus here, 00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.500 it's so beautiful, 00:24:33.620 --> 00:24:34.360 verse 17, 00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:35.320 Jesus said to her, 00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:36.759 Do not cling to me, 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:39.660 for I have not yet ascended to the Father. 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:41.680 But go to my brothers. 00:24:42.580 --> 00:24:43.080 So wonderful. 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:44.060 He doesn't say, 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:45.600 Go to those dirty rats 00:24:45.600 --> 00:24:47.460 who wouldn't stand by me. 00:24:47.460 --> 00:24:48.340 He doesn't say, 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:49.819 Go to those dunces 00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:52.360 who didn't understand anything I taught them. 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:54.259 He doesn't say anything like that. 00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:54.900 He says, 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:55.900 Go to my brothers. 00:24:56.539 --> 00:24:57.539 Go to my brothers 00:24:57.539 --> 00:24:59.600 and say to them, 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:03.319 I am ascending to my Father. 00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:04.960 And he doesn't say, 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:06.019 I'm not even sure if God 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:07.120 would have anything to do with you 00:25:07.120 --> 00:25:10.460 because you've been doing such a terrible job. 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:11.340 No, no. 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:11.740 He says, 00:25:11.779 --> 00:25:13.200 I am ascending to my Father 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:14.620 and your Father 00:25:14.620 --> 00:25:16.080 to my God 00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:17.480 and your God. 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:20.500 And Mary Magdalene went 00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:22.299 and announced to the disciples 00:25:22.299 --> 00:25:23.640 in the original language, 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:25.319 I have seen the Lord 00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:26.980 is emphatic. 00:25:29.160 --> 00:25:31.519 And that he had said these things to her. 00:25:32.840 --> 00:25:33.299 Now, 00:25:33.840 --> 00:25:37.880 I'm a sucker for action films. 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:40.300 And just a bit of a side, 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:42.480 I often like Gerard Butler 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:43.960 in roles. 00:25:44.220 --> 00:25:45.560 If I see that he's in a movie, 00:25:45.760 --> 00:25:47.660 I'm more likely to want to watch it on Netflix. 00:25:48.620 --> 00:25:49.780 And there's a thing 00:25:49.780 --> 00:25:51.080 that just came on Netflix 00:25:51.080 --> 00:25:51.840 a little while ago. 00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:53.540 I think it's called Geostorm. 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.040 And it's one of the things 00:25:55.040 --> 00:25:55.920 I love about this. 00:25:56.360 --> 00:25:59.100 I love old disaster films like this 00:25:59.100 --> 00:26:01.220 because the beginning of the movie, 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.780 I'm not going to give away any spoilers. 00:26:03.340 --> 00:26:04.060 Beginning of the movie, 00:26:04.120 --> 00:26:05.480 it all begins very solemn 00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:07.660 because of climate change 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:08.380 and pollution. 00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:09.700 The whole earth 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:11.000 was completely and utterly 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:12.640 almost uninhabitable 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.960 in the year 2019. 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:16.180 2019, 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.339 five years ago. 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:17.900 Anyway, 00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:19.579 I won't go into a political thing 00:26:19.579 --> 00:26:20.019 right here. 00:26:20.579 --> 00:26:21.660 And then, of course, 00:26:21.860 --> 00:26:23.500 they designed this thing 00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:24.940 that sort of saves the planet. 00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:26.920 And then several years later, 00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:28.200 the whole thing 00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:29.079 is starting to fall apart. 00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:29.980 And there's only one thing 00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:30.819 on the whole planet, 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:32.039 only one person 00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:32.740 on the whole planet 00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:34.099 who can rescue humankind, 00:26:34.220 --> 00:26:35.259 and that's Gerard Butler. 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:36.779 And he has to go back up 00:26:36.779 --> 00:26:38.079 into space and fix it. 00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:39.579 And before he goes, 00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:41.160 he has a 13-year-old daughter. 00:26:41.259 --> 00:26:42.440 And his 13-year-old daughter 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:43.500 doesn't want him to go 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:44.940 because she thinks 00:26:44.940 --> 00:26:45.759 he's going to die. 00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:47.240 And he says to her, 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:48.740 the classic action hero thing, 00:26:48.819 --> 00:26:49.299 don't worry, 00:26:49.360 --> 00:26:50.279 I'm not going to die. 00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:51.640 I'm going to come back. 00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:53.339 But then he says, 00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:55.660 in classic North American fashion, 00:26:56.519 --> 00:26:58.140 with great affection 00:26:58.140 --> 00:27:00.380 and a wonderful Scottish accent, 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:01.940 he touches her 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:03.180 on her chest 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:04.180 and says, 00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:05.240 but even if I die, 00:27:05.820 --> 00:27:07.100 I'm always with you. 00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:09.100 I'm always with you 00:27:09.100 --> 00:27:09.960 right here in your heart. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.660 Now it's supposed to be 00:27:13.660 --> 00:27:14.279 a moving thing, 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:15.580 and it is a moving thing. 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:20.240 But here's a couple 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.080 of things about it. 00:27:21.079 --> 00:27:24.139 First thing is, 00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:25.759 you see this all the time. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:26.460 You know, 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:27.579 if you've ever come 00:27:27.579 --> 00:27:28.099 to a funeral 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:30.439 that I get to preside at, 00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:34.539 if people want to say eulogies 00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:34.919 and stuff, 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:35.980 I allow them to do that. 00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:36.819 And I sort of sense 00:27:36.819 --> 00:27:37.399 at the beginning 00:27:37.399 --> 00:27:38.159 of the service, 00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:38.720 I do that. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:40.480 And then the rest 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:41.319 of the service happens 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:42.039 and I'll preach 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:42.679 a short sermon. 00:27:43.099 --> 00:27:43.939 But I've heard many, 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:44.619 many times 00:27:44.619 --> 00:27:45.699 where one of the people 00:27:45.699 --> 00:27:46.379 doing the eulogy 00:27:46.379 --> 00:27:47.339 will look at the people 00:27:47.339 --> 00:27:47.799 who are grieved 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:48.119 and said, 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:48.700 don't worry, 00:27:49.240 --> 00:27:50.079 they're looking down 00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:50.960 at you right now, 00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:51.700 they love you, 00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:52.419 they're with you, 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:53.500 they're watching over you. 00:27:53.539 --> 00:27:54.039 I've heard it said 00:27:54.039 --> 00:27:54.839 many, many times. 00:27:55.259 --> 00:27:55.879 So on one hand, 00:27:55.940 --> 00:27:56.899 this is a very good thing. 00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:58.980 It shows that in North America 00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:00.359 and I think around the world, 00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:01.819 there is a very, 00:28:01.919 --> 00:28:03.559 very, very, very strong 00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:05.059 intuition in people 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:06.960 that life is stronger 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:07.599 than death 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:08.519 and that death 00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:09.319 is not final 00:28:09.319 --> 00:28:10.680 and that there is a way 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:12.259 to survive death 00:28:12.259 --> 00:28:13.480 and continue to live. 00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:14.980 There's a very strong 00:28:14.980 --> 00:28:16.639 intuition that that's the case 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.160 and there's a very strong 00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:19.740 longing that that 00:28:19.740 --> 00:28:20.520 would be the case 00:28:20.520 --> 00:28:22.240 and for secular Canadians 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:23.720 it's expressed in that thing 00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:24.500 about don't worry, 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:26.340 I'm always going to be with you, 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.440 I'll be looking over you 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:28.820 and all of those types of things. 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:29.620 It's very, very, 00:28:30.360 --> 00:28:32.480 it shows this very deep longing 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.420 and this very deep intuition 00:28:34.420 --> 00:28:36.220 and as Christians 00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:37.120 we would want to say 00:28:37.120 --> 00:28:38.940 you should follow those longings 00:28:38.940 --> 00:28:39.700 and those intuition. 00:28:40.860 --> 00:28:42.040 You should think about it 00:28:42.040 --> 00:28:42.560 more deeply 00:28:42.560 --> 00:28:44.420 and the reason you need 00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:44.960 to think about it 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:45.400 more deeply 00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:46.220 is that there's a couple 00:28:46.220 --> 00:28:46.740 of problems. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:47.259 There's three, 00:28:47.320 --> 00:28:48.420 I'll tell you two right now. 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:50.019 The first one is this, 00:28:50.100 --> 00:28:50.860 there's no evidence 00:28:50.860 --> 00:28:51.900 for what you've just said. 00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:56.080 There's absolutely no evidence 00:28:56.080 --> 00:28:58.380 that that's true. 00:29:00.780 --> 00:29:01.280 In fact, 00:29:01.340 --> 00:29:02.200 I would also say 00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:03.480 to my Hindu 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:04.620 and Buddhist friends 00:29:04.620 --> 00:29:05.519 there's no evidence 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:06.440 in reincarnation. 00:29:06.600 --> 00:29:07.519 Like there's zero evidence 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:08.019 for it. 00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:10.840 To our Muslim friends, 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:11.820 I'd say there's 00:29:11.820 --> 00:29:12.840 zero evidence 00:29:12.839 --> 00:29:14.399 that the Muslim description 00:29:14.399 --> 00:29:15.919 of life after death 00:29:15.919 --> 00:29:16.339 is true. 00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:17.559 There's no evidence for it. 00:29:17.859 --> 00:29:19.579 Like zero evidence for it. 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.059 And the second thing 00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:23.819 about it is 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:25.759 that if you think about it 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:26.339 for a second, 00:29:27.199 --> 00:29:27.740 it's what 00:29:27.740 --> 00:29:30.139 that intuition 00:29:30.139 --> 00:29:31.379 or that what's said 00:29:31.379 --> 00:29:32.079 in funerals 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:33.199 is actually the plot 00:29:33.199 --> 00:29:34.039 of a horror movie. 00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:35.439 You go, 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:35.779 what? 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:36.559 How could that be? 00:29:36.779 --> 00:29:37.579 Just think about it 00:29:37.579 --> 00:29:38.019 for a second. 00:29:38.599 --> 00:29:39.299 Would you like 00:29:39.299 --> 00:29:40.119 to be in a world 00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:41.059 where all of a sudden 00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:41.660 dead people 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:42.960 watch you all the time? 00:29:43.779 --> 00:29:44.859 Like all the time? 00:29:45.339 --> 00:29:46.680 When you go to the bathroom? 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:50.139 Like when you're intimate 00:29:50.139 --> 00:29:51.039 with your spouse? 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:52.879 Like they're always there 00:29:52.879 --> 00:29:53.639 watching you? 00:29:54.980 --> 00:29:55.299 Don't you see, 00:29:55.339 --> 00:29:56.059 that's actually the plot 00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:56.819 of a horror movie. 00:29:57.900 --> 00:29:59.259 It's not actually something 00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:00.839 that is really good. 00:30:02.139 --> 00:30:02.799 So if you could put up 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:03.740 the first point, Claire, 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:05.740 that would be very handy. 00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:07.240 And that is this. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:09.099 And this is why 00:30:09.099 --> 00:30:10.400 these stories are so important. 00:30:10.599 --> 00:30:11.700 There is only one 00:30:11.700 --> 00:30:13.180 who has vindicated 00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:13.980 his authority. 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:14.819 Sorry, 00:30:14.940 --> 00:30:15.740 the only one 00:30:15.740 --> 00:30:16.759 who has vindicated 00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:17.480 his authority 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:19.000 to talk about life 00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:19.460 and death 00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:20.099 is Jesus. 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:21.440 Why? 00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:23.359 Because he is the only one 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:23.980 who has tasted 00:30:23.980 --> 00:30:25.000 all there is to taste 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:25.480 of death 00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:27.039 and then been resurrected. 00:30:28.859 --> 00:30:30.240 He's the only one. 00:30:31.220 --> 00:30:31.680 And in fact, 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:32.099 you know, 00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:34.859 this is so powerful 00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:36.759 is that when you 00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:37.699 see these stories 00:30:37.699 --> 00:30:38.879 and see that Jesus 00:30:38.879 --> 00:30:39.819 has tasted 00:30:39.819 --> 00:30:40.319 all there is 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:41.159 to taste of death 00:30:41.159 --> 00:30:42.519 and that he's resurrected 00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:43.419 on the third day, 00:30:43.539 --> 00:30:44.599 he's defeated death, 00:30:44.639 --> 00:30:45.379 he's on the other side 00:30:45.379 --> 00:30:45.779 of death, 00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:46.859 he's still alive, 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:48.399 only Christianity 00:30:48.399 --> 00:30:50.199 explains 00:30:50.199 --> 00:30:52.519 and grounds 00:30:52.519 --> 00:30:53.500 our intuitions 00:30:53.500 --> 00:30:54.500 and our longings 00:30:54.500 --> 00:30:55.979 around surviving death. 00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:57.240 Only Jesus 00:30:57.240 --> 00:30:59.639 can talk about it. 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:01.759 Now, 00:31:01.900 --> 00:31:03.240 there's another problem 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:04.500 with the, 00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.300 I said there were three, 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:05.720 there's probably, 00:31:05.880 --> 00:31:06.420 there's a lot more 00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:06.820 than three, 00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:07.520 but I was just going 00:31:07.520 --> 00:31:08.440 to share three this morning 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:09.540 about the Canadian view 00:31:09.540 --> 00:31:10.660 on death 00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:12.120 and life after death. 00:31:12.780 --> 00:31:13.259 And that's, 00:31:13.340 --> 00:31:14.060 the other problem 00:31:14.060 --> 00:31:14.380 is this, 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:15.259 that it actually 00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:17.380 unconsciously reveals 00:31:17.380 --> 00:31:18.900 that we believe 00:31:18.900 --> 00:31:19.640 that we're the center 00:31:19.640 --> 00:31:20.220 of the universe. 00:31:22.800 --> 00:31:24.440 It unconsciously reveals 00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:25.560 that human beings 00:31:25.560 --> 00:31:26.340 believe that they're 00:31:26.340 --> 00:31:27.240 the center of the universe. 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:27.460 Well, 00:31:27.500 --> 00:31:28.220 why do I say that? 00:31:28.579 --> 00:31:30.599 Imagine on a day, 00:31:30.859 --> 00:31:31.640 by coincidence, 00:31:32.140 --> 00:31:33.660 a man and a woman 00:31:33.660 --> 00:31:34.799 who used to be married 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:36.500 are divorced 00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:38.319 and by coincidence 00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:38.799 they, 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:39.940 they've been divorced 00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:40.720 for quite a while 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:41.599 and they, 00:31:42.140 --> 00:31:42.599 by the way, 00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:44.059 we all know people like this, 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:45.799 they hated each other's guts. 00:31:46.539 --> 00:31:47.220 Let's be frank. 00:31:47.859 --> 00:31:48.579 A man and a woman 00:31:48.579 --> 00:31:49.059 who'd been married 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:49.640 for many years, 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:51.019 they hated each other. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:52.880 They loathed each other. 00:31:53.299 --> 00:31:54.180 Probably if you had 00:31:54.180 --> 00:31:54.819 talked to them 00:31:54.819 --> 00:31:56.259 and if you said that, 00:31:56.339 --> 00:31:56.620 you know, 00:31:56.700 --> 00:31:56.940 you know, 00:31:56.940 --> 00:31:57.279 my, 00:31:57.480 --> 00:31:57.900 your, 00:31:58.019 --> 00:31:59.180 your ex-husband Joe 00:31:59.180 --> 00:32:00.180 is on his deathbed 00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:00.720 and she says, 00:32:00.779 --> 00:32:01.799 I hope he has a long 00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:03.960 and painful lingering illness 00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:05.240 and then he rots in hell. 00:32:05.420 --> 00:32:06.400 We've all met people 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:07.080 who would say that 00:32:07.080 --> 00:32:07.580 about their, 00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:08.740 their ex-spouse. 00:32:09.100 --> 00:32:09.799 And then, 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:10.539 by coincidence, 00:32:10.740 --> 00:32:11.420 their funerals 00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:12.299 are opposite ends 00:32:12.299 --> 00:32:12.759 of the city 00:32:12.759 --> 00:32:13.700 in the same day. 00:32:14.580 --> 00:32:16.320 And somebody for Bob 00:32:16.320 --> 00:32:17.799 gets up and says eulogy 00:32:17.799 --> 00:32:18.299 and says, 00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:18.500 oh, 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:19.740 you people who miss Bob, 00:32:19.940 --> 00:32:20.660 he's up there 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:21.720 looking down on you. 00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:23.740 And somebody who goes 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:24.620 to Sue's funeral 00:32:24.620 --> 00:32:24.860 says, 00:32:24.940 --> 00:32:25.839 don't worry about Sue, 00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:26.400 she's up there 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:27.400 looking down at you. 00:32:28.100 --> 00:32:29.039 And if people put 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:29.740 two and two together, 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:30.019 they say, 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:30.180 what, 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:31.299 Bob and Sue 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:31.860 are going to have 00:32:31.860 --> 00:32:32.660 to live together 00:32:32.660 --> 00:32:33.680 after life, 00:32:33.880 --> 00:32:35.000 after death? 00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:36.420 They're going to hate that. 00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:37.480 That's a description 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:38.140 of hell, 00:32:38.299 --> 00:32:39.079 not heaven 00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:39.980 to each of them, 00:32:40.059 --> 00:32:40.740 that they're going to 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:41.600 have to spend time 00:32:41.600 --> 00:32:42.200 with each other. 00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:43.180 But the other thing is, 00:32:43.259 --> 00:32:43.559 no, no, 00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:44.240 see, 00:32:44.620 --> 00:32:45.440 here's what people mean 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:46.319 when they say this. 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:49.139 What they really mean is, 00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:49.460 listen, 00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:50.059 all those other 00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:50.960 terrible people, 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:52.639 they just die. 00:32:53.700 --> 00:32:54.519 But I'm always 00:32:54.519 --> 00:32:55.339 going to be with you. 00:32:58.220 --> 00:32:59.159 My ex-wife, 00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:00.319 my ex-husband, 00:33:00.439 --> 00:33:01.240 no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:33:02.379 --> 00:33:02.939 They're just, 00:33:03.079 --> 00:33:03.899 they're going to be in hell. 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:06.039 I'll always be with you. 00:33:06.439 --> 00:33:06.619 Like, 00:33:06.619 --> 00:33:06.939 actually, 00:33:07.099 --> 00:33:08.779 it unconsciously reveals 00:33:08.779 --> 00:33:10.519 our self-centeredness. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:11.579 If you could put up 00:33:11.579 --> 00:33:12.059 the next point, 00:33:12.139 --> 00:33:13.000 that would be very helpful. 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:16.119 There is no way 00:33:16.119 --> 00:33:17.500 to be with others 00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:18.539 in the new heaven 00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:19.579 and earth 00:33:19.579 --> 00:33:21.179 without always being 00:33:21.179 --> 00:33:22.279 in the full presence 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:24.039 of the triune God. 00:33:25.659 --> 00:33:26.679 There is no way 00:33:26.679 --> 00:33:27.419 to be with others 00:33:27.419 --> 00:33:28.119 in the new heaven 00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:28.759 and the earth 00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:30.139 without always being 00:33:30.139 --> 00:33:30.939 in the full presence 00:33:30.939 --> 00:33:31.979 of the triune God. 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:32.819 See, 00:33:32.879 --> 00:33:33.399 that's the thing 00:33:33.399 --> 00:33:34.239 which is seen 00:33:34.239 --> 00:33:34.879 in this text, 00:33:34.939 --> 00:33:35.779 which is so beautiful. 00:33:36.419 --> 00:33:36.639 You know, 00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:37.719 Jesus says, 00:33:37.979 --> 00:33:38.659 tell my brothers 00:33:38.659 --> 00:33:40.439 that I'm ascending. 00:33:41.699 --> 00:33:41.859 And, 00:33:41.899 --> 00:33:44.500 and the implication there, 00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:45.059 by the way, 00:33:45.199 --> 00:33:46.079 with all of Jesus' 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:46.539 teaching, 00:33:46.639 --> 00:33:47.419 you read the Gospels, 00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:48.119 you realize that 00:33:48.119 --> 00:33:48.559 one of the things 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:49.619 which is so profound 00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:51.219 is that Jesus' 00:33:51.539 --> 00:33:52.539 death on the cross 00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:53.779 accomplishes something 00:33:53.779 --> 00:33:55.299 that when we put our faith 00:33:55.299 --> 00:33:56.339 and trust in Him, 00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:57.899 that in a sense, 00:33:58.000 --> 00:33:59.179 His death becomes ours, 00:33:59.319 --> 00:34:00.000 His resurrection 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:00.879 becomes ours. 00:34:01.339 --> 00:34:02.219 My hope 00:34:02.219 --> 00:34:03.759 in having a new body 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:05.099 and being resurrected 00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:05.799 in the new heaven 00:34:05.799 --> 00:34:06.359 and the new earth 00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:07.299 isn't based on anything 00:34:07.299 --> 00:34:07.919 I can do, 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:09.039 anything I can accomplish. 00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:11.039 It's all done by Christ. 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:12.279 He finishes everything. 00:34:12.420 --> 00:34:13.819 He accomplishes everything. 00:34:13.820 --> 00:34:16.120 And He also gets around 00:34:16.120 --> 00:34:17.380 this issue of our pride 00:34:17.380 --> 00:34:18.940 because somebody might say, 00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:19.559 okay, George, 00:34:20.280 --> 00:34:21.080 so in the new heaven 00:34:21.080 --> 00:34:21.760 and the new earth, 00:34:23.240 --> 00:34:24.340 you can't just sort of 00:34:24.340 --> 00:34:25.320 go up into the new heaven 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:25.960 and the new earth 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:26.240 and, 00:34:27.240 --> 00:34:28.680 or you can't survive death 00:34:28.680 --> 00:34:29.240 and somehow 00:34:29.240 --> 00:34:31.120 maintain your pride 00:34:31.120 --> 00:34:34.180 that God has to stay distant. 00:34:34.300 --> 00:34:34.840 Like that just, 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:35.900 it can't happen. 00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:39.360 And it matters. 00:34:41.079 --> 00:34:42.079 A couple of months ago, 00:34:42.139 --> 00:34:43.480 I had a really good friend 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:44.800 from out west come to visit 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:45.340 and he asked me 00:34:45.340 --> 00:34:46.059 if I wanted to spend 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:46.740 a couple of hours 00:34:46.740 --> 00:34:47.599 with him in the afternoon. 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:48.800 So I did some rearranging 00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:49.500 of my schedule. 00:34:50.059 --> 00:34:50.900 I don't get to see him 00:34:50.900 --> 00:34:51.480 very often 00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:52.320 and I went to spend 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.079 some time with him. 00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:54.220 And I have to confess, 00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:55.160 as soon as I arrived, 00:34:55.240 --> 00:34:56.039 my face fell 00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:58.539 because he brought 00:34:58.539 --> 00:34:59.559 his dad with him. 00:35:01.240 --> 00:35:01.800 And in fact, 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:02.380 if he had said, 00:35:02.460 --> 00:35:03.200 would you like to hang out 00:35:03.200 --> 00:35:04.380 with me and my dad, 00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:05.860 I probably would have said no. 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:08.000 Not that his dad's a bad guy, 00:35:08.099 --> 00:35:08.300 but I, 00:35:08.700 --> 00:35:09.800 it just completely changed 00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:10.740 the whole time, right? 00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:11.760 I don't know the dad at all 00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:12.780 from Adam 00:35:12.780 --> 00:35:13.619 and all of a sudden 00:35:13.619 --> 00:35:14.039 there's this, 00:35:14.340 --> 00:35:15.260 you can't just sort of talk 00:35:15.260 --> 00:35:15.760 the way you can 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:16.280 with your friend. 00:35:16.720 --> 00:35:17.300 Well, in the new heaven 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:17.780 and the new earth, 00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:19.019 Jesus is always going to be there. 00:35:19.099 --> 00:35:20.119 His presence is going to be 00:35:20.119 --> 00:35:21.260 overwhelmingly felt. 00:35:23.700 --> 00:35:24.500 But the fact, 00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:25.140 you see, 00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:26.980 here's what's so wonderful 00:35:26.980 --> 00:35:28.860 about the gospel. 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:31.119 People, 00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:31.920 it's not that 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:32.800 somehow or another 00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:34.119 I've gotten over my pride. 00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:36.260 pride and my self-centeredness 00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:37.700 or that I've, 00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:38.680 in my own power, 00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:39.380 have developed 00:35:39.380 --> 00:35:40.860 a human love for God 00:35:40.860 --> 00:35:42.500 so that I can fit in heaven. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:44.579 Too bad the rest of you can't 00:35:44.579 --> 00:35:45.240 because you're all still 00:35:45.240 --> 00:35:46.680 so proud and self-centered 00:35:46.680 --> 00:35:47.539 and think the universe 00:35:47.539 --> 00:35:48.640 revolves around you 00:35:48.640 --> 00:35:49.800 and haven't developed 00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:50.880 a love of God. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:52.260 That's just sort of being proud, 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:53.599 looking down your nose 00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:54.240 at other people. 00:35:55.800 --> 00:35:56.059 No, 00:35:56.160 --> 00:35:57.280 I stand at the foot 00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:57.880 of the cross 00:35:57.880 --> 00:35:58.260 and say, 00:35:58.260 --> 00:35:58.579 Jesus, 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:00.420 I can't get away 00:36:00.420 --> 00:36:01.260 from my pride. 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:02.559 I can't get away 00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:03.900 from my self-centeredness. 00:36:04.420 --> 00:36:05.280 I have to confess, 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.340 I don't necessarily 00:36:06.340 --> 00:36:07.079 want to know 00:36:07.079 --> 00:36:07.740 that you can see 00:36:07.740 --> 00:36:08.619 everything in my life 00:36:08.619 --> 00:36:09.180 all the time. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:11.960 And all you can do 00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:12.200 is say, 00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:13.539 I can't fix this, 00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:14.539 I can't stop it, 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:16.240 I can't... 00:36:16.240 --> 00:36:16.780 And you see, 00:36:16.980 --> 00:36:17.720 it's when you... 00:36:17.720 --> 00:36:18.579 And that's part of it. 00:36:18.840 --> 00:36:19.940 Part of the growth 00:36:19.940 --> 00:36:20.539 in godliness 00:36:20.539 --> 00:36:21.280 is you realize 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:22.300 more and more and more 00:36:22.300 --> 00:36:23.099 just the wonders 00:36:23.099 --> 00:36:23.720 of what Jesus 00:36:23.720 --> 00:36:24.619 has done for you 00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:25.680 because you confess 00:36:25.680 --> 00:36:26.300 that to him 00:36:26.300 --> 00:36:27.559 and the next thing you do 00:36:27.559 --> 00:36:28.440 is you feel his arm 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:28.860 around you 00:36:28.860 --> 00:36:29.200 and he says, 00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:29.480 George, 00:36:29.559 --> 00:36:30.639 I know that you can't. 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:32.239 I know that you can't 00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:33.299 put your pride to death. 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:34.279 I know you can't 00:36:34.279 --> 00:36:35.599 stop your self-centeredness. 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:37.099 I know that there's 00:36:37.099 --> 00:36:37.599 part of you 00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:38.539 that still doesn't 00:36:38.539 --> 00:36:39.299 want my presence. 00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:40.980 I know you can't 00:36:40.980 --> 00:36:41.699 fix yourself. 00:36:43.779 --> 00:36:44.659 I've done everything 00:36:44.659 --> 00:36:45.559 that needs to be done 00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:46.859 to be made right 00:36:46.859 --> 00:36:47.259 with God. 00:36:47.379 --> 00:36:48.079 I've done it all 00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:48.480 for you. 00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:49.960 You just have to receive 00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:50.739 it by grace, 00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:51.679 by faith. 00:36:52.179 --> 00:36:53.259 It's a pure gift. 00:36:53.260 --> 00:36:56.340 Just two things 00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:56.920 really very, 00:36:56.920 --> 00:36:57.680 very quickly. 00:36:58.100 --> 00:36:58.560 If you could put up 00:36:58.560 --> 00:36:59.300 the first point. 00:36:59.960 --> 00:37:00.740 I mean the next point. 00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:01.940 One is, 00:37:02.520 --> 00:37:04.440 just very briefly, 00:37:04.600 --> 00:37:04.960 Christian, 00:37:05.060 --> 00:37:06.020 your body matters 00:37:06.020 --> 00:37:07.240 on this side of the grave 00:37:07.240 --> 00:37:08.840 but you will have 00:37:08.840 --> 00:37:09.900 a resurrection body 00:37:09.900 --> 00:37:10.880 in the new heaven 00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:11.500 and the new earth. 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:13.720 Just to remember that. 00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:14.700 Your bodies matter 00:37:14.700 --> 00:37:15.620 on this side of the grave. 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:16.400 Take care of them 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:17.220 as best you can. 00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:19.400 But God has blessed 00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:19.980 some of us 00:37:19.980 --> 00:37:21.320 with spectacular bodies 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:22.020 and some of us 00:37:22.020 --> 00:37:22.800 have not been blessed 00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:24.120 with spectacular bodies 00:37:24.120 --> 00:37:25.360 and all of us 00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:26.360 if we live long enough 00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:27.180 will have problems 00:37:27.180 --> 00:37:28.220 with disease 00:37:28.220 --> 00:37:28.960 and illness 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:29.720 and conditions. 00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:31.900 But this body 00:37:31.900 --> 00:37:32.480 that we have 00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:33.539 is not the final body 00:37:33.539 --> 00:37:34.280 that we will have. 00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:35.140 We should care 00:37:35.140 --> 00:37:35.880 for this body 00:37:35.880 --> 00:37:37.080 as much as we can 00:37:37.080 --> 00:37:38.460 and we should respect 00:37:38.460 --> 00:37:38.980 the body 00:37:38.980 --> 00:37:40.000 and the integrity 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:40.580 of bodies 00:37:40.580 --> 00:37:41.220 of other people 00:37:41.220 --> 00:37:42.240 as much as we can. 00:37:42.740 --> 00:37:43.440 But in the new heaven 00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:44.060 and the new earth 00:37:44.060 --> 00:37:44.860 we will have 00:37:44.860 --> 00:37:45.940 a resurrected body. 00:37:47.060 --> 00:37:48.580 One that will not age. 00:37:49.580 --> 00:37:50.900 One that will not die 00:37:50.900 --> 00:37:51.720 and grow old. 00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:52.740 One that will not 00:37:52.739 --> 00:37:53.319 be feeble. 00:37:54.959 --> 00:37:55.579 Final thing 00:37:55.579 --> 00:37:56.359 if you could put it up 00:37:56.359 --> 00:37:57.159 Claire 00:37:57.159 --> 00:37:57.579 that would be 00:37:57.579 --> 00:37:58.219 very helpful. 00:38:00.359 --> 00:38:00.819 You know 00:38:00.819 --> 00:38:01.599 one of the things 00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:02.319 which is so beautiful 00:38:02.319 --> 00:38:03.219 about this story 00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:04.439 is that Jesus 00:38:04.439 --> 00:38:05.419 doesn't say to Mary 00:38:05.419 --> 00:38:06.319 Mary you know 00:38:06.319 --> 00:38:07.419 how come you're so clueless? 00:38:07.500 --> 00:38:08.539 I told you all these times 00:38:08.539 --> 00:38:09.139 I was going to rise 00:38:09.139 --> 00:38:09.659 from the dead. 00:38:10.519 --> 00:38:11.059 And Mary 00:38:11.059 --> 00:38:13.059 why are you so clueless? 00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:14.079 Like couldn't you figure out 00:38:14.079 --> 00:38:15.979 from the grave clothes 00:38:15.979 --> 00:38:16.359 that something 00:38:16.359 --> 00:38:17.099 no no no 00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:18.119 he doesn't say that. 00:38:19.179 --> 00:38:20.379 He doesn't say to Mary 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:21.720 I think I need 00:38:21.720 --> 00:38:22.280 to make you 00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:23.420 have a three year course 00:38:23.420 --> 00:38:24.160 in theology 00:38:24.160 --> 00:38:25.220 and biblical studies 00:38:25.220 --> 00:38:26.119 where I'll teach you 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:27.340 before you can go 00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:28.079 and tell anybody 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:28.760 about the fact 00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:29.220 that I've risen 00:38:29.220 --> 00:38:29.860 from the dead. 00:38:30.900 --> 00:38:31.740 He doesn't say 00:38:31.740 --> 00:38:33.360 that all of the apostles 00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:34.420 have to go back 00:38:34.420 --> 00:38:34.940 to school 00:38:34.940 --> 00:38:36.119 for five years 00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:38.059 and then have a coach 00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:39.300 before they can do 00:38:39.300 --> 00:38:40.160 anything for him. 00:38:41.519 --> 00:38:42.960 Jesus is patient 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:44.180 while you grow 00:38:44.180 --> 00:38:46.019 and uses you 00:38:46.019 --> 00:38:46.940 even when 00:38:46.940 --> 00:38:47.860 you are 00:38:47.860 --> 00:38:48.980 a baby Christian 00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:50.260 or an immature Christian. 00:38:50.700 --> 00:38:51.039 That's so 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:51.760 what's wonderful 00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:52.640 about this story. 00:38:54.059 --> 00:38:54.340 I mean 00:38:54.340 --> 00:38:57.400 you know 00:38:57.400 --> 00:38:58.059 we pointed out 00:38:58.059 --> 00:38:58.240 the 00:38:58.240 --> 00:39:01.000 things in Mary 00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:01.579 that 00:39:01.579 --> 00:39:02.980 you know 00:39:02.980 --> 00:39:04.019 are less than 00:39:04.019 --> 00:39:04.780 good 00:39:04.780 --> 00:39:06.559 but Jesus 00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:07.300 uses her. 00:39:08.180 --> 00:39:08.860 He says 00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:09.280 you go 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:10.039 and you tell them 00:39:10.039 --> 00:39:10.700 what you've seen 00:39:10.700 --> 00:39:12.039 and the implication 00:39:12.039 --> 00:39:12.620 is that 00:39:12.620 --> 00:39:13.980 the apostles 00:39:13.980 --> 00:39:14.860 have been forgiven 00:39:14.860 --> 00:39:15.640 for their sin 00:39:15.640 --> 00:39:15.840 and 00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:16.579 and 00:39:16.579 --> 00:39:17.240 and they're told 00:39:17.240 --> 00:39:17.780 to go ahead 00:39:17.780 --> 00:39:18.539 and so God 00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:19.400 even in this story 00:39:19.400 --> 00:39:20.120 you see that God 00:39:20.120 --> 00:39:20.960 uses you 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:22.380 even if you don't 00:39:22.380 --> 00:39:23.079 know a whole lot 00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:23.740 of theology 00:39:23.740 --> 00:39:25.160 even if you don't 00:39:25.160 --> 00:39:25.820 know a lot 00:39:25.820 --> 00:39:26.320 and your life 00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:27.019 isn't perfect 00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:28.440 God still uses you 00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:29.820 at every point 00:39:29.820 --> 00:39:30.620 in time in your life 00:39:30.620 --> 00:39:32.019 he can still use you 00:39:32.019 --> 00:39:32.860 for his good 00:39:32.860 --> 00:39:34.059 for his glory. 00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:35.380 Let's stand. 00:39:41.740 --> 00:39:42.460 Bow our heads 00:39:42.460 --> 00:39:42.880 in prayer. 00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:45.760 Father we thank you 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:46.240 for Jesus 00:39:46.240 --> 00:39:46.980 we thank you 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:47.619 that he tasted 00:39:47.619 --> 00:39:48.160 all there is 00:39:48.160 --> 00:39:49.019 to taste of death 00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:50.200 we thank you 00:39:50.200 --> 00:39:50.960 that he not only 00:39:50.960 --> 00:39:51.880 conquered death 00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:52.559 but he conquered 00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:53.559 that which caused 00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:53.940 death 00:39:53.940 --> 00:39:54.840 which is our sin 00:39:54.840 --> 00:39:55.579 and our pride 00:39:55.579 --> 00:39:57.240 we thank and praise 00:39:57.240 --> 00:39:58.260 you that he will 00:39:58.260 --> 00:39:58.880 help us 00:39:58.880 --> 00:40:00.300 that he alone 00:40:00.300 --> 00:40:00.940 can fit us 00:40:00.940 --> 00:40:01.400 for heaven 00:40:01.400 --> 00:40:02.559 we give you 00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:03.519 thanks and praise 00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:04.539 that he is patient 00:40:04.539 --> 00:40:05.180 with us 00:40:05.180 --> 00:40:07.079 he knows 00:40:07.079 --> 00:40:08.160 our frailty 00:40:08.160 --> 00:40:08.920 he knows 00:40:08.920 --> 00:40:09.539 our weakness 00:40:09.539 --> 00:40:10.059 he knows 00:40:10.059 --> 00:40:11.019 our inadequacies 00:40:11.019 --> 00:40:12.159 he also knows 00:40:12.159 --> 00:40:12.820 our strengths 00:40:12.820 --> 00:40:13.659 and excellencies 00:40:13.659 --> 00:40:15.119 that he is patient 00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:15.739 with us 00:40:15.739 --> 00:40:17.000 that he uses us 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:18.199 even in the midst 00:40:18.199 --> 00:40:19.539 of our inadequacies 00:40:19.539 --> 00:40:20.759 that he still loves us 00:40:20.759 --> 00:40:21.440 and will use us 00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:22.360 Father we thank you 00:40:22.360 --> 00:40:23.980 for your great patience 00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:24.539 with us 00:40:24.539 --> 00:40:25.739 and we give you 00:40:25.739 --> 00:40:26.619 thanks and praise 00:40:26.619 --> 00:40:27.699 that we have a strong 00:40:27.699 --> 00:40:29.159 that you desire us 00:40:29.159 --> 00:40:29.880 to have a strong 00:40:29.880 --> 00:40:30.679 and living hope 00:40:30.679 --> 00:40:32.739 that death is not final 00:40:32.739 --> 00:40:34.559 that we will be with you 00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:35.239 in the new heaven 00:40:35.239 --> 00:40:35.960 and the new earth 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:37.099 that we will have 00:40:37.099 --> 00:40:38.300 resurrected bodies 00:40:38.300 --> 00:40:39.680 and it's not 00:40:39.680 --> 00:40:40.760 because of our worth 00:40:40.760 --> 00:40:41.580 but because of what 00:40:41.580 --> 00:40:42.500 Christ has done 00:40:42.500 --> 00:40:43.780 and we ask Father 00:40:43.780 --> 00:40:44.620 that these truths 00:40:44.620 --> 00:40:45.960 would be deep in our heart 00:40:45.960 --> 00:40:47.440 and we ask these things 00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:48.500 in Jesus' name 00:40:48.500 --> 00:40:49.700 Amen 00:40:49.699 --> 00:40:51.579 Amen 00:40:51.579 --> 00:40:51.599 Amen 00:40:51.599 --> 00:41:17.919 Amen