WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.120 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christ Church. 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:11.620 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, redistribution, or any other 00:00:11.620 --> 00:00:15.300 use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christ Church. 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:22.660 Please consider donating to this work in the San Francisco Bay Area online at ChristChurchEastBay.org. 00:00:25.900 --> 00:00:26.879 Good morning. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:28.120 My name is Denise Yan. 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:33.780 I'm a member of the San Francisco Community Group and the Women Reading Women Book Group. 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:40.480 Today's scripture reading is from the Gospel According to John, chapter 18, verses 1 to 00:00:40.480 --> 00:00:44.100 18 and 30 to 31 as printed in your liturgy. 00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:52.560 Early on that first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.700 tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 00:00:55.700 --> 00:01:01.240 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:06.200 They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.659 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 00:01:10.140 --> 00:01:14.180 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:19.280 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but did not go in. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:24.980 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:29.420 He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around 00:01:29.420 --> 00:01:30.260 Jesus' head. 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:33.960 The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:38.799 Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.299 He saw and believed. 00:01:41.899 --> 00:01:45.359 They still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. 00:01:46.060 --> 00:01:48.299 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. 00:01:49.679 --> 00:01:51.959 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:58.939 As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white seated where 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:02.879 Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.039 They asked her, Woman, why are you crying? 00:02:06.979 --> 00:02:10.859 They have taken my Lord away, she said, and I don't know where they have put him. 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:16.639 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.759 He asked her, Woman, why are you crying? 00:02:20.079 --> 00:02:21.359 Who is it you're looking for? 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:27.120 Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:28.919 you have put him and I will get him. 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:32.179 Jesus said to her, Mary. 00:02:33.079 --> 00:02:38.399 She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means teacher. 00:02:39.359 --> 00:02:43.560 Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. 00:02:44.279 --> 00:02:49.139 Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, 00:02:49.379 --> 00:02:51.359 to my God and your God. 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:55.699 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news, I have seen the Lord. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:58.539 And she told them that he had said these things to her. 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:04.159 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:04.599 this book. 00:03:05.119 --> 00:03:10.599 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, 00:03:10.679 --> 00:03:14.119 and that by believing, you may have life in his name. 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:16.759 This is the gospel of the Lord. 00:03:17.419 --> 00:03:18.939 Praise to you, O Christ. 00:03:18.939 --> 00:03:23.199 Well, happy Easter Christ Church. 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:32.599 This is a really a day that I personally am giving thanks to God for because Easter 2020, 00:03:33.259 --> 00:03:35.939 I was like the only one here in the sanctuary. 00:03:36.740 --> 00:03:44.599 And that was unfortunately the year I became a televangelist, which I never ever wanted to 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:46.579 be, but somehow became that. 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:53.039 And then 2021 at Easter, we were able to gather, but we had a limited gathering to maybe 75 or 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:53.759 80 folks. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:58.039 So here we are, Easter 2022, and we have a full house. 00:03:58.259 --> 00:04:00.680 And praise God, we have a choir today. 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:01.959 How awesome is that? 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:09.659 So some of you, you're new here, and you may not be aware that I am about to go on a four-month 00:04:09.659 --> 00:04:11.860 sabbatical after next Sunday. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:20.960 So if it's okay with you, I would like to take a picture of you all just to remember what 00:04:20.960 --> 00:04:22.100 you all look like. 00:04:22.400 --> 00:04:24.840 Now, that was your Presbyterian face. 00:04:25.660 --> 00:04:28.560 I'd love for you to give me, now I give me your Pentecostal face. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.540 You can kind of wave your hands in the air like you just don't care. 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:34.360 Okay, that's awesome. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:35.139 Okay, thank you. 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:44.300 So Andrew mentioned earlier the ancient Paschal greeting, the ancient Easter greeting in Greek 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:50.959 goes Christos Anesti, Elithos Anesti, or in English, Christ is risen, he's risen indeed. 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:56.399 Now, many churches follow that Easter greeting with what they call the great noise. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:01.819 And they get pots and pans and horns and tambourines. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:06.419 And in our case today, we don't have those things, but we do have keys, and I want to encourage 00:05:06.419 --> 00:05:07.620 you to take out your keys. 00:05:08.179 --> 00:05:10.419 You can clap with your hands. 00:05:10.519 --> 00:05:13.399 You can bang on the pews in front of you. 00:05:13.799 --> 00:05:18.459 Some of you have been given cowbells, and that was probably the worst mistake I've made 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:21.120 today in giving out cowbells. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:25.759 But we are going to practice the great noise of the ancient church. 00:05:25.860 --> 00:05:27.199 So I'm going to say Christ is risen. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:28.480 You're going to say he's risen indeed. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:30.160 And then we're going to make some noise, okay? 00:05:30.860 --> 00:05:31.840 Christ is risen. 00:05:32.340 --> 00:05:33.639 He is risen indeed. 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:33.860 Christ is risen indeed. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:46.000 Woo! 00:05:48.899 --> 00:05:49.680 There you go. 00:05:52.219 --> 00:05:53.019 I love it. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:55.339 I love it. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:57.800 Now, don't get too excited. 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:04.139 Some of you I know are guests here today, and you're like, okay, Christians are weird. 00:06:05.579 --> 00:06:07.840 I knew they were weird, but now I really know they're weird. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:10.540 And what's up with all this excitement? 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:15.519 And some of us are here maybe exploring Christianity, and we come with questions. 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:19.259 You know, what happened on that first Easter Sunday morning? 00:06:19.259 --> 00:06:27.639 And I hope to, over the next few minutes, just give a historical account as best I can for 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:34.360 what it is that energizes the irrepressible enthusiasm of the church, and what it is that 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:39.199 is energizing this unshakable joy that Christians have. 00:06:39.339 --> 00:06:42.000 And we're going to do that through the Gospel of John this morning. 00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:48.139 We've been looking at this as a church since Christmas, and we come now to the climax. 00:06:48.139 --> 00:06:54.500 And what I want to help you see today through John chapter 20 is that Easter is nonsense. 00:06:55.539 --> 00:07:02.180 Easter is nonsense without the evidence and the encounters and the effects. 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:05.379 That Easter really is a nonsensical message. 00:07:05.659 --> 00:07:12.639 It's something we shouldn't be preaching without the evidence, the encounters, and the effects. 00:07:12.779 --> 00:07:17.360 So let's begin with Easter is nonsense without the evidence. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:19.160 Starting in verse 1, we read, 00:07:19.660 --> 00:07:28.800 This is a brave woman. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:34.120 She's come early in the morning to this tomb where they had laid the body of Jesus on Friday. 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:36.980 And she's here because she loves Jesus. 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:38.960 But she's surprised. 00:07:39.080 --> 00:07:45.540 She's surprised to find this large, heavy stone that the Romans had placed at the entrance of the tomb rolled away. 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:53.240 And then we read in verse 2 that she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, which is John, the writer of this Gospel. 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:55.200 The one that Jesus loved. 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:56.759 I love that self-description. 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:58.939 And she said, 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:04.800 Now, what is Mary's first thought? 00:08:05.599 --> 00:08:06.800 Does she come and say, 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:08.120 I've seen a resurrection. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:10.659 Christ has won a victory. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:13.620 He's defeated death and meaninglessness. 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.500 He's conquered over sin and evil. 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:18.040 No, she's not looking for a resurrection. 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:20.600 No one in the story is looking for a resurrection. 00:08:21.100 --> 00:08:21.459 She says, 00:08:21.660 --> 00:08:25.980 They, the Romans or the grave robbers, they've taken the body of Jesus. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.199 They've put his corpse somewhere else. 00:08:28.300 --> 00:08:31.759 And we, the women, the three or four other women we know about from the other Gospels, 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:33.419 we don't know where he is. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:37.120 No one is looking for a resurrection. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:43.940 First century Jews believed that the resurrection would come at the end of time for all the people of God. 00:08:43.940 --> 00:08:50.180 But absolutely no one thought that this would happen to one person in the middle of history. 00:08:50.280 --> 00:08:55.300 That's just an odd, outlandish, unimagined, unheard of event. 00:08:57.040 --> 00:09:01.900 Well, hearing the news of Mary Magdalene, Peter and John start running toward the tomb. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.180 And what do they find when they get there? 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:06.360 What do they find when they step inside? 00:09:06.640 --> 00:09:09.560 What's the evidence that they see with their eyes? 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.500 Well, interestingly, John points us to three verses. 00:09:13.819 --> 00:09:17.179 He describes these grave clothes of Jesus. 00:09:18.199 --> 00:09:19.379 In verse 5, he says, 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:21.379 John saw the linen cloths. 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:24.239 And in verse 6, Peter saw the linen cloths. 00:09:24.259 --> 00:09:28.899 And then in verse 7, he says that they saw the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head, 00:09:28.939 --> 00:09:33.319 and the cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 00:09:34.619 --> 00:09:38.159 Why is there such a focus on Jesus' burial wrappings? 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:47.000 Well, the reason is that the shape and the position of these grave clothes led them to conclude that this body had not been stolen, 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:50.559 but that something else had emptied that tomb. 00:09:50.719 --> 00:09:56.699 And I want to help you imagine this morning the evidence that Peter and John saw with their eyes. 00:09:56.700 --> 00:10:03.620 And if you go back to John 19, verse 39, it says that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:10.320 they came and they brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds worth, 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:17.560 and they took Jesus' body, and the two of them wrapped it with the spices in strips of linen. 00:10:17.680 --> 00:10:24.700 Now, that's a vast amount of precious ointments and spices, far more than is normal or necessary. 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:36.120 And these liquid spices would soon harden, and they would cause the cloth wrappings to become encrusted, 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:45.400 like a cocoon around the body of Jesus, this tight, solid covering, this armor sort of encasing his corpse. 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.939 Now, if you've ever broken a bone and had that bone set in a cast, 00:10:50.379 --> 00:10:56.740 you know that you have to have that cast cut in order to remove your arm or to remove your leg. 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:02.699 And Peter and John, when they came in, it says they saw the linen cloths lying there, 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:10.419 undisturbed, uncut, in the shape of Jesus' body, and yet they were empty. 00:11:10.419 --> 00:11:18.459 And they saw this twisted, turban-like head wrapper as if Jesus' head had somehow just slipped out of it. 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:20.539 Now, I've put a few slides here. 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:26.159 I don't know if we can pull those slides up, but no one had ever really shown me these pictures. 00:11:26.839 --> 00:11:31.759 But this gives you a little bit of a sense of what convinced them that this body was not stolen, 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:38.799 but that mysteriously the body of Jesus had passed right through these grave clothes. 00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:41.080 You can show the next slide as well. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:48.939 Something like this is what they saw, that these linen clothes just lay like an empty cocoon 00:11:48.939 --> 00:11:52.899 from which a butterfly had emerged. 00:11:53.559 --> 00:12:00.240 And they saw with their eyes this powerful evidence that no human hands had touched the body. 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:06.120 And John, the writer of the gospel, he says in verse 8 that he saw this and he believed. 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:07.379 He believed what? 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:08.840 What exactly did he believe? 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:20.919 He believed that the process of death and decay and dissolution had in some extraordinary way been reversed. 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:31.779 He came to believe that there was a power present in this particular tomb that brought about a revolution in human life. 00:12:32.439 --> 00:12:39.219 And that instead of the normal life-to-death process that all of us too painfully know, 00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:46.779 now there was a process that got reversed from, not from life to death, but from death to life. 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:55.459 And that God had said yes to Jesus, that he had said yes to Jesus and all that he had been and all that he had done. 00:12:55.539 --> 00:13:04.519 And in God saying yes, Jesus' body had somehow transformed, had somehow emerged from this tomb in living form. 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:10.519 And that what Jesus had said at the tomb of his friend Lazarus was true. 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:34.960 Now people in the 21st century often ignore evidence that comes to us from the people who were actually there in the 1st century. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.960 And we judge the witness of Peter and John. 00:13:38.060 --> 00:13:39.480 We dismiss what they had to say. 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:40.920 We don't really want to hear from them. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:48.759 We want to hear from other people and what they think happened because they must be nearer to the truth than the people who were actually present. 00:13:51.580 --> 00:13:53.000 That doesn't sit well with me. 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:58.660 I want to know what the people saw with their own eyes. 00:13:58.659 --> 00:14:05.299 And I find that this detailed evidence is extraordinarily compelling. 00:14:06.199 --> 00:14:09.319 Maybe you're here today and you're exploring Christianity. 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:15.600 And I want to ask you sincerely, have you open-mindedly? 00:14:16.199 --> 00:14:19.620 And have you thoroughly examined all the evidence? 00:14:19.719 --> 00:14:26.059 Beginning with Exhibit A and all the other evidence there is for us that Christ is risen from the dead. 00:14:26.059 --> 00:14:34.199 And are you willing to consider that the most plausible historical explanation for these Easter accounts, 00:14:34.819 --> 00:14:43.259 the most plausible explanation for the dramatically changed lives of these disciples who would die for this message of the resurrection, 00:14:43.859 --> 00:14:52.039 the most plausible explanation for the Christian church exploding over the next three centuries under the dominance of the Roman Empire, 00:14:52.039 --> 00:15:05.559 that the most plausible explanation for these events is that this actually happened the way that the Gospels and the New Testament report that it happened. 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:12.360 If Jesus' body passed through those strips of linen that were just lying there undisturbed, 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:15.820 and if he is somehow alive today, 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:21.240 is it possible that you are not so much searching for Jesus, 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:26.019 but that he is in fact searching for you? 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:30.300 I want us to think together about that today, 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:36.879 to seriously consider that Easter is nonsense without the evidence. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:41.279 And also that Easter is nonsense not only without the evidence, 00:15:41.439 --> 00:15:45.320 but also Easter is nonsense without the encounters. 00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:50.360 Easter is nonsense without these encounters that are given to us. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:55.379 And the end of the Gospel of John records four distinct reappearances of Jesus. 00:15:55.779 --> 00:16:00.299 We get this encounter with Mary on Easter morning that we're going to talk about. 00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:04.639 We get this encounter later in the evening with the ten disciples, 00:16:05.099 --> 00:16:10.219 and then later the next week with Thomas, who missed that first meeting. 00:16:10.319 --> 00:16:11.620 We're going to talk about that next Sunday. 00:16:12.359 --> 00:16:17.039 We get this reappearance of Jesus with a whole group of fishermen at the Sea of Galilee, 00:16:17.199 --> 00:16:19.439 which you can read about in John 21. 00:16:20.719 --> 00:16:25.099 And all the other Gospels give us six other reappearances of Jesus, 00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:31.379 and all told in the New Testament we have 13 total post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:39.120 We're told in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to a large crowd of about 500 people all at the same time. 00:16:39.920 --> 00:16:45.440 We're told in Acts chapter 1 that Jesus appeared to the apostles over the next 40 days where, 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:48.940 he gave many convincing proofs that he was alive, 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.540 and he spoke to them about the kingdom of God. 00:16:51.539 --> 00:16:56.439 He spoke to them about the scriptures and all that had just happened in his life, death, and resurrection. 00:16:57.899 --> 00:17:01.139 But what's interesting to me is that in the providence of God, 00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:06.039 the first person to whom the Lord revealed himself was a woman. 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:15.639 That the first person that Jesus commissioned to proclaim the Gospel of the Resurrection to other people was this woman. 00:17:15.639 --> 00:17:20.799 We call Mary Magdalene, who was the apostle to the apostles. 00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:26.500 And this was a deliberate, implicit affirmation of womanhood, 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:31.680 because you may be aware that women in the first century were not trusted as reliable witnesses. 00:17:32.819 --> 00:17:36.480 But, friends, Jesus gets the credit for changing all that. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:36.920 Amen? 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:41.200 So, starting here with Mary Magdalene, 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:43.359 we actually can go back in Luke chapter 8, 00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:46.859 we learn about the circle of women who Jesus cured. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.639 He cured them of their diseases and their demons, it says. 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.300 And this circle of women became part of the larger circle of Jesus' disciples, 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:55.520 going around on his ministry tours. 00:17:55.700 --> 00:17:59.900 And this little band of women, they were actually bankrolling Jesus, it says. 00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:03.620 They were giving him money and they were giving him practical support. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:05.680 And Mary is part of that group. 00:18:05.860 --> 00:18:11.120 And Mary had, it says, no fewer than seven evil spirits before she met Jesus. 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:17.839 But Jesus powerfully liberated her from whatever her past happened to be. 00:18:18.339 --> 00:18:21.099 He liberated her and set her free. 00:18:21.919 --> 00:18:25.059 And we know that Jesus has nicknames for his disciples, right? 00:18:25.099 --> 00:18:26.739 He calls Peter Rocky. 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:27.879 You know this? 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:31.559 He calls James and John the Sons of Thunder. 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:37.799 Well, you can think about Mary as Mary from Magdala, which is her hometown. 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:42.639 Or you can think about her as Mary the Magdalene, which is a word that means the tower. 00:18:43.139 --> 00:18:46.639 So you got Rocky, the Sons of Thunder, and the tower, right? 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:54.899 Here is this strong, powerful, towering figure who's known for her devotion to King Jesus. 00:18:55.639 --> 00:18:56.500 Mary Magdalene. 00:18:56.500 --> 00:19:01.299 But on this Sunday morning, she is not feeling like a tower. 00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:06.279 She is, in fact, crushed in spirit and brokenhearted. 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.720 It says in verse 11 that now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:15.339 In fact, it says in the Greek that she was weeping and wailing. 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:21.119 We have quite a contrast here between this lamenting, despairing disciple 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:27.399 and this resurrected, triumphant Lord of life who happened to be here in the garden together. 00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:33.439 We have here this risen, victorious Lord who's able to dry her tears, 00:19:33.959 --> 00:19:37.299 and yet she does not know who he is. 00:19:37.979 --> 00:19:40.299 And maybe that describes a few of us today. 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:48.799 I think that this weeping Mary Magdalene is a picture of the hopeless sorrow of our world. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:56.259 I think she's a picture of the disillusionment and the nihilism that defines this decade. 00:19:57.579 --> 00:19:58.879 Think about it. 00:19:58.940 --> 00:20:06.379 Mary saw the violence and the brutality of the empire that just destroyed Jesus. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:12.240 And she's experienced the cold, cruel finality of burial. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:18.200 And now she's come, she's been denied the opportunity to pay her last respects to Jesus, 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.900 and she fears that his body is gone forever. 00:20:22.059 --> 00:20:24.740 And two times in the story, she's asked, 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:26.160 Why are you weeping? 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:30.099 Why are you weeping? 00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:33.500 But isn't the answer obvious why she's weeping? 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:36.299 We live in a sad world. 00:20:36.299 --> 00:20:40.480 We live in a world that's full of pain and misery. 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:45.299 And Mary weeps because she is in fact alone. 00:20:46.399 --> 00:20:50.279 Mary weeps because she's abandoned in her despair. 00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:58.240 She weeps because she's separated from the only one who's ever truly understood her and loved her. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:07.120 And she weeps because she no longer has a savior who can deliver her from her bondage and who can give her a new life. 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:10.640 She's weeping because she's thinking, 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:14.579 How can I face the future without him? 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:20.019 She's in deep darkness and deep anguish. 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:28.119 But you know the reality here, and the good news here, is that Jesus has not left her. 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:30.779 That Jesus is in fact risen. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.599 That Jesus is right there in that cemetery. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.400 If only she knew. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:46.200 This past Wednesday, Catherine and I were having breakfast with Brian and Seung-yeon Lee, 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:51.259 who, as many of you know, are dear friends over these last 16 years at Christ Church 00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:54.480 and beloved members of our church family here. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:22:02.940 And they tragically, suddenly, unexpectedly, inexplicably lost their teenage son Isaac in November. 00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:08.539 And we're talking with them about the pain of this event in their life 00:22:08.539 --> 00:22:15.080 and the grief that will indelibly mark their days for the rest of their lives. 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:19.420 And as we were talking about this, they made the comment. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:25.799 They said, You know, we don't know how you get through this without the mercies of God 00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:29.220 and without the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:35.380 And they talked about how meaningful it was to them to know that Isaac is with the Lord 00:22:35.380 --> 00:22:40.759 and that one day they're going to see Isaac again because of the hope of the resurrection. 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:44.299 Now, my question is, how did they get there? 00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:52.299 And how does Mary move from being in a place of despair to being in a place of hope? 00:22:53.059 --> 00:23:00.079 How does she move from heartbreaking sorrow to soul-stirring joy? 00:23:01.579 --> 00:23:07.279 We're told in verse 14 that she turned around and she saw Jesus standing there, 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.420 but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 00:23:10.899 --> 00:23:12.879 And he asked her, Woman, why are you crying? 00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:14.680 Who is it you are looking for? 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:17.980 And thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you've carried him away, 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:21.319 tell me where you have put him and I will get him. 00:23:21.339 --> 00:23:28.839 And again, it's revealed to us here that it's possible to be in the presence of the living Lord 00:23:28.839 --> 00:23:35.220 and yet to not realize that he's with you and to not realize that you are in fact with him 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:37.279 and that he's speaking to you. 00:23:38.139 --> 00:23:42.859 But Jesus helps Mary out and Jesus helps us out as well. 00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:47.759 And that's why Jesus says to her in verse 16, he says, Mary. 00:23:49.199 --> 00:23:52.139 He just speaks her name and he says, Mary. 00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:59.320 Mary, the one who created her, the one who redeemed her, the one who had given her a new identity, 00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:02.980 now speaks her name in a fresh way. 00:24:04.060 --> 00:24:07.780 And Jesus had already told us in John 10 that I am the good shepherd 00:24:07.780 --> 00:24:12.800 and I call my sheep by name and they know my voice. 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:20.380 And when this good shepherd speaks Mary's name and she hears his voice, Mary, 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:26.400 Mary, she turns around and she has the privilege of being the first person to see, 00:24:26.540 --> 00:24:32.420 to really see and to really hear and to really speak with the risen Lord. 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:39.480 Mary Magdalene is the first person to encounter the reality, the someone, the person 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:44.320 who is more powerful and more final than death. 00:24:45.540 --> 00:24:47.560 Can you imagine what this did for her? 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:52.859 It filled her with love and joy and peace. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:58.720 It must have taken all of her doubts and removed them, all of her fears and allayed them. 00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:05.259 It must have given her a confident assurance that Jesus is risen from the dead. 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:13.879 She must have had now in this moment a deep, unshakable serenity in knowing this conquering Lord. 00:25:13.880 --> 00:25:23.800 Now, Mary Magdalene's encounter is unique because here she stands at the center point and the turning point of human history. 00:25:24.800 --> 00:25:34.120 But her experience, I think, is analogous for us because a Christian person is someone who has encountered the resurrected and living Jesus. 00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:47.399 You've heard him speak your name by the Holy Spirit in your heart saying, 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:48.139 Jonathan. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.599 And you've turned to him. 00:25:50.679 --> 00:25:52.379 You've turned to the one who died for you. 00:25:52.439 --> 00:25:56.439 You've turned to the one who won a victory over death and sin for you. 00:25:56.440 --> 00:25:59.259 And in that turning, you've been filled with hope. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.680 Filled with hope that one day you too will have a body like Jesus' body. 00:26:04.840 --> 00:26:09.660 Filled with hope that one day he will make the world new. 00:26:10.539 --> 00:26:14.799 Filled with hope that one day he will set what's wrong to right. 00:26:15.380 --> 00:26:18.440 And he will make all that's sad come untrue. 00:26:19.080 --> 00:26:22.820 And he will wipe all the tears away from our eyes. 00:26:23.940 --> 00:26:24.240 Amen? 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:24.440 Amen? 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:29.980 Have you heard Jesus speaking your name? 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:37.940 Because like Mary Magdalene, who had this direct personal relationship of love and trust with her living Lord, 00:26:38.359 --> 00:26:52.440 we too can have all of our darkness and all of our death and all of our despair filled with the light and the life and the love of this conquering Christ 00:26:52.440 --> 00:26:54.380 who speaks our names. 00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:59.420 And Easter really is nonsense without that. 00:27:00.320 --> 00:27:02.460 Easter's nonsense without the evidence. 00:27:02.620 --> 00:27:04.980 It's nonsense without these encounters. 00:27:06.340 --> 00:27:09.000 And finally, Easter is nonsense without the effects. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:14.559 And we'll just spend our last few minutes talking about the effects. 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:18.180 Because here we have the cause, which is the resurrection. 00:27:18.180 --> 00:27:22.460 But then we also have the effects, which is resurrection faith. 00:27:23.360 --> 00:27:27.120 We have the originating event, which is the living Christ. 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:31.740 And then we have the implications of that event, which is a living faith. 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:34.000 And we see that in verse 16. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.720 Jesus said to her, Mary. 00:27:35.940 --> 00:27:41.160 And she turned toward him and cried out in Arabic, Rabboni, which means teacher. 00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:47.339 And Jesus said to her, do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:54.680 Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. 00:27:54.680 --> 00:28:10.900 And I assume in this moment, like this is the bear hug to end all bear hugs. 00:28:11.100 --> 00:28:16.600 That Mary has wrapped Jesus up and she's clasping to his arms, maybe to his legs. 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:20.759 And she's like, I am never, ever, ever, never going to let you go, ever. 00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:30.680 And in one sense, Jesus is welcoming the towering strength of this woman, the towering strength of her love and devotion. 00:28:31.879 --> 00:28:36.279 And yet while he welcomes it, he also gives her this firm negative. 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:38.599 Don't hold on to me. 00:28:39.740 --> 00:28:43.759 Now, no writer of fiction could have come up with this because this is just strange, right? 00:28:43.799 --> 00:28:44.759 This is just odd. 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:46.299 Like, I'm so puzzled. 00:28:47.619 --> 00:28:50.339 Later this evening, Jesus is going to come to his disciples. 00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:54.240 He's going to say, see, here's my hands and see my side. 00:28:55.179 --> 00:28:59.419 And the next week, he's going to go to Thomas and say, Thomas, handle my wounds. 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:07.139 And yet, why does he invite the apostles to handle him and here tell Mary not to hold him? 00:29:07.679 --> 00:29:10.759 What's the difference between handling and holding, right? 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:17.339 Well, handling is all about verifying that Jesus is, in fact, not a ghost. 00:29:17.339 --> 00:29:20.139 And this is not a hallucination. 00:29:20.259 --> 00:29:22.000 Go ahead, touch me, and see. 00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:25.139 That's what handling is about. 00:29:25.339 --> 00:29:27.019 But holding is something different. 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:33.899 Mary wants to hold on to Jesus because she wants to resume the old relationship with her teacher 00:29:33.900 --> 00:29:40.480 and go back to this familiar friendship that she had enjoyed where they walked and talked and ate and prayed together. 00:29:40.580 --> 00:29:44.880 But Jesus is saying, nope, you can't hold on to me like that. 00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:47.660 And I think he says this for three reasons. 00:29:47.900 --> 00:29:53.840 First of all, you can't hold on to me because the me you're holding has been raised from the dead. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:30:05.579 This me is a recreated, transmuted me into a new and glorious body that's been invested with undreamed of powers. 00:30:06.259 --> 00:30:10.279 That's no longer subject to pain or disease or aging and death. 00:30:10.399 --> 00:30:16.439 This me that you're holding on to has actually gone into death and out the other side. 00:30:16.440 --> 00:30:23.720 Into a new creation, into a new world, into a new life out beyond where death has been defeated 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:26.759 and life in all of its fullness has begun. 00:30:26.840 --> 00:30:28.400 You can't hold on to that. 00:30:30.580 --> 00:30:32.200 Reason number one is the resurrection. 00:30:32.320 --> 00:30:33.080 You can't hold on to me. 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:37.440 Reason number two is the ascension because Jesus says, you can't hold on to me. 00:30:37.539 --> 00:30:39.340 I'm about to ascend to my father. 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:47.439 In other words, I'm about to be enthroned in heavenly majesty and exalted at God's right hand. 00:30:48.139 --> 00:30:52.659 Where I'm no longer going to be the humiliated Jesus of Nazareth. 00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:56.299 I'm going to now be the exalted Christ in glory. 00:30:57.220 --> 00:30:58.359 So don't cling to me. 00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:04.959 Don't try to keep me or possess me and don't be overly casual with me or too familiar with me 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:11.180 because the proper place of all people from here on out is to fall in your face 00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:16.860 before the throne of the extended king of glory. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:23.079 Don't hold on to me because the me has been resurrected and the me is about to be ascended. 00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:27.160 And also, don't hold on to me because of the mission I have for you. 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:33.779 That's the third reason Jesus gives is that this old relationship of teacher-disciple 00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:39.120 has now changed into a new relationship of king and ambassador. 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:44.500 That Jesus is king and therefore you, Mary, you're my ambassador. 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:47.320 Verse 16, don't hold on to me. 00:31:47.560 --> 00:31:51.040 Verse 17, don't hold on to me for I have not yet ascended to the father. 00:31:51.640 --> 00:31:56.660 Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my father and your father to my God. 00:31:56.660 --> 00:31:58.460 God and your God. 00:31:58.560 --> 00:32:04.960 Mary has a new relationship with the Lord and therefore she has a new relationship with other people. 00:32:05.080 --> 00:32:08.340 Jesus says, let go of me so that you can go to others. 00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:13.040 And that's exactly what this apostle to the apostles does. 00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:19.060 She's bold in taking this message of the new creation back to the old creation 00:32:19.060 --> 00:32:22.300 where she knows she's going to sound stupid. 00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:25.320 She knows she's going to look foolish. 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:31.000 In fact, we're told when she goes in Luke 24, it says that they, the apostles, 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:36.879 they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like utter nonsense. 00:32:38.220 --> 00:32:42.200 But she went anyway because Jesus told her to go. 00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:49.740 You see, up to this point in the gospel, Jesus has spoken about God as the father, 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:52.960 the father who sent me or my father. 00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:58.960 And he's called his followers, disciples, servants, and friends. 00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:03.120 But the resurrection has changed all of that. 00:33:04.120 --> 00:33:11.859 And now he sends Mary to these men who denied him and deserted him his hour of greatest need. 00:33:11.859 --> 00:33:13.199 And what does he call them? 00:33:14.459 --> 00:33:15.519 My brothers. 00:33:17.199 --> 00:33:18.699 What a word of mercy. 00:33:19.779 --> 00:33:20.779 What a word of forgiveness. 00:33:20.939 --> 00:33:21.939 What does he call their God? 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.539 He says he's your father. 00:33:24.779 --> 00:33:28.919 And Christ Church, that is what the resurrection does. 00:33:29.379 --> 00:33:31.719 A new reality has sprung up. 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:39.480 A new relationship has become possible that God, who is Jesus' father by nature and by right, 00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:44.579 can become our father by grace and by adoption, 00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:50.240 that we can know him as his children, as his beloved daughters and sons. 00:33:51.360 --> 00:33:55.120 In Christ Church, you are not only the receivers of that good news, 00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:58.680 but you are the king's ambassadors of that good news. 00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:02.840 You are the king's diplomats to your networks and to your neighborhoods, 00:34:03.060 --> 00:34:05.140 to your friends and your colleagues, 00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:09.720 to tell them that this is the way the world now is. 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:13.119 And Mary gets it in verse 18. 00:34:13.240 --> 00:34:15.340 Mary went to the disciples with the news, 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:16.519 I've seen the Lord, 00:34:17.240 --> 00:34:21.079 and she told them that he had said these things to her. 00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:23.920 And that's the effect of the resurrection, 00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:25.500 is a resurrection faith 00:34:25.500 --> 00:34:29.300 that invites people to learn with us about the evidence 00:34:29.300 --> 00:34:33.099 and about the encounters of people who've actually seen the living Lord 00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:34.000 and to say to them, 00:34:34.440 --> 00:34:36.880 Jesus not only died for you, but he's alive, 00:34:36.980 --> 00:34:39.320 and you can come and get to know him too 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:41.199 and discover what we've discovered 00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:44.639 about this unbelievable reality 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:48.260 of being the children of God. 00:34:48.260 --> 00:34:50.880 Christ Church, 00:34:51.560 --> 00:34:56.460 Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, 00:34:57.460 --> 00:35:00.600 and he's launched a new creation 00:35:00.600 --> 00:35:02.980 where all is forgiven, 00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:05.520 all is remade, 00:35:06.080 --> 00:35:07.500 and all is reborn. 00:35:08.640 --> 00:35:10.660 So let us join in this project 00:35:10.660 --> 00:35:13.000 and become a resurrection people. 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:15.880 Let us be a people of life 00:35:15.880 --> 00:35:17.960 for a world that's still in death. 00:35:19.239 --> 00:35:22.159 And let us love this world 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:23.780 and the people around us 00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:25.179 with the kind of love 00:35:25.179 --> 00:35:27.519 that caused Jesus to give his life 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:28.480 for the world. 00:35:29.380 --> 00:35:31.699 Let us go out and celebrate today 00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:33.320 God's victory over death, 00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:35.340 and let us commit ourselves afresh 00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:37.400 to follow Jesus 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:39.019 in his mission 00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:40.639 of giving life 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:42.019 to this world. 00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:43.840 Amen? 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:45.739 In the name of the Father, 00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:46.719 Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:47.599 Amen. 00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:54.079 So I want to invite our choir 00:35:54.079 --> 00:35:56.500 to come back up, 00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.619 and as they're coming, 00:35:58.820 --> 00:36:00.380 I'll grab my cowbell 00:36:00.380 --> 00:36:03.820 and my picture of Christ Church. 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.980 And I want to just say 00:36:06.980 --> 00:36:08.280 as they're gathering up here 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:10.800 a word about our Easter offering. 00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:13.539 If you have not yet heard about this 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:15.019 or had an opportunity to give, 00:36:15.180 --> 00:36:17.420 our special mercy offering today 00:36:17.420 --> 00:36:20.200 is going to help people 00:36:20.200 --> 00:36:21.300 who've been torn apart 00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:22.720 and their lives have been torn apart 00:36:22.720 --> 00:36:24.039 by the war in Ukraine. 00:36:24.700 --> 00:36:27.519 And we're supporting a church in Kiev. 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:28.740 The pastor there, 00:36:28.860 --> 00:36:29.820 Sasha Stripak, 00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:32.460 his family has actually fled the country, 00:36:32.580 --> 00:36:34.500 but he's there helping people 00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:35.480 around the capital, 00:36:35.480 --> 00:36:37.280 and we're sending money 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:37.880 to their church, 00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:38.760 Alma's church, 00:36:39.139 --> 00:36:40.280 and also we're sending money 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:42.360 to West Christian Fellowship 00:36:42.360 --> 00:36:42.920 in Warsaw, 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:46.659 who's been helping to re-house people 00:36:46.659 --> 00:36:47.719 and help them get settled, 00:36:47.860 --> 00:36:48.860 women and children 00:36:48.860 --> 00:36:49.619 and the elderly 00:36:49.619 --> 00:36:51.039 and all kind of vulnerable people. 00:36:51.619 --> 00:36:53.699 And we're sending money 00:36:53.699 --> 00:36:54.940 directly to these groups. 00:36:54.940 --> 00:36:57.639 And you can use our QR code 00:36:57.639 --> 00:36:58.740 that's on our liturgy here 00:36:58.740 --> 00:36:59.559 if you want to scan that 00:36:59.559 --> 00:37:00.159 with your phone, 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:01.460 or you can go on our website 00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:04.000 and click our Give tab, 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:05.139 or you can just write a check 00:37:05.139 --> 00:37:07.460 that says Easter Ukraine offering. 00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:09.300 And all these funds 00:37:09.300 --> 00:37:10.539 will go directly to them 00:37:10.539 --> 00:37:11.519 later this week 00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:12.320 after we've had a chance 00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:13.480 to gather these things up 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:14.740 and to bless them 00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:15.380 and let them know 00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:16.320 that we're praying for them, 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:18.000 that our hearts are with them 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:19.200 this Easter. 00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:21.079 So with that, 00:37:21.200 --> 00:37:22.960 let's pray this prayer, 00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:23.840 and let's offer 00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:25.659 not only these special gifts, 00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:28.699 but all of our time, 00:37:28.820 --> 00:37:29.260 our talents, 00:37:29.380 --> 00:37:29.920 our treasures, 00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:31.820 and our lives to God. 00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:34.460 Almighty God, 00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:36.340 we marvel at the gift 00:37:36.340 --> 00:37:37.519 of your Son, Jesus. 00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:40.360 We're astonished at your power 00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:42.079 in raising him from the dead. 00:37:42.880 --> 00:37:44.639 We're amazed at your love 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:46.480 in lifting him once again 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:47.400 unto yourself. 00:37:48.280 --> 00:37:49.659 We pray that you receive 00:37:49.659 --> 00:37:50.740 our gifts now 00:37:50.740 --> 00:37:52.320 as symbols of our love. 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:54.059 of our participation 00:37:54.059 --> 00:37:55.920 in the grandeur of salvation 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:57.220 through your Son, 00:37:57.900 --> 00:37:58.820 and of our readiness 00:37:58.820 --> 00:38:00.539 to commit these resources 00:38:00.539 --> 00:38:02.300 to your work in the world. 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:04.760 We pray in the name of Jesus, 00:38:05.059 --> 00:38:06.059 the risen Christ, 00:38:06.380 --> 00:38:07.860 your Son, our Lord. 00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:08.780 Amen. 00:38:08.780 --> 00:38:08.920 Amen. 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:08.980 Amen. 00:38:08.980 --> 00:38:09.059 ... 00:38:09.059 --> 00:38:39.039 Thank you.