"THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION"

JOHN 20:1-18

INTRODUCTION

          All too often, hope is pessimistically defined as the little boy did when he said: Hope is wishing for something you know isn't going to happen.

          In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankly, successor of Sigmund Freud at Vienna, argued that the “loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect on man.” As a result of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, frankly contended that when a man no longer possesses a motive for living, no future to look toward, he curls up in a corner and dies. Any attempt to restore a man’s inner strength in camp,” he wrote, “had first to succeed in showing him some future goal.”

I. MARY’S VISIT TO THE TOMB AND HER DISAPPOINTMENT VV. 1-2

          I believe that John’s account of Mary’s visit to the tomb of Jesus does not contradict the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels. I believe that there were other women with Mary Magdalene when she came to the tomb, but John chooses to mention Mary for a reason.

          What brought Mary to the tomb of Jesus on early Sunday morning after His crucifixion? Mary came to the tomb not because she knew that Jesus was risen. Mary came to the grave of Jesus not as a result of curiosity. Why would she risk her life out of curiosity? Mary came to the tomb of Jesus to give her Savior a fitting burial. The Gospel of Luke 24:1 provides the answer. The women had wanted to do this on Saturday, but because of the Sabbath they couldn’t. The women realized that as a result of the hurried way Jesus was crucified and buried, probably He wasn’t given the fitting preparation for burial. Therefore, in order to prevent early decomposition of the body and stench, Mary came to balm her Lord.

          Mary also came to the tomb as a result of her love and appreciation for her Master. Mary was from the city of Magdala, hence her name Magdalene. Mary loved Jesus because He had done for her something that no one could do. Jesus had expelled seven demons from Mary. Mary had a reputation before she met Jesus. She was tormented by seven strong demons. Perhaps other women avoided her because of her demonic possession. Perhaps when other women saw her they pointed their fingers at her, mumbled words, and looked at her with suspicion. Have you been in her shoes before? Mary’s hope was Jesus. Jesus had changed her life, and she had followed Him ever since. She had financially invested in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus had given her life, reason to live, and a place in His kingdom. Jesus had given her worth and dignity, understanding, compassion and love. Jesus had given her hope. Now that hope lies at the bottom of her heart flat and lifeless. Her hope in Jesus has been snuffed out. Her hope in Jesus has been shattered because of the cruel way her Savior was killed.

          Nevertheless, something helped to survive the sense of loss that she felt; something resilient like a blade of grass that springs up after being stepped on. That something is love. Love brought Mary Magdalene to the cross of Christ. And love brings her now to Jesus’ grave. As Mary proceeds through that dark garden path, she stumbles upon a chilling sight. The stone has been rolled away. The tomb has been violated. Mary might have said to herself, what heartless person has done this? Just when she thinks life couldn’t get worse, it gets worse. The night gets darker; her hope gets dimmer and dimmer. As she takes off to tell the disciples, numerous questions haunt her. Who took the body? The Roman government? The religious leaders? But why? What would they want with it? Have they given him to the dogs by throwing Him outside the city in the garbage dumps of the Valley of Gehenna? Have they put Him on display to further mock Him? Mary finds Peter and John and tells them of her experience.

II. THE RACE OF TWO DISCIPLES TO THE EMPTY TOMB VV. 3-10

          When Mary gave her report to Peter and John they didn’t believe her story. In the Jewish culture of the first century the testimony of women was unacceptable. However, Mary has raised the curiosity of Peter and John. So they wasted no time talking. They set off to see for themselves. Perhaps Peter and John went to the tomb together because of the Jewish requirements: Every testimony should be verified by two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15). Peter started the race to the tomb, but the beloved disciple outran him. Maybe Peter ran to the tomb out of a broken heart. The last time Peter saw Jesus was when he denied Him before a young lady. The cock crowed the third time as Jesus had said, and as Peter turned his eyes met with Jesus’. Peter felt guilty and went and wept the tears of repentance. Maybe Peter went there to see whether there was hope of forgiveness for him. He has truly repented of his denial but he wasn’t sure whether Jesus has forgiven him.

          For some reason John got to the tomb before Peter, but he did not go inside. John saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Peter on the other hand, entered the tomb. But he saw something that was strange. Peter saw the linen wrappings lying at its original place, but the face cloth which was on Jesus’ head rolled up in another place. This means that it wasn’t the work of tomb or grave robbers. Why? Because if it were robbers they would have also taken the linen wrappings and the face cloth. They would never have left the cloths wrapped neatly. They would have taken the body, cloths and all, or would have taken the cloths off and dropped them in a garbage dump.

          Timid at first, now the beloved disciple mustered courage and entered the tomb and saw that the place where the Master was laid was empty. John too saw what Mary and Peter had already seen. The cloths but the body of the Master was nowhere to be found. With sudden intuition the beloved disciple perceived that the only explanation was that the Jesus who has been crucified, the Jesus who had recently assigned him His mother, the Jesus who had been buried in this new tomb, had risen from the dead. The beloved disciple saw and believed that Jesus was risen. Some have questioned whether John’s faith at this point was real. Unlike Peter, John believed that Jesus was risen. Some have also posed questions as to why John did not bear witness to the resurrection when they returned to join the other disciples. It could be that John, the beloved disciple thought it best to hold his peace until events have confirmed or destroyed his fledgling faith.

          According to verse 9, neither Peter nor John at this time understood from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Personal loss or tragedy can blind you and me from reality. Sometimes the shock of loss or tragedy can blur constructive reasoning or biblical promises. Bear in mind also that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. Not able to make sense out of their experience at the empty tomb, Peter and the beloved apostle went to their respective homes.

III. THE APPEARANCE OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST

TO MARY VV. 11-18

          From verse 11, you can see that when Mary went to tell Peter and John what she had seen at the tomb, she returned to the tomb. Mary is left behind at the grave weeping. Tears have become her only companions. She takes those tears with her as she enters the tomb to take a look for herself. This time something dramatic happens. As Mary Magdalene makes her way to the tomb she finds two angels in white seated. Do you see what I see? The woman who was once possessed by seven demons finds herself in the presence of angels. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She is despondent and related to them the reason for her tears. After answering the angels' question she turned around and another voice said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” “Whom are you seeking?” The person who was standing there was Jesus. The person who asked her the question was Jesus but Mary could not recognize Him. Maybe the morning is foggy. Maybe tears blur her eyes. Maybe Jesus is the last person she expects to see. Whatever the reason Mary doesn’t recognize Jesus. Not only did Mary not recognize Jesus; not only did Mary not recognize Him she mistook Jesus for a gardener. Mary is sobbing not because Jesus is dead, but because His body has disappeared. She knew that He was dead. Mary feared that the worse had happened to her Lord’s body. In her fear, dejection, despondence, and tears she hears someone whispers her name, Mary. The voice was familiar to her. That was the way her Savior and Lord used to call her. Mary Magdalene blinks away her tears and can hardly believe her eyes. Whatever the cause of her blindness, the single word Mary, spoken as Jesus had always uttered it, was enough to remove it. “The good Shepherd calls His sheep by name and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice” (John 10:3-4).

          Astonishment and delight instantly swallow up anguish and despair. Mary addresses Jesus, as she has always been, “Rabboni,” an Aramaic word, which means “Teacher." I think the King James Version of the Bible did a poor work when it translated verse 17, “Don’t touch Me.” That statement is uncharacteristic of Jesus. The translation of NKJV, NIV, & NASB are accurate. Jesus said to Mary, “Stop clinging to Me,” or “Do not hold on to Me.” If I were Mary I would probably do the same thing. Mary is overwhelmed; she throws her arms around the Lord she loves so much. She had been there when Jesus suffered at the cross; now He is there when Mary is suffering. She has stood by Jesus in His darkest hour; now Jesus is standing by her in hers. Jesus has seen her tears; now Jesus is there to wipe them all away. Her hope, which has almost been shattered, has now been revived. Her lingering has paid off. Her tenacity has been rewarded. Peter and John could not wait at the tomb, but Mary refused to go home.

          Have you almost given up in life? The risen Christ is willing to renew your hope for living for Him. Jesus interrupts Mary’s embrace to send her to His brothers with the good news. Jesus was not talking about His blood brothers, but rather His spiritual brothers, the disciples. He is risen. I have seen Him. I have touched Him. He is alive. Mary runs to the disciples with another news. This time the news is not one of disappointment, but of hope. This time the news is not about sorrow, but joy. This time the news is not of death but life. He is risen, Mary shouted to them.

          In His triumph Jesus could have paraded through the streets of Jerusalem. He could have knocked on Pilate’s door. He could have confronted the high priest. But the first person our resurrected Lord appears to is a woman without hope. And His first words are, “Why are you crying?” What a Savior we serve. He comes quietly to a woman who grieves, who desperately needs to hear His voice. He comes to a woman who needs to see His face and feels His embrace. Not only has Jesus defeated the enemies who masterminded His death; He has also defeated sin, Satan, and death itself. What is your fear today? Your prayer should be:

Where there is doubt, roll away the stone and resurrect my

faith. Where there is depression, cast aside the grave clothes

and release my joy. Where there is despair, chase away the

night and bring a sunrise to my hope.

          No matter how dark the Friday is or how cold the tomb, there is always the warm hope of an Easter morning because the Savior is risen. No matter how bad Friday is there is always the joy of the resurrection Sunday. The tomb is empty. Pay a visit to the tomb of Buddha and it is occupied; visit the grave of Krishna, it is occupied; visit the tomb of Confucius, it is occupied; visit the grave of Joseph Smith, it is still occupied; visit the tomb of Mohammed, it is occupied, but visit the tomb of Jesus and it is empty. He is risen. He is alive; I spoke to Him this morning. Glory be to God.

I wish you all Happy Easter.