April 20, 2025
Morning Service

Luke 18:31-33Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  (32)  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  (33)  They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."

            This is only one of at least three times that Jesus prophesied of what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem.  At the time, the disciples could not comprehend it.  But afterwards and even now this makes a powerful statement of who Jesus is.  It helps us to believe in Him when He has the power to predict all these things, and actually there were many more we could mention, and then for them to come true just exactly as He says. Who can do that?  He is much more than just a man.  I truly believe Him to be exactly who He said He was, the Christ the Son of the Living God who came to deliver us from our greatest enemies; sin and death.  He is our Living Hope!

            Last week, we left Jesus on Good Friday He had been delivered to the Romans, mocked, insulted, spit upon, scourged and crucified.  He cried out with His final breath, “It is finished” and then gave up His spirit.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus stepped forward in great faith and ask Pilate for His body and laid Him in tomb on the eve of the Sabbath.  Can you imagine the disciples state of mind during the next 36 hours of silence?  Everything they had hoped for seemed to be lost.  Fear encompassed them wondering if they were next to be arrested, tried and executed.  I wonder in that time of silence, was there any thought of what Jesus had predicted, leaving even a glimpse of hope in this dark moment?  Good Friday was a dark day that ended in a deafening silence, but as we know Sunday was on its way and it would be filled with a light as the Lion of Judah would roar from the grave; “All things are made new!”

 

John 20:1-10Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  (2)  Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."  (3)  Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.  (4)  So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.  (5)  And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.  (6)  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, (7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.  (8)  Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.  (9)  For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.  (10)  Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

            The other gospels inform us that it was a group of dedicated ladies who went to the tomb to do what they could in respect of Jesus’ passing.  The stone was rolled away, but not for Jesus to get out, but for these ladies and the disciples to get in.  Mary ran to tell the disciples and they ran to investigate and as they entered the tomb Jesus’ burial clothes lay just as His body would have been.  If a robber had stolen the body they certainly would not have laid them back so neatly.  Notice verse 8, where John confesses that “he saw and believed!”  Peter left with maybe but a glimmer of hope, but John’s hope was alive and well that His Lord had risen.

 

John 20:11-18 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.  (12)  And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  (13)  Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."  (14)  Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  (15)  Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."  (16)  Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (Which is to say, Teacher).

 

 

 (17)  Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' “(18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

            At first Mary did not recognize Him as her grief blinded her as she believed He was still dead.  It is in Jesus calling her by name that she recognizes Him.  I believe it to be true for us as well, that until we know Jesus and truly hear His voice we cannot see Him for who He is.  What joy must have filled the heart of Mary as she must have tried to hug Him.  Jesus sends her on a mission to tell the others and to build a basis for their hope to come true as well.

 

John 20:19-23Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."  (20)  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  (21)  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."  (22)  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.  (23)  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

            Jesus that evening appears to the disciples where they were all together.  “Peace be with you” he proclaimed and showed them His hands and His side.  He gave them evidence of what they had seen and what they are seeing are both true as His prophecy is fulfilled with the final missing part of His resurrection!  He then breaths on them to receive the Holy Spirit and gives them the Great Commission to share all they had seen and the meaning behind it.  They were to show them the path Jesus had created to receive the forgiveness of sins and allow the people believe it or reject it.  Thomas however had missed church that night and if you miss church you will miss something and he certainly did!

 

John 20:24-29 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  (25)  The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."  (26)  And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"  (27)  Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."  (28)  And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"  (29)  Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

            For eight long days Thomas had to be wondering if the small hope he was feeling would come true.  The other disciples had seen Jesus, but he could not bring himself to accept it until he saw if for himself.  Once Jesus appeared to him and showed him the evidence, he quickly believed and proclaimed; “My Lord and my God!”  Thomas and the others who saw Jesus alive had their hope fulfilled in that moment through sight.  Jesus then spoke a blessing upon us who believe by faith and not by sight.  We believe through the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives just as The Father had planned it to be with the Spirit being given to all who believe.

            Easter is celebration of our Lord and Savior stepping forward and taking our sins upon Himself and paying the steep price for it.  It is a celebration that the silence of the grave was broken as the Lion of Judah roared proclaiming He has defeated sin and death.  He has given us hope.  Hope of a better life following Him.  Hope of a better future as the best is yet to come.  Hope that we can share with those around us who are struggling.  Hope of a day when He will return and take us to be with Him forever! Let today be the day you decide to truly believe and receive this hope that never disappoints!

 

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2)  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.