LIFE STRAIGHTENED OUT

Confused—Sad—Overwhelmed by life?  You’ve come to the right place—the tomb of Jesus! 

John 20:1-18 

What did the disciples and family of Jesus experience THAT weekend? 

·         Confusion—Jesus, the Messiah, was arrested and convicted.

·         Sadness—Jesus, the Messiah, was beaten and crucified.

·         Overwhelmed by life—What does this all mean?  Where do we go from here?  How does life begin again? 

Friday and Saturday—hard days.  But then Sunday came—and at first all these only seemed to get worse. 

Mary goes to the tomb—the body is gone—did someone steal the body?  Did the Romans or Jews move the body?  Where was the dead body of Jesus? 

Peter and John come to the tomb—to see for themselves—they find no body—only the grave clothes—but why would they be there if someone had stolen the body?  And why would they be so neatly folded and left there? 

They did not yet understand—they did not remember Scripture—no one had ever experienced resurrection.  A glimpse in the healings Jesus had performed—another glimpse in Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  But who could raise the Healer—who could raise the One who raised others from the dead? 

Confusion—sadness—feeling overwhelmed—fear now that THEY might be accused of taking the body. 

But at the tomb, life was straightened out. 

Mary goes back—two angels appear and ask her who she is looking for.  And then Jesus appears and asks her the same question. 

Jesus didn’t look like Jesus to her—was he the person taking care of the tombs and making the garden area beautiful? 

But then … 

He calls her by name—“Mary.” 

And she realized—this was the Rabbi, the Teacher, Jesus! 

And He was back from the dead.  Alive again!  What great news! 

But Jesus says to her, “Don’t think that it all is as it was before, when I was here physically with you.  You can’t keep me here as I was.  I am leaving to be with the Father God.” 

Back in the upper room, John 14 and 16, Jesus had told the disciples of His going away to prepare a place for them.  He also told them of the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus had to leave for the Spirit to come to them.  And how beneficial it would be to have the Holy Spirit instead of Jesus in their very presence. 

“Yes, Mary, it is Me.  But I am going away to be in God’s presence.” 

“In the meantime, you go tell the others that you saw me—that I am alive—and what I told you about my going away again.” 

And she did!  “I have seen the LORD!”  Testimony—witness by someone who knew Him before His death, and saw Him afterward.  She knew for certain THIS WAS JESUS. 

Yet, he would leave them again—and it would be best for them for that to occur. 

The early gospel message—Jesus would be buried, raised and then ascended to the Father. 

More confusion—more sadness—more overwhelming news.  But because of the empty tomb—because of seeing Jesus—because of His resurrection—it all would be much, much better for them. 

Lessons for us:

1.      Just as with Mary, Jesus knows your name—personal relationship with Him—you are not unknown by God—you are not left out. 

2.      Jesus left—but the Holy Spirit is here—to comfort us in sadness—to help us when we are confused—to guide us and help us cope when we are overwhelmed by news and events in our lives.

3.      Death for Jesus was not the final event—He defeated death—and because He lives, we will live again after our death too.  That gives peace for now and hope for our future.

4.      Jesus will return—“I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come again, to receive you to myself.”  For now, we do not have a Savior physically present with us—but one day, we will be with Him eternally.  He’s coming back for us one day. 

Confused—remember the empty tomb 

Sad—remember the resurrection of Jesus 

Overwhelmed by life—remember the Holy Spirit is with you 

In all of these things, remember—Jesus is coming back for you one day. 

If you have accepted Jesus, He knows your name.