Loving the Lord

Have your Bibles with you today. Turn with me if you would to John chapter 20 will be looking this morning, verses one through 18 now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone to be taken away from the tomb, so she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. So Peter went out with the other disciples and they were going toward the tuning. Both of them were running together with the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first and stooping to look and he saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in. And then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there in the face cloth which had been on Jesus head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded up in a place by itself and the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first. Also, when in and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead and the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain one at the head wanted the feet they said to her, woman, why are you weeping, and she said to them, they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing. She did not know that it was Jesus, and Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping whom are you seeking supposing to be the gardener, she said to him, sir.

If you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take them away. And Jesus said to her. Mary, she turned and said to him in Aramaic, red bone, which means teacher Jesus said to her.

Do not cling to me right not yet ascended to the father go to my brothers and say to them I'm ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God, Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples. I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her that with me as we got our Lord in prayer all heavenly father.

What a great and glorious privilege I have this morning to stand before this congregation, and to share with them the word of God. A particular passage of Scripture Lord that tells us about your resurrection then that helps us that we might be prepared to meet you face-to-face heavenly father I pray for my brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka this morning experienced horrible slaughter of Christians were six churches were attacked in and bombed over 200 Christians lost their lives were martyred for their faith. They were killed just because they love Jesus and now they are with you and glory standing face-to-face, never experiencing in their whole life. The joy that they are experiencing nail. I thank you Lord for the blood of Jesus that save them. I thank you Lord for the heart that you given them the serve Christ.

No matter what the cost father as I look at America today and as I look at the direction in which this country is going. These same things are very possibly going to happen here and I pray heavenly father that you would prepare God's people for persecution, Lord, that you would give us the courage to stand no matter what the cost is from the rectus floor through this passage Scripture today. May Jesus be up lifted and exalted may this congregation beatified and it is in your precious and holy name we pray. Amen. You may be seated in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Luke, there is a passage of Scripture. They are the incident that is always wrong my bail Simon the Pharisee has invited Jesus to come over for supper now. His purpose was not just for a meal's purpose was to test Jesus to test his theology to test his orthodoxy while they are they are in the dining room. A woman comes the end, before Jesus and she kneels down before him, and she takes out a bottle of perfume, and she begins to pour it over his feet and then she begins to weep and her tears are just flowing down on Jesus feet and then she takes her hair and she begins to dry Jesus's feet off with her hair. When that happens. Simon the Pharisee went nuts. His face got red. He jumped up he pointed at Jesus and said you're not a prophet.

If you were truly a prophet of God then you would have never let this sinful woman touch you, and yet she has blazed your feet with her tears.

Then there was a conversation that went on between Jesus and Simon the Pharisee I want take a moment and read you that conversation from Luke chapter 7 verse 41 through 48. Jesus said a creditor had two debtors one owed 500 denarii. The other 50. Since I cannot pay it back. He graciously forgave them both to which of them will loving more and Simon answered. I suppose the one he forgave more you judge correctly tolling turning to the woman he said to Simon, do you see this woman, I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she was 13 years has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. You gave me, but she hasn't stopped kissing my feet since I came in, you didn't anoint my head with oil, but she is anointed, my feet with fragrant all therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven.

That's why she loved much with the one who is forgiven little loves little.

And he said to her, your sins are forgiven. Luke doesn't tell us who this woman is probably all we know is that she was a sinner but there is a tradition that says that that this woman who bade Jesus feet with tears was the very same woman who was caught in the act of adultery in John chapter right. You remember that story.

The Pharisees had grabbed this woman. They drove her through the streets of Jerusalem to where Jesus was, and you can just imagine her dress was torn her. Her face was, and just red with embarrassment. She had scraped knees and she was crying.

The tears just rolling down her cheeks and the Pharisees get her to Jesus and and they take her just drop her down on the ground so we call this woman and adultery in the very act and and the law of God says that she is the stone. What do you say we should do. Jesus kneeled down and took his hand.

He began to write down in the in the dirt and then he said let him that is without sin cast the first stone. All of a sudden he started here rocks dropping as they Pharisees started leaving one by one until finally nobody else was there.

And then Jesus looked up to her and said, woman, where are your accusers. She said they have all left.

There's no one left to can be a million, Jesus, and neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more. Now there is no biblical proof of the S that this woman in in Luke chapter 7 that I just read about that day the feet of Jesus were with her tears and this woman who is called the act of adultery is Mary Magdalene, but that's a tradition, but I believe that it very well might be so that this is the one in the same. We do know this about Mary. This is biblical from Luke chapter 8 verse two that Mary Magdalena had been indwelt by seven demons in Jesus cast those demons out of her and for gave her the statement that Jesus made about this woman really applies very well to Mary Magdalena that he is forgiven much loves much.

Mary Magdalena had been a lost, helpless sinner who'd been in bondage to her own lust and to Satan himself and Jesus in his great mercy had done a mighty work in her heart and set her free of all the people who were they are grieving the death of Jesus.

I think Mary Magdalene may have been one that was breathing with a broken heart even more so than maybe everybody else remember the book that came out a few years ago called the da Vinci code written by Dan Brown.

It was a very heretical book, but in his book he was trying to convince everybody that Mary Magdalena Jesus had a romantic affair going on in that Jesus actually married Mary Magdalene and is nothing but an absolute lie. Mary Magdalena did love Jesus, but she loved him as the son of God, not as a husband Matthew 27 we are told that that Mary was one of the women who stood at the cross and brothers and sister she saw it all. She saw Jesus that was tied to whipping post and the Roman soldiers taken a cat of nine tails whipped and beaten him across the back until there was almost no flesh left on his back at all. She saw the soldiers take the crown of thorns and crush it down into his brown. She saw the people come by and spit on him and mocked him in the last adding men.

She saw Jesus stretched out on the cross and the soldiers taken their nails. These huge spikes mailing through his hands and feet.

She saw them hoist the cross up in the AR drop it down in the hole with all of his bone of bones work were jarred out of joint. She saw darkness covered the land total darkness so dark that you can hardly see your hand in front of your face in the middle of the day that she felt the earthquake that hit is Jesus is dying. She watched all of this and then right before Jesus died, he cried out from the cross to telling a sty. It is finished and then uttered these words father into your hand I commit my spirit. And then Jesus bowed his head, breathed his last breath and died. Not sure if Mary understood all the theological implications and ramifications. The cross I don't think she probably understood, yet definite atonement or imputed righteousness of the doctrine of propitiation, but she understood this, Jesus had changed her life and Jesus loved her more than anyone else had ever loved her before other me in a taken advantage of her other me and used her other me and had even abused her, but Jesus forgave her and treated her like a lady. I can imagine the agony that went through her soul for those three days is Jesus body was how was it in the tone for for three solid days she wept like a baby at all she could think about was Joseph of their Messiah Nicodemus. As I took the broken body of Jesus, down from the cross and they took it to Joseph's tomb going latest body out. They put on his body over 100 spices and then they took linen cloths and they they wrapped them around and around and around and around like a mummy and then after they had finished that the soldiers came and they took the the huge stone about 4000 pounds like they rolled it into the entrance of the tomb and then they put a Roman seal on that stone. Nothing could have been worse. Nothing could have been more hopeless and that her Jesus had died and I was in high school we had to reappoint written by William Cullen Bryant Califano top. This is a Greek word that means the view of death. I remember our English teacher get all excited about that. Pulling and she just thought all this is so beautiful I what even a Christian at that time and I read it said it's not beautiful. It is utterly depressing and William Cullen Bryant went on to say it is pulling that that we live, and then we die, we just cease to exist and that when we die.

They then are our bodies going to decay and is good to go down into the ground and become nutrients for plants and flowers and I thought Lydon that wonderful that's what my purpose in life is to be fertilizer for zucchini squash. That's not exciting to me absolute hopelessness and I believe that that's a little of what Mary is feeling here, I believe that she is so broken because Jesus has died and she wonders if there's any hope she doesn't know it yet, but Sunday's coming at Texas to John 20 Sunday morning before dawn and their seven points I want to share you with you about Mary's love for the Lord. Number one, seeking first the kingdom.

Look at verses one and two with me on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark.

She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb, so she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they are putting for a couple of years now. Mary has been sitting seething at at G6 at Jesus feet and she's been just soaking in the teaching. She's been learning she's been listening and she's also been watching Jesus example and she's noticed that that early in the morning Jesus would get up and other disciples would still be sleeping, but he would go away from the immediate off to a lonely place just by himself to get away from the disciples, sometimes even going into a little mountain and there he would commune and fellowship with God the father that was priority with Jesus. Nothing got in the way of that quiet time.

It was important to him and I believe that Mary picked up on that discipline and here she is on Sunday morning and what is she doing she is gone all the way to the tomb. That's probably a very dangerous place for woman to be, but she had a purpose and in being there. She's got spices in her hands and she has come with the purpose.

She she is going to ask the soldiers to move the stone out of the way and in our purpose is to be able to anoint the body of Jesus again with ease with the spices to honor him.

So in the best way that she knew how she was seeking the kingdom she was doing everything she could to be in the will of God. But she walked up the tomb and what a shock. What a shock.

The stone was not there. It was rolled away at at and I don't think it was just a few feet away. It was almost like it'd been picked up and thrown away way up the heel and then she looked in the were no soldiers around in the body of Jesus was not there. Her heart jumped up in her throat. She ran all the way back to the home of Peter and John, if he's knocking on the door. She was a get out there. Something happened that this but the tomb is empty and Jesus body is not. They are the soldiers were gonna they got up and Peter and and John and and Mary run as fast as they can.

John was a little younger and probably faster and he got there first but it was interesting to me that that the one who is they are at the turn before anybody else is not a disciple and it's not a theological scholar.

It's a woman and it's a woman who is seeking first the kingdom of God on your pastor and I want you to learn theology. But if that's all you have your not gonna last. I want you to learn ecclesiology. But if that's all you have your not gonna last. I want you to listen to sermons and I want you to love good Christian music.

But if that's all you have you not gonna last. But if you love Jesus like Mary love Jesus, then guns and guillotines and prisons and concentration camps and persecution and trial and all the demons in hell itself cannot drag you away from Jesus .2 is focusing on Christ before focusing on others that look with me if you would at verses 5 to 10 stooping down he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. Then following him.

Simon Peter came also be entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths, but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple had reached the tomb first then entered the tomb saw and believed they still did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went home again. John got to the tomb first.

He stopped at the entrance and he peered in. And Peter came running up and probably just pushed them out of the way and ran into the E and into the room itself and they are what did he see he saw the grave close and they it look like a deflated money. The bright flows were not unraveled it all, but they were they look at look look like a deflated balloon and then he saw the.

The headpiece the napkin it was perfectly folded up late over to to the side, my friend Jim Palmer shared interesting point concerning that napkin with me the other day I thought this was interesting.

He said that there was a tradition in in Israel when a man was a big meal and he had finished the meal up and he was ready to walk away and not come back that the way they would know these not coming back is that he would take his napkin to any would ball it up and just throw it on the plate and walk away. But if he is planning just to be away for just a few minutes and coming back. Then he would take the napkin he would folded up perfectly. He would lay it down beside his plate. Is that what Jesus was doing.

Is that what Jesus was saying to us was that when Jesus is saying that he's not finished he's coming back. Boy what a joy that would have been to Mary.

What a joy that would have been to the disciples and brothers and sisters will enjoy that all to be to us for the world the flesh and the devil are not going to win. Jesus Christ is coming back. Finally John worked up his courage and he stepped stepped in the Scripture says that he saw and believe. Never in Luke's Gospel, the Scripture says that that Peter Saul and he wondered about these things. In other words, Peter didn't get it. They just didn't understand this idea of the resurrection just went totally over his head and PE still was looking for a a grave robber.

He thought that wicked evil religious me and it stolen the body away and he just didn't get it.

Scripture says that John Saul and believed Peter had site John had insight. Peter was laid head at physical understanding, but John had spiritual illumination.

So what did these two disciples do they went home asset. They saw us all what was there that the tomb was empty. I turned around and they went home. That's interesting to me that Mary did not follow their example. These two men were disciples.

They had been trying for three years by Jesus.

They had been taught theology they would have on the job training experience but Mary decided not to focus on them. Instead, she focused on Jesus, and she stayed right there folks we need spiritual leaders. We need godly examples we need people who are our teachers who will be role models for us. We need that, but we need to understand this also that a relationship with Christ is a personal relationship and I need to realize this, that I'm not gonna be able to hide behind the hypocrites and I'm not will be able to hide behind them when I come to the judgment. Are these are the hypocrites in the church absolutely yes there are.

Jesus told us that there would be there. People who are funny in the church.

There are people who live duplicitous lives. Thomas Watson said this hypocrites seem to honor God, but they do not loving their eyes are lifted up to heaven, but their hearts are rooted in the church there. One thing a church or something completely differently different when they are away from people that they know they are able to talk the talk but they're not walk in the wall. I remember when I went to pastor my first church that I pastored I was young I think have account of a Pollyanna attitude about how this church was going to be. I just had this idea that the deacons adopted because spiritual people in the world and I member one particular deacon got mad one day and discussed a blue streak and air, and I remember him being overly friendly with the women in the church and I remember him hating people who were not his color, and it bothered me. I was in seminary and I went back to seminary after one particular bad incident with him and I was talking to my seminary professor about it and he said Doug don't be shocked. He said Jesus had 12 disciples that walked with him for three years and one of them was a devil he said don't let funny people discourage you. He said you live a life so holy before them that they will get convicted.

He said this he said Doug a said is that most spiritual person you know this must godly person you know I didn't have to think about it.

I see Charles long Charles long was a missionary to Vietnam but I knew you and I loved him. Man, that guy walked with God I love just being around him because I felt like I was just getting closer to God.

Just just be in withing then my professor said okay that's the most spiritual man, you know, he said, then make up your mind right now that if he leaves the church that if he walks away from his wife that that if he leaves his children to go off and get married to his secretary and he abandons the faith that he walks away. That has nothing to do with you and has nothing to do with you. Don't let hypocrites be your excuse well. Never forget that that was a great great lesson reminded me of him in the in the Gospel of John, chapter 21 Jesus is telling Peter about what could happen in Peter's future even tells them that is to be martyred that if they he's going to die first phase will be stretched out till speeders can be crucified and Peter was missing as he said that Peter turned around and he pointed over John is what will John and Jesus essentially said Peter that's not your business and if I want to keep John around till I come back a second time at that has nothing to do with you. You just follow me and you not think that was Mary's resolve. I think that was Mary's resolve, she will not be swayed by Peter and John. They go home. She stays there and if she hadn't, she would have missed out on Jesus.

Like the third point is persevering power. Look at verse 11. But Mary stood outside facing the children crying as she was crying she stooped to look into the tune. Peter and John were gone. It would've been much easier for her to have done that to. She could have gone home, then she could have just walked on and go to her bedroom got up under the covers and cried her heart out.

She could've done that but she wouldn't and she couldn't she stay there.

This praying and begging God for answers. Mary Magdalena had learned to wait on the Lord that's tough, but it's right and it yields wonderful fruit height .4 is experiencing unconscious attention. Look at verse 14. Having said this, she turned around she saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. The last time she saw Jesus his face was beaten and swollen so badly that you can even recognizing even flagellate it. Beaten by 10 of nine tails whipped 39 lashes and he was absolutely covered with dry blood.

Now she sees this man she doesn't know who it is that she doesn't realize that it's Jesus and Jesus as they are.

He's in his new resurrected body. He doesn't have a face it's all swollen up, space looks perfect. He doesn't have dried blood all over him and he does have scars in his hands the tangible evidence of what Jesus did for us on the cross she can look at his hands shooting look at his face.

She just cannot talk stewing. She thought it was the gardener. I think this is interesting because I think we have a principal here and that is the is the Lord is with us even when we don't realize it. Even when we feel alone. Even when we feel abandoned, even when we feel confused, he is there. Even if we don't realize, you lose your job. Is there your doctor tells you that you have cancer. He's there you have a child that's rebelling to get you and won't listen. He is there. You you were standing for truth and in trying to be what God would have you to be.

People get mad at you. He is there. Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you in a minute. .5. Knowing Jesus. Verse 15 through 16 woman. Jesus said to her, why are you crying who is it you are looking for supposing he was the gardener, she replied, sir if you removed him tell me were you putting I will make take him away and Jesus said Mary turning around she said him in Hebrew Rathbone, which means teacher. It should not surprise us of the first words that Jesus spoke to a person in his new glorified body were these why are you crying, and who are you seeking over in Isaiah chapter 61 verse one we have a messianic promisee promise and the promise that we have there is that when the Messiah comes, he will have a ministry of binding up the brokenhearted, in Revelation chapter 21 verse four. The Scripture tells us that when Jesus comes back to this earth and that he will wipe every tear from our eyes. He gave her Mary a short rebuke, but he said this to her.

Mary why are you crying, Mary speaks back thinking that Jesus is the gardener and she speaks back and says, sir. If you have taken.

If you have taken him away. Then tell me where you putting that I like taking away what she saying she say Jesus is mine and I want to take care of them, take his body and give them a decent burial and anything you know were years please, please tell me and then all of a sudden it happens one word Jesus is Mary and bam it's like a lightning bolt. All of a sudden she knows exactly who it is. All of a sudden she says to herself, he hasn't forgotten me. He remembered my name. He knows who I am is not ashamed of me. I'm not an embarrassment to him. They didn't bring up my past feeding bring up all my immorality. This is Jesus, and he remembers me and he loves me, he called her by name and when he did the sadness, the sorrow and the shame just drained out of her body.

She knew that she belong to Jesus and Jesus belong to her.

She went from depression and grief to joy unspeakable and full of glory.

I wonder she thought of the words that Jesus had once said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

I wonder she went back to Isaiah chapter chapter 49 verse 16 were Jesus said, I have written my people's names-grades them on the palms of my hand. All Jesus had to do was utter one word. Her name Mary and the weeper was turned into a worshiper .6 is altering a relationship. Verse 17 don't cling to me. Jesus told her thrive, not yet ascended to the father but go to my brothers and tell them that I'm a Cindy to my father and your father to my God and your God. Mary falls down at Jesus feet and she begins to worship him, and she begins to just shower him with his tender adoration. If you reread this from the old King James version, you can get a wrong impression. Fort heard it says in the old King James Jesus said don't touch me and I remember reading that think it who marries done something wrong here. None of Mary not done anything wrong at all, but it's the best response that you can have to Jesus calling your name is worship and adoration. What Jesus is telling hers.

Mary don't cling to me. It is send Mary our relationship nail is gotta be different before you were walking beside me and nail. I am to be walking inside you and I'm to be walking inside you by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Now if you're not a Christian. Here is knowing the world that you can understand that that would be like me trying to tell a blind man has never seen the light of day with the color of blue or yellow or red is like just impossible. Jesus explained this way. John 1415 through 18. He said if you love me you will keep my commandments and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth in the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor nosing you, knowing free dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Jesus is described in the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God and he's telling Mary that her service for Christ and her communion with Christ is no longer going to be a one-on-one communion, but it's going to be even better. He says he says the Holy Spirit of God is going to move in her life, and bring guidance and sweet wonderful fellowship and will be even more powerful than the relationship that she had with him physically on .7 his glory and in the resurrection. Look at verse 18. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples. I have seen the Lord and she told him what he had said to her, I can't begin to describe this scene, Mary runs back and she's she's screaming that the disciples get their attention just that.

Just bringing them all into her and she's so happy she's about to pop and she says guys. Hold onto your hats you're not gonna believe this Jesus Christ is alive has risen. Death could not holding Satan could not defeat him evil wicked men could not destroy him.

He is broken the chains of death. He is paid our sin that we are forgiven. God is not forsaken us Jesus Christ is alive folks. We should be just as happy as Mary dear here this morning your Christian your spirit probably just be slobbering with the Eagles.

Your solo would be saying, praise God. Jesus is alive.

Jesus has risen. We have not come here today to mourn over a dead corpse on the cross we have come here today to worship the risen Lord on his throne, crown him the Lord of life who triumphed over the grave to read is victorious over the strife for those he came to save his glories. Now we saying who died and rose on high God, eternal life to bring in Liz that death may die. Jesus paid it all, all to him I sin is left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow quarter.

What assurance do we have that that is truth. This is the assurance that we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ brothers and sisters. He has risen a man, a man was pray heavenly father we thank you and praise you today that we serve a risen Savior, we thank you today Jesus for going to the cross for us and shedding your precious blood that are sin that might be paid that you would impute your perfect righteousness to us so that when we would would come before you in judgment and God would look at us, he would not see that this poor deceased sad wretched sinner. What Jesus and God will see is the perfect righteousness the perfect righteousness of Christ. I will be closed in the righteousness of Christ. Every Christian of this room will be closed in the righteousness of Christ and we will enjoy his fellowship forever and ever and ever.

We praise you for that today.

Thank you Lord for love in us. Thank you Lord for saving us.

Thank you Lord for your sanctifying power and move in our lives and help us that for the rest of our lives, our lives might count for Christ sake, and it's in Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen