Where's Jesus?

v.1:

Mary headed out first thing in the morning, seeking Jesus, and she fully expected to find Him still there. . . in the tomb. . . dead.

Even though she thought He was dead, she was still going to honor Him. This is a beautiful picture of love and devotion.

However, she knew she would face a problem. There was a big rock blocking her way, and she knew she was incapable of moving it.

In our effort to follow Christ, we will sometimes encounter obstacles.

Mark 16:3

Mark 16:3 NKJV

And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

It’s at this point that her journey turns into a mystery.

It was a mystery that must be solved, and thankfully, there were clues left behind.

Clue 1: What she found, was that the huge stone had been moved out of her way, revealing an empty tomb.

What had appeared to be a serious roadblock, had been moved out of the way.

Why? Because she was seeking The Lord. . . But where was He?

What a shock this must have been.

It seemed that God had moved a major roadblock, only to raise more questions.

Jesus was gone!

why?

now what?

We should expect this in our Christian life.

As God removes roadblocks and clears our path, that doesn't always make the destination clear.

Often, the more that is revealed along our journey, the more questions we will have.

It breeds faith, because we must learn to trust God.

vv.2-5:

Mary runs and tells Peter and John that someone had taken the body of Jesus, and they all go back to the tomb.

vv.6-10:

Clue 2: Upon further inspection, as Peter enters the tomb, He found the handkerchief from Jesus' head neatly folded. (V.7)

This is an interesting clue from ancient near east tradition.

If the master of the house were eating a meal and gets up from the table, if he drops a wadded up napkin it means he is finished.

However, if he folds the napkin an places it down, it means he will return.

Jesus was telling them that He would return, but they still had not quite figured it out.

vv.11-13:

Mary stayed behind, crying, at the place where Jesus had been. Crying over the loss of a dear friend.

However, she would soon discover that she had not lost a friend, she had gained a Lord and Savior.

Two Angels appeared at the tomb, and asked her why she was crying, but this is not the only question they asked.

Clue 3: In Luke 24:5 we see another question. “Why do you seek the living among the dead”?

We should ask ourselves the same question today. All too often, we think we are seeking Jesus, but we act as if He is dead.

Instead of relying on a living Savior, we try to solve every problem, and handle every difficulty ourselves.

We try to make ourselves good, we try to define our own self-worth, we try to justify ourselves before God.

In short, we try to do things our way. When we do this, we treat Him like He is dead, because we never give Him the opportunity to take control.

Mystery Revealed.

John 20:16

John 20:16 NKJV

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

The good news is that Jesus is not dead, He is alive and well.

Jesus is not dead!

Revelation 1:18

Revelation 1:18 NKJV

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Hebrews 7:25

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Mary sought Jesus that morning, thinking He was dead, and what she found was a living Savior. How beautiful is that?

We have a living God, who is in control, and always working on our behalf.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that He is God.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that His sacrifice was acceptable to the Father.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, is undeniable proof that Jesus has defeated death.

And because Jesus is alive, we should be too.

Because Jesus lives, we should too.

Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Being a Christian is about being alive and living for Christ.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is undeniable proof that He has the power to save us.

The resurrection of Jesus is proof that He can save us.

1 Corinthians 15:55

1 Corinthians 15:55 NKJV

“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Belief in the resurrection is essential to the Christian faith.

1 Corinthians 15:14-19

1 Corinthians 15:14–19 NKJV

And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

It is impossible to deny the resurrection, and be a born again believer.

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

The resurrection (rightfully) made such an impression on the disciples, that they began to worship on Sunday, in honor of the Risen Savior.

It made such an impression, that they lived the rest of their lives for the purpose of sharing the good news of our resurrected savior.

Christ’s resurrection tells us that we need not be alienated or estranged from God.

By the resurrection, God demonstrated his desire for fellowship with us.

By the resurrection, Christ demonstrated the ultimate victory of good over evil.

The resurrection assures us that we can trust him completely.

Will you trust Him as your Savior? It’s the difference between eternal life or eternal hell.

Jesus already paid the price for you, if you’ll just trust Him.

Romans 10:9

Will you make it a point to tell a lost person about Him this week?

This is truly a time for celebrating and rejoicing.