Missing Person Report (Easter 2024)

INTRODUCTION:

An Ohio mom Krista Piper Grundey began to panic when she lost track of her 3-year-old daughter, Lily, in a crowded museum.

”My first instinct was to call out her name,” Grundey tells TODAY.com. Then she says she remembered watching a TikTok video about a mother who found herself in a similar situation.

“She said to shout out a description of what your child is wearing because that way people know what to look for,” Grundey says. “So I started yelling ‘Little girl, pink Minnie Mouse shirt!’ And then other parents joined in and were repeating, ‘Little girl, pink Minnie Mouse shirt!’”

Moments later, Lily was located safe and sound.

“I was in tears and Lily was just playing and completely oblivious to the fact that I was frantically searching for her,” Grundey recalls.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUS) database, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 550,000 people go missing annually.

Last month (February 2024) over 1800 people went missing in the United States according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

This report contains information only on individuals who have been reported as missing, unidentified, or unclaimed to NamUs; it does not include information on all missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons nationwide.

TRANSITION:

Have you ever experienced someone gone missing?

Maybe your child …… maybe a family member ….. maybe a spouse?

My wife does this all the time when we walk into Walmart.

I will drop her off at the front door (cause thats the awesome Husband I am) and go park.

I tell her, “wait for me right up front, inside, the store.”

I go park and walk into the store and my wife is nowhere to be found.

I usually find her with some guy named “Clearance.”

This probably isn’t recorded in that National Missing and unidentified Persons database.

There seems to be some identifying factors when it comes to people who are searching for loved ones they have lost:

You can hear it in their voices

You can see it on their faces

You can feel it permeating from their being. (Moves them to an emotional response)

They same can be said of people when they find the person who was lost:

You can hear it in their voices

You can see it on their faces

You can feel it deep down in your soul. (Moves you to an emotional response)

This morning I want us to look at another missing persons report.

This report is probably the most talked about missing persons report in history.

This time of the year, the whole world is reminded of this event.

If you have your bibles please turn to John 20:1 as we recall this event.

[Have them stand in reverence of the reading of God’s Word].

BODY:

John 20:1–18 (ESV)

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been 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 disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then 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 and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 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, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him 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 him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am 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.

I want to takes us back to the scene of the alleged crime, this morning.

Where the report was made and how it all took place …..

In Chapter 20 of Johns Gospel we find it to be early in the morning (“While it was still dark”)

We find Mary Magdalene arriving at the Tomb of Jesus Christ

She is not coming to a grave yard, in the early morning hours, before daybreak, for just anyone.

The one who she is looking for is (Her Rabbi, Her Teacher, Her Lord)

We find Mary coming to finish anointing the Body of Jesus who had, less than 72 hours before, been crucified and placed in a tomb.

If you remember John records in John 19:39–42 “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had started the ceremonial process of burying Jesus Body but ran out of time before the Jewish day of preparation. (The day before the SABBATH: Friday)

Mary knew exactly where the tomb was as Matthew tells us in His Gospel: Matthew 27:61 “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.”

Mary finds the Large Stone “had been taken away” from the tomb.

This Greek word used here is “Airo” which means “To move away”

John tells us Mary takes off running back to where Peter and John were and tells them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Here is what cause me to scratch my head, no where in any of the Gospels do we read that Mary looked in the tomb and then takes off to tell John and Peter.

It would be fair to say that Mary assumed the body was taken. (And justly so)

The robbing of graves was a crime sufficiently common in this day and time.

So much so that the Emperor Claudius (AD 41–54) eventually ordered capital punishment to be given out to those convicted of destroying tombs, removing bodies or even displacing the sealing stones.

For me, this is where the story gets a little humorous.

Mind you, we are reading John’s eyewitness account of the story:

John 20:3–4 “So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.”

I wants you to picture two men who may have been reclining in a chair or lying on the floor resting.

They are startled by someone at the door who burst in and shared the most startling news.

“the body has been taken.”

What we read is John’s account, “Both of them were running together”

For a brief minute we get a description of a race.

Like one we would get when watching it on TV. (A commentator/announcer would be describing)

Then all of a sudden John (the announcer) states this, “the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.”

This is kind of funny to me.

John not only tells us “He is Jesus’ beloved” 4 or 5 times in His Gospel.

He now has to tell us that he was the first male disciple of Jesus’ arriving at the Tomb?

But John doesn’t go in.

John 20:5 “And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.”

There is a possibility that John stop before going in because it could have been deemed as “unclean”?

Whatever the case may be John records that “HERE COME PETER (COTTON TAIL) HOPPING DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL”

Sorry, wrong story!

Peter comes flying past John and, without hesitation, goes into the tomb.

Peter had to verify with his own eyes the body was missing.

I like what John states here, John 20:6–7 “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”

This recording is just like what we would read in a police report of a crime.

These are key facts to help a detective solve a crime:

Garments left behind

The face cloth lying separate from the others garments (Folded up)

This was a key piece of evident to disprove that the body was stolen.

Have you ever witnessed the scene of a robbery where the robbers took time to fold clothes?

John 20:8 “Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;”

I have read many commentators who are split in what they believe it means by John stating, “and he saw and believed”.

Some say, John believed that Christ had risen from the dead.

Others say, John believed that the body was stolen.

I am going to side with the latter. The reason being is what John then writes ….

John 20:9 “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”

Peter and John come to the Tomb for verification of the body being stolen.

The disciples go home!

What we conclude from the facts is that Mary followed Peter and John back to the tomb, John 20:11 “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.”

Mary doesn’t leave with Peter and John.

She stays and is reported “weeping.”

This word “weeping” in the Greek is the word: KLAIO

Does not express remorse or sorrow, but physical or mental pain which is outwardly visible.

Have you ever experienced this?

I am reminded of Judy Whitten in the ER the time she broke her shoulder.

It’s those kind of tears Mary Magdalene shedding.

I don’t know how to describe this adequately enough but if you have ever experienced physical or mental PAIN you know what Mary was experiencing.

Until you are given something to take away the pain there is no relief.

The only way to relieve the pain is by an outside source. (Time, Doctors, Medication, Treatments or Supernatural Healings)

Now Mary goes from this intense physical and mental pain to witnessing a divine manifestation (two Angels).

Not only does she witness this but she converses with them John 20:13 “They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.””

They ask a very obvious question, “why are you weeping?”

Mary is still thinking of what she had come to do (anoint the body).

Here is where you have to be very clear in what was written down, John 20:14 “Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.”

Why didn’t she know this was Jesus?

Because she immediately recognized it was a male and bowed her head. (This was custom)

a Jewish woman in first-century Jerusalem would not likely be walking alone, in the dark, to a place such as a garden of ceremonial dirt.

Mary finds herself alone in a cemetery with a male. (Not her husband; because she wasn’t married)

This doesn’t stop Mary from seeking the body of her Master.

This is where it gets good, John 20:15 “Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him 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 him away.”

Mary still has her head bowed.

Jesus asked her the same thing the Angels did, “why are you weeping”

But Jesus asked her one more question, “Whom are you seeking?”

Mary is still standing there with her head bowed (not looking at Jesus) and she pleads with Him (Thinking He is the gardener.)

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

I find this a little confusing, Why would a gardener being taking bodies out of a sealed tomb?

This is a great example of when we presuppose something we can almost “will it” into truth.

Mary presupposed Jesus body was taken …. she is told by Peter and John its not there ….. she looks into the tomb to see it empty …….so it must have been taken …… So it must be this guy who is the only one left standing in the garden.

You can hear it in her voice! Her Teacher was missing.

You can see it on her face! Her teacher was taken.

You can feel it permeating from her being. (Moved her to such an emotional response) JUST TELL ME!

Here is where everything climaxes to a euphoric moment:

John records one of the most emotional moments in scripture …..

John 20:16 “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).”

TRANISITION:

This missing persons report can now be closed.

One of the greatest missing persons reports in history has a happy ending.

I would say it has a historical ending.

CONCLUSION:

This missing report started with a rhetorical Question, “Whom are you looking for?”

There were 3 reasons for Jesus to be sought that day.

Mary came seeking to fulfill the ceremonial (religious) obligation.

Peter and John came seeking verification of an empty tomb.

Mary was seeking comfort for her Pain.

Pause

Let me ask you a question this morning, “Whom are you seeking?”

I would attest to the idea that we are all seeking something/someone!

Some of us this morning have sought Jesus and found Him or has been seeking Jesus!

But there might be some who have been seeking him just to fill the ceremonial obligations:

Check the box!

Some of you might be like Peter and John, seeking to verify is Christianity real or just a hokes.

I read a post on my FB from someone who said Christianity is just a Myth.

Maybe someone here this morning is here just to verify:

real or not real?

In the tomb or not in the tomb?

3. And there might be some of you here this morning who are in pain: physically or emotionally and you are seeking Jesus for relief.

Let me ask you this question: “WHOM ARE YOU SEEKING?”

Are you seeking to fulfill a religious duty?

Are seeking to verify a belief?

Are you seeking to be healed?

Just like Mary, whatever the reason is He is speaking your name this morning.