"I HAVE SEEN THE LORD" | JOHN 20:16-18

Illustration story

In the midst of a storm, a little bird was clinging to the limb of a tree, seemingly calm and unafraid. As the wind tore at the limbs of the tree, the bird continued to look the storm in the face, as if to say, “Shake me off; I still have wings.”

Because of Christ’s resurrection, each Christian can look the experience of death in the face and confidently say, “Shake me off; I still have wings. I’ll live anyway.”

Death, Easter, Hope | Matt. 28:1–10; 1-Cor. 15; 2-Cor. 5:1–10; Phil. 1:21–23

Happy Easter to all of you and great to see you all. Welcome to the house od the Lord

Please join me in a moment of prayer.

I HAVE SEEN THE LORD

JOHN 20:16-18

16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

FIRST EYE WITNESS REPORT

Mary a follower of Jesus is looking for her Lord and teacher to the last place she saw him(his lifeless body) the tomb. Only to be asked by a stranger Why are you crying? and“Who are you looking for?” seriously? at the grave site or tomb? The Scripture says Sis. Mary did not recognized- until her name was called Jesus “MARY”

Main point: Notice the sequence, She sees Jesus but as a gardener- do not tell him who she’ looking for and turning to leave because this gardener is no help to her.

She recognized or now “know” it was Jesus when He called her name.

Notice that Jesus knows how to connect with you. We may think He’s something else but Jesus know who we are.

Its from this brief encounter that Mary become the first witness to the good news of the resurrection story. “I have seen the Lord.”

I don’t know what you will do with that, but I have seen the Lord, The word seen can also means “I have experienced the Lord”

Mary is also the first to be commission: To go and tell others that Jesus is alive, I know He live and when they asked me Mary how do you know? She will say with joy “I HAVE EXPERIENCE THE LORD.”

THE CONCLUSION

The resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord is not just a story that we celebrate yearly this time no, the resurrected Christ is an experience each of us are called to be witnesses that can say “I HAVE EXPERIENCE THE LORD.

HE LIVES YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER AND BECAUSE OF HIM YOU CAN SAY “I still have wings.” NO MATTER HOW HARD YOUR LIFE IS SHAKING HOLD ON TO CHRIST, YOU STILL HAVE WINGS.