Surprise, Surprise!

John 20:1-18

Introduction

Oh, what a joyous occasion this is! Today, we celebrate the greatest surprise in all of history. Just like Mary Magdalene on that first Easter morning, many of us have experienced moments in our lives where we were met with unexpected twists and turns. But none of them compare to the surprise that awaited Mary at the empty tomb."

"Now, some of you may remember a classic song by the legendary Cilla Black titled 'Surprise, Surprise.' It's a tune that captures the essence of unexpected joy and astonishment. And as we delve into the story of Mary Magdalene, we find that her surprise at the empty tomb was just as profound, if not more so."

Picture this scene with me: It's early in the morning, the sun is just beginning to rise, and Mary Magdalene makes her way to the tomb where Jesus was laid. But as she approaches, her heart sinks as she discovers the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Can you imagine the shock, the confusion, the fear that must have flooded her soul in that moment?"

In Cilla Black's song, the lyrics speak of unexpected revelations and newfound hope. And isn't that exactly what Mary Magdalene experienced at the empty tomb? Her surprise quickly turned into overwhelming joy when she encountered the risen Lord, standing before her alive and victorious over death!"

My dear brothers and sisters, just as Mary Magdalene was surprised by the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus, so too are we invited to be surprised by the miracle of Easter. It's a reminder that no matter how bleak our circumstances may seem, God specializes in surprises. He turns our mourning into dancing, our despair into hope, and our death into life everlasting!"

Mary was SURPRISED by who was MISSING:

Her Discovery- Mary came to the tomb early, when she arrives she finds that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. She ran to get Peter and John, they both came to see what had happened. To their surprise Jesus was gone and the napkin that had been on his face, was now folded in a place by itself.

Note: The bible says that the linen clothes were lying and the literal translation of that is that they were “still in their folds”. This means that they looked exactly like jesus was still in them.

Note: The napkin is folded

Illustration: When I was in my 20’s I used to be a waiter at a fine dining restaurant. I learned that people talk with their napkins. At a dinner table, folding a napkin is a common gesture with a subtle but meaningful message. When a guest finishes their meal but intends to return, they may fold their napkin neatly and place it beside their plate. This act communicates to the host that they are not finished, merely taking a temporary leave, and they plan to return. Similarly, in John 20:7, we read about the burial cloth or napkin that was placed over the face of Jesus in the tomb. After His resurrection, the disciples found the cloth not just thrown aside, but neatly folded. This detail might seem insignificant, but in the cultural context of the time, it was highly meaningful.

Her Devotion- Peter and John went home, and the question is, but Mary stayed weeping and wailing at the tomb, and the question is why did Mary stay? It was because she loved Him!!

Note: You won’t find the answer in John’s gospel, you have to go over to Mark 16:9 “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”

If you’ve ever been redeemed, if you’ve ever been delivered then you know how Mary feels. When you look back over you life, and you.

Can I ask ya’ll a question; do you love Him?

Her Darkness-Mary had her eyes focused on the physical evidence rather than the spiritual answer! All she saw was an empty tomb. It never entered her mind to consider the greater truth that Jesus was alive. We might well weep with her but for the truth that He is alive and no longer dead! Oh, if it were true that Jesus was dead today, Paul tells us of all men, we would be most miserable

Note: Many of Gods children walk around like Jesus is dead.

I serve a risen savior He’s in the world today

Mary was SURPRISED by The Messengers: There were two angels at the Tomb.

Their Presence: Notice there were two of them. Two is the number of witness. God dispatched two witnesses to bear witness that Jesus is alive.

Their Posture: Sitting- a posture of peace! if the body of Jesus had been missing and if there had been any trouble at the tomb, you can be sure that these angels would have been busy. they’re sitting like “all is well”

Their Picture: Rest- they are resting…this is a stark contrast to all the other times that the Lord had to dispatch Angels.

we see them fighting, we see them going and coming and sending messages but here, they are sitting and resting.

while Mary is frantic and upset, and in an uproar, the message here is “everything is going to be alright”

Their Plan: in verse 13 The Angels had a plan to shake up Mary’s ideology. They asked her a question “why are you weeping?”

Application: Why are you weeping??

Mary was SURPRISED by the Whereabouts of the Messiah:

V. 14 Mary’s Confusion: In her weeping she realizes that she is not alone at the tomb. She sees a man standing near her, but she don’t recognize that it is Jesus…so she keeps on crying.

Many of us are still crying, and still stuck because we have not recognized that Jesus is there. We keep looking at what’s not there. What you’re looking for, is looking at you!!

The Confrontation: Jesus asks Mary 2 questions that are designed to expose her to the truth.

Why are you crying? Didn’t I tell you, that I wasn’t going anywhere, that I would be with.

Who are you looking for? - why are you looking for the living amongst the dead.

These questions were designed to remind Mary that Jesus is:

The Resurrection and the life

The Prince of Life

The one who would lay down his life and pick it up again.

The Way, the Truth and the Life

NOTE: That while she was talking to Jesus she was still looking at the empty tomb instead of looking to Jesus!

The Call - When Mary doesn’t respond to His questions, the Lord simply calls her by her name “Mary”

Notice- This time, Mary answers back “Master” - in other words she was saying “Yes Lord!”

The Command- Don’t touch me, because I’ve not been offered yet. He’s about to step into the presence of His father and offer his blood upon the mercy seat as the perfect and final atonement for the sins of mankind- Jesus was about to become the perfect wave offering.

Wave offering: According to Lev. 23:10-11. On the first day of the week, immediately after Passover, the priest would take some of the wheat that was growing in the field. He would wave this before the Lord and it symbolized that this was the first fruit, but there would be more to follow. When Jesus appeared before the father, he was simply offering himself up as the firstfruits declaring that there would be more to follow