"THE END OF THE PASSION WEEK"

Proposition - This morning I invite you to join me on a journey as we begin to look at the events of what is called Holy Week. Today we are going to focus on three days; 1) The Saturday Events, and 2) The Sunday Events.

Interrogative question - How are you responding to Jesus?

1. The Saturday Events -

The Roman Guards are set to guard the tomb -

Matthew 27:62–66 NASB95

62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ 64 “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

2. The Sunday Events -

The Resurrection -

John 20:1–18 NASB95

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

What is your response to the Resurrection?

1. The Hasty Reaction - vs. 1-2

John 20:1–2 NASB95

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

It is probable that Mary was present when the stone was placed in front of the grave - Matthew 28:61 - (keep in mind that the Sabbath was over around 6:00 pm which allowed the women to go and buy spices)

When she sees in a distance that the stone is moved she panics - has an ah-ha moment if you will -

Here reaction is one of panic and immediately seeks help -

Notice this progression -

All three women witnessed Jesus’s crucifixion - John 15:40 -

Two of the women witnessed Jesus’s burial - John 15:47 -

They are the first witnesses of Jesus’s resurrection - John 20:1-2 -

Women as witnesses was not always given credence in the first-century context, especially in a court of law.

CSB Study Bible: Notes (Chapter 24) In Jesus’s day women were not considered to be credible witnesses. This is why the Eleven (the apostles who remained after Judas’s act of betrayal) did not believe the women’s report about what had happened at Jesus’s tomb, viewing it as nonsense. However, Peter was curious enough to run to the tomb and look for himself. When he saw only the linen cloths in which Jesus had been wrapped (23:53), he was amazed but still skeptical.

2. The Inquisitive Reaction - vs. 3-11

John 20:3–11 NASB95

3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;

3. The Personal Reaction - vs. 12-18

John 20:12–18 NASB95

12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Have you ever been to a memorial service where there is an open casket?

CSB Study Bible: Notes (Chapter 28) - Matthew 28:10 - 28:8–10 During his wilderness temptation (4:10), Jesus quoted Dt 6:13, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him” (Mt 4:10). By accepting worship here, Jesus identified himself as “the Lord your God.”

SO WHAT?

At the beginning I posed a question to each of us - How are you responding to Jesus? Let me reword that question -

How have you responded to Jesus?