The Garden: When Jesus Calls Your Name

Theme: Jesus is alive-and He meets you personally, calling you to life and purpose.

Introduction

This morning when we had our Sunrise service, we were reminded that the women came with good intentions-but limited expectations. They came to preserve a memory, not to meet a Messiah. From John’s Account, we read that two angels were sitting inside the tomb, one at the head position of where Jesus lay and one at the feet of Jesus where He lay. But note, there was no Jesus to be found. As Mary stooped and looked inside, the angels said, “He is not here-He has risen-just as He said.”

But the story doesn’t stop there. Jesus doesn’t want us to just believe about, He wants us to encounter Him in a personal way.”

John 20:11-18

John 20:11–18 NKJV

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then 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 Now 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?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, 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, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Prayer

Message

In the verses prior, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early seeking Jesus. Scriptures state it was still dark, but it was still dark in her heart. She found the stone had been rolled away. She ran to find Peter and John and let them know the stone had been rolled away and that Jesus was not to be found. “They have taken away the Lord from the tomb.”

As you know, Peter and John went into the tomb perplexed over their findings. They saw the linen cloths folded neatly but Jesus was no where to be found. Interestingly, “the other disciple” in this account is John the Beloved who wrote this gospel account as He wrote in the third person. John outran Peter to the tomb and John as He looked in believed that Jesus had risen! Amen. Oh that we look afresh today and believe in a deeper way of our Jesus this Easter.

Mary was weeping...... and when we go to a funeral that is what we do. Why? Because love lingers. Oh dearly beloved, we love because God is love. We mourn in time of loss. Did you come to a funeral today or a festival?

Her heart was breaking. In John’s account we study this morning she encountered two angels sitting in the tomb, one at the head position and one at the feet. Note that the angels were not there for any need Jesus had but to meet Mary in her greatest need, the need to find Jesus.

The Weeping Woman-Mary’s Grief and Misunderstanding (v. 11-13)

There is a great deal we can take away this morning from Mary. Again, it is very apparent that Mary loved Jesus with all her heart. Mary was devoted....but Mary was discouraged. Her love was real, but her hope was gone.

She looked in to find death, and yet she had an encounter with deity. She encountered a message of deliverance from her despair.

Listen to Mary’s words as she encountered the angels:

“Why are you weeping?” And she responded, “because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

There are many here this morning that at some point in time in our lives have had Jesus at the forefront of our lives. Many here could say that there was a time that Jesus was the synergy of all that I am.

Maybe that is your testimony at the time you were saved. We all have mountaintops in our lives as it relates to our relationship with Jesus.

Many live with a Saturday faith. Many believe Jesus died. Many believe the stone was rolled way. But live like the tomb is still full, thus choose not to live in the freedom we have in Jesus Christ.

The difference from this morning, personal reflection. This is a personal time.

Are you still carrying the spices of sorrow?

Are you looking down when we should be looking up?

In this case, Mary went to the tomb searching. Specifically, she went in the tomb “stooping and looking.” Metaphorically, in your spiritual pilgrimage you may find yourself today coming to our Easter services, coming to the Sunrise Service and now morning worship, as the fact you are attending a funeral. You are here today coming out of tradition and you miss the fire of the faith festival of celebrating the living Savior in your life. You yearn for the fire of faith of yesteryear in your life.

Begin as Mary. Begin this morning by coming in a posture of humility and a posture of looking for something from the Lord. Mary was “stooping and looking.” Mary had Jesus, He was alive and well, He was crucified and as far as her actions conveyed, she thought He was no more, He had gone away.

Oh listen church, Jesus is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” He doesn’t move, we do.

Mary stated “”I do not know where they have laid Him”

For us believers, we have had Jesus, and those “they’s” that interfere cause us to lay Jesus to the side.

If this scenario fits your billing this morning, address what “they’s” you have allowed to take Jesus away from your focus, away from your heart, soul and mind?

Mary’s love for Jesus was real. She was engaged in the things of Jesus, but her hope was dead.

She was looking down into the tomb rather than for life, rather than looking for the living Jesus.

A person visits a grave often — lays flowers, speaks to the headstone. But deep down, they know the person isn’t there. Mary is still operating in that space. Her love is deep, but her faith hasn’t caught up with the truth.

Mary stayed behind even as Peter and John had returned home. Even though Mary was stuck, here actions were sound. She stooped, she looked around, she stayed to find her Jesus.

Do you want to encounter a fire of faith festival celebration today and encounter the living Jesus?

Luke 11:9 “9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

The Personal Call-Jesus Speaks Her Name (v. 14-16)

When you seek, when you knock, you will find. “Where have you laid my Lord?” That was her words. Jesus answered.

Listen closely to John 20:14-15

John 20:14–15 NKJV

14 Now 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?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus meets our needs at our point of calling out.

Gardener

Interestingly, initially she did not recognize Jesus. She thought He was a gardener.

The Mission of a Gardener (Practically Speaking):

To Cultivate Life

A gardener prepares the soil, removes weeds, and plants seeds with care.

They create the right environment for growth.

To Protect and Nurture

They water, prune, and guard what is growing.

They fend off pests, disease, and anything that might choke out healthy life.

To Bring Beauty and Fruitfulness

Over time, the gardener’s work produces vibrant flowers or nourishing fruit.

A garden becomes a place of rest, beauty, and provision.

Aren’t you thankful for the gardeners in our lives that God uses to grow our awareness of Jesus in our lives?

How many here this morning would be willing to share great testimonies of the gardeners Jesus has planted in your lives to bring us to a keen awareness, to cause you to sprout in awareness of Jesus?

“I planted, Apollos watered, but Jesus brings the increase.”

Oh dearly beloved, Mary was met at her greatest need and Jesus immediately responded. Initially she thought He was a gardener.

John 15 – where Jesus says, “I am the Vine, My Father is the Gardener.” He is the One who brings fruit through us.

“She mistook Him for the gardener… but maybe that’s exactly what He is. Because Jesus didn’t come to manage a cemetery — He came to cultivate a new creation. He calls your name to uproot your guilt, plant grace, and grow a life that bears fruit for eternity.”

Good Shepherd

Oh Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep and He calls us by name.

John 10:3 “3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

In verse 16, Jesus called Mary by name and she recognized the Lord. “Mary” and Mary responded with “Rabboni!” (which means teacher.) Oh dear church, I can say unequivocally that the longer I serve the Lord the more I realize how little I really know about Him. Are there matters you need answers for today? Are there unknowns you are facing and you need answers? He is Rabboni, teacher.

Oh dearly beloved when the Great Gardener and the Good Shepherd, and Rabboni, teacher call you by name and you sense His voice speaking to you today, Oh dearly beloved, this zoe life I have spoken of over these last two weeks is spiritual life.

Oh listen dearly beloved, “He is not a memory to preserve, He is a master to follow for our lives.”

Have you ever traveled abroad or on the other side of the country and possibly a large metro area and someone calls you by name?

ATL or LGA Airport-you would think that no one in a thousand miles would know you, but out of the blue someone shouts your name. There is a power and assurance when you realize you are known.

“The God of the universe is not calling you ‘hey you.’ He’s calling you by name.”

Jesus arrested Mary’s attention by calling her by name.

3. The New Mission- “Go and Tell” (v. 17-18)

In verse 17, we read that Mary wanted to cling to Jesus when she realized it was Him. She want to hold on to the moment and that’s good… but Jesus wanted her to grasp the mission.

He wants us to grasp His mission.

How many of us want to cling to Jesus without putting feet to the commission He calls us to? Mary simply wanted to hold on to Jesus. Oh dear brother, dear sister, may we never get to the place we do not hold on to Jesus. I hope you can echo with me that great gospel, “I can’t even walk without Him holding my hand.”

Listen to what Jesus specifically said, “do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to tell my brethren”.

Jesus’ mission was not over. He still had to visit doubting Thomas, He had to restore Peter, He had to visit the Cleopas and his friend on the walk to Emmaus. Jesus had to visit some 500 different people to bring them from a funeral to a fire of festival celebration. Jesus had to spread the word, “I’m alive.”

John 16:28 “28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.””

John 17:11 “11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

There has been discussion that Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him because He was not in His glorified body. I want to think He had a definite message for Mary and He has a definite message for us. In fact He lived out the message.

Time is of essence. “I am about my Father’s business.”

John 2:3–4 “3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.””

Jesus was saying several things that resonate in our lives. We have a mission and we do not need to get sidetracked with the incidentals of this life. Jesus’hour of being finished here on earth had not yet come and He needed to stay focused for the task at hand.

Oh sure, Jesus wants us to love on Him, in fact we can’t make Him Lord without loving Jesus. But when we make Him Lord, He rules in every aspect of our lives.

Oh dearly beloved, Loving Jesus is paramount. Making Him Lord is priority. But part of His Lordship and our pilgrimage is telling others about Jesus.

Jesus replaced Mary’s mourning with mission. Mary’s life had purpose. Mary’s life now had direction and she had an agenda.

Oh dearly beloved, the first evangelist post the resurrection was a woman whose tears were dried up by Her Savior.

Oh listen dearly beloved this morning, Jesus doesn’t want to just comfort us and us find comfort in Him, but He wants to commission us for His sake.

Application: The Resurrection is not a souvenir; it is a sending. The resurrection brings change to our lives, it changes our identity, it changes our reason for living.

This Easter morning, Jesus may be calling your name. Are you hearing Him through the noise of life? Will you let go of dead religion and grab hold of the Living Christ?

The final song the choir sang was “Jesus is Alive.” Is He alive in you?

Let’s pray.