The Word Is Out That the Word Is Out

The Word Is Out That the Word Is Out

Text: John 20:1–10 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. 2 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.”

3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.

4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,

7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

The Word Is Out That the Word Is Out

Opening Illustration:

Have you ever noticed how fast words get around?

It doesn’t take long for a word to travel one moment it’s spoken, the next moment it’s everywhere. It moves through conversations, across communities, and before the day is done, everybody has heard something.

Several years ago, there was a small town where a power outage hit in the middle of the night. Everything went dark homes, streetlights, businesses total blackout. People woke up confused, trying to figure out what had happened.

But just before sunrise, one house suddenly lit up.

Then another.

Then another.

And before long, somebody stepped outside and started shouting down the street, “Hey! The power’s back on!” One neighbor heard it and told another.

That neighbor picked up the phone and called family.

Somebody else started knocking on doors. Within minutes, the whole neighborhood was buzzing not because the power had just come back…

…but because the word got out that the power was back on.

That’s exactly what’s happening in John 20.

The world had been in darkness hope was gone, Jesus was crucified, and it looked like everything was over.

But early that Sunday morning… the power came back on, the word that started moving wasn’t ordinary it was resurrection power, and once it got out, it could not be stopped.

The stone was rolled away… the tomb was empty… and resurrection life had broken through!

And here’s the key before anybody fully understood it… before anybody could explain it… the word started spreading.

Mary ran and told Peter…

Peter and John ran to see for themselves…

Because when something this powerful happens you can’t keep it quiet!

Thesis:

When the tomb is empty, God is announcing that what looked finished is actually fulfilled and even when we don’t fully understand it yet, the evidence of resurrection is already speaking.

And here is the controlling truth in our text:

When the Word got up, the word got out and it moves us from misinterpretation to manifestation.

Mary comes to the tomb with spices… sorrow… and assumptions.

But before she ever arrives God has already acted. And that’s where the text opens the door for us.. I. THE NEWS IS UNEXPECTED..

(What they saw didn’t match what they expected)

Mary comes expecting one thing but God had already done another.

Early that morning, while the world was still wrapped in darkness, something happened that would shake history to its core.

The resurrection disrupts every human expectation. A. An Unexpected Timing (v. 1a) “Now on the first day of the week…it signals newness, a fresh beginning This is creation language.

while it was still dark…”

John intentionally highlights darkness not just time of day, but spiritual condition. Mary Magdalene wasn’t going to a celebration—she was going to a cemetery.

She wasn’t expecting a miracle—she was expecting to mourn.

She wasn’t looking for life—she was bracing herself for death. She is walking in physical darkness that mirrors her emotional and spiritual state—she believes the story is over.

Text says Mary comes “while it was still dark.” yet dark “being still dark” suggests an ongoing condition both literal and spiritual darkness. Darkness reflects more than time it reflects her spiritual state. She present, but not yet perceptive.

The Truth is: You can be in the right place and still not fully see what God is doing. God often works outside the boundaries of our expectations.

Don’t limit God to what you think He should do.

He specializes in doing what you didn’t see coming.

God doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to perform powerful works. Don’t assume nothing is happening just because it’s still dark in your life.

Not only we see,

A. An Unexpected Timing (v. 1a) B. An Unexpected Turning (v. 1b)

“…she saw the stone had been taken away…” “taken away” is perfect tense indicating a completed action with ongoing results: the stone is gone and still gone!

She sees the evidence, but she doesn’t yet grasp the meaning. The situation had already changed before she arrived. God can turn things around before you even get there.

She sees a changed situation but cannot yet interpret it.

Application: God can move in your life, and if you’re not careful, you’ll misread the movement

Stop worrying about what God has already worked out.

Not only we see,

A. An Unexpected Timing (v. 1a) B. An Unexpected Turning (v. 1b) C. An Unexpected Talking (v. 2)

“So she ran and went to Simon Peter…They have taken the Lord…” and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Church She misreads the miracle because it didn’t match her expectations.

We Too often misunderstand God when He moves differently than we expect.

Mary interprets resurrection evidence through a natural lens....

The verb “ran” conveys urgency and ongoing motion.

Shift from third person (“they”) to first person plural (“we”) suggests others were with her, reinforcing communal confusion.

When we don’t understand what God has done, we often fill in the blanks with assumptions.

“She said, ‘They have taken Him’—but what she thought was removal was actually resurrection!”

And that’s the good news:

The Word Is Out That the Word Is Out

Now the scene shifts from emotion to examination.

Not only, I. THE NEWS IS UNEXPECTED..

II. THE NEWS IS UNDENIABLE....

The News Is Undeniable Because of the Evidence. A. The Evidence Was Pursued

(v. 3–4)“So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together…”

The text emphasizes movement: “went out… going… running.” conveys urgency and intensity. They refuse to stay at a distance from what they don’t understand.

Their running reflects an inner tension confusion mixed with hope.

They don’t debate the report they move toward the reality. Resurrection truth demands pursuit—it will not be fully known from a distance.

When God is doing something you don’t understand:

Don’t withdraw—draw near

Don’t ignore it—investigate it

Faith is not afraid to run toward the unknown when God is involved.

Not only we see,

A. The Evidence Was Pursued

B. The Evidence Was Perceived

(v. 5–6) “And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there… Then Simon Peter came… he saw the linen cloths lying there…”

The text shows a progression from looking to learning.

John → a glance “stooped and looked”

Peter → careful observation “went in and saw”

The text moves from casual observation to critical examination.

The repeated structure v5,6 (“he saw… he saw…”) emphasizes a deepening perception they are processing, not just noticing.

The linen cloths are undisturbed, settled in place.

This signals intentional order, not chaotic removal.

A surface look will inform you—but a deeper look will transform you.

There is a difference between:

Looking at God’s work

And learning from God’s work

Don’t settle for surface-level faith. Not only we see,

A. The Evidence Was Pursued

B. The Evidence Was Perceived

C. The Evidence Was Proven

(v. 7) “…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 is not the picture of haste or theft it is order and intention. This is the decisive detail:

Grave robbers don’t unwrap bodies

They don’t take time to fold cloths

They certainly don’t leave order behind

This is not chaos it is controlled resurrection power, not removal..

Jesus didn’t escape the grave—He conquered it.

Application: Look at the details God has already left evidence in your life.

God has already proven Himself in your life:

Situations that worked out when they shouldn’t have

Strength that showed up when you were weak

Peace that came when pressure was high

If you review your life carefully—you will see folded evidence of God’s hand.

When God moves and gets involved , even the smallest details testify of His power.

Not only, I. THE NEWS IS UNEXPECTED..

II. THE NEWS IS UNDENIABLE....

III. THE NEWS IS UNSTOPPABLE

(It cannot be contained)

Once the resurrection truth takes root, it cannot stay silent.

When The Word Is Out That the Word Is Out

The message is too powerful to hold in. A. It Moves Quietly

8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Church, here’s the truth: the news of Jesus’ resurrection often starts quietly, inside hearts, before it bursts into the world. It’s not loud at first, but it is unstoppable

Notice this—faith acted before understanding. They didn’t have all the answers, but the truth moved in their hearts anyway

Seeing and Believing….v8“he saw and believed”

Faith Precedes Understanding…v9 did not yet understand the Scripture” in the heart before He fully explains in the mind

Quietly Carrying the Truth…v10 “Then the disciples went back to their homes.”

Not only,

A. It Moves Quietly

B. It Multiplies Gradually

“Church, the news of Jesus doesn’t stay in one heart—it multiplies gradually. What starts with you can ignite a movement. Don’t hold back what God has done in your life!” What starts with one heart, one witness, one life, soon begins to spread—person to person, heart to heart, life to life.

Think about Mary Magdalene. She sees the empty tomb, she meets the risen Lord, and what does she do? She runs to tell the disciples. Peter and John respond, and soon the story has traveled from the tomb to their hearts. And that’s just the beginning.

The news moves step by step, person by person, because God’s design for the gospel is relational. Your story is part of God’s strategy. He uses ordinary people to multiply extraordinary impact. That small act of faith, that quiet testimony, can set off a chain reaction that changes lives.

Not only,

A. It Moves Quietly

B. It Multiplies Gradually

C. It Magnifies Powerfully

Church, hear me: resurrection truth doesn’t just start quietly. It doesn’t just spread gradually. When it takes root, it explodes with power—changing lives, shaking communities, and shaking the world!

Look ahead from the empty tomb to Acts 1 and 2. Jesus promises His disciples in Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” Notice this: the resurrection message is Spirit-empowered. It doesn’t rely on human strength—it carries the power of God.

Then in Acts 2, the quiet faith of those early disciples magnifies into bold, public proclamation. Peter preaches, thousands respond, lives are transformed, the church is born! What started in a single heart now shakes an entire city.

Closing:

When the Word is out, it cannot be stopped.

Death tried to silence it. The grave tried to contain it. The enemy tried to hide it. But the Word of God broke through. And today, that same Word is moving in this room, in your heart, and in your life.

Church, listen! When the Word is out that the Word is out, here’s what it means for you:

When the Word is out, faith rises!

You can trust God in every circumstance because the resurrection proves He is alive.

When the Word is out, hope springs!

Even in the darkest moments, you know God is working behind the scenes.

When the Word is out, fear flees!

The grave is empty, the devil is defeated, and nothing can shake your soul.

When the Word is out, boldness breaks out!

You can speak truth, live for God, and stand firm no matter what comes your way.

When the Word is out, joy jumps out!

Not happiness based on circumstances, but resurrection joy that cannot be contained. When the Word is out, life transforms!

Your habits, your choices, your heart—God begins His work inside you first.

When the Word is out, sin loses!

Old patterns, chains, and strongholds begin to crumble because Jesus is alive

When the Word is out, peace prevails!

You can walk through storms with a calm heart because God is in control.

When the Word is out, purpose becomes clear!

When the Word is out, love multiplies!

When the Word is out, prayer gains power!

When the Word is out, community strengthens!

When the Word is out, generosity grows!

When the Word is out, courage conquers!

When the Word is out, vision expands!

When the Word is out, freedom flows!

When the Word is out, miracles manifest!

When the Word is out, grace surrounds!

When the Word is out, your testimony matters!

When the Word is out, resurrection life reigns!

You don’t just live—you live alive in Christ, full of power, hope, and unstoppable faith.