Mary, Mary, I am Your Teacher

The Resurrection

20:1 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.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she 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 Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

BIG IDEA: Jesus is Risen so that our New Creation story can be written.

What do we have to know?

Jesus’ tomb was empty of a body and he wasn’t taken by a gardener, He’s alive!

Why do we need to know it?

Now is not the time to mourn or be lost, rejoice and be found in Him!

What do we have to do?

Go and announce the Lord is Risen!

Why do we have to do it?

So we can receive His sonship and submit to His Lordship

ME

What is your favourite Detective Story? What makes a detective story great. I haven’t read it in a long while but I believe during my high school days if not earlier, I really enjoyed reading a good Sherlock Holmes novel from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The reason I like to read Sherlock Holmes is you get to be on the ride of your life as you walk with Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson all over London as they search for clues which you often overlooked until the final piece of the puzzle is revealed. Then you go back and realize everything was there all along. Also, his sense of deduction and observation into the smallest detail makes Sherlock Holmes one of the most classic crime and detective novel of all time.

As we start this new series aptly called A New Hope, into the appearances of Jesus to various biblical characters, some we know, some we don’t know all too well, we are first going to have to go on a whodunit of our own. If you are here for the very first time, we just want to welcome you and let you know you are in the right time as we begin this series with first, reacquaint ourselves to the decisive moment where Christianity is born and separated from all other philosophies, thoughts, religion. And if you are already a follower of Jesus, let’s reacquaint ourselves with the story of the first day when everything changed and what it means for us in our faithful journey.

WE

You see, for those of us who are called Christians (people of Christ), or disciples (students of the LORD), our faith is anchored onto this reality, that historically Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ (not his last name again), but the title of Israel’s anointed King, the Messiah, while his crucifixion, death on the cross is important, but even more amazing is that eyewitnesses claim to have seen two startling things, three if you count the angels.

An Empty TombJesus himself

But just as we need to wrestle with what does His crucifixion means to me? We need to look at His Resurrection and Ascension not only as something we believe, or disbelieve 2000 years ago. But how does it relate to us? To our lives, our hopes, our dreams, as a believer, as a father or mother, son or daughter, colleague or employer, student or teacher. We must ask not only what does it mean ‘Jesus is Risen!’ But just as importantly, What does it mean Jesus is Risen for us?

So if you have your magnifying glass, cape, and pipe (sorry, another Sherlock Holmes reference), let’s dive into this mystery…. with a twist.

GOD

If you were here on Good Friday, we left off with a rather stark picture. Jesus died on the cross and he died bleeding, and we meditated on what does blood represent after he was betrayed by Judas, one of his disciple, while the eleven remaining fled for their lives, though one, John, who we believe wrote this very Gospel, and Gospel here means good news, was very close to the cross along with Mary, Jesus’ mother, whom Jesus entrusted into John’s care, his aunt, a mysterious Mary Magdalene, and Mary the wife of Clopas. (Mary was a pretty common name in the ancient world).

...but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Jesus breathed his last. It was late to have a complete ceremony, and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wanted from Pontius Pilate, the Roman official who ultimately sentenced Jesus to death, Jesus’ body so they can properly bury him with traditional spices and linen cloth. They found a garden with a burial place to have Jesus placed in there and roll a stone over the cave entrance.

And with that, all of Israel’s expectation of a revolutionary King was buried as well.

Turn with me to chapters 20 in the gospel of John. We will look at 1 through 18. It is in the pew bible on page 906 . But we are going to read it in chunks in order to get the full flavour of this whodunit… with a twist.

Read scripture

I. A WHODUNIT

20:1 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.”

The when is first day of the week.

Subject is Mary Magdalene. And just as Jesus’ last name isn’t Christ. Mary’s last name is not Magdalene, but that she is from the town of Magdala. It’s like saying, Pastor Freddy RichmondHillbilly. Anyways, we are given further another clue as to when, early, it was still dark, which places the scene of the crime in the middle of the night. Other accounts of this crime scene site Mary wouldn’t have been alone because it’s dangerous for a women to travel anywhere unescorted, but Mary of Magdala is the focus so John wants us to see things from her perspective. What was she, or the many she doing there? From how chapter 19 ended, it seems they were there to continue what got started, the entombment ceremony. What happened? The stone, which closes the entrance to the newly inhabited tomb has been taken away. So Mary immediately left the crime scene and went to Simon Peter, the denier and John, who is both the writer of this gospel, and who shall be referred to as “whom Jesus love” there is an empty tomb. Mary’s suspicion is a robbery had taken place (even though she never entered the cave). The “they” refers to robbers, maybe even officials of the High Priests, Jesus had made many enemies during his life on earth because of what he stood for and who stood; he stood for a new kingdom without corruption and hypocritical rules and he stood by the every day people, the widows and orphans and handicap and outcast. Another clue as to the possibility of multiple woman companions is “we” do not know where they have laid him.

So off they go, Simon and John goes to the crime scene.

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.

We are not quite sure why John in his memoir would leave these interesting tidbits about who ran faster and who was more thorough in their search. Perhaps it is to differentiate the two temperaments of these two highly closely-knitted disciples of Jesus, which if you add John’s brother James, are the Three. Yet there’s no sign of James anywhere. The focus instead is John saw the linen cloth, (which wrapped Jesus’ body) even without entering the tomb. But John hesitated going in, whereas Peter, who ran slower, went right into the tomb (Peter yet again displays his bold, some would say brash personality), and not only saw the linen cloth but also a face cloth, which secures the chin and jaw from dropping, folded up as if whoever took the body, was very careful not to disturb the crime scene. Except to say, there probably was no crime, because any robber who is after what ever prized possession and treasures would have been sloppy and careless and wouldn’t be concerned if everything is flung everywhere. So most likely, it wasn’t robbers. We can now rule them out as suspects. We are back to square one. Except for this one clue John wrote down in verse 8.

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.

We don’t know what Peter makes of the crime scene. But John saw and believed. What did he see and believe? He saw linen cloth and head cloth, oh, and no body. Perhaps he remembered Jesus warning them three times that the son of man must suffered and died at the hands of his enemies, but will be raised again. Except John adds a footnote as he recollects the first day, he did not add one and two together that this is a fulfillment of prophecy perhaps in or or , even . What we know for sure he believed now is the tomb is empty, and it wasn’t a body heist, and between this very factual “believe” and oh, this clearly means Jesus has rose from the dead, John is somewhere in the middle in his grasp of what has happened.

As Pastor Andy Stanley would say, “nobody expected no body.” These are the testimonies of the witnesses, and interestingly they went home.

Today, we are left still to grapple with the fact there are no empty tombs. And we know this eyewitness account is credible because Mary, whether a stroke of brilliance or simply in a frantic state of frenzy, ran back to ask two man to be eye witnesses to the case of the Empty Tomb, and by doing this, they verified the authenticity of credible eyewitnesses according to Jewish law. We have to grapple with the fact no one has ever found the body of Jesus. No one can claim the robbery theory because later on these same disciples would say they’ve seen the risen Jesus and if the enemies of Jesus, the Jewish authorities wanted to dismiss the theory, all they needed to do was produce the body. And the idea Jesus never truly died, so he just walked out of the tomb himself? Several problems. The linen cloth would be dripping with blood, some crucified would have a pretty rough time rolling a huge stone from the inside of the tomb, and even if he had help, he would be a bloody mess to claim he has been raised from the dead and victorious. And go back to the cross for a minute, Jesus was already fatally wounded from the flogging, and subsequent nails on the cross pierced key veins and arteries with significant loss of blood, and if his lung didn’t somehow collapsed his heart would have failed, and even if his heart didn’t fail the spear to his side would have punctured enough vital organs. Jesus is dead. Jesus is buried. And yet the tomb is empty.

II. …WITH A TWIST

And the story would be left on a cliffhanger if everyone went home. Everyone that is, except Mary of Magdala.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

Mary is wailing in grief and remorse because not only is Jesus, her beloved master, (from the little the gospel told us, became Jesus’ disciple when seven demons were driven out of her), has died but now he can’t even get a proper burial without someone tampering his peaceful rest. Still in tears, she followed Peter and John’s earlier actions and went into the tomb herself to see. But unlike Peter and John, she saw more then linen cloth and head cloth, but two angels. The appearance of angels always refer to God’s presence and action has been visited upon the tomb. When asked by the two angels why she was weeping, Mary only repeated her only logical conclusion, someone took Jesus’ body.

14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she 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.”

The mystery is reaching its climax. We as the readers are already given the answer to the identity of this mysterious man who appeared behind Mary, and if this were in the movie theatre or on TV, someone, like our favourite aunt or our grandfather held in suspense would have shouted “See, I told you he didn’t die!” But we have to wait for our heroine in the story to discover that herself for just a little longer. Jesus asked Mary not only why she is weeping, but whom is she seeking, as if to give a clue to Mary to focus at the moment at hand. And here’s where we would all be held in suspense and take a deep breath and say, “does she finally know who she is talking to” only to sigh… “ oh that was so close!!” when the words supposing he is a gardener pop onto the page/screen. Mary turns to the mysterious man as possibly the culprit to her grief, the one who moved Jesus’ body. Jesus finally reveals his identity.

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

The twist is this detective story, this whodunit, is really a sub-plot of the greater story, a family drama of love and kinship between a Teacher and His Student, a Master and HIs Servant, a Saviour and His Redeemed, God and His creation.

PLOT TWIST! Jesus finally revealed to Mary through the way He said those word, a familiar tone perhaps like when your parent let’s you know you are in trouble for something or two people in love playfully shares intimate and to outsiders cringe-worthy names; the veil is remove and Mary knew finally who it was that stands before her. Jesus called, and his beloved student responds affectionately “My Teacher!” Not just a teacher, but my teacher. The one who has a special place in my heart and soul. My rescuer, from the seven demons which possessed me. The one who allowed me to of all people to see Him alive before even His own disciples, His three. A woman, who traditionally is not a credible witness alone with her testimony, in the previous kingdom yes, but in the New Kingdom, She is the first apostle if by apostle we mean someone who is eye witness to the resurrected Jesus, an apostle to the apostle even! All of the hopelessness, disappointment, grief, sadness, profound sadness are gone as the page of life is turned, a new day, the first day has appeared. The first day of New Creation, as N.T. Wright would say.

Yesterday, Jesus was alive and died.

Three days later, Jesus who was dead is very much alive!

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

In this Great story for the time remaining, which everything before was setup to anticipate with eager expectation what is to come, Jesus leaves us, through Mary, new clues as to what it means to be part of this Love Story between us and God.

Verse 16 again, Jesus called Mary. Jesus is calling us. Jesus is calling us always, the issue is can we hear him? And when we hear him how should we respond to him? Jesus is calling us to return to him. He says those who are His hears His voice, and they follow Him. In he liken us to sheeps who hear the voice of the great Shepherd.

Verse 17 speaks of a moment like Transfiguration, just as Peter wants to built an altar for Jesus, Moses and Elijah at a glimpse of His glory, Mary is consumed with emotions and want this time with Jesus to never end. But Jesus tells Mary there’s still time, he won’t disappear just yet, and in the meantime there’s a mission to do. This task is one which we are called to do as His followers as well.

This sentence seems to be out of order, because of the footnote at the end: “and that he had said these things to her.” What are these things? Verse 17, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God!” So, to rearrange it, Jesus first tells Mary to let go of the moment because she is to go to His brothers. Brothers, when did Jesus became the disciples’ brothers? It gets even more strange when we read the full announcement by arranging verse 18 before the latter part of verse 17!

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”— and He has a message for you: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

That was her announcement. She became the herald, the messenger, the first messenger of Jesus’ good news. The good news that a) she is the FIRST eyewitness to the ascending Jesus. Not linen cloths or head cloths, or even a faraway tomb with the stone door taken away. But the man himself. And he has a message for His disciples, for us, b) I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God!

In other words,

Go and announce the Lord is Risen! All who wants to be in his family can receive His sonship and submit to His Lordship

He calls them brothers because their relationship with Jesus has entered new creation, no longer disciples, servants, not even friends as in , but brothers. Brothers who shared the same Father because they represents the first family of new creation. As I am the true Son of the Heavenly Father, so now you are the adopted sons through me of the Heavenly Father.

How do you become a brother/sister of Jesus in God’s family?

In the Prologue to John’s Gospel, it says 1:20-23 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Elsewhere, Jesus shared about this relationship change once in Matthew’s Gospel when his earthly mother and siblings came to see him while he was with his disciples, teaching, Jesus said: 12:50 whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

There is a natural progression to this. In most cases, we are to first believe in his name, through faith, to be his children. Then once we are his Father’s children, i.e. his brother, then we can do the will of the Father because we now know the Father’s business through their brother. Everything is in relational terms. We do not do anything in order to earn the right to become a son or a daughter. He gave us the right when we believe in his name, which by extension means renouncing all other names, all other loyalties which can replace putting Him first in our life, whether it be our careers, family, spouse, a hobby, an addiction, a reputation, prestige or award, money, power, sometimes even our safety and comfort, and our very life. It doesn’t melly an we can’t have these things, but it does mean their priorities in our life no longer rules over us. Doing God’s will because of our familial relationship with Him IS now our first priority. And when that happens, everything else falls into their rightful place. That is what it means to submit to His Lordship. A British Missionary to China, who founded China Inland Mission, which became Overseas Mission Fellowship, or OMF, Hudson Taylor once said, “Either Jesus is Lord of All or not Lord at all.”

YOU

Where are you in this story? How do you fit in this Great Story?

Some of us today have heard the claims of an empty tomb (and this is only one account of four in the gospels and more accounts in Paul’s letter, particularly ) and you have wrestled with a Risen Jesus for a while now, and today, your “rabboni” moment may be to accept Jesus as your LORD and Saviour. IF that’s you, Pastor Edward, Ken and myself and others would love to talk to you after this service. Your next step to enter into this great story is simple to believe in His name so as to claim the right to be a children of God.

Some of us today, once again, and I know it’s hard, because I often forget as well that Jesus’ Lordship means He is first in my life before all other priorities, and our next step in this Great Story is to renounce our allegiance to whatever it was that easily entangles us, and ask God to change our heart and be the first and centre of our lives.

Some of us, once again, and I have equally stumbled in this area, need to hear His voice calling us to service, to serve Him by serving others. By proclaiming Him and announce Jesus is Risen to someone who needs to know this very day sickness, loneliness, being laid off, an addiction, a messy break-up, a failing grade, a divorce, an abusive relationship, that even death CAN NOT and IS NOT the final word in their life because Jesus is Risen!

I want to give everyone a few moments to pray on our own or together how do you enter into this story, and imagine Jesus instead of calling “Mary” calls your name, or your name, or my name, what is our response to him? And in just a few moments we will close off and pray.

WE

Our Story is just beginning, for those of us who took the opportunity just a moment ago to confess, commit, or be commissioned by Jesus. Some of us moved from the Risen Jesus as a detective story to our own love story. Remember this day and share it with someone you love.

Because of Jesus, every day can be the First day, a New Day.

Because of the Empty tomb as witnessed by His two disciples, Jesus is Risen.

Because Jesus Himself came calling His daughter in faith Mary, Jesus is Risen indeed.

Because Jesus is Risen indeed, we are brothers (and sisters), children, family of the living God in New Creation.