EASTER SUNDAY 2019

I've seen the Lord. Is what Mary said As we soar not reading it says title of my salmon, but it was so it's a test me on Hope for everyone of us cuz we got it from his place today. Let me show you a short film.

Every year my family try to gather together at wiscassett across France and and Britain and we try to get it together meet for a male a few years ago. We decided to gather meet at Silsbee that was a time when it still safe to eat that but time we went that way. Set a twenty one of us is really good at and we had a good meal and then we decided time to get ahead and take the two kids home and if we drove but then the cost blessed and ground to a halt return the key start the guy in again drove off but then the warning lights came on to say engine fault and we split it and install wire up a hill and the car started to get worse and worse. It was not going to get us home. We rely so we pulled into a McDonald's to see what we could do. And I did what every man does in those situations. I open the Bonnet and looked inside. I turned out we think we going to say might be a big Aaron it says two points about this is press to restart but that was not already. There was no button and I could say everything was broken. I could do nothing about it. So I got onto the breakdown service and cooled them but they switch between Christmas and New Year. I think that might have been lots of cool out somebody being a few F breakdown vines on at that time, but they said okay we can be some hours before we can get to you so that we were in McDonald's if you've ever painted McDonald's Unitas nothing to do that I said kids were just going to have to wait it out tough it out, you know the foods in edible what I told them so we're just going to have to wait here and sit and twiddle our thumbs. It was dark by the time the I got a text to say to break down. Vine is on the way. Broken down you'll know this no more wonderful sight and seeing that break down van Hove into view. I could have run up and kiss them and he might have been a bit alarmed but he was there to sort out what I could not and it was wonderful and that he managed to get us to safety. 2000 years ago we can only imagine how distressed the people found those who hadn't counted Jesus in his ministry and his love and miracles and acts of of great wonder that had him speak that hurt him Minister and it personally felt him close to but then he went from hero to zero in a matter of moments. Is it why he was arrested he was beaten a birthmark TV spots apple and he was nailed between two criminals with a sign of his head. This is the king of the Jews not intended to remain what it said, but there was a mocking sign over his head and everything was broken. The disciples had fled Jesus had bleed and their master was dead. Betrayal, it is stupidity recklessness. Did Noel play that part leading up to that time dreams were shattered. And Jesus was laid in the Tomb. Tell them everything was broken. Then we read this early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene went to the team. This comes from Jones gospel. John has many many things that run through his gospel. One of them is lighten dark and every time you supposed to see light or dark he the reader needs to take notes and see what is going on here early on the first day of the week while it was still dark witch on ready know. What was in Mary's heart. Why was she going there? What was she having tension? Was she looking for height? Was she looking for consolation when she got into moon what she would say that time would be a game-changer a life-changer a revelation. Going to the foot of the cross go to the foot of the cross and say Jesus dying for your scene. But I would say go to the to go to the tune. No matter how your life is no matter how difficult your life is and I'm broken things maybe even though it's still dark for you go to the foot tonight mt2. If the regrets in your life go to that too, even though it's still talk. Is there a Shattered Dreams in your mind? Go to the tomb even though it's still docked if their huts and Williams. Festa in your life and people you cannot forgive go to the tomb even though it still. If you're aware of which I'm okay with you, so stupid to take a recklessness or Denial in your life or in the lives of others. Go to the team need to know it's still dog for what you will see that will be a game-changer life-changer revelation. And we see John described for three different people and three different sites and reactions that faced each of them. best let steak Pizza Pizza who had being a disciple of Jesus for three years who would followed him and seen him a minister and being there when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain and heard that voice from Heaven saying this is my son whom I love listen to him. It's been through so many things who had said to Jesus. I will go to the to the Grave. I'll go to prison rather than deny you. But by this time he had done such a Pizza Hut denied Jesus is United three times to a man to a woman even to a young seven. He couldn't even admit to Young servant go knowing Jesus and for pizza, but it is staged. Everything was broken. It summoned by Mary and gutting with John it was a faster runner, but but Pizza being told he was the first to enter the tomb and he went straight into strips of linen line that was realistic close to being wrapped around. Jesus head the cloth was still lying in its place separate from the linen. He sold at the Landing strips the perio trash out the face cloth in two different locations and he saw a most importantly nobody and then we read with the side John the disciples went back to where they were staying. Peaches soul. I didn't return but he went back further in his heart. Nothing could move him 40 still couldn't understand it was stock is that belief would come but not die. I'm making you like pizza. Do you know if history tells us is not a serious historian that denies Jesus existed he did exist. But yes, you look on that empty team. Struggle to believe maybe you seen the story you see me account. But maybe you just come awake at that time. You you're stuck that you can't do anything with it.

But Pizza Hut scene when you've seen something like that is no way you can unsee it. It's that Maybe for you. It's that you seen it. But you can't unsee it. Wish my brother could unsee some things he was out late night with his at late one night with a friend and he and Tiny decided to come back early morning. This is some music I use non. He is older than me, but he came back in the house and eat you open the door with the key and then and mom was coming down the stairs. It was very early morning and she was coming down the stairs. She was coming to get some clothes that she she needed. She came down early morning to get those clothes the trouble was she was stopped my kids Nike this day. She was born she thought no one would be around and then there she comes down face-to-face with my brother and his friends. Sometimes you want to unsee something stange.

Paytas or not empty to start to my life changing Journey. But that's not enough and a hint is in the text that it's not enough to say and go back to life as normal pizza was not commanded for what? The second character we see is John. The disciple whom Jesus loves if you don't take that reference off, that's Jesus closest disciple the one who was in on everything that Jesus wanted to show them. Yeah, John had watched passively as his closest friend died on the cross. He was there at Golgotha he was there and Jesus actually spoke to him from the cross and said marry his your son John is your mother. He was that place didn't tell you anything to intervene and John was summoned by Mary to this to any arrived. He was a fast runner, but he was more cautious and we say that he bent over and looked in but he didn't go in. Remember when Jesus came to us as a baby. He was laid in his tiny form in a Manger a Manger. Drew people to Bi-Lo and investigate. tight walls with a team John had to bend to look in and see what was going on almost battling to the reality of what had happened there and he would be drooling and come to know what that meant. And eventually we see if it eventually go inside but he saw and believed. Kirito and he didn't understand you say that he he didn't understand it is possible to believe in not fully understand everything. Please know that you don't have to have holder ounces. You can believe in and still say what they're still some things. I don't understand. and that's where John was a better response than Pizza Hut cuz he actually believes where's Pizza didn't But it's still not enough. You didn't just say he believed and his yet. His response was incomplete and inadequate. Set a timer character that John the gospel writer shows us his Mary keeping a follower of Jesus also from the early days. One of the many women who were indebted to the ministry of Jesus, Mary had been inhabited by a troubling spirits. And Jesus had released a set of free and her life was strange. Then she followed Jesus from that point on. She was one of the discipleship, but she was one of the support is probably contributing financially and supporting Jesus. Anyway, she could She also had been there at Augusta to watch Jesus died. She had wept with the other women. She had been brave enough to go that are not flea like some of the disciples. But the one who gave Mary Magdalene life was now himself that so high heel was destroyed in for her. Everything was broken as well. I'm here at the deli on that first day of the week while it was still. Mary Magdalene went to the team and saw that the stone at being removed Mary when properly without the women of the gospel writer doesn't want us to focus on those other women just now. He just wants three people in online is I we know there's no because at Mary says we don't know where they taking it. But we just affect singing on Mary because that's who we're supposed to focus on. maybe she went to Offer last preparations of corpse of Jesus but if the stone was rolled across the two men she knew that would be why would she go that? But she kind enough to go she cared enough to go to his place over there. But I know on arrival she saw the team was not as it should have paint. It should have been sealed. It wasn't it should have been closed. It was open the stone had been removed and that was the most worrying sight of the day for her and she ran to Peter and John and blurted out there taking the Lord out of the team and we don't know where they have put him. But where is the men would come and go from the grave Mary came and stayed there? sitting in open Tomb was not enough to marry Nikki like it was the starter for the main course because Mary went to on to see far more because she stayed with An injured and rested with that open time what could this mean? She wasn't going to go away until she was sure because she stuck with it and stayed that she saw two angels and white C2 wedgies has 40 it be one of the head and the other of the foot because she stayed at the cutting machine counted for more than the other two disciples. She saw Jesus standing there. She didn't realize it was him, but she saw him. And as soon as she realized who this mystery man was, it wasn't fat Jesus Fully Alive resurrected. She ran to tell the others and said I have seen the Lord. This is the ultimate saying the gospel writer says this Mary is the one we should follow. No. I need to say not I need to say I'm belief but to see and believe and tell. I give testimony say I have seen the Lord. It's an Evangelistic saying it's a testimonial say I've seen the lord it's what the gospel writer is commanding us to do as we read this. Is Mary Magdalene not even one of the 12 Luciani wants to do something with what she has seen as she throws down a challenge to you and to me and Demands a response from us. I don't know if you've seen the news this morning, but I've been told means in Sri Lanka targeted on hotels and churches. 127 of being registered who killed just before the service I checked on the news. I'm getting 27 many of them Christians. Why because they say I have seen the Lord because I stand for that faith and the world is against the church. The world does not like us saying talk emojis and saying we've seen the Risen King. I said they try to silence us a Mary Magdalene stands in that tradition a people who will not be silenced. They will not be afraid. It will go on saying I have seen the Lord and go on telling the world.

But your own presents us with three people for whom everything is broken and I'm faithful Pizza John who is mourning the loss of his closest friend and Mary if I had seen the one test notes that are free. I on a cross dashed that it was through saying that they would all eventually come to Faith. If you have a broken down in your car, you'll know that that the most wonderful sight is to see someone coming to fix what you can on. When we have a broken life when we realized that even our Good Deeds just make the problem worse.

And the nice peaceful side of my life changing side is saying someone who can change it and clean us up and transform our life problems. We Face death. Bothered he can come and transform Our Lives. I know it's true because I've tried it and he has changed my life. But maybe this morning you're like one of those three in the story. It may be like pizza or pasta feeds just rankle with your your conscience and you cannot forgive yourself for things that you have done and you just a button down with those things. Peter saw the empty grave clothes and would soon see the one who wore them for three days. The Risen Jesus. It would be the most beautiful sights Pizza could have a half. If not at this point. It may be that you're more like John and a sense of lost one sheet John saw and believe and for him Jesus was the most beautiful sights he could ever have and he comes back from death and invites you to say you'll never be alone again. You'll always have me if you trust in me.

It may be that you don't like Mary and other people and other situations that you put your trust in let you down and failed you and that you feel it's it's a old broken because of that. The Risen Jesus is the most beautiful sight you can and a half and he wants you to say that you're not alone and he hasn't let you down and he wants you to go and tell others I have seen the Lord seeing is believing is not enough if we believe really then we will be compelled to tell the world that has no seen Jesus. Read on in the gospel. New see how he recordes Jesus coming back for an unbelieving Thomas who wanted to see with his own eyes. He wanted to touch with his I know Thomas did say and he did believe but then Jesus said to Thomas because you have seen me you have believed blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe

some people in this world have gone to the Tomb of Jesus and that's being a conversion moment. You can go to the Middle East and sit there and something that's being a conversion Point. Others have seen Jesus in a dream and in 1/4 of The Apparition. I'm at his just like that.

And that has been that point of confession.

But Jesus says noice essential you don't have to see to believe. But if you believe then you will see. Angela on the gospel writer John Wright's only sings so that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah not just a man not just a historical character, but he's the Messiah the Son of God and that not by believing you may have life in his name. You don't have to get to see Jesus physically to get life you done you have to believe and that's something we can only do if we choose you don't have to see to believe but you two need to believe to see. Having believed we need to tell the well, we need to be the church to the kingdom of God's people who go and tell the world that He Is Alive that he is risen. Peter was quick to deny knowing Jesus Mary Magdalene was quick to say she had seen the Risen Lord and let's be more like Mary Time Pizza ourselves a man.

I want us to do something to another time together. That's very own. British sister is the band come up. I want to challenge you to say have you seen the loot? You may not have seen him with your eyes, but you might have seen him in the pages of the Bible. You might have seen him at work in your life. You might have seen him and know he's a reality. And if that's true, I want you to stand as you stand to stand and say I have seen the Lord. because two of them we keep it in and think of this is a rehearsal for when you go out from this place to be a person in your life to say I seen a little and be willing to share your faith not just keep it in but to Sharon so I know it's not very us. I know it might make you feel uncomfortable, but I'm going to ask you as you stand if you if that's true for you to say I've seen the Lord we're not going to wait for one off to the other to say it. We're going to stand in and you can say it over the voices of other people if you want to it. I stand and say I've seen the Lord and I'm going to stop I've seen the Lord.