John 20 Death Defeated

Secular:

Skydive…

Stupid is taking a strangers word that you will not plummet from the sky and bounce like a rag doll when you rejoin terra firma
Faith on the other hand is anchored in truth

Proven
Demonstrated
Rings true

I would never step out of a plane based on a simple conversation
I would only step out in Faith

Biblical:

John 20:1 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. 19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Personal:

Dumb definition…

Joan of Arcadia
Faith is Believing in something impossible

Faith is anchored in truth
Faith is a gift from God but not disconnected from reality
The world is surprised by God
Joy, in faith, belongs to the children of God

Bridge:

Have you met Jesus Christ
Have you specifically in your life come to Know Him
Is He Your Lord?
Is He Your Saviour?
Have you walked with him… for months… for years?
Until we have reached real maturity in the faith…

We often behave like the Disciples…
Surprised by God…
We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

It is time to know Jesus and make Him known!!

Body:

Surprise… The Tomb is Empty

2 reactions… Mary Magdalene - "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

John 14… I am heading out… but I’ll be back…
John 2:19-21 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
Grand Promises… Jesus Made some Grand Promises
Election Campaign

Aggravated electorate because
It isn’t about promises…
It is about promises kept…
The election process would be easier if politicians promises were a trustworthy as Christ

Mary went into the tomb… So did Simon Peter and John…

The Other disciple… He then also entered, and he saw and believed.

He remembered…
To know Christ… is to know and believe

That He is God
And to know and believe his promises…

Though a politician might have a bit of a credibility issue… even on the temporal… simple worldly promises….
Trusting in the Lord is key to your relationship with Him!

We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

It is time to know Jesus and make Him known!!

Surprise…Mary – Jesus says 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."… Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!"

Last she saw of Jesus… He was beaten / battered / nailed to a cross… dead…
So this restored… resurrection body… may have caught her a little off guard!
In her grief she could not see clearly… past her own assumptions… she could not see the truth….
How is it that often the most devastating events of life… the real traumatic ones often cause us… in our most desperate need… to fail to see Christ…
It is in those times we need to train ourselves (disciplines) to respond by turning to Christ… It is in those times we need to help others turn toward Christ… time to be called back to the truth…
That is what Christ did… When he called out to her… “Mary”… When he made truth evident… she called out Teacher... Rabboni
Truth relieves burden… makes the world make sense… Gives us peace and Hope

We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

It is time to know Jesus and make Him known!!

Surprise… Disciples

Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Moses… Children of the Exodus… from Egypt to the Promiseland….

Children of God
Experienced Manna and Miracles
Yet failed to fully grasp the promises of God
“Stiff-necked people”

The 5,000…

They Heard… they Saw… the were Fed
Manna and Miracles
Yet failed to fully grasp the promises of God

Disciples…

Not overly swift…
Had to Hear and See Again…
The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

What about the Children of God today…

New Manna… provide for me so I’ll believe today
New Miracles… show us again
Fail to see…
The God of Providence….
The God of the Miraculous

Keep Truth @ the core
Keep Christ in Sight!

We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

Surprise… Thomas

"We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

The Disciples say… He is Risen
Thomas says… He is Risen indeed… no he doesn’t … he says… Prove it to me…
Ever share the Gospel with someone… and have them say… Prove it to me…
Ever feel like in you walk… calling out… Prove it to me?
Our Faith isn’t just about Words… words written… words spoken… someone else’s words…
It is not just about a book…
It is about facts

The Fact of a True God…
The Fact of a True Jesus
A True Death
A true burial
A true resurrection

As Thomas found out… and as those who trust in Christ know…
It is about real Nailprints
It is about real Wounds
It is about the True Spirit of God unveiling our eyes…

We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

Conclusion:

Surprised by God…

When God takes hold of our lives we are privileged to experience the miraculous!!
To see clearly the truth of the promises of God
and facts regarding the life and mission of our Saviour
Jesus said to Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed?
Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

We need to face facts…

Jesus Made Promises
The Tomb was empty
And HE IS RISEN…

Surprise is the world’s reaction
Joy belongs to the children of God

"My Lord and my God!"

1 Corinthians 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

1 Peter 1:20 For (Jesus) was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Acts 5:30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.