Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

What is our response to the empty tomb?

There is no historical argument that is credible that denies that the tomb is empty.

The religious leaders and the Romans would have gladly presented a body had they found one.

They would have been overjoyed to be able to parade the body of Jesus on Day 4 to prove His followers wrong.

It is very clear that no body was ever found.

But what is your response to this obvious historical fact?

Today we are going to discuss the response of three different eye witnesses in regards to finding the tomb empty.

I pray that after we discuss these responses, you are able to more clearly articulate your own response to the empty tomb.

And that after understanding your response - you may even more clearly see the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today we are going to discuss three different responses to the same empty tomb.

These are going to be formulated in the form of questions that we can ask ourselves as we study the lives of these three eye-witnesses.

The first is:

I. Do You Respond with Assumption ?

(20:1-2)

Mary is likely not the most trusting person.

She had been mistreated time and time again.

We see in the Gospel of Luke that she had previously had 7 demons cast out of her! How miserable of a life had she been delivered from with being possessed by 7 demons.

As an aside, we see that some of these women mentioned here continued to follow Jesus and went along with Mary as seen in the other Gospel accounts including Joanna who is specifically mentioned here (See Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-10, Matthew 28:1-10).

But back to Mary Magdalene as seen in John 20 again - Raw emotion and sorrow can make us assume the worst at times.

Assumptions can be very dangerous.

An assumption can be defined as a conclusion that is made without any discussion.

It is a conclusion that comes without many and sometimes any facts being sought out.

It is divisive.

It splits churches.

It splits families.

It causes so many issues.

Friends - avoid assumptions as they can lead to great dangers.

Mary assumes the body is stolen.

Even though she loves Christ much and followed Him and continues to follow Him even after His death - she is blinded by her emotions and her assumptions.

Incomplete information and assumptions can lead to grievous errors.

She misses the big picture here.

Being distraught and upset at finding the tomb empty, she forgets the words Jesus had said time and time again.

Jesus predicted his death and resurrection at least three times as seen in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The book of John likely adds a couple more.

Yet Mary missed this teaching that intertwined Jesus’ ministry.

She goes and tells Peter and John what?

That they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him.

She assumes that grave robbers, or the religious leaders, or the Romans or someone else had taken to body.

Why does she automatically assume this?

She is likely allowing her past experiences and her emotions to lead her mind.

Friends, we must not be led astray by our emotions.

Our emotions can change from second to second and minute to minute.

We must be steady on course with the Lord.

We must stand firm on the Word of God and be firm in it.

She was not relying on the words of Christ.

She was relying on her feelings.

Her feelings told her something wasn’t right.

She had been there before.

She had been disappointed time and time again.

Bad things had happened to her throughout her life.

Most people who were demon possessed that we see in the Scriptures were treated harshly.

They were feared, outcast, or even exploited.

In her mind and experience, bad things were bound to happen.

Someone must have stolen the body.

What is your first response when you see something unexplainable?

What is your first response to disappointment?

Do you go to the Word of God for wisdom and direction or do you rely on your intuition and assumptions?

Do you turn to prayer and truth or do you turn to what you are feeling?

Mary’s initial reaction was incorrect.

Her assumptions were off base.

I pray that this is a warning to each of us.

I pray that when we approach the empty tomb and frankly any other circumstance - we face it in the light of the Scriptures.

I pray that we understand how deceptive our emotions and feelings can be.

As I have quoted time and time again and will continue to quote:

Do not follow your emotions or your heart.

It will lead you astray.

Mary’s biggest issue was the way that she saw things.

This section of Scripture is very unique in that the Greek is much different than the English.

We see in verse one that Mary saw the empty tomb.

We will continue to build on this idea of saw as there are three different Greek words used for the word saw in this section.

The first of which is used here in verse 1 and is the Greek word blepō (blep-o).

This is to catch a short vision.

It is incomplete.

It is a lot like the word we know as blip which came from the early days of radar where something would pop up and go out of focus really quickly.

I pray that you are able to get a better vision of the empty tomb as we continue on.

Do not only give the empty tomb a quick glance and assume the rest.

So much can be missed this in doing so.

After Mary’s observation of the empty tomb she runs to tell Peter and John.

Peter and John run to the tomb and we see their varied responses to the empty tomb as well.

Let’s look at Peter’s response first.

Peter’s response leaves us with the question:

Scripture References: Luke 8:1-3, Mark 9:31, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-10, Matthew 28:1-10, Jeremiah 17:9

II.

Do You Respond with Analysis ?

(20:6-7)

In the typical style that Peter seems to take, he rolls right into the tomb without a hitch.

John is historically and traditionally the other disciple mentioned here.

In verse 4 and again in verse 8 we see that John actually beat Peter to the tomb.

I love that John includes this detail that he is faster than Peter!

And he repeated it twice!

However John stopped and did not go in.

We don’t know exactly why John didn’t enter the tomb.

Yet John waits for Peter.

It is here that we see our second Greek word for saw.

The Greek word used in this section describing Peter’s experience is the word theōreō (thay-o-ray-o).

This word means to view as a spectator.

It is the word we get theater from.

It is a form of analysis and observation.

Yet it doesn’t come to a conclusion.

Peter sees the facts.

He sees the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head.