RAISE your EXPECTATIONS

John 20:1–15 ESV

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. 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.”

Why would Mary expect less than her Lord in person?

At first glance, it’s because she had never seen a dead man come back to life? And that’s a good start, but let’s see what else we can discover by looking at the full story.

2 Samuel 7:10–14 ESV

10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

Forever.

The promise to David who God has said one of your sons of royalty will be the king forever. So that was a promise God was made and people were EXPECTING God to come through. Because we no he is god.

There is David.

There is Solomon built God’s House, the temple. Will he live forever, no his love of women betrayed him. 40 year reign. Long time but not forever.

His Son Rehoboam was cocky and lost the northern part of the kingdom and he lived only 17 years.

400 years later the kingdom of Israel are slaves and captives again in Babylon.

the promised King hasn’t come they’ve gone backwards into captivity and not forwards.

Have you ever felt in your life the feeling of having to go backwards and not forwards. You promised that 2021 would be the year that you get better, you do better, and you aren’t doing better. You are confused because you said God this is the year of better . It’s 3 months into the year and worse off than when I came in.

Hold on, beloved, it’s not the end of the story!!!

They were in captivity 70 years and then Old King Cyrus let them out of Babylon and they went back to the land of Israel, but this time they are not a sovereign nation. They can not define where they will go or what they will do. They are a colony. The destiny of Israel is determined by Empire around them. Wait isn’t that just like countries in South America and countries on the continent that are still trying to maintain control over their homeland even thought their diamonds and oil and cobalt are being stripped away from them by another empire. The Jews who lived in Palestine probably felt like God was through with them. Their sin had left a stain that God couldn’t handle anymore. Like a wife who has been dutiful, but can’t stay with her cheating husband anymore. God had abandoned Israel.

But one day there was a man named Jesus. God who got dressed up in flesh in the dressing room womb of a virgin named Mary. The angels named him Jesus. All the witnesses said He was the man, He was the King god sent to rule His kingdom which is the whole universe, forever. He showed them through the miracles. He fed 5000 with a family pack of fish and loaves twice. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He was full of compassion and he came marching towards Jerusalem.

It appeared that this Son of David was coming to wrest his kingdom from the clutches of Rome. From Pontius Pilate, King Herod, and Tiberius Caesar Augustus. But they crushed him. The slaughtered him. They murdered him. They took him out. His life was taken at the hands of a government that believed that it was on the side of right and that to take out this middle=eastern man was the just and righteous thing to do.

But to those who had been following him, this was not only disappointment, this was shame. You thought this was the one who would reign forever, but he was crucified as the worse criminal in the world. In a honor/shame culture. When one who is part of the clan is honored all are honored, when one in the clam is shamed all are shamed.

They are shamed, disappointed, and betrayed. He said he was the Christ. How can the Christ die, if he is to live forever.

So when Mary Magdalene has had her expectations dashed again. Her hope had been crushed. Those looking for a savior and liberator had been crushed.

So when our texts says in vs. 15.

John 20:15 ESV

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.”

mary is suffering from shattered dreams and low expectations. In the shared history of her people she can not imagine or see anything other than the disappointing past. Her frame of reference is heartache, disappointment, shame.

Ow but what we have here: is triumphant!!!

In the Key of C-major.

The expectation of Mary has been quite literally RAISED.

She has no box to put this in, because God was making a box they could not understand. Here was the King who would live forever, but maybe you didn’t understand quite fully how it was going to happen.

What was cutting the other king’s reign short was that they died. Defeating death was the key to reigning forever. And on calvary’s hill he took death and it’s father sin unto his body was crucified on our behalf and three days later HE WAS RAISED.

Death had been conquered and the Messiah will live and reign forever.

Mary needed her expectations RAISED. and God proved that this was his beloved Son and Forever King when he raised Jesus from the dead. and that’s why we celebrate.

Raise YOUR EXPECTATIONS

This story hits home. Because we all can be mary sometimes, having our hope in the normal means of how life operates. Disappointed by the death of our dreams. Disappointed by the death of relationships. Disappointed by the broken plans and the shattered hopes that come from living in a world of GOODIE M.O.B. that even the Good Die Young and Mostly Over Bullcorn.

But this story of Mary thinking she saw a gardner and being surprised by hope by expectation is message to all of us to RAISE Our expectations. We raise our expectation because the worst thing that can happen to us death and to be disconnected by God have been have been crushed.

Because the Resurrection of Jesus proves that we can take the worst and by holding on to him we come out on the other side BETTER than we come in

Ephesians 1:19–21 NLT

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Raise your expectation that this world can be better!

Raise your expectation that our marriages can be better

raise your expectations that we can love your neighbor

raise our expectations that we can have equal education for all

raise our expectation that you can fiend the love of your life

Raise our expectation that justice will come down like waters and righteousness will come down like a mighty stream....

Raise our expectations that we can turn this neighborhood of planet into a brotherhood. Why because Jesus Rose. And he is Raising dead things and making them new.

Beloved, Raise your expectations...