November 26, 2024 • 11 mins
Have you ever felt lost in a moment of darkness, only to find an unexpected light guiding your way? Join us as we journey through the profound experience of Jesus' resurrection, witnessing it through the eyes of Mary Magdalene and the disciples as chronicled in John 20:1-18. Picture Mary, heart heavy with grief, arriving at the tomb in the early morning darkness, only to find the stone rolled away—a moment that echoes with both panic and the whispered promise of hope. We capture the urgency of Peter and John racing to the tomb, their minds a whirlwind of fear and faith, and explore how this ultimate miracle can reflect in our own lives when we least expect it.
As we discuss the comforting truth of finding purpose and hope in the light of Jesus' resurrection, we emphasize how Jesus meets each of us in our varied states of confusion, grief, or doubt. The empty tomb signifies more than just an event in history; it holds a message for each of us today. This episode encourages you to embrace this truth and carry it with you through the week, sharing it with those who might be in need of hope and purpose. Reflect on how God might be working in your life and reach out to share your experiences with us. May peace and purpose guide you, as you hold onto the hope of encountering the living Lord.
As we discuss the comforting truth of finding purpose and hope in the light of Jesus' resurrection, we emphasize how Jesus meets each of us in our varied states of confusion, grief, or doubt. The empty tomb signifies more than just an event in history; it holds a message for each of us today. This episode encourages you to embrace this truth and carry it with you through the week, sharing it with those who might be in need of hope and purpose. Reflect on how God might be working in your life and reach out to share your experiences with us. May peace and purpose guide you, as you hold onto the hope of encountering the living Lord.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast.
Today we're diving into what isarguably one of the most
incredible moments in all ofscripture the resurrection of
Jesus.
If you've ever felt like yourlife is stuck in a season of
darkness or confusion, or evendespair, this episode is the
episode for you.
(00:20):
See, the resurrection isn'tjust an event in history, it's
the cornerstone of our faith.
It's the moment when death wasdefeated, hope was restored and
the story changed forever.
But here's the thing For thefollowers of Jesus that first
Resurrection Sunday didn't beginwith celebration.
It began in darkness.
(00:40):
Today we're going to walkthrough John, chapter 20, the
first 18 verses.
Together We'll see how Jesusmeets us in our confusion, calls
us by name and sends us outwith a message of hope.
Along the way, I want to helpyou visualize the story.
I want to help you feel itsimpact and reflect on what it
(01:01):
means for your life today.
The opening scene the tomb,appears to hold only despair.
Let's start with Mary Magdalene.
She's one of the first toarrive at the tomb.
John 20, verse 1, says early onthe first day of the week,
while it was still dark, maryMagdalene went to the tomb and
saw that the stone had beenremoved from the entrance.
(01:22):
Now picture this with me it'searly morning, sometime between
3 am and 6 am, and I don't knowabout you, but I don't see a lot
of 3 ams or 6 ams.
In fact, I made the commentSunday.
Most of the time I only see onesix on my clock in a day, and
that is not the am version.
Now the sky is still dark andthe air is cool with dew.
(01:43):
Mary's footsteps crunch softlyon the gravel path as she
approaches the tomb.
Her heart is heavy with grief.
She's not expecting a miracle,she's coming to mourn.
But when she arrives, the stoneis rolled away.
The tomb is open.
Can you imagine just for amoment her panic?
(02:04):
Her first thought isn'tresurrection, it's theft.
She runs to Peter and Johnbreathless, saying they have
taken the Lord out of the tomband we don't know where they
have put him.
That's verse two.
Here's what strikes me aboutthis moment.
Mary is standing on the edge ofthe greatest miracle in history
(02:24):
, but all she sees is despair.
How often is that true for youand I?
We pray for God to work in aspecific way, but when things
don't go as we expect, we assumehe's not working at all.
Here's the truth, thoughSometimes the miracle we're
praying for isn't the miracle wesee it honestly, isn't the
(02:48):
miracle we need.
Think about Mary.
She came to the tomb expectingto find Jesus's body, but God
had something greater planned.
The empty tomb wasn't the end.
It was actually the doorway tonew life.
So let me ask you when you'rein those dark moments, do you
trust that God is still writingyour story Now?
(03:12):
The second scene that we see inthis chapter is the disciples
searching for answers.
When Peter and John hear Mary'sreport, they take off running.
Verse three and four says so.
Peter and the other disciplestarted for the tomb, both
running, but the other discipleoutran Peter and reached the
(03:33):
tomb first.
Now let me pause there for amoment.
The more I read the gospel ofJohn, the more I love John.
John is a straight shooter.
He is one of those guys.
He's got to be almost 90 whenhe's sitting down to pen these
words that you and I can studyand read today, the gospel of
John.
But even 50 years later, afterthis moment, he's still trying
(03:54):
to make sure that and I knowthat he ran faster than Peter he
still wants you and I to knowthat he was Jesus's favorite.
He was the one that Jesus loved.
I can just imagine him almostlaughing as he pens part of
these words, knowing that thisis going to be read for all of
eternity.
Back to the story, though.
(04:14):
Can you picture the urgency intheir steps, the sound of
sandals slapping against thedirt road, their breath growing
heavier, their robes flyingbehind them as they race to the
tomb?
John, the faster of the two,gets there first, but he stops
at the entrance, peering inside.
Peter, always bold, charges.
(04:35):
Straight in Inside, they seesomething strange the linen
strips lying there and thebarrier cloth that had been
wrapped around Jesus' head,folded neatly.
Verse 6 and 7 tells us that hesaw the strips of linen lying
there, speaking of Peter, aswell as the cloth that had been
wrapped around Jesus' head.
(04:56):
As well as the cloth that hadbeen wrapped around Jesus' head,
the cloth was still laying inits place, separate from the
linen.
This detail is significant.
In Jewish burial customs, abody would be wrapped in linen
with spices, and the head wouldbe wrapped separately.
If someone had stolen the body,they wouldn't have taken the
(05:17):
time to unwrap him and fold thehead cloth neatly.
Here's what it tells us thefolded cloth wasn't just
evidence, it was a statement.
It was as if Jesus was sayingI'm alive and I'm not finished.
Yet Let me ask you this Do youtrust that the same God who left
the grave clothes behind isstill working in the details of
your life?
(05:44):
Now, the third scene that we seehere is Jesus meeting Mary in
her grief.
After Peter and John leave,mary stays behind, she's weeping
, standing outside the tomb.
When she bends down and looksinside, verses 12 and 13 tell us
that she saw two angels inwhite seated where Jesus' body
had been, one at the head andthe other at the foot, and they
asked her woman, why are youcrying?
(06:04):
Even after this miraculousmoment, mary is so consumed by
her grief that she doesn'trecognize what's happening.
Then she turns around and seesJesus, but she thinks he's the
gardener.
Verse 15,.
He asked her woman, why are youcrying?
Who is it that you're lookingfor?
(06:25):
Can you imagine?
Mary, having known Jesus,didn't even recognize him, to
the point that she just assumedhe was the gardener.
Sometimes that's what griefdoes in our life it keeps us
from seeing what is actuallytrue right in front of us.
It's why people that aremourning and in grief tend to
(06:47):
see things in the hardest andworst ways because they can't
see the reality that's right infront of them, the things that
are actually going good, eventhough some things are not.
Now, here's the moment thatchanges everything.
Jesus simply says one word.
He says her name, mary, andwhen he says Mary, it changes
(07:13):
everything.
She realizes who it is.
She turned toward him and criedout in Aramaic, rabbeni, which
means teacher.
Can you hear the tenderness inhis voice, the familiarity?
In that instant Mary's sorrowturns to joy.
Her eyes are opened and sherecognizes her Lord.
(07:35):
See the voice of Jesus.
It turns mourning into joy.
And here's the beautiful partJesus knows your name too.
He calls you personally,offering hope and life.
Now, the fourth scene we seehere might be my favorite
although it's hard to rate afavorite in this story but Mary
(07:58):
becomes the first witness.
Mary doesn't just keep thisencounter to herself.
John 20, verse 18, says MaryMagdalene went to the disciples
with the news I have seen theLord.
The woman who came to the tombin despair now becomes the first
evangelist of the resurrection.
She runs back to the disciples,her voice trembling with
(08:19):
excitement.
She runs back to the disciples,her voice trembling with
excitement, proclaiming the goodnews that Jesus is alive and
that day and age.
For a woman to be the one givingtestimony didn't put a lot of
weight in it, but it goes toshow you the weight that Jesus
put in Mary, allowing her to bethe one that was carrying the
message of the greatest newsever to be heard.
(08:40):
That was carrying the messageof the greatest news ever to be
heard.
And here's the truth.
When you encounter the risenJesus, you are sent to tell
others.
It isn't a moment ofpreparation, it isn't a moment
of so many years of seminary,and then you tell somebody of
Jesus.
When you encounter the risenSavior, you're sent to tell
others.
So who is it in your life thatneeds to hear that I've seen the
(09:03):
Lord?
Don't keep the good news toyourself.
Your testimony could be thevery thing that helps someone
else encounter the risen Savior.
Where do you see yourself inthis story?
Are you like Mary, standing inthe dark place, struggling to
see what God is doing?
Are you like Peter and John,running toward Jesus but not
(09:28):
fully understanding?
Yet here's the good news Jesusmeets us.
Wherever we are, in ourconfusion, in our grief, in our
doubt.
He meets us, he calls us byname and he sends us out with a
purpose.
As you go about your week, Iwant you to remember this that
the tomb is empty, that Jesus isalive and he's not finished yet
.
Thanks for joining me today.
If this episode encouraged you,share it with someone who needs
(09:50):
to hear it and, as always, I'dlove to hear how God is working
in your life.
Reach out to me, let me know.
Until next time, go in peaceand go with purpose.
I have seen the Lord.
May that be the testimony ofyour life this week.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast.
Today we're diving into what isarguably one of the most
incredible moments in all ofscripture the resurrection of
Jesus.
If you've ever felt like yourlife is stuck in a season of
darkness or confusion, or evendespair, this episode is the
episode for you.
(00:20):
See, the resurrection isn'tjust an event in history, it's
the cornerstone of our faith.
It's the moment when death wasdefeated, hope was restored and
the story changed forever.
But here's the thing For thefollowers of Jesus that first
Resurrection Sunday didn't beginwith celebration.
It began in darkness.
(00:40):
Today we're going to walkthrough John, chapter 20, the
first 18 verses.
Together We'll see how Jesusmeets us in our confusion, calls
us by name and sends us outwith a message of hope.
Along the way, I want to helpyou visualize the story.
I want to help you feel itsimpact and reflect on what it
(01:01):
means for your life today.
The opening scene the tomb,appears to hold only despair.
Let's start with Mary Magdalene.
She's one of the first toarrive at the tomb.
John 20, verse 1, says early onthe first day of the week,
while it was still dark, maryMagdalene went to the tomb and
saw that the stone had beenremoved from the entrance.
(01:22):
Now picture this with me it'searly morning, sometime between
3 am and 6 am, and I don't knowabout you, but I don't see a lot
of 3 ams or 6 ams.
In fact, I made the commentSunday.
Most of the time I only see onesix on my clock in a day, and
that is not the am version.
Now the sky is still dark andthe air is cool with dew.
(01:43):
Mary's footsteps crunch softlyon the gravel path as she
approaches the tomb.
Her heart is heavy with grief.
She's not expecting a miracle,she's coming to mourn.
But when she arrives, the stoneis rolled away.
The tomb is open.
Can you imagine just for amoment her panic?
(02:04):
Her first thought isn'tresurrection, it's theft.
She runs to Peter and Johnbreathless, saying they have
taken the Lord out of the tomband we don't know where they
have put him.
That's verse two.
Here's what strikes me aboutthis moment.
Mary is standing on the edge ofthe greatest miracle in history
(02:24):
, but all she sees is despair.
How often is that true for youand I?
We pray for God to work in aspecific way, but when things
don't go as we expect, we assumehe's not working at all.
Here's the truth, thoughSometimes the miracle we're
praying for isn't the miracle wesee it honestly, isn't the
(02:48):
miracle we need.
Think about Mary.
She came to the tomb expectingto find Jesus's body, but God
had something greater planned.
The empty tomb wasn't the end.
It was actually the doorway tonew life.
So let me ask you when you'rein those dark moments, do you
trust that God is still writingyour story Now?
(03:12):
The second scene that we see inthis chapter is the disciples
searching for answers.
When Peter and John hear Mary'sreport, they take off running.
Verse three and four says so.
Peter and the other disciplestarted for the tomb, both
running, but the other discipleoutran Peter and reached the
(03:33):
tomb first.
Now let me pause there for amoment.
The more I read the gospel ofJohn, the more I love John.
John is a straight shooter.
He is one of those guys.
He's got to be almost 90 whenhe's sitting down to pen these
words that you and I can studyand read today, the gospel of
John.
But even 50 years later, afterthis moment, he's still trying
(03:54):
to make sure that and I knowthat he ran faster than Peter he
still wants you and I to knowthat he was Jesus's favorite.
He was the one that Jesus loved.
I can just imagine him almostlaughing as he pens part of
these words, knowing that thisis going to be read for all of
eternity.
Back to the story, though.
(04:14):
Can you picture the urgency intheir steps, the sound of
sandals slapping against thedirt road, their breath growing
heavier, their robes flyingbehind them as they race to the
tomb?
John, the faster of the two,gets there first, but he stops
at the entrance, peering inside.
Peter, always bold, charges.
(04:35):
Straight in Inside, they seesomething strange the linen
strips lying there and thebarrier cloth that had been
wrapped around Jesus' head,folded neatly.
Verse 6 and 7 tells us that hesaw the strips of linen lying
there, speaking of Peter, aswell as the cloth that had been
wrapped around Jesus' head.
(04:56):
As well as the cloth that hadbeen wrapped around Jesus' head,
the cloth was still laying inits place, separate from the
linen.
This detail is significant.
In Jewish burial customs, abody would be wrapped in linen
with spices, and the head wouldbe wrapped separately.
If someone had stolen the body,they wouldn't have taken the
(05:17):
time to unwrap him and fold thehead cloth neatly.
Here's what it tells us thefolded cloth wasn't just
evidence, it was a statement.
It was as if Jesus was sayingI'm alive and I'm not finished.
Yet Let me ask you this Do youtrust that the same God who left
the grave clothes behind isstill working in the details of
your life?
(05:44):
Now, the third scene that we seehere is Jesus meeting Mary in
her grief.
After Peter and John leave,mary stays behind, she's weeping
, standing outside the tomb.
When she bends down and looksinside, verses 12 and 13 tell us
that she saw two angels inwhite seated where Jesus' body
had been, one at the head andthe other at the foot, and they
asked her woman, why are youcrying?
(06:04):
Even after this miraculousmoment, mary is so consumed by
her grief that she doesn'trecognize what's happening.
Then she turns around and seesJesus, but she thinks he's the
gardener.
Verse 15,.
He asked her woman, why are youcrying?
Who is it that you're lookingfor?
(06:25):
Can you imagine?
Mary, having known Jesus,didn't even recognize him, to
the point that she just assumedhe was the gardener.
Sometimes that's what griefdoes in our life it keeps us
from seeing what is actuallytrue right in front of us.
It's why people that aremourning and in grief tend to
(06:47):
see things in the hardest andworst ways because they can't
see the reality that's right infront of them, the things that
are actually going good, eventhough some things are not.
Now, here's the moment thatchanges everything.
Jesus simply says one word.
He says her name, mary, andwhen he says Mary, it changes
(07:13):
everything.
She realizes who it is.
She turned toward him and criedout in Aramaic, rabbeni, which
means teacher.
Can you hear the tenderness inhis voice, the familiarity?
In that instant Mary's sorrowturns to joy.
Her eyes are opened and sherecognizes her Lord.
(07:35):
See the voice of Jesus.
It turns mourning into joy.
And here's the beautiful partJesus knows your name too.
He calls you personally,offering hope and life.
Now, the fourth scene we seehere might be my favorite
although it's hard to rate afavorite in this story but Mary
(07:58):
becomes the first witness.
Mary doesn't just keep thisencounter to herself.
John 20, verse 18, says MaryMagdalene went to the disciples
with the news I have seen theLord.
The woman who came to the tombin despair now becomes the first
evangelist of the resurrection.
She runs back to the disciples,her voice trembling with
(08:19):
excitement.
She runs back to the disciples,her voice trembling with
excitement, proclaiming the goodnews that Jesus is alive and
that day and age.
For a woman to be the one givingtestimony didn't put a lot of
weight in it, but it goes toshow you the weight that Jesus
put in Mary, allowing her to bethe one that was carrying the
message of the greatest newsever to be heard.
(08:40):
That was carrying the messageof the greatest news ever to be
heard.
And here's the truth.
When you encounter the risenJesus, you are sent to tell
others.
It isn't a moment ofpreparation, it isn't a moment
of so many years of seminary,and then you tell somebody of
Jesus.
When you encounter the risenSavior, you're sent to tell
others.
So who is it in your life thatneeds to hear that I've seen the
(09:03):
Lord?
Don't keep the good news toyourself.
Your testimony could be thevery thing that helps someone
else encounter the risen Savior.
Where do you see yourself inthis story?
Are you like Mary, standing inthe dark place, struggling to
see what God is doing?
Are you like Peter and John,running toward Jesus but not
(09:28):
fully understanding?
Yet here's the good news Jesusmeets us.
Wherever we are, in ourconfusion, in our grief, in our
doubt.
He meets us, he calls us byname and he sends us out with a
purpose.
As you go about your week, Iwant you to remember this that
the tomb is empty, that Jesus isalive and he's not finished yet
.
Thanks for joining me today.
If this episode encouraged you,share it with someone who needs
(09:50):
to hear it and, as always, I'dlove to hear how God is working
in your life.
Reach out to me, let me know.
Until next time, go in peaceand go with purpose.
I have seen the Lord.
May that be the testimony ofyour life this week.
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