Easter series: Message 3
Sermon Outline: Easter Sunday
Topic: / Resurrection SundayMain Point: / Darkness gives way to light
Intended Response: / Open our hearts to Jesus
Key Text / Jn 20:1-17
Introduction
We approach Easter Sunday with joy in hearts because we know Jesus rose from the grave – but the early disciples approached the first Sunday with sadness in their hearts. Darkness had fallen on their hopes because the light of the world seem to have gone out.
- The darkness of the tomb
Mary goes to the tomb while it was still dark.
Mary discovers it is empty.
This was the first day of the week, the beginning of a new creation.
Point One:Darkness must give way to light.
- The mystery of the grave clothes
Clue 1. The stone was rolled away.
Clue 2. The grave clothes.
Clue 3. The angels.
Point Two:The empty tomb was pointing to the work of God.
- The appearance of Jesus
Jesus didn’t ask, “What are you looking at?”
Mary doesn’t recognise Jesus at first, but Jesus recognises her.
Jesus knows who we are (Jn 10:3).
Point Three:Jesus knows us by name.
- A new type of relationship
The first thing the resurrected Jesus does is minister to a broken heart.
Jesus tells Mary to share the gospel with others.
The tomb wasn’t the only thing open that morning.
Point Four:Jesus opens up a new type of relationship for us to have with God.
Teaching Illustrations: This sermon uses the analogy of dark and light. The idea is to build the message from a sense of loss towards a sense of joy and excitement.Access more resources, including PowerPoint slides, at
Easter series: Message 3
Sermon Transcript: Easter Sunday
Introduction: / Good morning everyone.Welcome to our Easter Sunday celebration, we are so happy you are here with us.
Did anyone get up early this morning and watch the sunrise? Watching a sunrise can be a powerful experience.
I’d like you to imagine for a moment a brilliantsunrise. Think of the vibrant pinks, reds and oranges that light up the morning sky. The yellows that dance off the morning white clouds. The piercing light that burst over the fading night sky as the dawn of a new day begins.
I like sunrises. It creates in me a sense of anticipation – a fresh beginning, a new start. As the sun rises, it brings with it the hope and opportunities of a new day.
Sunsets are powerful too. As the light fades and the sky grows darker and darker, the night sky is lit up with millions and millions of glowing white stars – as far as the eye can see.
Do you ever stand outside at night and look up and gaze into the sky? I like to do that. I find it refreshing to pause for a moment, look up,breathe out, andlet go of the day that’s just been.
I’m not like that on all nights,however. Some nights are just dark. I carry stress, sorrow, and anxiety with me to the night sky. Sometimes I hold onto my worry and carry them with me into the next day. Sometimes clouds cover the stars and moon at night,and the sky is much darker and gloomier; some nights are darker than others.
Or have you ever experienced a total blackout? It can be scary when it’s pitch black and you can’t see your hand in front of your face. The darkness feels like it’s closing in on you
Today, we are going to revisit the accounts of the very first Easter Sunday. We approach Easter Sunday with joy in hearts because we know Jesus rose from the grave – but the early disciples did not know that. They approached the first Sunday with fear and sadness in their hearts. Darkness had fallen on their hopes because the light of the world seemed to have gone out.
Transition / We read in John 20:1,
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
1. The challenge of the tomb / The tomb
Some nights are darker than others,and for Mary, this would have been the one of the darkest of all nights. Her Saviour lay lifeless in a tomb. She had just gone through a heartbreaking experience, and now she has to relive it as she goes to the tomb where Jesus’ body lay.
Why would she go to the tomb – to this place of pain and heartbreak?
Well, the men who had anointed and lay Jesus’ body in the tomb two days before had to do it quickly because the Sabbath was about to begin and they could not be seen preparing Jesus’ body. They simply didn’t have time to finish the ceremony.
So Mary went to the tomb while it was still dark with bowls, spices and anointment. Thistradition was the honourable way to let go of a loved one, to care for their body before burial (Mk 16:1).
The Gospel of John highlights that it was still dark - it’s important to note that because when we think of the natural rhythm of night and day, we are reminded that darkness always gives way to the light.
The words “early on the first day of the week” are there to remind us of Genesis 1,
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness…this was the first day” (Gen 1:3).
We need to keep this in mind when we think about this scene – it’s the first day – a new creation is about to begin – and it begins with Jesus.
But for Mary, the darkness of the night would have felt like it was closing in on her.
I can imagine the garden where Jesus’ tomb was. Silent and still. The warmth of the day had long past,and the air was cold. I can picture Mary arriving there, stopping at the tomb, her breath appearing before her in the cold night sky. A few stars remained in the night sky to greet her as she arrived at the tomb – but the light of Jesus had gone out.
And then, she notices the stone that sealed the tomb and protected Jesus’ body was rolled away,and His body was missing!
John 20:2,
So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
In Mary’s fear, anger and pain, she accuses the religious leaders of taking Jesus’ body away. She may have assumed the Jewish leaders in their hatred for Jesus had organised for someone to come and steal Jesus’ body and throw Him away in an unmarked grave along with the criminals.
Have you ever noticed how pain and hurt can make even the best of people lash out and accuse others?
Mary would have been gripped by fear and panic, “What happened to Jesus’ body? Who had taken him? Where did they leave him?” If the pain of this situation wasn’tbad enough, now Jesus – her Lord, would not have a proper burial.
Have you ever experienced a moment in life where you think it couldn’t get any worse and it did? I think, in some way or another, we can all identify with the sense of loss, sorrow, pain, and frustration that Mary is experiencing.Life can be very challenging at times, can’t it?
But darkness must give way to light.
Point 1 / Darkness must give way to light.
Transition / We read on,
2. The mystery of the grave clothes / Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen (Jn 20:3-7).
So Peter reaches the tomb and heads straight in. Now, remember, perhaps Mary thought that either the religious leaders, the Romans, or thieves had stolen Jesus’ body.
It was a strange scene: the stone was moved away, the empty tomb,only strips of linen remained, but all of these are clues...
Clue 1. The stone was rolled away
- The ropes around the stone had the Roman seal on it – if anyone was caught removing them the Romans would kill them.
- It’s estimated that the stone weighed between 1-2 tonne. It is impossible for one person to move a stone that heavy by themselves.This was no small feat. It would have required many people:this couldn’tbeen done in secret.
- Jesus’ body was wrapped with over 34 kilograms of spices, which turns into a gluey substance when applied.
- It would have been nearly impossible and exceptionally time-consumingfor anyone tounwrap the linen that was stuck to Jesus’ body.
- The head cloth was separated.The Message translation says it was “neatly folded.”
- Why would a thief unwrap a body carefully to simply hide it or throw it away?
- Why would criminals take such care to fold the cloth?
- Robbers wouldn’t go to the trouble or risk the time, and they wouldn’t leave behind expensive grave clothes and spices either.
Clue 3. The angels
Mary had watched the crucifixion of Jesus (I’ve only seen the movie The Passion of Christ once, and once was enough). She couldn’t bear to look inside the tomb let alone enter it.
But she gathered her strength, and when she looked inside we read,
Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomband saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot (Jn 20:10-12).
The angels positioning is reminiscent of the Ark of the Covenant – angels surrounding the presence of God.
- I’ve often wondered why the angels did not appear to Peter orJohn?
- Did they leave too soon?
- What if they had stayed just a bit longer?
So the clues regarding of Jesus’ missing body are starting to become clearer:
- The heavy stone rolled away, the grave clothes, the angels…
This is not the work of robbers – this is the work of God!
Point Two / The empty tomb was pointing to the work of God.
Transition / We read on…
3. The appearance of Jesus / In John 20:14-15,
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus. He asked her,“Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him”.
I love this bit – Mary is so full of life and passion. In stressful situations people either take fight or flight – Mary takes fight:
“If you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
This scene captures the pure raw emotions and passion of Mary – “if you mess with my Saviour you mess with me!I’ll get him myself!”
- Was Mary going to carry a grown man’s dead body through town by herself?
- That’s passion!
Notice what Jesus says,
“Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Jesus didn’t ask, “What are you looking at?”
Mary would have answered, “an empty tomb, a missing body, folded cloth, angels from heaven…”
Jesus was trying to disrupt her grief from the earthly loss she was experiencing.
In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve sinned and were hiding, God calls out to them, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9).
- God didn’t ask Adam and Eve where they were because He lost them; God was making them aware of their true situation.
- God didn’t ask so He could learn the answer, God asked so it could be revealed to them.
But Mary doesn’t recognise Jesus at first, but Jesus recognises her!
Jesus said to her,“Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”) (Jn 20:16).
It is a powerful thing when Jesus uses her name. The intimacy of knowing her name is enough to bring her out of her grief and recognise it’sJesus.
It’s amazing to know that God does this for us too,
“He calls his sheep by name and leads them…” (Jn 10:3),
“…whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life(Rev 21:27).
Point 3 / Jesusus knows us by name.
Transition / Jesus now calls Mary to let go…
4. A new type of relationship / Jesus said,“Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father” (Jn 20:17).
The Message translation says, “do not cling to me” (MSG Jn 20:17).
I don’t think Jesus is saying don’t hug me. He is saying;you have to let me go Mary.
It’s not going to be like what it was before. This is not a resuscitated body, this is a resurrected body – everything is different now! I’m not going to be hanging around. I am ascending to my Father.
Mary had to let go to move on. Mary had to let go of earthly things for heavenly gain. Jesus wouldn’t behanging around,but He would be with her in a way she couldn’t yet imagine. What I love about this is that we see the first thing Jesus does before He goes to heaven and steps into His full glory, He takes the time to stop and minister to a broken heart.
In Jesus’ first appearance, we see His love and kindness as Hecompassionately brings healing to comfort someone in pain. He is still focused on transforming one life at a time.
This is amazing!
Jesus’ first, primary and ongoing concern is for the broken-hearted. His compassion extends beyond the work of the cross. Jesus was and is forever now the great healer – the comforter in pain, the restorer of hope, the brightest light in a dark world.
And what happens next?
Jesus said,“Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (Jn 20:17).
Jesus tells Mary to share this message with others, “Go”. This message wasn’t just for Mary; it was for the disciples, and for us!
Mary had to let go of Jesus as she knew Him – He was different now and He was about to commission her with the gospel and send her out.
And no longer does Jesus simply say “My Father” (Jn 5:17, 6:57, 8:16, 8:38, 10:15, 13:3) He says, “My Father and your Father, my God and your God”.
The tomb wasn’t the only thing open that morning; Jesus opens up a new type of relationship for us to have with God.
Mary came to visit the dead but instead was sent out with a message about the living!
The same relationship Jesus shares with God was not only extended to the disciples – it is for all of us!
Point 4. / Jesus opens up a new type of relationship for us to have with God.
Transition / The first Easter Sunday opens with a woman crying by herself, distraught, without hope, full of grief but it ends with the same woman full of excitement, surrounded by others, sharing life and hope!Everything changed for Mary when she met the risen Jesus.
Close / We all have Friday’s – times of challenge, death, despair – times when the light goes dark,and we feel alone.
But Jesus’ resurrection moves us from,
- Darkness to light,
- From death to hope,
- From being alone to being in community.
Call to Action / Resurrection Sunday is an invitation to a new type of relationship with God.
- Sometimes we don’t recognise Jesus at first.
- Perhaps we cling to our ideas too firmly and don’t let go of them.
Perhaps during this message God has been stirring your heart?
Maybe, for the first time, it’s time for you to meet Jesus.
God will not let you down when you let go and let God in.
Would you pray with me…
Prayer / Lord Jesus, we are so thankful for everything you have done for us. You sweep away the darkness of despair and bring light and hope for all.
We pray that just as you met with Mary, you would meet with us. That every open heart in this place would be filled with your love, grace and Holy Spirit.
Fill us Lord with your presence, with your love, with your light.
We ask this in the awesome name of Jesus – Amen.
Easter series: Message 3