The one truth, the one truth which separates Christianity apart
from every other system of belief in the world is that Jesus Christ who was crucified on a Roman
cross died and rose again from the dead three days later. All other religious leaders died and are
still dead. Buddha's bones are bleaching on a lonely hillside. Muhammad's voice is hushed. Confucius
vision is silent. Only Christ is risen again from the dead and this morning the tomb is still empty.
To strip Christianity of the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Jesus means that our faith is
no more than Eastern mysticism. Moreover, Jesus, if Jesus is not alive today, everything he did was
in vain. His death was a waste of a life and everything he taught was simply the wild ravings
of a madman. But brothers and sisters, Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 says, and if Christ be not
risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, Paul says we are of all men most miserable. The resurrected Jesus makes the tomb a place of
grace and not grief, declaring that he has fulfilled the old covenant and established the saving
power and presence of the Lord through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right
hand of God with power. Mary came to the tomb a good while before daylight and she finds the
stone road away and the tomb empty. Alexander McLaren, that old Scottish preacher said it was
fitting that he who was to scatter the darkness of the grave should rise while darkness still
covered the earth. But before we come to Mary, before we get to window number three that was
purchased by the women and there's no accident that the women purchased this window, let us take a
closer look inside the empty tomb and look backwards at what Mary looked forward to. For
if not we run the risk of misinterpreting as dark what is really pregnant with light. In the tomb
there is no, there is no trace of hurry. There is no mention or idea of struggling or rambling to get
out. Jesus did not need to get out of the tomb in haste, but when you look inside there's a calmness,
there's a deliberateness for in the majesty of his lordship over death he just rises as if from
slumber and walks out of the grave and leaves order in a land of confusion. Look at the linen
clothes. The linen clothes inside the tomb have been bathed in embalming spices like myrrh and
aloes that have hardened the linen cloth and the linen cloth is now hardened on the body of Jesus
in the form of his body. But Jesus is not in the tomb but the linen cloths are still in the form
of his body. He has slipped out like a butterfly from its cocoon leaving the linen cloth in the
form of his body. But that's not the real evidence. The real evidence is there's a linen napkin
that was put over the face of Jesus not with the linen cloth where his body was,
but the linen napkin is left by the door. Somebody ought to help me preach here. I practiced this
at the funeral this past week and so I'm pretty good at it right now. That linen napkin is left
at the door apart from the linen clothes in the shape of his body because in that day when people
ate a meal after having been invited to somebody's house if they enjoyed the meal when they finished
and wiped their hands and their mouth they left the napkin on the plate saying to the host that
I enjoyed the meal. But if they did not enjoy the meal if they did not enjoy the stay they left
the napkin at the door dropped it at the door saying to the host I'll never be back here again.
When Jesus got up from the grave he left the napkin by the door saying to hell and the grave
I'm never coming back here again. He lives, he lives. Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me.
I wish I had a witness right here. He talks with me a long life's narrow way. He lives.
He lives salvation to him. Part you ask me how I know he lives. I'm not talking about what somebody
told me. I'm not talking about what I heard on the radio. He lives in my heart. Why seek he the living
among the dead. He is not here. He is risen just as he said. One of the chief aims of the devil
is to get us to talk about resurrection only on Easter Sunday. But every morning when we wake up
the Psalmist said this is the day that the Lord has made. We ought to rejoice and be glad in it.
He's talking about the resurrection. Every time we get up in the morning it's a resurrection morning.
Monday morning is a good morning. Friday morning is a good morning. Sunday morning is a good morning
because the Lord not only did he get up but he let you get up. And one day when your life is over
you're going to get up again. Because the scripture says the dead in Christ
shall be raised first. And we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together
to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord in the air.
The Gospel of John says, and she saw two angels in white seated one at the head
and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lie. Augusta,
Augusta, who was the bishop of Carthage in North Africa, Augusta of Hippo. Augusta suggests that
the reason these angels are positioned at the head and the feet of Jesus
signified that the Gospel was to be preached from head to toe.
From the beginning to the end. Thomas Aquinas suggests that the angels represent
the two testaments old and new and that they're being there also represented the two natures
of Christ, his divinity and his humanity. But hermeneutically the location of the angels at
each end of the place where Jesus had been lying intends to signify the angels at the two ends of
the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant is made overlaid and
encrusted with pure gold and two golden cherubim on each end facing each other.
I wish I had somebody to help me preach it. There are numerous verbal and conceptual links
that support this biblical interpretation. When you look at the Ark of the Covenant in the Old
Testament and the burial of Jesus in the New Testament, there is a congruency that will help
us to see what God is trying to teach us. There is a spatial relationship between the location
of the Ark and the body of Jesus. The Ark was in the innermost chamber of the tabernacle
and separated from the holy of holies and the most holy by a veil. Jesus body was placed in
the innermost chamber of the tomb separated by a veil linen cloth that covered his face.
The Ark of the Covenant was to be bathed with spices to anoint and consecrate it.
The body of Jesus was anointed with spices and oils to anoint and consecrate it. Both of them
were forbidden to be even looked upon or come near to. When the Ark was in the place where it was in
the temple, no one could come near it but the high priest on the day of atonement. When Jesus is in
the cross, Mary goes to the tomb but she doesn't look in. Peter and John get the word from Mary,
run into the tomb. Peter goes in, John stays a distance back but they don't look to see Jesus
body. Brothers and sisters hear me. Jesus in this symbolism is depicted as both the atoning
sacrifice and the one who sits in frowned between the cherubim. Get this, when God wanted to show
up to talk to his people, he appeared in the Shekinah cloud that rested between the cherubim.
But when Jesus got up from the grave, the glory of God in the Shekinah cloud is now risen indeed.
And so now we don't need a high priest because we already have one. Jesus, the Son of the living
God is now our living high priest. I think it's significant that the women of our church bought
this window because it says something about this woman, Mary. Mary Magdalene, Mary Magdalene,
not Mary, the mother of Jesus, not Mary who sat at Jesus feet at the home of Martha,
but Mary Magdalene possessed with demons. This woman that Jesus had healed of demonic
possession has become a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ. Everywhere Jesus goes, Mary Magdalene
is not far behind because when the Lord touches your life, when the Lord delivers you from your
distress, when the Lord touches you in your despair, wherever God is, you ain't far behind.
People who are following Jesus from a distance, that's because they don't know nothing about his touch.
They're not really sure how good he is. They're not really convinced that he can do what he
says he can do, but people who just shout at the mention of his name, people who just get
happy when it gets close to Sunday morning, people who put their clothes out on Friday,
getting ready for Sunday morning, getting your hair done and getting your nails ready and getting
your tie straightened with your suit because you know I was glad when they said unto me,
let's go to the house of the Lord. If you're not excited to be here this morning, I suggest you
get up and go somewhere else, but God's been too good to me for me to come in the Lord's presence
and act like I don't know who it was that kept me. I don't know who it was that brought me. I'm
riding in God's car. I'm sleeping in God's house. I'm wearing God's clothes. What I have, God gave me.
I don't want you to do it now. I don't want you to do it now because they're looking at you.
Don't do it now, but next Sunday when you come, remember, write yourself a note. Give yourself
a note on your phone or write it down if you think you're going to forget. Next Sunday,
don't do it now because I don't want to fight to break out. But just write in your notes somewhere
to whomever is sitting next to you next Sunday. Just write them a little portion of note. Just put
it right there on your seat. Don't have to say nothing. Just put it right next to you and say
to them, if you're going to sit here, it's going to be noisy. I'm going to wave my hand.
I don't want to knock your head off. I ain't trying to start nothing. I just want you to know
it's going to be some crying. It's going to be some racket. It's going to be some hollering.
It's going to be some cutting up because God's been good to me and I'm asking God to do something
for me that I can't do for myself and I got a feeling everything's going to be all right.
And by the time I get here next Sunday, the ashes won't be able to hold
because this joy I have.
The world didn't give it.
It didn't come from what I have, what I drive, where I work, who I know,
because God's been good to me by myself. I need somebody here who's been in the house by yourself
just thinking God that you've got a house to be in by yourself. You've got peace and quiet.
You've got joy and you've got a happiness and ain't nobody in there but you.
I need somebody who's got to happy on your job. You just sitting down at your computer
and you start thinking about the doors God has opened, the tears God has dried,
the prayers God has answered and you got to close your door because you don't want to get fine.
You got to shut your door because now's time for you to start giving God some praise.
Thank you for what you've done for me. Thank you for the ways you've made for me. Mary.
Mary is the first one at the tomb early in the morning. It's still dark.
It's dark. Not only physically, but it's dark in Mary's soul.
Because when she gets to the tomb, the place of grace is for Mary a place of grief.
Because she shows up weeping.
In verse number 14, in verse number 14, Mary, Mary comes to the tomb and when she gets there,
she is confused. The angels have already asked her a question
and Jesus asked the same question with a caveat. The angels ask, why are you weeping?
The inference is weeping is inconsistent with what just happened.
Grief is out of place with what just took place.
But Mary in her confusion has not yet realized what just happened.
Because it's dark physically and it's dark emotionally.
It's dark spiritually. It's dark psychologically.
And she gets to the tomb and she's weeping and the angels ask the question and then Mary turns
around and right behind her is Jesus. But she's so confused that she can't recognize it.
And brothers and sisters, don't be too hard on Mary. Because life can get so hard.
Stress can become such a burden that Jesus can show up right behind you and you can't recognize it.
Well, maybe you haven't been that sick. Maybe you haven't been that stressed.
But for those of us who know what I'm talking about this morning,
you know the Lord is good, but sometimes life is hell. You know the Lord is a waymaker,
but sometimes look like a way not going to ever be made. You know God is a healer,
but it looks like healing is far in the distance. You know it, but the physical evidence does not
line up with the spiritual reality. The physical evidence is inconsistent in Mary's mind with
the spiritual reality. And Jesus is standing right behind her and in her confusion, she does not know
who Jesus is. But then in verse number 15, there's a confrontation. And anybody who would follow Jesus,
Jesus will confront you with Jesus. You don't have to take my word for that.
And when they brought Jesus in front of Pilate, he had been from judgment hall to judgment hall.
And Mrs. Pilate said, wash your hands or this matter. Pilate got a basin and washed his hands
and said, I'll have nothing to do with this just man. And then Pilate tried one more time
to free Jesus. He said, which one do you want? Barabbas or Jesus? And the crowd said, give us
Barabbas. And here is the question. Pilate asked, what shall I do with this one who is called Jesus?
And the question this morning is what are you going to do with Jesus?
I don't care who you are. I don't care how pretty you are. What you're going to do with Jesus?
I don't care what neighborhood you live in. You got to deal with Jesus. I don't care what
college you went to. What are you going to do with Jesus? Because you're going to have to answer that
question in the judgment. No, no, no, Jesus don't want no little nice followers in the background
just giving him a nice little golf clap. No, no, if you're going to follow Jesus,
you remember when he was coming into the city and the Pharisees said, tell these folk to
quit all that noise. And they were throwing down palm branches and taking their coats off
and throwing them in the street shouting Hosanna. And Jesus said, if these hold that peace
and peace immediately the rocks will cry out. Rocks are silent witnesses that Jesus is the
Son of God. But I don't need a silent witness is crying out for me. I'm a living witness
that he's able. I'm a living witness that he's good. I'm a living witness that he's a keeper.
I'm a living witness that he's a savior. I need some more living witnesses in here this morning.
I'm trying to leave that and get to the second little thing I'm talking about here. But
the reason we don't have a crucifix in our church
or on our building or on our literature because a crucifix, a crucifix, a cruciform
has on it a dead Jesus.
Jesus. The symbol of our faith is a cross and empty cross that points toward an empty tomb.
So we don't serve a dead Jesus. We serve a living savior. And if the savior is alive,
those whom he has saved ought to show some sign. And if you're sitting by somebody who
can't show any signs, it may be that they still serve a dead Jesus.
In breast 15, Jesus said to her woman,
why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?
And she, supposing he was a gardener, which is a good supposition because
he's a gardener in his own garden.
Because he's the first fruits of them that's left.
That's a whole another sermon. I don't want to get into that right now.
But she's supposed that he's a gardener. She says, sir, if you've carried him away,
tell me where he is and I will go and take him away. And then in verse 16, she moves from confusion
and confrontation to a call. Jesus simply says, Mary.
And when she heard that voice,
it came to her. Sheep know their shepherd's voice.
And another voice they will not follow. Can't nobody call my name like Jesus?
Nobody can speak peace to me just by calling my name like Jesus.
Nobody can awaken my spirit. Nobody can quicken me like Jesus. I need somebody here who's heard
the Lord speak to you. Now, listen, I'm not being superstitious. I'm not being foolish. I'm not
trying to evoke a response from you. If you really walk with the Lord, he'll tell you some things
other folk came here. He'll show you some things other folk can't see. And people think you crazy
because you're doing something that doesn't make sense. But when God speaks to you, you got to act
when the Lord speaks to you. You got to move when the Lord speaks to you. And God will speak to you
if you listen for his voice. I'm not guessing about my salvation. I know I've been born again.
I know my name is in the Lamb's book of life. I've kept you too long. Let me get finally to
verse 17 and I'm going to leave you alone. Mary, when she recognized it was Jesus.
Because the last time she saw him, he was dead.
Her last memory of him was being taken down from the cross. And they hurriedly anointed
his body with some spices, wrapped him in a linen cloth and brought him to the tomb of Joseph of
Arimathea. And Mary thinks that he's still there. But when he calls her name and she recognizes
that it is Jesus, the last time she saw him, he was dead. But this time he's alive. And I'm sure
Mary in her excitement is about to grab him and hold on to him. But Jesus tells her, don't touch me.
He's not being rude. He is not being inconsiderate. What Mary needs to understand, what Jesus is
trying to communicate to Mary, what needs to stop is not a particular act of touching Jesus,
but a misplaced reliance on his physical presence. Jesus was saying to her, you're going to have
to give up what you're trying to keep because you're trying to hold on to me physically.
But for you to physically hold on to me, halts the process of what I came here to do.
I came here to be born. I came here to heal the sick. I came here to work miracles.
I came here to walk on water. I came here to give sight to the blind. I came to make the dumb
speak. I came to make the deaf hear. But that's not all I came to do. I came to die on a cross
for your sins and the sins of the whole world. But that's not all I came to do.
I came to go in the grave for three days just like that window at the top is Mary talking to
Jesus at an empty tomb. The bottom window is Jonah being spit up by that fish on dry ground.
And Jesus said, just like Jonah was in the belly of a fish, so must the Son of man be in the belly
of the earth. And just like that fish spit up Jonah, that grave had to give up Jesus.
Jesus came out of the grave, but that's not all he came to do. He told Mary, don't touch me
because I'm not yet ascended to my father. Let me see if I can make that make sense.
He came to be born. He came to die. He came to be buried in a grave. He came to be resurrected
from the dead. But that does not complete his assignment. He has to go back to the Father
to sit at the right hand of God with power because Jesus is saying to Mary, if I don't go,
the Holy Ghost can't come. And if the Holy Ghost can't come, you'll never be able to have me with
you everywhere you go. Because if I'm in Jerusalem, I can't be in Capernaum. If I'm in Nazareth,
I can't be in Nain. But if the Holy Ghost comes, who is another comforter, another of the same kind,
he will be with you everywhere. He can be at your house. He can be in Dallas and Detroit at the
same time. He can be in Houston and Havana, Cuba at the same time. He can be in Massachusetts at
the same time that he's in New York City. Whatever you need right now, the Lord can do it for you
right now. And doing it for you will not stop him from doing it for somebody else. That's why he
had to leave so he could send the Holy Spirit. I need somebody here this morning who knows who
the Holy Spirit is. He's not in it. He is a person. He has personality. He has will. He has emotion.
And somebody ought to be able to feel him right now. Sometimes you'll wake you up in the middle
of the night to let you know that whatever you're going through, the Holy Spirit is with you.
When you have to face it on your job, the Holy Ghost is there. When you have to face it in your
marriage, the Holy Ghost is there. When you have to face it with your children, if you have to face
it in the hospital, the Holy Ghost is right there. Somebody ought to feel him right now. I feel his
presence right now moving on the altars of my heart. I want to stop preaching right now,
but the Holy Spirit is in charge now. I want to leave it alone right here, but I got so much to
be thankful for. I got so much to be grateful for. I got so many testimonies to talk about.
I've got so many blessings to shout over. I just can't leave it alone right now. I need one or two
more witnesses who know the Holy Spirit is moving in your soul. He's blessed you once.
That's what the choir just got through saying. He's blessed me twice. He's been blessing me
all my life when I look back over my shoulder to see where I've come from. It was nobody
but Jesus. Nobody but Jesus. If he brought you and you're not ashamed to testify. If he kept you
and you don't mind being a witness. If the Holy Ghost has a hold on you and you don't mind telling
somebody. I went to a meeting one night and my heart wasn't right. Something got a hold of me.
The Holy Ghost will make you walk right. The Holy Ghost will make you talk right.
Why don't you look at somebody? Tell them you don't know like I know.
You can't tell it like I can tell it. What the Lord? What the Lord? What the Lord?
I know he's alright. He's a keeper. He's a deliverer. He's a provider. He's a way maker.
He's a rock in a weary land. A shelter in a time of storm. He's a friend when you're friendless.
Bread when you're hungry. Water when you're thirsty. Y'all know him don't you? He's Adam's redeemer.
Abel's vindicator. Abraham's sacrifice. He's Noah's ark. Moses bush on fire.
Joshua was battle axe. Y'all know him don't you? He's Gideon's fleece. God's only son. He died.
Didn't he die. But Sunday morning he got up from the grave with all power.
All power in his hand. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. I know he's alright.
Alright.
Seek the living among the dead.
Why are you still running after dead stuff?
Dead aspirations. Dead hopes. Why are you surrounding yourself with dead people?
Folks who ain't going nowhere. Folks who ain't doing nothing with their life. Here God has a
claim and a destiny and a future on your life and you hanging around with dead people?
He is not here. He's risen. Come see the place where the Lord was laid.