1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,200 The one truth, the one truth which separates Christianity apart 2 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:42,120 from every other system of belief in the world is that Jesus Christ who was crucified on a Roman 3 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:58,520 cross died and rose again from the dead three days later. All other religious leaders died and are 4 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:15,760 still dead. Buddha's bones are bleaching on a lonely hillside. Muhammad's voice is hushed. Confucius 5 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:29,840 vision is silent. Only Christ is risen again from the dead and this morning the tomb is still empty. 6 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:42,000 To strip Christianity of the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Jesus means that our faith is 7 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:54,760 no more than Eastern mysticism. Moreover, Jesus, if Jesus is not alive today, everything he did was 8 00:01:54,760 --> 00:02:05,920 in vain. His death was a waste of a life and everything he taught was simply the wild ravings 9 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:16,400 of a madman. But brothers and sisters, Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 says, and if Christ be not 10 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:31,400 risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. If in this life only we have hope in 11 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:44,560 Christ, Paul says we are of all men most miserable. The resurrected Jesus makes the tomb a place of 12 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:56,440 grace and not grief, declaring that he has fulfilled the old covenant and established the saving 13 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:05,800 power and presence of the Lord through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right 14 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:16,440 hand of God with power. Mary came to the tomb a good while before daylight and she finds the 15 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:27,200 stone road away and the tomb empty. Alexander McLaren, that old Scottish preacher said it was 16 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:35,160 fitting that he who was to scatter the darkness of the grave should rise while darkness still 17 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:43,120 covered the earth. But before we come to Mary, before we get to window number three that was 18 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:49,000 purchased by the women and there's no accident that the women purchased this window, let us take a 19 00:03:49,000 --> 00:04:01,640 closer look inside the empty tomb and look backwards at what Mary looked forward to. For 20 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:12,960 if not we run the risk of misinterpreting as dark what is really pregnant with light. In the tomb 21 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:25,760 there is no, there is no trace of hurry. There is no mention or idea of struggling or rambling to get 22 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:36,160 out. Jesus did not need to get out of the tomb in haste, but when you look inside there's a calmness, 23 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:47,120 there's a deliberateness for in the majesty of his lordship over death he just rises as if from 24 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:58,800 slumber and walks out of the grave and leaves order in a land of confusion. Look at the linen 25 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:11,480 clothes. The linen clothes inside the tomb have been bathed in embalming spices like myrrh and 26 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:22,080 aloes that have hardened the linen cloth and the linen cloth is now hardened on the body of Jesus 27 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:33,040 in the form of his body. But Jesus is not in the tomb but the linen cloths are still in the form 28 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:43,760 of his body. He has slipped out like a butterfly from its cocoon leaving the linen cloth in the 29 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:55,600 form of his body. But that's not the real evidence. The real evidence is there's a linen napkin 30 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:05,600 that was put over the face of Jesus not with the linen cloth where his body was, 31 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:15,840 but the linen napkin is left by the door. Somebody ought to help me preach here. I practiced this 32 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:24,600 at the funeral this past week and so I'm pretty good at it right now. That linen napkin is left 33 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:35,200 at the door apart from the linen clothes in the shape of his body because in that day when people 34 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:44,880 ate a meal after having been invited to somebody's house if they enjoyed the meal when they finished 35 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:52,880 and wiped their hands and their mouth they left the napkin on the plate saying to the host that 36 00:06:52,880 --> 00:07:03,920 I enjoyed the meal. But if they did not enjoy the meal if they did not enjoy the stay they left 37 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:12,400 the napkin at the door dropped it at the door saying to the host I'll never be back here again. 38 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:25,760 When Jesus got up from the grave he left the napkin by the door saying to hell and the grave 39 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:40,000 I'm never coming back here again. He lives, he lives. Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me. 40 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:48,320 I wish I had a witness right here. He talks with me a long life's narrow way. He lives. 41 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:56,800 He lives salvation to him. Part you ask me how I know he lives. I'm not talking about what somebody 42 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:11,600 told me. I'm not talking about what I heard on the radio. He lives in my heart. Why seek he the living 43 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:28,080 among the dead. He is not here. He is risen just as he said. One of the chief aims of the devil 44 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:36,400 is to get us to talk about resurrection only on Easter Sunday. But every morning when we wake up 45 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:45,360 the Psalmist said this is the day that the Lord has made. We ought to rejoice and be glad in it. 46 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:51,360 He's talking about the resurrection. Every time we get up in the morning it's a resurrection morning. 47 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:59,760 Monday morning is a good morning. Friday morning is a good morning. Sunday morning is a good morning 48 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:06,800 because the Lord not only did he get up but he let you get up. And one day when your life is over 49 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:14,800 you're going to get up again. Because the scripture says the dead in Christ 50 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:24,240 shall be raised first. And we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together 51 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:32,000 to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord in the air. 52 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:44,480 The Gospel of John says, and she saw two angels in white seated one at the head 53 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:52,240 and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lie. Augusta, 54 00:09:52,240 --> 00:10:00,720 Augusta, who was the bishop of Carthage in North Africa, Augusta of Hippo. Augusta suggests that 55 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,480 the reason these angels are positioned at the head and the feet of Jesus 56 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:12,000 signified that the Gospel was to be preached from head to toe. 57 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:23,920 From the beginning to the end. Thomas Aquinas suggests that the angels represent 58 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:32,000 the two testaments old and new and that they're being there also represented the two natures 59 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:42,720 of Christ, his divinity and his humanity. But hermeneutically the location of the angels at 60 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:53,040 each end of the place where Jesus had been lying intends to signify the angels at the two ends of 61 00:10:53,040 --> 00:11:01,440 the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant is made overlaid and 62 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:10,480 encrusted with pure gold and two golden cherubim on each end facing each other. 63 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:18,880 I wish I had somebody to help me preach it. There are numerous verbal and conceptual links 64 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:26,480 that support this biblical interpretation. When you look at the Ark of the Covenant in the Old 65 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:34,240 Testament and the burial of Jesus in the New Testament, there is a congruency that will help 66 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:44,400 us to see what God is trying to teach us. There is a spatial relationship between the location 67 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:53,920 of the Ark and the body of Jesus. The Ark was in the innermost chamber of the tabernacle 68 00:11:53,920 --> 00:12:04,080 and separated from the holy of holies and the most holy by a veil. Jesus body was placed in 69 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:12,480 the innermost chamber of the tomb separated by a veil linen cloth that covered his face. 70 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:21,600 The Ark of the Covenant was to be bathed with spices to anoint and consecrate it. 71 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:30,960 The body of Jesus was anointed with spices and oils to anoint and consecrate it. Both of them 72 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:40,160 were forbidden to be even looked upon or come near to. When the Ark was in the place where it was in 73 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:48,000 the temple, no one could come near it but the high priest on the day of atonement. When Jesus is in 74 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:57,840 the cross, Mary goes to the tomb but she doesn't look in. Peter and John get the word from Mary, 75 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:05,920 run into the tomb. Peter goes in, John stays a distance back but they don't look to see Jesus 76 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:15,200 body. Brothers and sisters hear me. Jesus in this symbolism is depicted as both the atoning 77 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:28,480 sacrifice and the one who sits in frowned between the cherubim. Get this, when God wanted to show 78 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:37,600 up to talk to his people, he appeared in the Shekinah cloud that rested between the cherubim. 79 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:47,920 But when Jesus got up from the grave, the glory of God in the Shekinah cloud is now risen indeed. 80 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:58,560 And so now we don't need a high priest because we already have one. Jesus, the Son of the living 81 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:08,640 God is now our living high priest. I think it's significant that the women of our church bought 82 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:18,880 this window because it says something about this woman, Mary. Mary Magdalene, Mary Magdalene, 83 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:28,560 not Mary, the mother of Jesus, not Mary who sat at Jesus feet at the home of Martha, 84 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:40,640 but Mary Magdalene possessed with demons. This woman that Jesus had healed of demonic 85 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:52,480 possession has become a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ. Everywhere Jesus goes, Mary Magdalene 86 00:14:52,480 --> 00:15:01,440 is not far behind because when the Lord touches your life, when the Lord delivers you from your 87 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:10,480 distress, when the Lord touches you in your despair, wherever God is, you ain't far behind. 88 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:21,280 People who are following Jesus from a distance, that's because they don't know nothing about his touch. 89 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:31,120 They're not really sure how good he is. They're not really convinced that he can do what he 90 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:39,040 says he can do, but people who just shout at the mention of his name, people who just get 91 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:45,040 happy when it gets close to Sunday morning, people who put their clothes out on Friday, 92 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:50,160 getting ready for Sunday morning, getting your hair done and getting your nails ready and getting 93 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,720 your tie straightened with your suit because you know I was glad when they said unto me, 94 00:15:54,720 --> 00:16:02,000 let's go to the house of the Lord. If you're not excited to be here this morning, I suggest you 95 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:09,360 get up and go somewhere else, but God's been too good to me for me to come in the Lord's presence 96 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:14,880 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 97 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:25,600 riding in God's car. I'm sleeping in God's house. I'm wearing God's clothes. What I have, God gave me. 98 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:35,120 I don't want you to do it now. I don't want you to do it now because they're looking at you. 99 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,520 Don't do it now, but next Sunday when you come, remember, write yourself a note. Give yourself 100 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,120 a note on your phone or write it down if you think you're going to forget. Next Sunday, 101 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:52,240 don't do it now because I don't want to fight to break out. But just write in your notes somewhere 102 00:16:52,240 --> 00:17:00,000 to whomever is sitting next to you next Sunday. Just write them a little portion of note. Just put 103 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 it right there on your seat. Don't have to say nothing. Just put it right next to you and say 104 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:20,400 to them, if you're going to sit here, it's going to be noisy. I'm going to wave my hand. 105 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:27,280 I don't want to knock your head off. I ain't trying to start nothing. I just want you to know 106 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,680 it's going to be some crying. It's going to be some racket. It's going to be some hollering. 107 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:38,240 It's going to be some cutting up because God's been good to me and I'm asking God to do something 108 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:43,440 for me that I can't do for myself and I got a feeling everything's going to be all right. 109 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,440 And by the time I get here next Sunday, the ashes won't be able to hold 110 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:55,360 because this joy I have. 111 00:17:55,360 --> 00:18:01,280 The world didn't give it. 112 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:13,440 It didn't come from what I have, what I drive, where I work, who I know, 113 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:22,080 because God's been good to me by myself. I need somebody here who's been in the house by yourself 114 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:28,800 just thinking God that you've got a house to be in by yourself. You've got peace and quiet. 115 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:34,560 You've got joy and you've got a happiness and ain't nobody in there but you. 116 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:46,240 I need somebody who's got to happy on your job. You just sitting down at your computer 117 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:52,160 and you start thinking about the doors God has opened, the tears God has dried, 118 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:57,600 the prayers God has answered and you got to close your door because you don't want to get fine. 119 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,120 You got to shut your door because now's time for you to start giving God some praise. 120 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:17,360 Thank you for what you've done for me. Thank you for the ways you've made for me. Mary. 121 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:37,680 Mary is the first one at the tomb early in the morning. It's still dark. 122 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:48,080 It's dark. Not only physically, but it's dark in Mary's soul. 123 00:19:51,760 --> 00:20:03,600 Because when she gets to the tomb, the place of grace is for Mary a place of grief. 124 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:10,000 Because she shows up weeping. 125 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:21,200 In verse number 14, in verse number 14, Mary, Mary comes to the tomb and when she gets there, 126 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:29,280 she is confused. The angels have already asked her a question 127 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:40,160 and Jesus asked the same question with a caveat. The angels ask, why are you weeping? 128 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:50,080 The inference is weeping is inconsistent with what just happened. 129 00:20:50,080 --> 00:21:00,080 Grief is out of place with what just took place. 130 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:10,800 But Mary in her confusion has not yet realized what just happened. 131 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:18,800 Because it's dark physically and it's dark emotionally. 132 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:26,000 It's dark spiritually. It's dark psychologically. 133 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:33,920 And she gets to the tomb and she's weeping and the angels ask the question and then Mary turns 134 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:48,080 around and right behind her is Jesus. But she's so confused that she can't recognize it. 135 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:56,320 And brothers and sisters, don't be too hard on Mary. Because life can get so hard. 136 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:09,200 Stress can become such a burden that Jesus can show up right behind you and you can't recognize it. 137 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:16,480 Well, maybe you haven't been that sick. Maybe you haven't been that stressed. 138 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,240 But for those of us who know what I'm talking about this morning, 139 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:27,520 you know the Lord is good, but sometimes life is hell. You know the Lord is a waymaker, 140 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:33,040 but sometimes look like a way not going to ever be made. You know God is a healer, 141 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:40,400 but it looks like healing is far in the distance. You know it, but the physical evidence does not 142 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:52,640 line up with the spiritual reality. The physical evidence is inconsistent in Mary's mind with 143 00:22:52,640 --> 00:23:05,040 the spiritual reality. And Jesus is standing right behind her and in her confusion, she does not know 144 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:17,840 who Jesus is. But then in verse number 15, there's a confrontation. And anybody who would follow Jesus, 145 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:27,040 Jesus will confront you with Jesus. You don't have to take my word for that. 146 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:34,480 And when they brought Jesus in front of Pilate, he had been from judgment hall to judgment hall. 147 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:41,920 And Mrs. Pilate said, wash your hands or this matter. Pilate got a basin and washed his hands 148 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:47,040 and said, I'll have nothing to do with this just man. And then Pilate tried one more time 149 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:55,360 to free Jesus. He said, which one do you want? Barabbas or Jesus? And the crowd said, give us 150 00:23:55,360 --> 00:24:05,280 Barabbas. And here is the question. Pilate asked, what shall I do with this one who is called Jesus? 151 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:13,440 And the question this morning is what are you going to do with Jesus? 152 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:25,280 I don't care who you are. I don't care how pretty you are. What you're going to do with Jesus? 153 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:34,320 I don't care what neighborhood you live in. You got to deal with Jesus. I don't care what 154 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:40,640 college you went to. What are you going to do with Jesus? Because you're going to have to answer that 155 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:52,240 question in the judgment. No, no, no, Jesus don't want no little nice followers in the background 156 00:24:52,240 --> 00:25:00,880 just giving him a nice little golf clap. No, no, if you're going to follow Jesus, 157 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:07,680 you remember when he was coming into the city and the Pharisees said, tell these folk to 158 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:13,120 quit all that noise. And they were throwing down palm branches and taking their coats off 159 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:17,920 and throwing them in the street shouting Hosanna. And Jesus said, if these hold that peace 160 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:30,000 and peace immediately the rocks will cry out. Rocks are silent witnesses that Jesus is the 161 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:36,800 Son of God. But I don't need a silent witness is crying out for me. I'm a living witness 162 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:45,840 that he's able. I'm a living witness that he's good. I'm a living witness that he's a keeper. 163 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:53,440 I'm a living witness that he's a savior. I need some more living witnesses in here this morning. 164 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,440 I'm trying to leave that and get to the second little thing I'm talking about here. But 165 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,320 the reason we don't have a crucifix in our church 166 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:17,280 or on our building or on our literature because a crucifix, a crucifix, a cruciform 167 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,160 has on it a dead Jesus. 168 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:44,560 Jesus. The symbol of our faith is a cross and empty cross that points toward an empty tomb. 169 00:26:44,560 --> 00:27:00,240 So we don't serve a dead Jesus. We serve a living savior. And if the savior is alive, 170 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:09,200 those whom he has saved ought to show some sign. And if you're sitting by somebody who 171 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:14,720 can't show any signs, it may be that they still serve a dead Jesus. 172 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:28,480 In breast 15, Jesus said to her woman, 173 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:37,280 why are you weeping? Who are you looking for? 174 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:46,480 And she, supposing he was a gardener, which is a good supposition because 175 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,680 he's a gardener in his own garden. 176 00:27:51,680 --> 00:28:00,400 Because he's the first fruits of them that's left. 177 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,040 That's a whole another sermon. I don't want to get into that right now. 178 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,600 But she's supposed that he's a gardener. She says, sir, if you've carried him away, 179 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:18,880 tell me where he is and I will go and take him away. And then in verse 16, she moves from confusion 180 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:28,960 and confrontation to a call. Jesus simply says, Mary. 181 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:35,280 And when she heard that voice, 182 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:47,520 it came to her. Sheep know their shepherd's voice. 183 00:28:52,400 --> 00:29:02,640 And another voice they will not follow. Can't nobody call my name like Jesus? 184 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:12,560 Nobody can speak peace to me just by calling my name like Jesus. 185 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:21,920 Nobody can awaken my spirit. Nobody can quicken me like Jesus. I need somebody here who's heard 186 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:30,000 the Lord speak to you. Now, listen, I'm not being superstitious. I'm not being foolish. I'm not 187 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:35,520 trying to evoke a response from you. If you really walk with the Lord, he'll tell you some things 188 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:42,800 other folk came here. He'll show you some things other folk can't see. And people think you crazy 189 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:50,400 because you're doing something that doesn't make sense. But when God speaks to you, you got to act 190 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:56,720 when the Lord speaks to you. You got to move when the Lord speaks to you. And God will speak to you 191 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:11,840 if you listen for his voice. I'm not guessing about my salvation. I know I've been born again. 192 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:23,680 I know my name is in the Lamb's book of life. I've kept you too long. Let me get finally to 193 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:30,400 verse 17 and I'm going to leave you alone. Mary, when she recognized it was Jesus. 194 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:36,480 Because the last time she saw him, he was dead. 195 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:49,200 Her last memory of him was being taken down from the cross. And they hurriedly anointed 196 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:56,640 his body with some spices, wrapped him in a linen cloth and brought him to the tomb of Joseph of 197 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:07,040 Arimathea. And Mary thinks that he's still there. But when he calls her name and she recognizes 198 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:20,160 that it is Jesus, the last time she saw him, he was dead. But this time he's alive. And I'm sure 199 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:30,640 Mary in her excitement is about to grab him and hold on to him. But Jesus tells her, don't touch me. 200 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:41,600 He's not being rude. He is not being inconsiderate. What Mary needs to understand, what Jesus is 201 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:49,920 trying to communicate to Mary, what needs to stop is not a particular act of touching Jesus, 202 00:31:51,120 --> 00:32:00,240 but a misplaced reliance on his physical presence. Jesus was saying to her, you're going to have 203 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:08,320 to give up what you're trying to keep because you're trying to hold on to me physically. 204 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:17,280 But for you to physically hold on to me, halts the process of what I came here to do. 205 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:28,640 I came here to be born. I came here to heal the sick. I came here to work miracles. 206 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:37,760 I came here to walk on water. I came here to give sight to the blind. I came to make the dumb 207 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:49,360 speak. I came to make the deaf hear. But that's not all I came to do. I came to die on a cross 208 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:57,520 for your sins and the sins of the whole world. But that's not all I came to do. 209 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:07,200 I came to go in the grave for three days just like that window at the top is Mary talking to 210 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:15,760 Jesus at an empty tomb. The bottom window is Jonah being spit up by that fish on dry ground. 211 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:25,360 And Jesus said, just like Jonah was in the belly of a fish, so must the Son of man be in the belly 212 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:34,000 of the earth. And just like that fish spit up Jonah, that grave had to give up Jesus. 213 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:44,000 Jesus came out of the grave, but that's not all he came to do. He told Mary, don't touch me 214 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:50,800 because I'm not yet ascended to my father. Let me see if I can make that make sense. 215 00:33:50,800 --> 00:34:01,280 He came to be born. He came to die. He came to be buried in a grave. He came to be resurrected 216 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:08,080 from the dead. But that does not complete his assignment. He has to go back to the Father 217 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:16,960 to sit at the right hand of God with power because Jesus is saying to Mary, if I don't go, 218 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:26,400 the Holy Ghost can't come. And if the Holy Ghost can't come, you'll never be able to have me with 219 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:35,200 you everywhere you go. Because if I'm in Jerusalem, I can't be in Capernaum. If I'm in Nazareth, 220 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:46,960 I can't be in Nain. But if the Holy Ghost comes, who is another comforter, another of the same kind, 221 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:55,600 he will be with you everywhere. He can be at your house. He can be in Dallas and Detroit at the 222 00:34:55,600 --> 00:35:03,840 same time. He can be in Houston and Havana, Cuba at the same time. He can be in Massachusetts at 223 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:11,680 the same time that he's in New York City. Whatever you need right now, the Lord can do it for you 224 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:18,720 right now. And doing it for you will not stop him from doing it for somebody else. That's why he 225 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:26,800 had to leave so he could send the Holy Spirit. I need somebody here this morning who knows who 226 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:41,440 the Holy Spirit is. He's not in it. He is a person. He has personality. He has will. He has emotion. 227 00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:49,840 And somebody ought to be able to feel him right now. Sometimes you'll wake you up in the middle 228 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:57,440 of the night to let you know that whatever you're going through, the Holy Spirit is with you. 229 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:05,280 When you have to face it on your job, the Holy Ghost is there. When you have to face it in your 230 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:12,640 marriage, the Holy Ghost is there. When you have to face it with your children, if you have to face 231 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:20,640 it in the hospital, the Holy Ghost is right there. Somebody ought to feel him right now. I feel his 232 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:27,920 presence right now moving on the altars of my heart. I want to stop preaching right now, 233 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:35,600 but the Holy Spirit is in charge now. I want to leave it alone right here, but I got so much to 234 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:43,280 be thankful for. I got so much to be grateful for. I got so many testimonies to talk about. 235 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:51,120 I've got so many blessings to shout over. I just can't leave it alone right now. I need one or two 236 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:59,440 more witnesses who know the Holy Spirit is moving in your soul. He's blessed you once. 237 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:06,800 That's what the choir just got through saying. He's blessed me twice. He's been blessing me 238 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:18,880 all my life when I look back over my shoulder to see where I've come from. It was nobody 239 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:32,720 but Jesus. Nobody but Jesus. If he brought you and you're not ashamed to testify. If he kept you 240 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:40,880 and you don't mind being a witness. If the Holy Ghost has a hold on you and you don't mind telling 241 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:53,120 somebody. I went to a meeting one night and my heart wasn't right. Something got a hold of me. 242 00:37:54,000 --> 00:38:01,600 The Holy Ghost will make you walk right. The Holy Ghost will make you talk right. 243 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:08,400 Why don't you look at somebody? Tell them you don't know like I know. 244 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:20,720 You can't tell it like I can tell it. What the Lord? What the Lord? What the Lord? 245 00:38:20,720 --> 00:38:47,280 I know he's alright. He's a keeper. He's a deliverer. He's a provider. He's a way maker. 246 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:55,520 He's a rock in a weary land. A shelter in a time of storm. He's a friend when you're friendless. 247 00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:04,160 Bread when you're hungry. Water when you're thirsty. Y'all know him don't you? He's Adam's redeemer. 248 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:13,200 Abel's vindicator. Abraham's sacrifice. He's Noah's ark. Moses bush on fire. 249 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:23,120 Joshua was battle axe. Y'all know him don't you? He's Gideon's fleece. God's only son. He died. 250 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:35,360 Didn't he die. But Sunday morning he got up from the grave with all power. 251 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:58,080 All power in his hand. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. I know he's alright. 252 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:12,080 Alright. 253 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:19,520 Seek the living among the dead. 254 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:27,600 Why are you still running after dead stuff? 255 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:42,480 Dead aspirations. Dead hopes. Why are you surrounding yourself with dead people? 256 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:52,320 Folks who ain't going nowhere. Folks who ain't doing nothing with their life. Here God has a 257 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:58,720 claim and a destiny and a future on your life and you hanging around with dead people? 258 00:40:58,720 --> 00:41:19,440 He is not here. He's risen. Come see the place where the Lord was laid.