Beyond Sunday with Pastor Nic
Join me for a more personal look into the weekend sermons, as well as some thoughts on theology, marriage, parenting, and leadership. I will also explore some of your most asked questions throughout the year.
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Beyond Sunday with Pastor Nic
Faith in the Dark: Discovering the Empty Tomb
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.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. Today we're diving into what is arguably one of the most incredible moments in all of scripture the resurrection of Jesus. If you've ever felt like your life is stuck in a season of darkness or confusion, or even despair, this episode is the episode for you. See, the resurrection isn't just an event in history, it's the cornerstone of our faith. It's the moment when death was defeated, hope was restored and the story changed forever. But here's the thing For the followers of Jesus that first Resurrection Sunday didn't begin with celebration. It began in darkness. Today we're going to walk through John, chapter 20, the first 18 verses. Together We'll see how Jesus meets us in our confusion, calls us by name and sends us out with a message of hope. Along the way, I want to help you visualize the story. I want to help you feel its impact and reflect on what it means for your life today.
Speaker 1:The opening scene the tomb, appears to hold only despair. Let's start with Mary Magdalene. She's one of the first to arrive at the tomb. John 20, verse 1, says 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. Now picture this with me it's early morning, sometime between 3 am and 6 am, and I don't know about you, but I don't see a lot of 3 ams or 6 ams. In fact, I made the comment Sunday. Most of the time I only see one six on my clock in a day, and that is not the am version. Now the sky is still dark and the air is cool with dew. Mary's footsteps crunch softly on 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 stone is rolled away. The tomb is open. Can you imagine just for a moment her panic? Her first thought isn't resurrection, it's theft. She runs to Peter and John breathless, saying they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. That's verse two.
Speaker 1:Here's what strikes me about this moment. Mary is standing on the edge of the greatest miracle in history, but all she sees is despair. How often is that true for you and I? We pray for God to work in a specific way, but when things don't go as we expect, we assume he's not working at all. Here's the truth, though Sometimes the miracle we're praying for isn't the miracle we see it honestly, isn't the miracle we need. Think about Mary. She came to the tomb expecting to find Jesus's body, but God had something greater planned. The empty tomb wasn't the end. It was actually the doorway to new life. So let me ask you when you're in those dark moments, do you trust that God is still writing your story Now?
Speaker 1:The second scene that we see in this chapter is the disciples searching for answers. When Peter and John hear Mary's report, they take off running. Verse three and four says so. Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb, both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Now let me pause there for a moment.
Speaker 1:The more I read the gospel of John, the more I love John. John is a straight shooter. He is one of those guys. He's got to be almost 90 when he's sitting down to pen these words that you and I can study and read today, the gospel of John. But even 50 years later, after this moment, he's still trying to make sure that and I know that he ran faster than Peter he still wants you and I to know that he was Jesus's favorite. He was the one that Jesus loved. I can just imagine him almost laughing as he pens part of these words, knowing that this is going to be read for all of eternity. Back to the story, though. Can you picture the urgency in their steps, the sound of sandals slapping against the dirt road, their breath growing heavier, their robes flying behind 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. Straight in Inside, they see something strange the linen strips lying there and the barrier cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head, folded neatly.
Speaker 1:Verse 6 and 7 tells us that he saw the strips of linen lying there, speaking of Peter, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. As well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head, the cloth was still laying in its place, separate from the linen. This detail is significant. In Jewish burial customs, a body would be wrapped in linen with spices, and the head would be wrapped separately. If someone had stolen the body, they wouldn't have taken the time to unwrap him and fold the head cloth neatly. Here's what it tells us the folded cloth wasn't just evidence, it was a statement. It was as if Jesus was saying I'm alive and I'm not finished. Yet Let me ask you this Do you trust that the same God who left the grave clothes behind is still working in the details of your life?
Speaker 1:Now, the third scene that we see here 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 looks inside, verses 12 and 13 tell us that she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot, and they asked her woman, why are you crying? Even after this miraculous moment, mary is so consumed by her grief that she doesn't recognize what's happening. Then she turns around and sees Jesus, but she thinks he's the gardener. Verse 15,. He asked her woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you're looking for? Can you imagine? Mary, having known Jesus, didn't even recognize him, to the point that she just assumed he was the gardener. Sometimes that's what grief does in our life it keeps us from seeing what is actually true right in front of us. It's why people that are mourning and in grief tend to see things in the hardest and worst ways because they can't see the reality that's right in front of them, the things that are actually going good, even though some things are not.
Speaker 1:Now, here's the moment that changes everything. Jesus simply says one word. He says her name, mary, and when he says Mary, it changes everything. She realizes who it is. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, rabbeni, which means teacher. Can you hear the tenderness in his voice, the familiarity? In that instant Mary's sorrow turns to joy. Her eyes are opened and she recognizes her Lord. See the voice of Jesus. It turns mourning into joy. And here's the beautiful part Jesus knows your name too. He calls you personally, offering hope and life.
Speaker 1:Now, the fourth scene we see here might be my favorite although it's hard to rate a favorite in this story but Mary becomes the first witness. Mary doesn't just keep this encounter to herself. John 20, verse 18, says Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news I have seen the Lord. The woman who came to the tomb in despair now becomes the first evangelist of the resurrection. She runs back to the disciples, her voice trembling with excitement. She runs back to the disciples, her voice trembling with excitement, proclaiming the good news that Jesus is alive and that day and age.
Speaker 1:For a woman to be the one giving testimony didn't put a lot of weight in it, but it goes to show you the weight that Jesus put in Mary, allowing her to be the one that was carrying the message of the greatest news ever to be heard. That was carrying the message of the greatest news ever to be heard. And here's the truth. When you encounter the risen Jesus, you are sent to tell others. It isn't a moment of preparation, it isn't a moment of so many years of seminary, and then you tell somebody of Jesus. When you encounter the risen Savior, you're sent to tell others.
Speaker 1:So who is it in your life that needs to hear that I've seen the Lord? Don't keep the good news to yourself. Your testimony could be the very thing that helps someone else encounter the risen Savior. Where do you see yourself in this story? Are you like Mary, standing in the dark place, struggling to see what God is doing? Are you like Peter and John, running toward Jesus but not fully understanding?
Speaker 1:Yet here's the good news Jesus meets us. Wherever we are, in our confusion, in our grief, in our doubt. He meets us, he calls us by name and he sends us out with a purpose. As you go about your week, I want you to remember this that the tomb is empty, that Jesus is alive and he's not finished yet. Thanks for joining me today. If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it and, as always, I'd love to hear how God is working in your life. Reach out to me, let me know. Until next time, go in peace and go with purpose. I have seen the Lord. May that be the testimony of your life this week.