Call to Worship Isaiah 43:1
Hymn JBC # 241 The day of resurrection!
The Lord’s Prayer
Confession of Faith
Offering
Scripture John 20:11~18
Prayer
Sermon “I have seen the Lord”
https://youtu.be/fRd2tff0byE
Prayer
Hymn JBC # 240
Baptismal Service
Doxology JBC# 674 Jesus Christ is risen today
Benediction
Let us listen together to the words of the resurrected Savior Jesus Christ through His Word of the bible on Easter morning.
Today’s scripture (John 20: 11～18) begins with the following sentence
[Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying]
This Mary is a woman called “Mary Magdalene”. According to the gospel of Luke, Mary Magdalene was a woman whom Jesus drove away an evil spirit.
In today’s scene, Mary stands outside the tomb crying. That tomb was that of Jesus. Jesus Christ was crucified, died and Mary was weeping before the tomb where He was buried.
Jesus who was the Teacher that once drove away an evil spirit from her died, brutally and tragically killed on the cross, and for that reason Mary wept and grieved.
It was not just that. It is written in the passage prior to today’s scripture that Mary went to the tomb of Jesus early morning of the third day since Jesus died and was buried in the tomb.
There Mary saw from the entrance of the tomb that the stone that sealed its entrance was rolled away. Mary who saw it thought [The Lord (His remains) was taken out of the tomb] (John 20:2)
Jesus is dead and gone ～ with that alone, Mary was overwhelmed by grief. However, Mary unable to bear the fact that Jesus’ remains that is supposed to be there was gone, and that someone had taken it away (as Mary thought), was weeping outside the tomb.
Jesus is dead and gone, not even His remains that is supposed to be there, the Lord is completely gone and no idea at all where He is ～ because of that, Mary was overwhelmed by grief and weeping.
In my opinion, we can learn several truths from the figure where Mary weeps and overwhelmed by grief on the sorrow where she stands outside the tomb of Jesus alone weeping～ the Lord is gone (not even knowing where the remains is).
Firstly, it’s the thought that “the Lord God does not exist, there is no God”. It is such a condition that causes us human sorrow and pain.
The state “there is no God” is the most distressed, sorrowful thing for us human beings. It is because according to the bible, man by nature is created by God, and is to live with Him.
Let us come to think of it. Can man live without God?
In a real sense, man cannot live without God. However, man on his own will departed from God, went away from Him and made up of his own the state that “there is no God”.
That is our sin. The very thought of [I can live even without God] is one of man’s great sin. The fact that [in a true sense, man cannot live without God] is one of the important messages that the bible teaches.
And even as Christians, we must examine ourselves to see if we are truly living nourished by the Word with God.
There is a passage in the bible as follows. It is a well-known bible passage.
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”(Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3)
The God of the bible is also a God who reveals Himself through words. Therefore, [every word that comes from the mouth of God] here also refers to God Himself.
Man, lives with God, with God’s Word. God exists. God’s Word of the bible is in us. And there is the church of Christ where we are saved through God’s Word of the bible and live through His Word.
All of them are a proof that God certainly exists. Therefore, let us always be confident that God exists through His Word, and with the fact that God exists, let us live and find true hope.
And one more truth that is taught from that figure where Mary is alone crying is “God has His eyes on someone who cries, He is with him and understands that sorrow”.
Mary was crying and thought [the Lord is no longer with me] However, the Lord was watching over her. The Lord was with Mary. She just couldn’t realize that truth.
Our sorrows or various thoughts within us fog up the eyes of our heart and may prevent us from seeing God who is always with us.
When we feel lonely or sorrow that “God is not with us”, let us remember the Lord God who while watching over Mary as she cried, was with her, and let us keep in mind that “the Lord is with me, and stays close to my sorrow”.
Mary as she wept, bent over and looked inside the tomb. Just then, two angels wearing white robe were there at the place where Jesus’ body was laid.
The angels asked Mary [Woman, why are you crying?] Mary tells the reason why she was crying. [They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put Him]
As Mary said so and looked around, Jesus was there standing. But Mary didn’t realize that it was Jesus.
Although Jesus asked (as the angels did) [Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?], yet Mary didn’t realize that it was Jesus.
This scene demonstrates the fact that though physical eyes see Jesus, or physical ears hear Jesus’ voice, if our heart’s eyes and ears are not opened by God, we cannot see the Lord God and hear His voice.
Certain people technically examine the bible and try to verify academically whether it is historically accurate or not. Surely, it is an important thing to search God’s word of the bible even through academic technical skill.
However, no matter how much we research, verify God’s word of the bible by technical learning, if our heart is not guided by the Spirit of God, also if we don’t try to turn to Him and open the door of our heart, we can never hear His voice.
And another important thing is that the Lord God firstly speaks to us always.
Although Mary saw Jesus’ figure and heard His voice, she did not realize that it was Him. But Jesus called her name first. In today’s verse 16, Jesus called her by the name [Mary].
And there, Mary clearly realized that that person was Jesus. She responded saying [Rabboni] (Teacher).
Jesus called Mary first. He called by her name [Mary]
The fact that Jesus called by the name Mary was also the realization of what Jesus said while He was living.
Jesus once had spoken comparing Himself to a shepherd. In the beginning of John chap. 10 is written as follows.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:3~4)
That shepherd refers to Jesus Himself. Like that simile, Jesus called her (His own sheep) name [Mary] and talked to her personally.
The fact that Jesus calls the name means that He knows that person very well. And it means that that person that was called can trust Jesus as his own “Good Shepherd”.
In that way, the resurrected Jesus also lives to this day, and calls each one of us by our name. Let us recognize that voice of Jesus through the spirit and ear of our heart.
And so, let us live in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ who speaks to us and calls each one of us by our name.
Jesus who called Mary by her name also means “You are not one who is nameless amidst the crowd. You are an important irreplaceable special one to Me (Jesus)”
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us as “a special irreplaceable one” even now through the Word of God.
Surely, the Lord Jesus Christ has resurrected in the morning of the resurrection day. The Lord has risen.
When we who believe Christ open our eyes and ear of our spirit and heart, our soul is burned through the Word of God and live, the fact that the Lord God certainly lives even now will be made known even to the world.
The gospel of the Lord will spread out to the world through us with joy and power. Let us, the believers in Christ rejoice that we are used as such a vessel.
With God’s Word of the bible as foundation, we believe [I have surely seen the Lord], [I have certainly heard the voice of the Lord], we can testify (witness) in that way.
Being made to live through the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, let us also live together the new life this week and the new fiscal year as well. Happy Easter. The LORD has RISEN!
Although Mary saw Jesus’ figure and heard His voice, she did not realize that it was Him. But Jesus called her name first. In today’s verse 16, Jesus called her by the name [Mary].
And there, Mary clearly realized that that person was Jesus. She responded saying [Rabboni] (Teacher).
Jesus called Mary first. He called by her name [Mary]
The fact that Jesus called by the name Mary was also the realization of what Jesus said while He was living.
Jesus once had spoken comparing Himself to a shepherd. In the beginning of John chap. 10 is written as follows.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:3~4)
That shepherd refers to Jesus Himself. Like that simile, Jesus called her (His own sheep) name [Mary] and talked to her personally.
The fact that Jesus calls the name means that He knows that person very well. And it means that that person that was called can trust Jesus as his own “Good Shepherd”.
In that way, the resurrected Jesus also lives to this day, and calls each one of us by our name. Let us recognize that voice of Jesus through the spirit and ear of our heart.
And so, let us live in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ who speaks to us and calls each one of us by our name.
Jesus who called Mary by her name also means “You are not one who is nameless amidst the crowd. You are an important irreplaceable special one to Me (Jesus)”
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us as “a special irreplaceable one” even now through the Word of God.
Surely, the Lord Jesus Christ has resurrected in the morning of the resurrection day. The Lord has risen.
When we who believe Christ open our eyes and ear of our spirit and heart, our soul is burned through the Word of God and live, the fact that the Lord God certainly lives even now will be made known even to the world.
The gospel of the Lord will spread out to the world through us with joy and power. Let us, the believers in Christ rejoice that we are used as such a vessel.
With God’s Word of the bible as foundation, we believe [I have surely seen the Lord], [I have certainly heard the voice of the Lord], we can testify (witness) in that way.
Being made to live through the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, let us also live together the new life this week and the new fiscal year as well. Happy Easter. The LORD has RISEN!
