Sermon nuggets Sat Dec 27

Theme Resurrection

Verses – John 20: 17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

From Weakness to Witness

Jesus saw Mary Magdalene weeping. He knew her broken and confused heart. He saw her futility of not knowing what to do but to express her sorrow. I wondered what she thought she could have done when she started off to the tomb in the first place. Her willingness, her heart, her passion, her desires were all in the right place, but she didn’t think how she was going to open the tomb with the rock there, or the guards there. She just went without thinking it through. But since the tomb was opened there was a worse problem. He was not there.

Jesus gives an unusual response in v 17 “Don’t touch me, or hold on to me” C.I. Scofield recognized there are 3 interpretations of this. First some think this is a type of Jesus taking the role of a high priest, who is to take the blood sacrifice to the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people. He can’t be touched until he comes in holiness before His Father. Between the time Jesus reveals himself to Mary and before he appears to the disciples, he must go to finish his priestly duties before his Father and ascend to heaven.

A second interpretation is that she is holding on Him. The Greek implies a hanging on to Jesus, more than actually touching Him.

There is a third interpretation that she was holding Him not wanting Him to leave, so things could be just the way they were before. But it is not like it was before. He is not in the same earthly body nor does He have the same mission. He reminds Mary that now she must not seek to hold Him to the earth, but rather become His messenger to a new joy. He is back, but in a much greater way.

I favor the first interpretation, but regardless Jesus gave her the first and most important message in the bible. Jesus is risen! He is alive and she is the first to see Him and tell of it. Jesus looked not on her weakness but her willingness, not on the problems that she was a woman, not a chosen apostle. He looked not on her past, instead He saw her as useable for His service. Women, of course, were thought less of in that day and didn’t have any spiritual duties toward others beyond children. Jesus didn’t think that. He gave her the greatest message of all. She was willing to obey and go and tell.

Our Christmas hymn says, “Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere. God tell it on the mountains that Jesus Christ is born.” The Shepherds went away rejoicing telling of their experience. Now the command is to go and tell people of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This message is given to us all. The shepherd who had the priviledge of experiencing the birth of the Son of God went and told. Those of us who have the priviledge of experiencing the resurrected Son of God are to go and tell. Go and tell that Christ is risen. He is alive. He is our hope. He is our salvation. Don’t make excuses thinking you are not a profession and can’t be used of the Lord in this coming year. If you know the resurrected Christ you are important. You are loved. You are gifted by his Spirit. It doesn’t’ make a difference whether you are a child, youth, women, man, married, single, gone to school or not.

One artist was painting picture. He took out the huge canvas and starting daubing on the blue and the grey for the background. He added and little here and there and then got further excited. He didn’t notice a lady stepped into his studio. Backing up to admire his work he bumped into her. He said, “What do you think? I am so excited. I think this will be my best ever.” She looked at him with a quizzical look and said. “I’m sorry. I only see dabs of blue and grey. Am I missing something?”

“O, I forgot. You can only see what is there, while I see the picture as it’s going to be.” Through out Christ’s ministry he could look back upon events in the Old Testament and say, “Isn’t that the greatest.” People stand with quizzical look and say I don’t get it. It looks like blues and grays to me. In the New Testament Jesus walks and talks with His Father and seeing how the plan is unfolding remarks it’s coming. Everything is ready. Mary, Peter, James, John and the whole rest are in grief and weakness and lost for words. And He remarks “O yes, You only see what is. I see what is yet to be and it’s marvelous.”

Pastor Dale