She Knew His Voice

And before I preach this morning, I wanted us to kind of respond together with each other. One of the traditions in the church has been on Easter Sundays that the leader would say, Christ is risen, and the congregation would say, Christ is risen. And then the leader would say, He is risen. And the congregation would say, he is risen. And then with a shout, the leader would say, he is risen indeed.

And the congregation would say, he is risen indeed. Amen. And so we're going to practice that in just a minute. I thought about how do you set this up? And I thought about a song this morning early. I was up early and praying about our service today. And I thought about this song, and I'm going to guarantee you, you've all sung it before. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it causes me me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Now here's how the song ends and answers that. Were you there when he rose up from the dead? Were you there when he rose up from the dead? Oh, oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when he rose up from the dead? Boy, that nails it, doesn't it? Hallelujah. Okay, y'all join with me after I say this. Christ is risen. Christ is risen. Christ is risen He is risen indeed Amen Some of you guys did pretty good on that We're going to put you up in the choir next week Amen My sermon today Is she knew his voice and I'm going to read to you a passage of scripture that is John chapter 20 verses 11 through 18 but before I do that let me just tell you this I'm not going to have a typical outline like I normally do I just didn't know how to outline this story there's so much to it And I'm only going to read a part of the story that the Lord kept laying on my heart I want you to talk about Mary, Mary Magdalene And I going to read that but guess what I not going to talk about her to the conclusion because I want to lay some foundation about the resurrection in this place today And then we'll tie it in. I think you'll see the beauty of how it all ties together at the end. So I want to read in chapter 20. They'll put it up on the screen today. Chapter 20, verses 11 through 18. Now, if you were to back up and read verse 10, it would say, So the disciples went away from there to their homes.

They had come and Jesus' tomb was empty. And they didn't know what to make of it. and I don't know if they were terrified or if they were just bum-fuzzled or what. They just didn't know what to make of it. And so the disciples just withdraw and they go to their homes. And then verse 11 leads in to one who stayed behind at the empty tomb trying to figure this deal out.

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping. Now I'm going to tell you, she had great cause to be weeping.

There was a lot of emotion going on in Mary's life. Have you ever caught yourself in a worship service before or perhaps in a funeral service before or at a graveside service where all you could do is just weep. You just wept. All of us can identify with that. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping and so as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb. And she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. Underscore those words, had been lying. And they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? And she said to them, because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. He's missing in action. She doesn't know what's happened to his body and she wanted to anoint it and make him smell better and that's her purpose and he's not there. when she had said this she turned around and beheld Jesus was standing there and did not know that it was Jesus I'm going to tell you if you're honest you'll say there's times when Jesus was right in the very presence in front of you and you didn't recognize him because you were blinded either by grief or the circumstances that were going on but she did not recognize him.

And Jesus said to her same question the angels had asked her Woman why are you weeping

Whom are you seeking?

Supposing him to be a gardener. She said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him. and I will take him away.

That's how much love she had for Jesus. She said, just tell me where he's at. I'll go get him. I'll take him away. I'll anoint his dead body.

And Jesus said to her, this supposed gardener, Jesus said to her,

Mary, Mary, Mary She turned And said to him in Hebrew Rabboni Which means teacher You see why I entitled this sermon And she knew his voice.

And Jesus said to her,

He didn't end with just saying Mary. He had a message for her. He said, Mary, stop clinging to me. For I have not yet ascended to the Father. I still got work to do. But go to my brethren and say to them, you've got work to do too.

I send to my Father and your Father and my God and your God.

And Mary Magdalene came announcing to the disciples, I have seen the Lord. and that he had said these things to her.

Let's bow together in prayer.

Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

You know, today, guys, literally millions of Christians will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, you can literally say the premier resurrection chapter in the Bible.

The Apostle Paul, who himself had seen the resurrected Christ, said this, if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

It's a double whammy there. He's saying, what we are preaching is an absolute lie and what you are professing is totally worthless. if Jesus has not been raised from the dead. Do you hear that?

It like a double whammy that the Apostle Paul is outlaying there I love the stories that come about at Easter and one of my favorites is this one And it'll be told in pulpits all across America today. It's one that's retold and retold and retold. a Sunday school teacher the week before Easter Sunday had a class of seven year olds and she gave her students assignment she said next week is Easter Sunday and I want you to bring the plastic egg a plastic egg and in the plastic egg I want you to put something in it that is meaningful to you about Easter so Easter Sunday arrived and the teacher took each egg and lifted it up for the whole class to see in the first egg there was a little flower in it and she talked about how Easter was the beginning of a season how things were blooming and the little flower was a sign of new life In the second egg, the teacher found that there was a picture of Jesus. And she held it up and she talked about how Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus. In the third egg, there was a little nail inside of it. The little girl had brought it, wanted to remind the class about the nails that were driven in Jesus' hands and his feet. That there would have been no forgiveness of sin and no resurrection without the crucifixion. Isn't that important? In the fourth egg, the teacher found a little pebble in it. And all of you know what the pebble represents. The big stone that was rolled away in front of the empty tomb. And in the last egg, which had been brought by a seven-year-old who had a mental disability, Down syndrome,

Brian was his name.

Kubi, I thought about you, wasn't it? Brian was his name.

He was so proud of what he had brought.

And when the teacher opened his egg, the whole class began to laugh because it was empty. There was nothing inside of it.

And as the class laughed and sneered because Brian didn't put anything inside of his egg, as they laughed and sneered, Brian was quick on his feet.

He quickly said, my egg is full of emptiness, just like the tomb of Jesus.

My egg is full of emptiness, just like the tomb of Jesus. You know that little seven year old with down syndrome He nailed it didn't he His was the best lesson of all In Matthew, Mark and Luke All of these stories about the resurrection are there I'm not going to read all of them to you But

I want to read Luke 24, 4 through 8. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two women suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel. And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living one among the dead? Underscore that word right there. Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He's not here. He is risen. Remember how he spoke to you that while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words. If you go and read all those stories in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, what we call the synoptic gospels, you will discover that there are some incidentals that might differ just a little bit.

But they really make no difference at all in the essentiality of the resurrection. If we had time, we could reconcile these differences by understanding the Holy Spirit's purpose for having the gospel writer pen it that way.

They were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in their penmanship. And when you read those stories, guys, you can take it to the bank. It's what happened. It is true. and it is powerful.

But what I want you to see was the constant essential thread that runs throughout all these narratives.

There were more than just two.

But for today, I just want to talk about two. I just want to talk about these two. Number one, Jesus was dead.

He physically died on the cross.

In John 19, 31 through 34, the Jews therefore, because it was the day of preparation, so that the body should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath was a high day, ask Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. Now what was common to speed up death was to break the legs of those hanging on the cross. and that way they could not push and pull themselves up to breathe and so they died from asphyxiation and it was common that they broke their legs and especially the day of preparation is coming so they want these guys dead it says the soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other man who were crucified with him but they did not break Jesus' legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and immediately there came out blood and water Now one of the greatest evidences of death is when the blood and water separate

They knew that Jesus was dead. There was no need to break his legs. In fact, it was prophetic from the Old Testament that his legs would not be broken.

Jesus was dead.

You know, there's a lot of folks that have tried to say, well, he really wasn't dead.

And that they got him in the tomb and he just swooned his way out of the tomb. He was alive. First thing is I doubt it could have moved that stone anyways If it got stuck in there But I want you to mark it down Jesus was dead Don't let anybody ever tell you that Jesus didn't die on the cross He made atonement for your sins on that cross He died on the cross for you Secondly Jesus was raised from the dead and let me add this his rising was a bodily physical resurrection in Luke 24 36-43 and while they were telling these things Jesus stood himself in their midst but they were startled and frightened and thought they were seeing a ghost, a spirit. And he said to them, why are you troubled? Why do you doubt, why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet.

That it is I myself touch me. fill me see me and then Jesus said this for a ghost does not have flesh and bone as you see that I have and when he has said this the Bible says he showed them his hands and his feet and while they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling he said to them guys if this isn't enough proof he said to them you got anything to eat here? and they gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it before them now here's what I want to tell you he is alive physically in a resurrected body he is visible he is verifiable he is recognizable he is relational and he is personal challenging them to embrace him to touch him, to fill him, just like they did before he died.

You know I got to thinking about that That blows all medical science to pieces He was dead and now he alive

He's not here. He's risen. Go and look where he lay. He is not here.

You know, I had a crazy thought come to my mind, and I explored this. where was he and what was he doing between Friday and the first day of the week you ever ask yourself that question let me tell you something he was very busy I don't have time to read it but if you go read in Acts chapter 2 Peter's first sermon it'll blow your mind here's a summary after Jesus died it says in the Bible that he descended into Hades Peter preached that first sermon that Jesus his soul would not be abandoned to that place nor would his body see decay and destruction.

Hades was the place of the dead that had two components, two compartments, the place of torment and the place of Abraham's bosom. If you go back and think of the sermon I preached on Lazarus and the rich man, it describes those two compartments in that parable. the place of torment is where the faithless dwelt. In Abraham's bosom is where the faithful dwelt. In Revelation chapter 1, 17 through 18, at the outset of John's vision, the resurrected, ascended, glorified Jesus appeared to him and here's what he said. after he picked John up off the floor it completely knocked John down before him. And after he picked him up off the floor he said do not be afraid for I am the first and the last. Guys he is the first fruits of the resurrection. I am the first and the last and the living one. Isn't it interesting, a while ago we read, why do you seek the living one among the dead? I am the living one. And I was dead, and behold, I live forevermore. And listen to this. And I have the keys of death.

Our greatest enemy. And I have the keys of Hades.

Jesus was literally, bodily, physically embracing the faithful. Those who lived on the other side of the cross and yet walked in faith, thus setting them free to follow him to glory.

Do you know that? he descended so that he might set the captives free.

In Matthew 27 51 through 53 it recorded this way And behold the veil of the temple was torn into from top to bottom and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. and coming out of the tombs. Now, I can't tell you what my reaction would have been when I've seen this going on. And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many after his resurrection.

Hear these words again.

He was dead. He is not here. He is risen.

He descended. Tim and I were talking about this when we were growing up as young children. We used to say the Apostles' Creed. And this has been put in the Apostles' Creed. It's been put in the footnotes. People have argued about it.

John Wesley, when they started the Methodist Church in America, sent the Apostles' Creed an order of worship and in the Apostles' Creed it said, and he descended into Hades.

It's biblical.

He was very busy.

Guys, they were having a three-day revival down there in hell. And he was setting those on the other side of the cross free. and they literally walked out of those tombs into those holy cities. Now there's a lot of discussion about well how long did they stay? Did they just go with Jesus when he went on to heaven? I think so. I think they just traveled with him when he ascended.

But you've got to understand this. He's not here. he's risen well let me conclude I told you I'd get back to the story I read in the beginning Mary's story for me shows the importance of personal salvation now listen to me of one-on-one salvation.

Jesus stopped the whole flow of this movement to his next destination after he left Hades for a one-on-one encounter with Mary.

She had been the last at the cross and now she would be the first to see the resurrected Christ. Sorry about you men.

He showed himself to Mary first.

You know, biblical scholars have called her the apostle of all apostles. And she was the first to tell the disciples The good news She was mentioned in all four gospels She was from Magdala A prosperous city on the western shore Of the Sea of Galilee It was a city known for its

die work and the ability to manufacture fine woolen textiles. It was so prosperous that it had to send their contributions to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem in a wagon.

Because of its trade, it had lots of people, poor and wealthy, coming in and going out. that created a lot of immorality,

a lot of unethical trading,

and a hedonistic culture.

Into this culture, along with 12 men, Jesus is preaching and healing and casting out demons.

In Luke 8, go and read it. He mentioned some women disciples of Jesus that were daily following Jesus and providing for him and his disciples' needs out of their own resources.

These are pretty well-to-do women.

It said some women had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. then it specifically intentionally it refers to a woman named Mary Magdalene Mary of Magdala and it says whom seven demons had come out of now guys I can't tell you I don't have a clue as to the variety of type of demons that possess this Mary.

But the number is a number for completeness. Number seven is a number for completeness implying that she was totally and completely bound to the devil. She was possessed by seven demons.

She was very sick.

She was a very disturbed female.

Listen to me.

She found physical,

mental, and emotional healing through and with Jesus. You hear that?

He saved her.

He changed her.

He transformed her.

One scholar I read showed how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the woman that brought culmination to the law and the prophets, the old covenant. But listen to this. But Mary Magdalene was a woman that exemplified the new covenant. The revelation of graceful transformation through Jesus. I love that.

Mary the mother of Jesus culminating the Old Testament. And Mary Magdalene initiating the new covenant of Christ we discover her here as a weeping wreck

Now I want you to listen to every word I say here because every word will count.

Her Savior's body is missing and her grief is unbearable.

You ever felt that kind of grief in your life? she's in a panic attack.

It has unnerved her and her grief has blinded her.

Even the supernatural, the two angels, are no comfort to her.

Nothing can lift her out of this darkness until a supposed gardener questions her about her weeping and seeking and she still remains a weeping wreck until Jesus said to her Mary Mary Mary.

She knew that voice.

It caused her to turn and say, Rabboni, teacher. She knew his voice.

She ceased to be a weeping wreck. It was like being delivered all over again. The scales of grief that had blinded her eyes disappeared and she saw Jesus, the Messiah.

And he told her, Mary, quit clinging to me. I think what he was saying was, drop those tears.

Get over this emotion.

I've got to go. and you have to go tell the disciples that I'm fixing to go.

Once again, he transforms her again from anxiety to a heavenly assignment. Now I'm telling you, when you come to Jesus and you get to know him, whatever's going on in your life, he will lay the hand of peace upon it and then he will commission you to move forward. He will give you a heavenly assignment on this earth. You might, oh, not me. I'm not worthy of that. Don't discount yourself when Jesus gets inside of you.

The Bible teaches it.

That we are saved. That we are being saved. And that we will be saved.

It is personal.

And it is a one-on-one relationship with Jesus.

You hear that?

Revelations 3.20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Now I want you to get this. I stand at the door.

and knock.

And then it says, if anyone hears my voice I will come into him

Knock, knock, knock. Carrie!

Aidan!

Winfield!

Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie It takes my emotion to say those things. I'll stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears my voice Andy I will come in to you just open the door let me tell you a story and I'll be finished I've shared a little bit about this at times when I was pastoring in Childress we were growing a large youth group there and I was one of the preachers that related to guys.

I just related to the guys and was at all their competition and their sports functions and everything.

That was just me. Wherever I lived, I just got that blessing of embracing guys.

And we'd taken our youth group off on a spring break to ski.

And there was a group of junior, senior boys, 12, 15 boys, and a lot of other boys and girls. But I'll always remember these 12 or 15 juniors and seniors.

they were something else and that's all I'll say about that but one night after our devotional time together I gave an invitation and said and I talked about a one on run relationship with Jesus and I said if you don't know him I don't want to embarrass you here but over the next two or three days while we're together if you want to talk to me about Jesus I'll sure talk to you and there was a young man and he had grown up on a ranch and he was the only child and he was fixing to graduate and go off to Texas A&M University. I wept about that a little bit, but hoping he'd go to Tech. But he went to A&M. But that night,

he came around and you'd have to see him the way he always dressed. I always had his cowboy hat on starched white shirt his belt with the big buckle starch jeans and boots that were shiny shiny shiny

And he was a true cowboy. He was going to go to A&M, graduate, and come back home, and he and his dad were going to run to ranch.

Well, he finished his first year at A&M, and was going to stay and go to summer school.

And it was on a Sunday. Church was already over. I was at our parsonage, 1.32 o'clock in the afternoon.

And his daddy called me.

And with a broken voice, his daddy said, Terry I just got a call Sloan drowned in Nebraska this morning

he didn't say anything else I just said I'm on my way and I remember getting in that car and driving from Childress out to Esteline 15 minute drive and heading down to their house down in the pasture land and praying Lord what's going to go on out here today and I heard the voice of Jesus Carrie you have a heavenly assignment lift up the resurrection I'd let him to Christ when he came around that evening after that devotional said I don't know him I said well we can take care of that and we got down on our knees together and that young man asked Jesus to come into his life and out there at the house all of these guys showed up and they were in such they were just like Mary Magdalene just weeping wrecks and that's understandable I don't dismiss those feelings at all but I said we need a break guys let's go get in my car, my minivan. You guys, let's fill it up.

Let's go drive. Let's go drive the ranch here for a minute.

And they all just ran to that minivan.

Because I knew I had a divine assignment.

And we got out and we drove down those country roads to a place where I saw a big oak tree.

And I stopped and said, let's get out and go over here for a minute. I want to talk to you guys.

And we all sat down on the ground.

And I told them about Sloan coming to Jesus.

And then I said, guys, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. he who believes in me yet though he die will never die and the Holy Spirit fell on that group years later after one of them had gotten back from Afghanistan.

And he told me there were times in Afghanistan that I thought I was going to die.

And Brother Kerry I remember you saying I am the resurrection and the life

He who believes in me will never die.

I just want to tell you thank you.

Because it brought me through.

Why are you weeping?

Who are you seeking?

He's not here.

He is risen.

And then he said, to that family of Lazarus do you believe me?

do you believe me?

I don't know what age you are I don know where you at spiritually but I on a divine assignment today to tell you He loves you. He died for you. He rose from the dead for you.

He ascended into heaven. And if you give your life to him, he's coming back for you.

To take you to where you can live with him for eternity.

Glory. Amen. Amen.

Were you there? When he rose up from the dead? Were you there when he rose up from the dead? Oh oh oh oh oh Sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble tremble

Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

Lord, I pray for those in this place today. Lord, when we get in these places where we're so overcome with grief and blinded,

Lord, speak our name.

Let us hear your voice. Let us hear your voice so that we can take that moment and realize we're on divine assignment to share the resurrection we give you praise Lord Jesus we give you praise and all God's people said Amen