EASTER FESTIVAL SERVICE March 31, April 1, 2013 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 20:10-18

EASTER FESTIVAL SERVICE

March 31, April 1, 2013

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 20:10-18

“WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE LIVING LAMB MAKES!”

1.     With our emotions.

2.     With our understanding.

3.     With our purpose.

John 20:10-18 “Then the disciples went back to their homes, ¹¹ but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” ^“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? ”Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).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.”

          A happy blessed Easter to all of you. I’m guessing most of you are looking forward to some sort of happy Easter gathering with food and family. Children look forward to enjoying the contents of Easter baskets. You know, Easter wasn’t alway like that, the first Easter anyway. It started out as anything but joyful. But things changed when it became clear that Jesus was alive. Today let’s see what a difference the living Lamb makes. For our guests, we’ve been following the Bible’s picture of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world during our Lent and Holy Week services. We’ve seen what a difference the Lamb dying for us makes but now we go on to see what it means that He is alive.

          We join a woman named Mary Magdalene. The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about her. This is what we know. She once suffered from demon possession. Seven demons lived in her and made her life miserable until they met up with Jesus. By His power and authority as the Son of God Jesus cast those demons out of her. Mary was grateful for that blessing. She became a follower of Jesus and used her financial means to support Jesus and His disciples as they did the Father’s work. Mary Magdalene was there at the death of Jesus on Good Friday. She accompanied some of the other women who went to the tomb and watched where Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus. She hurried to the tomb that first Easter morning. She found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Jesus’ body was not there. Now pause for a moment, if you were her, what would you be thinking? Did the chief priests who hated Jesus snatch his body to desecrate it? Was this a cruel Roman soldier joke?

          The Bible tells us what she was thinking. “Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” ^“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”   Mary was thinking someone had taken her Lord’s body away. She was sad. She wouldn’t be able to show her love for Him by properly burying his body.

          We can relate, right? I mean, anyone here who has had a loved one die. When a mother has a miscarriage, or you experience the death of a child there is great sadness. All the plans we had, the things we would do, the milestones of Baptism, first words, first steps, first day of school, they’re gone. When someone dies “too young” in our eyes, they don’t reach the 70’s or 80’s or a normal lifespan, we are sad. So much potential left on the table. Widows, widowers, children without parents or grandparents. Even when someone old dies, someone whose health has been failing, someone whose death we have been praying for because physically things have gotten so bad for them, still sadness. We miss the people separated from us by death.

          But what a difference the Living Lamb makes not just with our emotions but with our understanding. Let’s find out what He did for Mary Magdalene. “At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? ”Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”) Jesus was alive! What a difference that made for Mary. Gone were her tears. They were replaced with joy and excitement. Mary thought she knew what was going on. Jesus dead. Gone. His body stolen. But things weren’t what they seemed at all. Jesus was alive!

          Brothers and sisters, Easter, the Living Lamb makes that difference for you and me too. How often in life haven’t you had it happen where you looked back at a situation or a course of events and said, “If I knew then, what I know now, I would have…” Can you imagine Mary Magdalene playing that game? Well if I knew you’d be alive I’d have come with bread and goat’s milk, not spices for embalming. I would have come with my smiley face, not my sad one. The truth is Mary Magdalene should have known. Jesus had plainly told His disciples and those following Him that He would be betrayed, put to death but after three days rise again.

          Hey, we’re no different, are we? Why do we cry when loved ones die? Don’t we know what Jesus has said? “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die!” We know. But we also know it’s not supposed to be that way. We know that death is only part of our lives because sin is part of our lives. Sin and its effects will always make us sad. But look what a difference the Living Lamb makes. Jesus died to pay for sins, ours and all others. Jesus rose from the dead and lives because He paid for sins in full. He can’t stay dead because His work is complete. His resurrection is God’s proof that our sins are forgiven and death’s separation isn’t eternal anymore. It’s only temporary. What a difference that makes for our emotions. We get to be sad when our loved ones who believe in Jesus die but we get to be happy too. They are with Jesus. They live. At the moment of their death on earth they got to turn, see Jesus and say, “Rabboni!” We’ll see them again.

What a difference it makes in our understanding. And not just our understanding of death. We get to be eternal optimists because Jesus lives. Like Mary Magdalene experienced, there will be times in our lives when things seem out of control. We will not understand why God is allowing things to happen. Remember then that Jesus lives and what a difference a living Lamb makes. God has a plan. God keeps His word. God keeps His promises. The living Lord Jesus stands as God’s proof that He knows what He is doing when we do not. Trust, wait and see.

And see what a difference the living Lamb makes in your purpose. “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.” When Mary realized Jesus was alive she naturally wanted to hold on to Him. Jesus words reminded her that their relationship had changed. It wouldn’t be the old one but a better one, a heavenly one. Mary was given a new purpose. Instead of showing love for Jesus by embalming a dead Lord she was to show love for Jesus by going to His disciples and being  a witness for a living Lord.

          That’s our purpose too. Once you know Jesus lives your relationships change. For the better. For our loved ones who have died believing in Jesus we won’t have sin marred relationships but we get to look forward to better ones, perfect ones, heavenly ones. All the milestones we think we’ve missed out on for earthly life with believers will fade next to the ones we rack up into eternity. And our relationships with those who are stuck on earth are different too. Each one becomes an opportunity to be witnesses for the living Lord, to fill their lives with the same hope and optimism we get because Jesus lives.

          That first Easter may not have started out very happy, but every Easter after has been. Jesus lives. Enjoy your meals, the goodies in your basket but know that your real Easter blessing is having a living Lord. He has taken away your sins. He takes sadness and turns it to joy. He takes fear and confusion and replaces it with trust and understanding. And someday when the time is right He will be taking you and me to heaven. Christ is risen! Amen.