THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE â JOHN 20:1-â18
THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE – JOHN 20:1-‐18 April 4 & 5, 2015 MAIN IDEA: Jesus’ victory over the grave shows us the Father’s will was fully accomplished in Christ’s work of redemption. Why would God purpose to redeem sinners at such a cost? To reveal His glory and love. THE TEXT: John 20:1-‐18
MEMORY VERSE: I Corinthians 13:13
THE RESURRECTION. Jewish burial in Jesus’ day was to wrap the body in linen bands that enclosed dry spices and place the face up. The head was covered by a cloth that had been twirled about like a turban and the upper part of the shoulders left bare. If we had been in the tomb when Jesus was resurrected we would not have seen Him struggle to get free of the linen bands. Jesus was not raised in a natural body as Lazarus was. Jesus was raised in a spiritual body – one that passed through the grave clothes just as He passed through the closed doors when He came to His disciples. I Corinthians 15:42-‐49 This helps us understand what the disciples saw when they entered the sepulcher. There was something about the graveclothes that John noticed. One translation (verse 6), “He saw, lying there the graveclothes.” The Greek word John uses refers to things that have been carefully placed in order such as clothes or legal documents. FAITH THAT NEARLY DIED. For three years they had followed Jesus. They did not understand much but what they did understand, they believed. But when Jesus died, it seemed their faith died. This is seen by their scattering back to where they had been before Jesus called them. HOPE WAS GONE. They had possessed such great hopes while following Jesus. They had even argued over who would be greatest in God’s kingdom (silly boys!). We saw this clearly last weekend in the disciples on the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:18-‐21. They had great hopes until Jesus died. After his crucifixion their hopes were destroyed. BUT LOVE LIVED ON. Faith nearly died and hope was gone but love prevailed. In spite of their despair, the disciples still loved Jesus and continued thinking about Him. The great example is Mary Magdalene. Mary had been delivered of seven demons by the Lord (Luke 8:2). Jesus had saved her from something terrible and she had great love for the Lord – even now that He was dead. Earlier she had ministered to Him out of her substance (Luke 8:3), and now she is still trying to do that by anointing His body. Mary going to the tomb is all about love. She had possessed faith at one time and she had great hopes in Jesus. But now, only love caused her to seek the body and brought her to the tomb.
Even though she thought Jesus was gone, her love lived on. She was determined to do something for Him. She bought spices and the others agreed to help. So the Sunday morning following Jesus’ death, Mary and the other women made their way to the tomb to perform this last service for Jesus’ body. Upon reaching the tomb they saw the stone had been rolled away which suited their purpose. Yet it was unexpected and they asked each other what they should do. They decided that the disciples, Peter and John, should be told. Mary is either sent to tell them or she volunteered to go tell them. While she was gone (unknown to her) the remaining women went forward and heard the angels’ amazing message, “He is not here, He is risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6). Shortly after they leave, Peter and John arrive, having received Mary’s message. Where was Mary? She had been left behind by Peter and John in their excitement. But that did not disturb her, her mind was on Jesus and she returned to the tomb. RABBONI! Mary did not recognize Jesus and we can’t be sure why – tears in her eyes, not focused, Jesus not revealing Himself to her… But Mary asks where the body is. Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-‐1960), “She was still thinking in terms of a dead body. She has been weeping for three days and nights and she had a few tears left due to her broken heart. She had been three times out to the tomb and twice back to town. Now she offers to carry away the full weight of the body plus the hundred pound weight of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). This does not seem possible but she did not think along these lines because of her love for the Lord Jesus. Here is the heart of a good woman. Here is love, offering to do the impossible as love always does.” Mary turns her back and Jesus calls her by name, “Mary!” She responded to His speaking her name, “Rabboni!” When she thought He was the gardener, she did not really care what He said. But now when she hears her name from Jesus’ lips, and as sheep know the voice of their shepherd when he calls them by name, so she recognized Him and responded joyfully, “Master!” In that moment Mary experienced her own resurrection, as if she was reborn. Faith had died, but now it came leaping from its tomb. Hope had gone, but now it rushes back all because of the Presence and Person of the Lord. John 20:16-‐17 CONCLUSION. Some would say they cannot believe, that they have no grounds for hope, and that they could never love Jesus. The best place to begin might be love. Romans 5:6-‐11 I Corinthians 13:12-‐13
MEMORY VERSE: I Corinthians 13:13
THE RESURRECTION. Jewish burial in Jesus’ day was to wrap the body in linen bands that enclosed dry spices and place the face up. The head was covered by a cloth that had been twirled about like a turban and the upper part of the shoulders left bare. If we had been in the tomb when Jesus was resurrected we would not have seen Him struggle to get free of the linen bands. Jesus was not raised in a natural body as Lazarus was. Jesus was raised in a spiritual body – one that passed through the grave clothes just as He passed through the closed doors when He came to His disciples. I Corinthians 15:42-‐49 This helps us understand what the disciples saw when they entered the sepulcher. There was something about the graveclothes that John noticed. One translation (verse 6), “He saw, lying there the graveclothes.” The Greek word John uses refers to things that have been carefully placed in order such as clothes or legal documents. FAITH THAT NEARLY DIED. For three years they had followed Jesus. They did not understand much but what they did understand, they believed. But when Jesus died, it seemed their faith died. This is seen by their scattering back to where they had been before Jesus called them. HOPE WAS GONE. They had possessed such great hopes while following Jesus. They had even argued over who would be greatest in God’s kingdom (silly boys!). We saw this clearly last weekend in the disciples on the road to Emmaus – Luke 24:18-‐21. They had great hopes until Jesus died. After his crucifixion their hopes were destroyed. BUT LOVE LIVED ON. Faith nearly died and hope was gone but love prevailed. In spite of their despair, the disciples still loved Jesus and continued thinking about Him. The great example is Mary Magdalene. Mary had been delivered of seven demons by the Lord (Luke 8:2). Jesus had saved her from something terrible and she had great love for the Lord – even now that He was dead. Earlier she had ministered to Him out of her substance (Luke 8:3), and now she is still trying to do that by anointing His body. Mary going to the tomb is all about love. She had possessed faith at one time and she had great hopes in Jesus. But now, only love caused her to seek the body and brought her to the tomb.
Even though she thought Jesus was gone, her love lived on. She was determined to do something for Him. She bought spices and the others agreed to help. So the Sunday morning following Jesus’ death, Mary and the other women made their way to the tomb to perform this last service for Jesus’ body. Upon reaching the tomb they saw the stone had been rolled away which suited their purpose. Yet it was unexpected and they asked each other what they should do. They decided that the disciples, Peter and John, should be told. Mary is either sent to tell them or she volunteered to go tell them. While she was gone (unknown to her) the remaining women went forward and heard the angels’ amazing message, “He is not here, He is risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6). Shortly after they leave, Peter and John arrive, having received Mary’s message. Where was Mary? She had been left behind by Peter and John in their excitement. But that did not disturb her, her mind was on Jesus and she returned to the tomb. RABBONI! Mary did not recognize Jesus and we can’t be sure why – tears in her eyes, not focused, Jesus not revealing Himself to her… But Mary asks where the body is. Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-‐1960), “She was still thinking in terms of a dead body. She has been weeping for three days and nights and she had a few tears left due to her broken heart. She had been three times out to the tomb and twice back to town. Now she offers to carry away the full weight of the body plus the hundred pound weight of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). This does not seem possible but she did not think along these lines because of her love for the Lord Jesus. Here is the heart of a good woman. Here is love, offering to do the impossible as love always does.” Mary turns her back and Jesus calls her by name, “Mary!” She responded to His speaking her name, “Rabboni!” When she thought He was the gardener, she did not really care what He said. But now when she hears her name from Jesus’ lips, and as sheep know the voice of their shepherd when he calls them by name, so she recognized Him and responded joyfully, “Master!” In that moment Mary experienced her own resurrection, as if she was reborn. Faith had died, but now it came leaping from its tomb. Hope had gone, but now it rushes back all because of the Presence and Person of the Lord. John 20:16-‐17 CONCLUSION. Some would say they cannot believe, that they have no grounds for hope, and that they could never love Jesus. The best place to begin might be love. Romans 5:6-‐11 I Corinthians 13:12-‐13
