I have a sneaking suspicion that some of you checked your Worship Schedule this morning, and said, "Oh boy! Steve is preaching today... I'd better bring my Bible."

It's true... I seem to have developed a reputation of delivering a message "heavy" with the word of God. And you know? I don't mind. I made a decision years ago that there is more truth in the Bible than there is in the world, and that I would try my best to live my life in obedience to what I learn from the Bible.

It's Easter Sunday! It is a day of remembrance and celebration. Today we commemorate something that happened almost 2000 years ago (scholars think about 1,974 years to be more precise). On this day, all those years ago, an event occurred that changed the world. An event occurred that is perceived to be the cornerstone of our faith. An event that is the cornerstone of all of Christianity!

On this day, Jesus the Christ conquered death. Jesus, the son of the living God, rose again from the grave, and appeared to thousands before finally ascending to heaven, right before the eyes of his disciples. No tricks and no ropes... it was a pure unexplainable miracle. It was a fulfillment of prophecy from Old Testament scripture, and it was exactly as Jesus had said it would be, when he explained it to his closest followers.

I have heard some ask, "Where in the Bible does Jesus, in his own words, say that he must die on a cross, and that his death pays the penalty for our sins?" These are words spoken by Jesus from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 22:22
For I, the Son of Man, must die since it is part of God's plan.

Luke 24:44,46,47
"When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true."

"Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.'

And... From the Gospel of John:

John 3:13-17
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 12:27
Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from what lies ahead'? But that is the very reason why I came!

John 13:18,19
"I am not saying these things to all of you; I know so well each one of you I chose. The Scriptures declare, 'The one who shares my food has turned against me,' and this will soon come true. I tell you this now, so that when it happens you will believe I am the Messiah.

John 14:2,3
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:18,19
No, I will not abandon you as orphans - I will come to you. In just a little while the world will not see me again, but you will. For I will live again... and you will too.

John 14:25
I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.

John 15:25
This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: 'They hated me without cause.'

John 16:5-7
"But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and none of you has asked me where I am going. Instead, you are very sad. But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Counselor won't come. If I do go away, he will come because I will send him to you.

John 16:16
"In just a little while I will be gone, and you won't see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that, you will see me again."

John 16:28
Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and I will leave the world and return to the Father."

Jesus was fully aware of his reason for leaving heaven. He knew he would return, but he also understood the magnitude of what was being asked of him. Jesus was and is the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the Holy Messiah, ...the Son of the Living God. He came to teach us, and to set an example for us. We learn from the stories of him in his earthly form, how we are to treat each other, and how we are to interact with God. We continue to learn from him in his spiritual form, how we are to live our daily lives. The Comforter, the Helper, the Holy Spirit... teaches us as we read God's word, he guides us when we require direction, he comforts us in our times of need, and he inspires us when we are called to witness to others of the living Christ.

After having lived the only perfect life ever lived, satisfying every law required by his religion, and remaining innocent of any wrong doing, he was sentenced to death, only to satisfy the crowds.

You see, Pontius Pilate went outside to the masses, the morning after Jesus was arrested, and beaten, and said to the people, "I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him NOT guilty." Jesus was then brought out wearing a purple robe, and a crown of thorns pushed into his brow... all to mock his authority as king of the Jews.

When they saw him, looking the way he did, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, "Crucify him! Cruify him!" And the crowd joined in.

It seems that after having been in bondage all night, severely beaten, and paraded before his followers as a mock king of the Jews, the masses who were still assembled... waiting to hear any news, felt as though they must have been fooled... tricked into believing that this miracle worker was the promised one.

These are the same people who only a week before, welcomed Jesus into their city with a type of welcome reserved only for royalty. Could this be their Messiah? What happened? This chosen one... who forgave sins, healed the sick, and resurrected the dead... he convinced us that he was God himself in human form... look at him!

Jesus understood it all. Jesus understood the plan, perhaps at the moment Adam thought to disobey God... perhaps at the moment Satan was thrown out of heaven (remember he was already in the garden--he was the serpent), perhaps even before any of that... we don't know. But DO we know that there are no surprises to God, and God does not make mistakes.

Three days later, we find Mary Magdalene who stayed during the crucifixion, and saw where they had laid the body of Jesus, as she was on her way to visit the tomb. This brings us to our scripture reading for today. Open your Bibles if you have them and read with me from the Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 1 through 18.

20:1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

20:2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.

20:4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.

20:5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.

20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,

20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

20:8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

20:9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

20:10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

20:11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

20:13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

20:14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).

20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Other women came to the tomb along with Mary Magdalene. The other Gospel accounts give their names.

The stone was not rolled away from the entrance to the tomb so Jesus could get out. He could have left easily without moving the stone. It was rolled away so that others could get in and see that Jesus was gone!

People who hear about the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can comprehend this amazing story. Like Mary and the disciples, they may pass through four stages of belief.

1. At first, they may think the story is a fabrication, impossible to believe (20:2).
2. Like Peter, they may check out the facts and still be puzzled about what happened (20:6).
3. Only when they encounter Jesus personally, are they able to accept the fact of the Resurrection (20:16).
4. Then, as they commit themselves to the risen Lord and devote their lives to serving him, they begin to fully understand the reality of his presence in their lives.

The linen wrappings were left as if Jesus had passed right through them! The cloth that covered Jesus' head was still rolled up, and it was at about the right distance from the wrappings that had surrounded his body. A grave robber couldn't possibly have made off with Jesus' body and left the linens as if they were still shaped around it.

As further proof that the disciples did not fabricate this story, we find that Peter and John were surprised that Jesus was not in the tomb. When John saw the linen wrappings looking like an empty cocoon from which Jesus had emerged, he believed that Jesus had risen. It wasn't until after they had seen the empty tomb, that they remembered what the scriptures and Jesus had said--that he would die, but he would also rise again!

Jesus' resurrection is the key to the Christian faith. Why?

1. Just as he said, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident, therefore, that he will accomplish all he has promised.
2. Jesus' bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ, not a false prophet or imposter, is ruler of God's eternal Kingdom.
3. We can be certain of our own resurrection because Jesus was resurrected, and he told us that we are to expect the same.
4. The divine power that brought Jesus back to life is now available to us, to bring us both spiritually and then physically back to life.
5. The Resurrection is the basis for the church's witness to the world.

Mary didn't want to lose Jesus again. She had not yet understood the Resurrection. Perhaps she thought this was his promised second coming (14:3). But Jesus didn't want to be detained at the tomb. If he did not ascend to heaven, the Holy Spirit could not come. Both he and Mary had important work to do.

Mary didn't recognized Jesus at first. Her grief had blinded her; she couldn't see him because she didn't expect to see him. Then he spoke her name, and immediately she recognized him. Imagine the love that flooded her heart as she heard her Savior speak her name.

"Mary!"

Mary did not meet the risen Christ until she had first discovered the empty tomb. She responded with joy and obedience by going to tell the disciples. We cannot meet Christ until we discover that he is indeed alive, that his tomb is empty. Are you filled with joy by this good news? Do you share it with others? Friend, Jesus is near you. And he is calling your name. Responding is easy after encountering Jesus personally in our lives. We are called to share our witness of the risen Lord and Savior. See and hear this Good News today. Believe it and go and tell the world.