Who are you looking for?
John 20:15-16
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Who are you looking for today? I mean which Jesus are you here for?
- Science or archeological Jesus?
- Political Jesus?
- Religious Jesus?
- Judgment Jesus?
- Social justice Jesus?
- Problems Jesus?
- Blessings Jesus?
These listings of Jesus may contain some elements of truth to them, but you know that this is the Jesus man has constructed? The Jesus you put in your pocket and get Him out when you need Him? The real Jesus is more than that. That’s a false small idol. The real Jesus is more.
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John 20:1-18
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” [3] So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4] Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5] And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7] and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes.
[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12] And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” [14] Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the 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.” [16] Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” [18] Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
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Again, who are you looking for today? I mean which Jesus are you here for? The one in your mind that agrees with you on everything, the one from tv and pop culture, or the real Jesus of the Bible?
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Who is the real Jesus? –
John 1:1-5
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
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So what’s He like? He’s really not like that long list I spouted at the first of the sermon. He’s not like most people think. He’s not Hippie Jesus. He’s not politics Jesus. He’s not predictable.
In the book the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe halfway through the story, Lucy asks if Aslan is a man…….
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the woods and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion — the Lion, the great Lion.”
Then, Susan and Lucy ask if this lion is safe — to which Beaver answers, “Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Jesus is loving and kind and compassionate and holy and true and just and righteous and fair and loving. He heals the sick and poor, he loves children, he mourns with those mourning. He keeps coming for us even when we reject Him. He never stops.
Matthew 11:29-30
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
He also gets angry, He hates sin, He hates the hypocrisy of the overly religious “white washed tombs and den of vipers”. He throws out the money changers from the temple.
Revelation 19:11-16
[11] Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12] His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13] He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14] And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15] From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
So you see He’s good and kind and righteous and holy and all at the same time? That’s who He is. So why are we here? Well it’s the Lord’s Day, so we’re here to worship. We also had the Lord’s Supper to remember. Let’s do both. Let’s worship a risen Savior today and remember what He did.
The Key moment in all of history is what Jesus did on the Cross and His resurrection.
John 15:13
[13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus didn’t just die to get his friends off the hook with the Romans or the Jewish leaders. It had purpose.
1 John 4:10
[10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (Mercy seat)
….but if He wasn’t resurrected then we just have empty promises and another dead prophet.
1 Corinthians 15:12-28
[12] Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13] But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14] And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15] We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16] For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18] Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19] If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
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“When you look at the cross of Jesus Christ in your suffering, will that give you the reason for why you’re going through what you’re going through right now? No. Looking at the cross will not tell you what the reason for your suffering is, but looking at the cross will tell you what the reason isn’t. It can’t be that he doesn’t love you. It can’t be that he has no plan for you. It can’t be that he has abandoned you. He abandoned Jesus so he would never abandon you” – Tim Keller
You see….. we have an empty Cross and an Empty tomb, but an occupied throne.
The question was who are you looking for? The answer to that is….The real Jesus…… “I have seen the Lord”
……The Risen Jesus.
