What To See On Easter

What To See On Easter

John 20

While driving to church on Easter Sunday years ago, a young mother told her children the Easter story.

"This is the day we celebrate Jesus coming back to life," She explained.

Right away, the 3-year-old son piped up from the back seat, "Will He be in church today?" 

This brings up the question:  What do you expect to see on Easter?

There’s always something to see at Easter.  People whom you might not have seen for a while, fancy new clothing, or in some churches, new hats.  When we focus on the resurrection story, what do you expect to see there?

In William H. Willimon’s commentary on our Gospel text for this morning, he offers an interesting lens for us to look at something as extraordinary as the Resurrection. He says, and I quote, “How do we see?… What we see seems to be connected to some sort of template in the brain. When sensory images are fed in through the optic nerve, the brain sorts through its collection of previously experienced images, makes matches, fits what we see into a pattern, and we are led to say, ‘There it is That’s a tree…’ If you have seen one tree, that enables you to see them all.

And yet, what does the brain do with things that don’t fit into previously experienced patterns? What if our vision is out of focus? What if our vision is limited by what we expect to see?”

 This morning we are going to see three times where people tried to make sense of Jesus’ resurrection.  From John 20, we find….

Peter and John see the mystery of the empty tomb (vv. 1-10)

Mary sees the majesty of the risen Lord (vv. 11-18)  and

The Disciples see the Lord’s blessing for ministry  (vv. 19-23)

1. Body
1. Peter and John see the mystery of the empty tomb (vv. 1-10)
1. They’ve taken Jesus!
1. They didn’t believe the report of the women.
2. They thought they were out of their mind.
3. Luke 24: 11 And their words seemed to them like [c]idle tales, and they did not believe them.  But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.
2. Peter and John race - why were they running?  
1. Excited. 
2. Curious. 
3. Afraid. 
4. Maybe hey think the story is crazy, but do they also want to hurry to catch the people that took Jesus?
3. It’s empty.
4. They believed that something unusual has happened, Jesus was risen? but they did not yet know [understand] the Scripture link that foretold this event
5. Takeaway point -> You can “rush around” on Easter morning, 
1. hear about the empty tomb and 
2. even see the evidence for yourself, and 
3. go home having not seen Jesus.

1. Mary sees the majesty of the risen Lord (vv. 11-18)
1. Why do you cry?  Jesus is gone 
2. Why are you here? Who are you seeking? 
3. She did not know that it was Jesus.
1. According to Dr. Willimon, “For Mary and the rest of the disciples, it was the appearance of the risen Christ, that enabled them to see what was actually before them. 
2. He did not leave them to their own thought processes. He did not expect them to build upon their past experiences. He did not leave them to their misperceptions, but rather he came to them.” 
4. I am ascending.
5. Takeaway Point -> You can invite others to witness the resurrection and 
1. have all of the feelings associated with Easter and 
2. still not recognize Jesus’ voice calling to you.

1. The Disciples see the Lord’s blessing for ministry  (vv. 19-23)
1. Hidden in fear
1. First, where can you hide from God?  Psalms 139
2. Next, Jesus will find you.  Through locked doors, Jesus came and stood.  Is fear keeping you behind closed doors?
3. Peter Larson: "Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked 'No Entrance' and left through a door marked 'No Exit.’"
2. Jesus appears to his friends
1. He says, “Peace”
2. He proves that it’s really Him
3. They were glad when they saw the Lord.
4. Jesus commissions them
1. Sending — “So send I you”
2. Equipping — Breath of new life (Spirit)
3. Authorizing them — As ambassadors of forgiveness.
5. Takeaway Point -> You can have locked yourself up, confused and afraid, and yet Jesus will still seek you out, speak peace to you, equip you and get you back on mission.  It’s also great news that Jesus “doubles back” to answer Thomas’ request.
1. Conclusion
1. So what were you looking for when you came to sunrise service today?
2. Were you expecting to see Jesus?  To feel the power of his resurrection?  Maybe you’ve given up hope of seeing anything at all.
3. Bernard Martin, writes the following story in his book If God Does Not Die.
4. One day a pastor was called from a children's party at the Sunday school to visit a young woman whose world had collapsed into an acute depression following the death of her husband in an auto accident. She had withdrawn from everyone and shut herself in her bedroom with the blinds pulled, and she didn't communicate with anyone, including her children, because she said they reminded her of her dead husband. The minister left the party in a show of confetti which the children had thrown at him. He brushed it out of his hair and from his coat as he prepared to call on the depressed woman.
5. When he arrived at the woman's house, he entered her darkened bedroom and told her who he was, but there was no response. He could faintly see her pitiful form lying motionless on the bed. He tried to carry on a conversation with her, but she was unresponsive. He reached out to touch her hand, but it lay lifeless in his. So he just sat with her in the dark silence for a time.
6. Then he decided to act. He wanted to see the woman face to face, to read Scripture and pray. So he turned on the bedside lamp.
7. The woman blinked and stared at him blankly. As he took out his Testament which he carried in his handkerchief pocket of his jacket, and opened it, confetti fell from it all over the bed. After an anxious and flustered moment, the minister burst into laughter.
8. And that did it. First a smile appeared on the woman's face, and then she broke into quiet laughter. She reached out her hands to the minister in the joy of resurrection. They prayed together and she left her darkness to return to the light.
9. This morning, Jesus invites you to 
1. consider the mystery of His empty tomb.  He is not there.  He is risen!
2. See the majesty of the risen Lord as you recognize His voice calling to you.
3. See the Lord seeking you out, calling you to peace, and commissioning you to ministry.