Mary and the Master

Mary and the Master
John 20:1,2; 14-16


Intro: Easter Sunday is one of the Greatest Days of the year for the Christian. Of course, Christmas is one because it’s a celebration of Jesus’ birth as a baby in Bethlehem; Easter is the other because it’s a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, proving that He really was the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
Lets take a look at that first Easter Sunday especially from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus.


I. The Misery
Mary Magdalene came very early in the morning on the first day of the week. Mark and Luke record that she and another Mary had brought a preparation of spices to anoint the body of Jesus. Of course, they wondered how they would move the stone that had been rolled up against the opening of the tomb, but they loved the Lord so much they decided to at least try to anoint his body if it could be done.
The last few days had been shocking to say the least.
The followers of Jesus had been shocked by the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of his own disciples.
They had been horrified by the trial and torture of Jesus.
They had been devastated by his crucifixion.
It seemed that their whole world had been turned upside down and inside out and they were in Misery.
Now, when they arrived at the tomb, the stone was already rolled away and the body of Jesus was not there and their misery increased even more.
The other gospels tell of an angel of the Lord that told the ladies that Jesus had risen from the dead; Matthew and Mark both say that the ladies were astonished by this turn of events and that they Ran from the tomb with fear and trembling.
John picks up the story here and tells how Mary ran and found Peter and John and told them what she had seen and heard. She evidently came back with them as they ran to the tomb to see for themselves what was going on. Peter and John looked into the empty tomb for a few minutes then returned to their own homes.
Mary, however, remained near the tomb, overwhelmed with sorrow. She was weeping and mourning the loss of her beloved Lord and Savior. This man was the one who had delivered her from 7 demons and saved her soul. She loved Jesus and believed completely in him as the Son of God. Now he was Gone. It was bad enough that he had been tortured and crucified, but now he had disappeared!
In her misery, she turned away from the tomb and from the corner of her eye, she saw someone standing across the way in the garden. The man standing there asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She thought he was the gardener and that he might have moved the body of Jesus to a different place. She pleaded with him to tell her where Jesus was so she could take him herself and care for his body.
Mary was immersed in Misery!


II. The Master
At this point in the story, Jesus said gently, “Mary.”
Something pierced through her misery when she heard that voice; there was something about the way he said her name; She quickly Turned to face him and cried out, “Master!”
It Was Jesus!
He was really here; And He was ALIVE.
He was standing there; breathing; speaking to her; he was Alive.
Her misery dissolved into great Joy.
Her sorrow vanished; her grief was gone.
Hope had been reborn; Joy had been restored; Faith had revived; and Peace had returned.
Jesus was Alive; She had Met the Master.
Let me tell you here today; the cure for your misery is to meet the Master.
The cure for your despair is to meet Jesus and find that he is STILL ALIVE TODAY.


A. You Need to Hear his Voice.
- Like Moses hidden away in the desert, a fugitive from those who would punish him for murdering an Egyptian. He was living in Misery until he saw the burning bush and heard the Lord say, “Moses, Moses! I am God and am come down to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians.”
- Like Samuel who was dedicated by his parents to serve the Lord in a time when Israel was in spiritual darkness. The Lord called his name and he first thought that it was the Priest Eli calling for him. When he realized it was the Lord, he cried out, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”


B. You Need to See his Glory.
- Like Joshua who was facing the fortified city of Jericho with its massive walls; he was struggling with the coming battle and the Lord appeared to him as the Captain of the Host. The Lord reminded Joshua that he was not in this battle alone, the Lord was going to fight for him.
- Like Isaiah who was grieving over the death of King Uzziah and knew that Israel was at a crucial point in their history. The Lord appeared to Isaiah while he worshiped in the Temple and his Glory caused the door posts to move; Isaiah saw the angels of God and heard them crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.”
- Like the apostle John who had been exiled to the Island of Patmos because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He was isolated and alone but he was worshiping the Lord on the Lord’s day. Jesus appeared to him in his Glory and said to him, “I am he that Lives; I was dead but Behold, I am alive forevermore!”
Are you living in the misery of a sinful life?
Have you allowed things of this world to bind your mind and your body and they are making you miserable?
Have you drifted away from your relationship with the Lord and been overwhelmed by the frustrations of life?
Are you a Christian but you have allowed your circumstances to beat you down?
Are you carrying a heavy load of care today and its making miserable?
You Need to Hear His Voice! You Need to See His Glory!
In the words of Vance Havner- We have not gathered here today to Honor a Corpse, but to Hail a Conqueror.
He is Aware of your situation
He is Here to revive your Faith; renew your Hope; restore your Joy; Make Life worth Living!
He will Give you Abundant Life and He will Give you Eternal Life.