Reflections Spring 2024
THE FIRST SEVEN WORDS OF THE RISEN SAVIOR
TEXT – (JOHN 20: 15-29)
There are many sermons and books on the Seven words of the Cross. These words explain the purpose of the cross and the character of Christ. The seven last words of the Cross give a message from God --- to all the World.
The first seven words of the Risen Christ give a message from God to the Church --- to His people.
Let us look at these seven first words of the Risen Christ spoken on that first Easter morning and seek to make some applications from the words to our own lives…
1. WOMAN WHY ARE YOU WEEPING? - Vs.15
The first word of Christ after the Resurrection is to a woman in a garden. The woman is weeping. Here Jesus stands on resurrection ground and asks, "Why are you weeping?" He did not take away the tears but He was there as an answer to her tears. He will not take away your tears yet, but He is the answer to the reason for our tears.
Mary did not recognize the Lord. Perhaps it was her tears. Maybe it was the time of day. It could have been the clothes of that day which had a hood for sun, wind, and weather. It probably was because she was not looking for Him.
2. MARY - Vs.16
Jesus called Mary by name. Christ knows His disciples individually. Jesus knew people in the resurrection and so will we. Every disciple knows the Savior’s voice. "My sheep hear my voice"(John 10:27). If you do not know when the Lord is speaking to you then you are headed for trouble. Those who love the Lord the most get the greater blessing. Notice Vs.10 and 11. They loved but it seems by her actions that she loved more and had the blessing of meeting him first.
3. GO TELL MY BRETHREN - Vs. 17
She had the message of the Resurrection. The Resurrection gives us a message to tell to the world. The message that sin had been paid at the Cross. The message that we have a hope beyond the grave. The message of a resurrection for ourselves one day and a great reunion day. All preaching across the centuries becomes useful or useless, worthwhile or worthless on the truthfulness or not of the Resurrection. Mary had a message for the disciples - then they and a message for the world - vs.25. We have a message. The Cross gives us a message. The resurrection gives us a message and a power to deliver it. Are we going to tell it?
4. PEACE BE UNTO YOU - Vs. 19 - 21
The promise of peace. The peace with God and the peace of God. Peace and not blame. Peace and not fault-finding. Peace and not rebuke were the first words ...Sin takes away peace. Troubled hearts, troubled consciences, trouble due to the consequences of sin. There is no peace to be found in the world. We find war, fear, and troubles, but no peace. How may we find peace? Through the Prince of Peace!
5. AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME SO SEND I YOU -- RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST -Vs.21b - 23
Here is the call to service and the power to serve. There is a job to be done for the Lord. That is the reason He has left us here instead of taking us home to heaven immediately after conversion. We are powerless without Him. He puts his power inside us through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Cross gives us the message - The Resurrection gives us the power.
6. REACH HERE...BE NOT FAITHLESS BUT BELIEVING - Vs. 27
A word to doubting Thomas. Notice several things: Notice how much a Christian may lose by not regularly attending the assembly of God’s people. Compare Vs.24 and Vs.26. Notice how kind and merciful God is to the slow to believe, the sincere doubter. When a man doubts after proper evidence, God calls it folly and foolishness. But to the sincere doubter, the Lord says, "be not faithless but believing" Vs.26 ---Thomas was there at the next meeting and JESUS CAME! He met the Lord and you can meet Him too. We can meet Him by faith, by prayer, by God’s Word, or by confession of sin.
7. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED - Vs. 29
A word to us today. He is speaking of us. We are saved by faith – (Ephesians.2:8 – 9). We are to walk by faith – (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith brings blessing -- in time and for eternity! Mary lost the Lord in vs.13 --- but she found him because of the resurrection and His love.
Reflections Ministries / Calvin Wyatt / e-mail: calvincosmo30@gmail.com
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THE FIRST SEVEN WORDS OF THE RISEN SAVIOR
TEXT – (JOHN 20: 15-29)
There are many sermons and books on the Seven words of the Cross. These words explain the purpose of the cross and the character of Christ. The seven last words of the Cross give a message from God --- to all the World.
The first seven words of the Risen Christ give a message from God to the Church --- to His people.
Let us look at these seven first words of the Risen Christ spoken on that first Easter morning and seek to make some applications from the words to our own lives…
1. WOMAN WHY ARE YOU WEEPING? - Vs.15
The first word of Christ after the Resurrection is to a woman in a garden. The woman is weeping. Here Jesus stands on resurrection ground and asks, "Why are you weeping?" He did not take away the tears but He was there as an answer to her tears. He will not take away your tears yet, but He is the answer to the reason for our tears.
Mary did not recognize the Lord. Perhaps it was her tears. Maybe it was the time of day. It could have been the clothes of that day which had a hood for sun, wind, and weather. It probably was because she was not looking for Him.
2. MARY - Vs.16
Jesus called Mary by name. Christ knows His disciples individually. Jesus knew people in the resurrection and so will we. Every disciple knows the Savior’s voice. "My sheep hear my voice"(John 10:27). If you do not know when the Lord is speaking to you then you are headed for trouble. Those who love the Lord the most get the greater blessing. Notice Vs.10 and 11. They loved but it seems by her actions that she loved more and had the blessing of meeting him first.
3. GO TELL MY BRETHREN - Vs. 17
She had the message of the Resurrection. The Resurrection gives us a message to tell to the world. The message that sin had been paid at the Cross. The message that we have a hope beyond the grave. The message of a resurrection for ourselves one day and a great reunion day. All preaching across the centuries becomes useful or useless, worthwhile or worthless on the truthfulness or not of the Resurrection. Mary had a message for the disciples - then they and a message for the world - vs.25. We have a message. The Cross gives us a message. The resurrection gives us a message and a power to deliver it. Are we going to tell it?
4. PEACE BE UNTO YOU - Vs. 19 - 21
The promise of peace. The peace with God and the peace of God. Peace and not blame. Peace and not fault-finding. Peace and not rebuke were the first words ...Sin takes away peace. Troubled hearts, troubled consciences, trouble due to the consequences of sin. There is no peace to be found in the world. We find war, fear, and troubles, but no peace. How may we find peace? Through the Prince of Peace!
5. AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME SO SEND I YOU -- RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST -Vs.21b - 23
Here is the call to service and the power to serve. There is a job to be done for the Lord. That is the reason He has left us here instead of taking us home to heaven immediately after conversion. We are powerless without Him. He puts his power inside us through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Cross gives us the message - The Resurrection gives us the power.
6. REACH HERE...BE NOT FAITHLESS BUT BELIEVING - Vs. 27
A word to doubting Thomas. Notice several things: Notice how much a Christian may lose by not regularly attending the assembly of God’s people. Compare Vs.24 and Vs.26. Notice how kind and merciful God is to the slow to believe, the sincere doubter. When a man doubts after proper evidence, God calls it folly and foolishness. But to the sincere doubter, the Lord says, "be not faithless but believing" Vs.26 ---Thomas was there at the next meeting and JESUS CAME! He met the Lord and you can meet Him too. We can meet Him by faith, by prayer, by God’s Word, or by confession of sin.
7. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED - Vs. 29
A word to us today. He is speaking of us. We are saved by faith – (Ephesians.2:8 – 9). We are to walk by faith – (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith brings blessing -- in time and for eternity! Mary lost the Lord in vs.13 --- but she found him because of the resurrection and His love.
Reflections Ministries / Calvin Wyatt / e-mail: calvincosmo30@gmail.com
Follow us Daily on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn