Tony Finch - Canley Community Church sermon

1. RESURRECTION MORNING.
THE EMPTY TOMB.
JOHN CHAPTER 20.

2. MARY’S JOURNEY
FROM DESPAIR
*
TO DELIGHT

3. MARY’S JOURNEY
FROM DESPAIR
VIA DEVOTION
TO DELIGHT

4. DESPAIR
• Mary has experienced forgiveness and
unconditional love.
• She had seen Jesus arrested, beaten
and crucified.
• She came to the tomb in despair.
• She came overwhelmed with sorrow.
• She came with no expectation of any
good news.

5. MARY’S RESPONSE
• They have taken the Lord
out of the tomb and we don’t
know where they have put
him!

7. BACK AT THE TOMB
• John arrives first.
• Peter goes in first.
• Not down to grave robbers.
• John enters and believes.

8. MARY’S DEVOTION
• One of the last to leave the cross.
• One of the first to arrive at the tomb.
• The others went home – Mary
remained.
• Devotion clings.

9. • A sight of angels and their smiles will
not suffice without a sight of Jesus.

10. • A sight of angels and their smiles will not
suffice without a sight of Jesus.
• None know, but those who have tasted it,
the sorrows of a deserted soul, which has
had comfortable evidences of the love of
God in Christ, and hopes of heaven, but
has now lost them, and walks in
darkness; such a wounded spirit who can
bear?

11. MARY’S GRIEF
• “Woman, why are
you crying?”
• “They have taken
my Lord away,
and I don’t know
where they have
put him.”

12. JESUS APPEARS
• Mary assumes he is the groundsman.
• “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell
me where you have put him, and I will
get him.”
• “Mary.”
• “My sheep know my voice.”

13. ONE MORE ‘FIRST’ FOR MARY

14. ONE MORE ‘FIRST’ FOR MARY
• Mary was the first to be commissioned
to preach the Gospel.
• “Go and tell.”