Andrew Fountain - What we can learn from Mary Magdalene at the Empty Tomb

Goal:

To fully receive the promise of LIFE offered by Jesus.

Resurrection Appearances

1. Events at the Tomb
2. Events in the Locked Room
3. “By believing you may have life in his name” – How do we access this life?

Structure of John

John 13–21 “Book of Glory”

13 A meal with the disciples

21 A meal with the disciples

Last time: The Resurrection

1. The resurrection of Jesus was not simply coming back to life, but the start of a new kind of humanity (and reality)
2. This “new kind of human” has already begun in us.
3. We need to live out this new identity.

John 20: First Appearances of Jesus

• (Note that the accounts differ in Matt, Mark & Luke)
• Two Panels:

1. Events at the Tomb (Appearance to Mary)
2. In the locked room (to many disciples +Thomas)

John’s Focus

• Notice as we read: Two key things John is drawing our attention to:

1. There is a lot of emotion going on
2. What people see that makes them believe

• Climax: “These are written so that you may believe
  that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
  and that by believing you may have life in his name” v.31

Five stories in Part 2

1. Fear to joy
2. Sending on the mission
3. Thomas does not believe
4. Thomas believes
5. Why John wrote John’s Gospel

John 16

7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement:

Genesis 2

7. then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

John 3

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’
8. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Five stories in Part 2

1. Fear to joy
2. Sending on the mission
3. Thomas does not believe
4. Thomas believes
5. Why John wrote John’s Gospel

How we have Life

• We believe that Jesus:
• Is truly both God and man
• died on the cross to take away sin
• and rose from the dead in victory.
• We submit to him as Lord (repentance = change of direction)
• Mary is the pre-eminent example of focusing on Jesus and receiving him.
• Simply keep your eyes on him!