Rolling Stones, Redirected Searches, and Redeemed Tears

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amen. teach to Jesus

A dream that you have, and cause you to stay A pound by my heart, just somewhere but tonight A dream that you have, and cause you to stay A dream that you have, and cause you to stay When you bring that to the waters, I call you to come, and the day is the sorrow which I'm not holding on, for I will be waiting for your troubles to last, and you end up by the moment, your weakness is right. Thank you. I've only given your trust to concern and your goal to repart it. I will not alone, not because you are alone, that's all the world should endeavor to show, I'll never know, never to never forsake. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I'm so glad to be able to worship this Sunday morning on Resurrection Sunday, be able to celebrate Easter with you. So I'm going to go ahead and begin with a word of prayer. Then we'll read some Scripture together and spend some time in song. If you'd like to follow along with our worship service this morning, there are some bulletins on the little table as you come in. And if you would like to participate with us in the Lord's Supper, there are some communion elements there on that table as you come in as well. And you're welcome to get up and get those at any time. So we're going to go ahead and begin with the word of prayer, and then we'll spend some time reading Scripture together. Father in heaven, I'm so thankful that we can gather this morning to worship.

I'm so thankful that the tomb is empty, and I'm so thankful we have good news to tell. I ask that you bless our time together as we open your word, as we sing together, as we gather to the table together, as we pray. As we study your word, may you encourage our hearts, may you strengthen our spirits, may you convict us of our sin, and may you show us, most of all, your glory in the goodness of the gospel. Be with us and bless our service this morning. It's your name we pray, amen. Let's go ahead and be standing. We're going to read from 1 Peter, we're going to read verses 3 through 5 together. Father, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This is the word of the Lord. And as we come to the hope of the resurrection, the picture of not just a hope, but a living, or as some translations translate it, a lively hope. It fills our hearts with joy. So we're going to sing a couple of songs. You're welcome to remain standing as we sing. If you're more comfortable or need to sit down, you're welcome to do that as well. We're going to start with Christ the Lord is Risen Today.

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia. Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia. 1 Raise your joys and triumphs high, alleluia; sing ye heavens, and earth's reply, alleluia.

It's again our glorious King, Alleluia. Where, O death, is now thy sting, Alleluia. Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where's thy victory, boasting grave, Alleluia!

God's redeeming work is done. Alleluia. For the fight, the battle won. Alleluia. Death in vain forbids him rise. Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

So we now where Christ has led, Alleluia, following our exalted head, Alleluia. Made like him, like him, we rise, Alleluia. The paths across the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

I was buried beneath my shame Who could carry that kind of weight It was my turn Till I met you I was breathing but not alive All my failures I tried to hide It was mine too Till I met you You called my name And I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into your glorious day You called my name And I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into your glorious day Now your mercy has saved my soul Now your freedom is over That I know The old made new Jesus when I met you You called my name And I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into your glorious day You called my name, and I ran out of that grave, out of the darkness, to the all-glorious day.

I needed rescue. My sin was heavy. The chains break at the weight of your glory. I needed shelter. I wasn't open. Now you call me a citizen of heaven. When I was broken, you were my healing. Now your love is the air that I'm breathing. I have a future. My eyes Because when you call my name I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into your glorious day You call my name I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness To your glorious day Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

As we prepare to gather to celebrate the Lord's Supper, we're going to be singing Man of Sorrows. If you'd like to participate with us and didn't get a chance to grab the communion elements, they are there on that little table. You're welcome to grab those at any point in time. Man of sorrow's limb of God, by his own betrayed The sin of man and wrath of God has been on Jesus' lay Silent as he stood accused, beaten mocked and scorned, bowing to the Father's will, he took a crown of thorns. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me! Now my soul cries out, "Hallelujah!" Praise and honor unto me.

Send of heaven, God's own Son, to purchase and redeem, and reconcile the very ones who nailed Him to that tree. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, hallelujah, praise and honor unto thee. Now my debt is paid, it is paid in full by the precious blood that my Jesus spilled. Now the curse of sin has no hold on me. The sun sets free, oh, it's free indeed. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, Hallelujah, praise and honor unto Thee. See, the stone is rolled away, behold the empty tomb. Hallelujah, God be praised, He's risen from the grave. Oh, that rugged cross, my salvation, where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out, Hallelujah, Praise and Honor are to Thee, Praise and Honor are to Thee.

Good morning. Good morning, Mary. Put that down there. Well, we sang a song that had darkness in it. And darkness can be very scary to each and every one of us. We've probably somewhat been afraid of the dark somewhere in our lives that we can look back and say, uh-oh, yeah, maybe not now, but some point. But what about total darkness? You want to think about that. All the lights in the church building, gone. Out. All the lights in Winchester, out. The sun quit shining. Total darkness, we would be there. So just think real quick, what would you do? What would you think? Matthew 27, 45 tells us that on the day that Jesus was crucified, from the sixth hour to the ninth, that's from 9 a.m. to noon, total darkness came all over the land.

And even the Roman soldiers who had seen war, death, plenty of it, were resting on that mountain, watching over the crosses outside of Jerusalem when all this was happening. They had worked all night. They had taken this man called Jesus. They had beat him, among other things, and did vile and vicious things to him, and then nailed him to a cross. And then the total darkness for at least for three hours. Matthew 27, 54 reads, when the centurion and those with him who were guarding the guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, quote again, surely he was the Son of God. Even a hardened military man who had seen almost everything in his endeavors for the emperor believed that this had to be the Son of God.

Now, the Bible itself associates sin with darkness. God sent his son to die on that cross in Calvary. Why? So that we, us, all mankind from that time forward could be redeemed of our sins. God doesn't want any of us to live in darkness. He wants us all to be in the light. The Bible says that Jesus is the light of the entire world from that point until he returns. That is in him, in Jesus, there is no darkness. It's all light. Before Jesus went to Calvary, though, he instituted what we call the Lord's Supper. And as we take part of the bed and the cup here this morning, we're reminded of the love that Jesus has shown us. What else would drive a man or anybody to suffer and die, knowingly, knowing what was coming, and willingly go and suffer and die?

For us, there's no excuse, as I see it, for living in the darkness. There's always light. The light is in the person of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On the third day, Jesus came out of that dark tomb. His light has shone upon every one of us in the entire world ever since. So this morning, we need to take advantage of that light as we commune with our Lord and Savior this morning. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you again for all the many blessings that you have bestowed upon us. We are so unworthy that sometimes we think in our minds that how can this be? How can this man have died in our place and for all mankind, for all eternity, until he receives us again in his holy kingdom? But Father, that's exactly what has happened.

And as he instituted the remembrance of that event, when we take this loaf, this little piece of cracker, that Father, that represents his body. And Father, as we drink this little bit of juice, it is a representation of the blood that he shed for mankind for all eternity. Father, may we not waste this opportunity. May we always look to you and always ask first, but we're human. And we will try every time to try to figure out our way out of our problems, knowing in the long run that we have to turn it to you. We may not like your answer. Many times we won't. But, Father, your answer is what saves us, the answer to the mankind itself when you sent your son, our Savior, to that cross to die in our place. Guide us here this morning as we take these

emblems. May it nourish our souls that, Father, this week as we get into the world again, that the world will not overtake us, that if it tries, we can lean on you. And, Father, lean on you, is what we must do. Guide us in this. It is in Jesus' holy and precious name that we ask and we give thanks. Amen. Now, out of 1 Corinthians, we've all heard about, heard this one. It says, for we, for I receive, this is Jesus' own words, for I received the Lord from the Lord what I also pass to you. The Lord on the night he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. The loaf please. And in the same way after supper he took the cup saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me for whenever you do you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes back to claim us all let's partake father we do indeed thank you for this strength that you've given us the simple means by which we can accept it and father it was a horrible day that your son our savior died the way he did but if he hadn't we would have no hope but father we live in hope we know that your blessings are all around us your creation is everywhere guide us this week protect us and be with us when we fall into any problems that may come to us. May we look to you. May these simple emblems remind us that there is one greater than anything that we can come up against. Guide us and do it with us and be with us. These things we again ask in Jesus' holy and precious name. Amen.

All right, as we get ready to dive into the Word of God, we will hopefully have the Scripture on the screen for you as we're moving through the resurrection account, specifically the accounts of these women as a journey and arrive at the tomb of Jesus. You can also follow along in the bulletin. There's a handout that has our big points and then all of the Scripture with it. Let's go ahead and pray. Father in heaven, I thank you so much that we have good news. So this morning, as we look to that first Resurrection Sunday, may you encourage our hearts, May you strengthen us. May you help us to see that there is hope, that there is redemption, that so many of the places we look end up empty, but you are the one who truly gives life.

So be with us this morning. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. There are times, it seems, where time just sort of stands still. And for me, that place that's cemented into my mind is like 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English class. It was like you're just sitting. And it was as if time had just ceased to exist. But then there's moments we find where it seems like we look back and everything has happened all at once. It happens almost every year on our kids' birthdays. We look back and we have those memories pop up on our phone of, take a look at this picture from 11 years ago or 9 years ago or 6 years ago. And we look back and we think about how much growth has occurred and how many events have happened and the joys and the struggles.

And it just seems as if everything has happened all at once. And so time is a funny thing because sometimes it just feels like it completely stopped. And then there are other times where it feels like it's going 90 miles an hour with no break and no rest, and we're uncertain of how we're going to keep up. This morning we're going to come to a place and to a moment where time has gone from standing seemingly completely still to a place where everything happens all at once. And I want you to understand as we come to this, It wasn't standing still because of boredom or moving fast. Because they're looking back in nostalgia. The time that stopped was because of brokenness. And what is followed in the confusion and the joy and the uncertainty and the chaos is because there is hope.

So we're going to be primarily a little back and forth between the Gospels. But we're going to begin this morning in Mark's account. And if you read Mark's account, specifically of the crucifixion of Jesus, it's almost as if he is giving you a walking map of the moments where Jesus goes through those sufferings and those trials from the arrest to the high priest to the Sanhedrin to Pilate and to Herod and Pilate to up the hill to Calvary. It's as if he's sort of giving us a way of the cross. But Mark is not, in his account of the crucifixion, not just showing us where it happened. He's showing us a bigger picture. And woven throughout all of these places and these events are Old Testament prophecies, Old Testament pictures, Old Testament themes and allusions and echoes

and things that show us that this is not just another man being killed by the Romans, but this was, in fact, God's plan and God's work. And what's interesting, because as carefully and intentionally crafted as Mark's account of the crucifixion of Jesus to the prophecies, to the pictures, to the themes that point us back to all of Scripture that's not his picture of the resurrection account. It's almost as if everything has happened at once and nobody's sure what's happening and what to do about it. It's almost as if we have gone from a very intentional, very clear path to an explosion of chaos that ultimately leads to joy. And it can be hard for us, especially those of us who have been Christians for a lot of years and have been to a lot of Sundays and who have been to a lot of Easter Sundays, to see the surprise of Easter Sunday.

And it's easy for us to become mundane. And so in the Gospels, not just in Mark, but in Matthew and in Luke and John, you come from this place where it seems as if every detail is written, every prophecy is fulfilled, and time has stopped in grief at the cross, and Saturday is silent, and then on Sunday it all happens at once. And so this morning what I want us to do is join a group of women who are on their way to the tomb of Jesus and during the journey that follows as they go you're going to see there's going to be some who split off from the group there's going to be some who come into the group James and John are going to race to the tomb but in the midst of this what I

want us to do is see three questions that are asked either about the tomb of Jesus or from the tomb of Jesus and I want to begin this morning in the gospel of Mark and so Mark records it this way in mark chapter 16 he will say this when the Sabbath was passed Mary magdalene Mary the mother of James and salome brought bought spices so that they might go and anoint him and very early on the first day of the week when the sun has risen they went to the tomb and they were saying to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb. Now these women have seen over the past several days the worst of the worst. And almost in contrast to the fleeing of the disciples is the faithfulness of the women

who have followed Jesus all the way to the foot of the cross. And in fact, the two Marys mentioned here have followed the event so closely that when Jesus' body is taken from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, they have followed that body, and they're sitting across the way watching him being placed into the tomb. These women know where they're going, and even in the midst of their hurt and heartbreak, they are on a mission to finish the burial preparations that were unable to have been completed on Friday. And many commentators point out that just from a logistical standpoint, it's already too late to finish those preparations because it's been several days. But I want you to hear their question this morning. Who will roll away the stone? Now this is a good question because graves in this time

were particularly sealed with stones and it's likely in this case it would have been a circular stone like we frequently see pictured and there would have been a groove either cut in the rock or bricked up and it would have been on sort of a downhill slope and so when the body is placed inside the tomb this stone is then sort of rolled down and sort of fits into an area directly in front of the tomb And these stones, we have, I think, four or five examples from this time period. Could be anywhere from about a ton to 2,000 pounds, up to two tons, 4,000 pounds. And to put the stone in place is not a big deal, right? You just kind of got to get it rolling a little bit, and it goes downhill into the channel, sets in place.

But to get it out of the way requires not just one person sort of pushing it, but would often require several strong people to make this stone be able to move. Do you hear sort of the uncertainty and fear in their voice? We're not strong enough to get to Jesus. There is something standing between us and the Savior that we are coming. to serve. And obstacles in coming to Jesus are not a new thing for the Gospels. There's a guy who comes through the roof. There's a lady who sneaks through the crowd. There's a man screaming on the side of the road, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. There's been obstacles of shame, obstacles of separation, obstacles from outsiders, but this time is different Because this is an insurmountable obstacle. Because Jesus has been crucified.

The Savior who before has dealt with all of those other things is crucified and buried. And it's in the face of this stone we encounter with these women something that is wonderful. In Matthew's account, he gives us this background. Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. So it seems like the other accounts we have read, although I don't know how I would feel to be called the other Mary, right? You've got the famous Mary and it's like, hey, you're the other Mary. It's like, hey, well, that's the good Brandon. Here's the other Brandon.

That's what happens. And this is one of the wondrous miracles of Easter. And there has been this earthquake, and likely these women, as they were either preparing to leave, or as they were walking up to the Mount of Olives, to the garden, to where Jesus' tomb would have been, would have felt this earthquake. And they are going to be wondering about it, and they're going to be asking questions. And here's what I love. They don't know it yet, But their inability to move the stone has already been taken care of before they even ask the question. It's already been accomplished. You know, what they need and what they're asking about who will move the stone, it's already done. Even as they wonder how they're going to accomplish it, it's already done. And it's this beautiful, tiny picture of the gospel wrapped up in a big, heavy stone.

What you need has already been accomplished by the power of God. And here's what I love about these women, right? They don't know this has happened. They don't know if they can roll away the stone. They don't know if they'll be able to. But here's the thing. They go to Jesus anyway. They just go. Now at this point, when they get there and see the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene just dashes off. She's running to get help. We see this in John's account. And it seems that Peter and John maybe were separate from the rest of the disciples. And so she runs and she gets Peter and she gets John. And while she's doing that, look what happens to the other women. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb taking spices that they had prepared.

And when they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, they went in and they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel, and they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground. And the men said, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen. Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee. And here's the question asked of these women. They've asked, Who will move the stone? And now they are asked this question. Why do you seek the living among the dead? Now, I don't know about you, but probably most of us like to be able to say, I told you so. And not just say it.

Maybe you're like, I don't say I told you so. Well, you probably think it, right? All of us like to be right and enjoy being right. And so here is the angel doing a little bit of I told you so. Why do you seek the living among the dead? There are three main predictions in the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, about the death and the resurrection of Jesus. And just so that we don't think that they're sort of convoluted or hard to understand, I want you to hear some of these predictions that have been taught to the disciples about Jesus. In Mark it says, he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again.

And in Matthew 17, as they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him and he will be raised on the third day. and in Matthew 20 as Jesus was going to Jerusalem he took the 12 disciples aside and on the way he said to them see we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and he will rise on the third day and what the angel is saying Remember what Jesus has said and understand you're looking in the wrong place. Now, in all those accounts of Jesus saying this,

we're also told along with him, the disciples didn't understand. It didn't click. Maybe it was an idea too big for them. Maybe it was one of those things that we only see in hindsight and remember. But the angel is reminding them of what Jesus said, that you're looking in the wrong place. That the grave isn't the right place for the bread of life and for the light of the world and for the good shepherd and the one who has said, I am the resurrection and the life. It's not the place for the one who can cast out demons, heal the sick, make the blind see the lame walk, calm the storm, and raise the dead. And here they are in their sorrow, which we understand, and their emptiness and their loss, and they're looking for the body of Jesus.

to be able to say goodbye but here's the reality he is alive and hear the words of the angel saying you are looking in the wrong place now everything is happening so very fast right now Mary magdalene has run back to Peter and John Peter and John have raced to the tomb uh it's no mistake i don't think that John writes he was a little faster and beat Peter to the tomb but Mary has missed the angels she's missed Peter and John they've already gone back and now Mary magdalene stands by herself at the tomb of Jesus let's pick it up in John's account i'm sorry this is so small we meant to break it up into different slides Mary stood weeping outside the tomb she's all by herself with all of her loss and all of her hurt and all of her

motion. And she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus laid, one at the head and one at the feet. And they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? And she said to them, they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where I have laid him. I'm pretty sure at this moment she doesn't realize these are angels. All right, the tears in her eyes, the sorrow in her heart. I don't know that she even raises her head enough to look at them clearly and all she wants to know is where have they taken Jesus and then I love this point having said this she turned around and saw Jesus standing now she doesn't know it's Jesus and Jesus said to her woman why are you weeping who are you seeking supposing him to be the

gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. And Jesus said to her, Mary. And she turned and said to him in Aramaic, Rabbani, which means teacher. And Jesus says, Do not cling to me, for I have not ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. And Mary Magdalene went and announced these things to the disciples. I have seen the Lord. And that he had said these things to her. And in that moment when Mary hears her name in Jesus' voice, she launches herself at him. And when Jesus says, do not cling to me for I have not ascended to my Father, but go to my brothers

and say to them there's been a lot of confusion and it's sometimes a verse that seems like it's hard to breathe but in essence Jesus is saying Mary you've got to let go we still have stuff to do and you can imagine this because you've seen that moment where you have hugged somebody so hard you didn't want to let go or somebody has hugged you so hard you're going I can't breathe and in her overwhelming emotion she launches herself at Jesus, and Jesus has to say, Mary, there's still things that need to be done. Let's look at this question here that is asked twice in these verses. Why? Now, I've always heard that there are no dumb questions, or I had one teacher who would say, well, the only dumb question is the question you wouldn't, you shouldn't, you don't ask. Now, it seems like if you're standing

at the grave of a friend and tears are running down your face and you are in abject sorrow to ask that person, why are you weeping? It seems like there's an obvious answer to that question. And I'm weeping because everything's broken. Everything has fallen apart. Everything is sorrow. Remember Mary's history in Luke chapter 8. It lists a group of women who have followed Jesus and have supported his ministry. And it says Mary called Magdalene from whom seven demons had gone out. Mary's been a follower of Jesus for a long time. He has transformed her life. One commentator says that the seven demons, she had a demon for every day of the week. This is a woman who is in very dark spiritual darkness, very deep brokenness, and Jesus comes in his light and transforms her life.

she then follows him. And what we find in Luke chapter 8 is not just following him, but supporting and working in the ministry of Jesus before Jesus even heads to Jerusalem. And this woman comes to Jesus, the only one who is saved, or her only hope. And it seems obvious that she's weeping because everything is broken. The light has gone out. And this question, why are you weeping, I don't think is a harsh question. But it's a question designed to pause for a moment and go, why am I weeping? But her tears are too much, and it is until she hears the voice of her Savior that it finally clicks. And I don't think that Mary probably stops crying. I think her tears are probably very different now. Look at how God transforms. The woman who had seven demons becomes a supporter and ministry worker with Jesus.

And now she is the first to proclaim the good news to Jesus' disciples. Everybody else came and said, the tomb is empty. Mary shows up and goes, I have seen the risen Lord. And Jesus, in this moment, redeems her tears and turns them into something good. So having seen these three questions, I just want to give you three statements. For us, from these three questions, the first is this. Number one is this. Go to Jesus anyway. In your fear, in your pride, and in your hopelessness, or in your sorrow, I want you to go to Jesus anywhere, anyway. Look to the birth of Jesus. A young couple with no money, announced by angels, proclaimed to the shepherds, celebrated by wise men, Dedicated in the temple by a very old priest and a very old widow.

Young, rich, poor, righteous, unrighteous throughout his ministry. Jesus is for everyone. And you have this moment where so many times excuses fill our thoughts and our ideas. And I want you to hear from these women on their way to go to Jesus anyway. In Acts chapter 17, it says this. In the times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed. And of this, He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead. The stone has been rolled away. And whether it's your grief or your sin or your shame or your fear, go to Jesus, the one who rolls away the stone before you even get there.

Secondly, stop looking in the wrong place. So easy for us to do this. So most of you know we have a new puppy. He's 12 or 13 weeks old. I don't know if you can probably correct me. And Friday night I was sitting getting some work done in the living room. Everybody else was heading to bed. And so I put the baby gate up in the living room, in between the living room, entrance and the hallway that runs down our hall. And so the first time I put it up, he just looks at me. And he's not a big dog, just launches himself over the gate like a rocket. And I was like, okay, we can play this game. Let's put the gate higher. So I put the gate higher. Next thing I know, he just looks at me and wiggles underneath it.

And I'm just like, are we serious right now? So I sit there and I get the gate where it's high enough, He can't go over, but low enough that he can't wiggle under this gate. And do you know what he does for the next 10 minutes? He sits there like a kangaroo, alternately jumping over, trying to jump over the gate or go under the gate. And here I am sitting in the other side of the room. There's a full food bowl. There's a water dish. I've got treats. His favorite toys are laid out next to me. There's a blanket for him to snuggle up on. And he's over at the stupid gate trying to jump over it with all his might. How many of us in our life are doing the exact same thing? We're looking in the absolute wrong place for what we need.

Just as the angel said, why are you looking for the living among the dead? Why are we looking for life in the midst of those things that bring nothing but frustration and disappointment? and death. And how many of us are seeking peace and freedom from fear and the weight of the guilt on our shoulders from sin and from shame and we're just distracting ourselves and making excuses. Why are we seeking life in the place of death? In the midst of our thirsty souls, why are we going to anyone other than the one who gives us living water? In the midst of struggle and confrontation and discouragement. Why are we going to anyone other than the one who has the words of eternal life? And in the face of darkness and death, why are we going to anyone other

than the one who has the resurrection and the life? We've got to stop looking in the wrong place. Then comes this promise that Jesus is the one who redeems for tears. Like Mary, from the sorrow to the joy of proclaiming the good news. It shouldn't probably be a surprise, but it is in John the 16th chapter. Jesus, as he prepares his disciples at the Last Supper, says, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. Jesus speaking of the resurrection for the disciples, for Mary, not just for them, but for us. You see, Jesus can take your brokenness, your sin, and your sorrow, and He can turn it into joy. And here's the great news is that Jesus is not just covering it up.

He literally takes the brokenness of your life. In Isaiah 53, it says this, All we like sheep have gone astray and we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. God does not just come in and the picture here is not just a coat of paint to make it look new. It's not just a freshening up but all of your brokenness and your heartbreak and your sin and your shame is taken and Jesus on the cross bears it all. But he doesn't just take your brokenness. 2 Corinthians says this for our sake it made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God it's not just that the brokenness is taken away but it is then

filled with the righteousness of Jesus and on the cross God looks at Jesus and sees your sin and now as a Christian, the Father looks at you and sees Jesus. In the words of D.A. Carson, none of us are suffering from anything a good resurrection can't fix. I want you to know that there is one who redeems your tears. I want you to run to Jesus anyway. And I want you to stop looking for hope in the wrong places. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for Jesus and for grace. Thank you for the promise of hope and the promise of a resurrection. Thank you for the reality of the resurrection of Jesus who goes before us. Thank you that we can have peace with you and forgiveness. It's in your son's name we pray.

Amen. We're going to stand and sing about how God turns graves into gardens. I searched the world It couldn't fill me Mans empty praise And treasures that fade Are never enough Then you came along And put me back together And every desire Is now satisfied Here in your love Oh, there's nothing Better than you There's nothing Better than you There's nothing Nothing is better than you I'm not afraid To show you my weakness My failures and flaws Lord, you've seen them all And you still call me friend Because the God of the mountain Who is the God of the valley There's not a place Your mercy and grace Won't find me again Oh, there's nothing Better than you There's nothing Better than you Oh, there's nothing Nothing is better than you Oh, there's nothing Better than you There's nothing Better than you Lord, there's nothing Nothing is better than you

You turn mourning to dancing, You give beauty for ashes, You turn shame into glory, You're the only one who can. You turn graves into gardens, You turn bones into armies, You turn seasons to highways You're the only one who can Oh, there's nothing better than you There's nothing better than you, Lord For there's nothing, nothing is better than you For there's nothing, better than you There's nothing, better than you Lord, there's nothing. Nothing is better than you. You turn graves into gardens. You turn swaths into armies. You turn seas into highways. grace. You're the only one who can. You're the only one who can. You're the only one who can. We are so thankful that you are here with us this morning. Next Sunday is our second Children's Church of this month. And so that is happening next Sunday. Normally we have Wednesday

night Bible study on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. This week, however, we are doing our doing like a VBS kind of informational slash planning slash let's prepare so that we're not rushing around at the last minute type of meeting. So that's Wednesday night at 6 p.m. We're also going to be having dinner to go along with that. So if you want to come and just eat with us, you are more than welcome to do that. If you want to come and help with VBS preparation, learn a little bit more about that, you can. If you want to come and just ignore all the VBS stuff, we're still going to talk about it, but you're welcome to come and join and eat with us anyway. So that's Wednesday at 6 p.m. We're going to go ahead and pray. I'm going to read a Scripture from the book of

Hebrews, and we'll sing the doxology. Father in heaven, I thank you for Jesus, and I thank you for grace, and I thank you for the hope that you give us. Help us to live in light of the good news of the gospel that Jesus has died, been buried, and has risen to be alive today. Just help us as we walk with you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now may the good shepherd, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Blessings flow Praise him all creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly hosts Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Thank you. It needs to be done. Right now? Yeah. Let's check out. This is. Oh, I'm going to do that. One of them. Hey, I'm going to do it. You're not called out. Hey, you can see you guys. He's awesome. Awesome. All right. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. Can you do that? No, I'm going to do it. No, I'm going to do it. No, I'm going to do it. is

She's going to be here, everybody can hold it, and it's going to be there. The whole thing doesn't go online, it's just, so, yeah, yeah. Oh, thank you for being here. What? What? I had to have more. No, I had to have more. No, I had to put it in the house as well. Is that the box from a fridge? Yeah. Okay. I like to keep my head. I don't know what it might be with you. Yeah, I'm just going to take that one, I'm just going to take that one. Pam, take that box with you. Take that one with you. I need a box with you. Because they are going to be happening here. Do you know what? No. uh Yeah, I think it's a nice time. Yeah, I think it's a nice time. Yeah, I think it's a nice time.

Oh, what about this time? What about this time? Which is what he wrote. He wrote, oh, he had cheese. So he had cheese. And we're going to go to their house. But he has some of these. And we're going to have a different memory. So that's what we're going to do. You see that? And cheese. And cheese. And now it's like, everybody, like all our kids, all our kids. Yeah, there's a lot of cheese-related. And I took a lot of them, and they're like a kid who's great. They were there going to their great-goers and their daughters. - Hey, you want out? - Yes. Without a grunt, I know that sounds great. I'll have to probably say that. It's a thing that I've never understood. You're the last. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.