Tears of Jesus: John 20:1-18 (4-5-26)

Overview

From Tears to Triumph: Easter Morning at the Empty Tomb

Easter erupts in joy because long-standing prophecies have come to pass. The promise of a Messiah in Genesis 3, the resurrection foretold in Psalm 16, and our Lord's own detailed prediction in Matthew 20 all converge at the empty tomb. Holy Week is one continuous service, and so the cry of Jesus over Jerusalem on Palm Sunday gives way, one week later, to the cry of Mary Magdalene at the garden tomb in John 20:1–18.

Mary's Tears and the Mercy Seat

When Mary stoops to look into the tomb, she sees two angels seated where Jesus had lain—one at the head, one at the feet. The detail is not incidental. It echoes Exodus 25, where two golden angels flanked the Mercy Seat atop the Ark of the Covenant, the place God promised to meet His people through the sprinkled blood of sacrifice. Mary did not yet understand: God now meets His people not at the Ark, but at the empty tomb of the risen Lord, where the once-for-all sacrifice has been accepted. The Father has not missed a single tear of His child—as David confessed, "You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle" Psalm 56:8. Just as a mother instantly recognizes the cry of her own child, the risen Christ hears Mary, speaks her name, and turns weeping into worship: "Rabboni!"

The Promise of a Tearless Life

Easter's comfort reaches all the way to the deathbed. For the believer, death is an instantaneous transfer into the presence of Christ—"Today you will be with me in paradise" Luke 23:43—for He has gone to prepare a place and will receive us to Himself John 14. On the day of resurrection we will be given a glorified body like His own Philippians 3, free from decay. We will dwell with the Lord, with fellow believers Revelation 5, and with the holy angels Matthew 22; the image of God will be fully restored in us Ephesians 4; and partial knowledge will give way to seeing face to face 1 Corinthians 13. Best of all, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes" Revelation 21:4—no more death, no more mourning, no more pain.

Living in Easter Joy

Until that day, tears remain. But the message of Easter steadies us: our sins are forgiven through Christ, the debt is paid in full, we are reconciled to God, and the victory of the cross and empty tomb has been joined to the water of Baptism, washing us in His promises. "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" Psalm 30:5. One day the morning of mornings will dawn, the shadows will dissipate, and—every tear wiped away—our alleluias will reign.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles, please? 3s

With me, too, the gospel of John the 20th chapter. 5s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, 8s

that you'll find in front of you or underneath you, 11s

the 20th chapter of John is in the New Testament on page 100. 15s

John the 20th chapter. 19s

Morning comes the shadows dissipate. 26s

The church awakens Easter. 35s

Every Sunday in the life of the church is a little Easter. 45s

But there's something about the day isn't there. 50s

From the country church to the cathedral, from the island to the inner city, 57s

the church erupts in joy. 63s

The organ swells the cross is processed. 72s

The church rises and sings. 75s

Prophecies have come to pass. 84s

Like the prophecy in Genesis 3rd chapter that says, 87s

a Messiah would come. It has come to pass. 91s

The prophecy of Psalm 16 that prophesied the resurrection of the Savior has come to pass. 96s

The prophecy of Matthew the 20th chapter, where Jesus outlines in detail exactly what is going to happen to him has come to pass. 105s

Now all the vault of heaven resounds in praise of love that still abounds Christ is triumph. 122s

Jesus Christ is risen today. 129s

Our triumph and holy day. 132s

I know that my Redeemer lives what comfort this wheat sentence gives. 135s

And the church with her allilluias. 144s

They ring. 152s

They ring. 156s

And yet we hear it again. 161s

We heard it last Sunday. 165s

Amits the Huzanas and the Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord of poms Sunday. 168s

We heard it. It was a cry. 174s

And it was Jesus that was crying. 178s

The Bible tells us that as He looked at Jerusalem, He cried. 185s

And now a week later to the day, we hear a cry again. 192s

This time it's Mary Magdalene. 200s

As we've talked about, holy week is one continual service. 207s

There was no benediction last Sunday. 212s

There was no benediction this past Thursday. 214s

There was no benediction on Friday. 216s

The benediction doesn't come until the end of this service in the new week. 219s

And so in that vein, the sermon today is really a continuation of last week's sermon. 226s

It's one long sermon because we heard last week the cry of Jesus in on this. 236s

As we look at the early account there, the first account of that Easter morning on this, 249s

the day of resurrection, we hear a cry again. 256s

What is it? 265s

What is it that we can learn? 267s

It was early morning on that Sunday. 274s

Mary Magdalene headed to the tomb. 279s

You'll remember how the service of good Friday ended just before the closing there of the 281s

missile and the final darkening of the sanctuary. 288s

As that gospel message was read, Mary Magdalene was referenced right at the end. 292s

Mary Magdalene knew where Jesus had been laid. 298s

And so early on that Sunday morning, she headed out to the tomb and what did she discover? 303s

But she discovered that the stone had been rolled away. 308s

She started to run. 316s

She ran to Peter and she ran to John telling them that the Lord had been taken and don't know where he 317s

is. 328s

Well, that occasion of foot race between Peter and John. 329s

John wins. 333s

The Bible tells us, and John comes to the tomb. 334s

And he sees the burial claws of Jesus. 339s

But he doesn't go into the tomb. 343s

Peter then, coughing and puffing, catches up and comes to the tomb. 347s

Peter, those great, and you know Peter. 351s

He just goes right into the tomb. 353s

Then John follows and they both see it. 355s

The body is gone. 359s

But the Bible tells us that they yet did not understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead. 363s

And so what did they do that first, Easter morning? 374s

They just went back to their houses. 381s

They went back to their houses. 385s

And then you hear it. 391s

You hear it. 394s

Look, please, at verse 11, chapter 20. 396s

But Mary's stood weeping outside the tomb. 400s

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb. 407s

And she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying. 411s

One at the head and the other at the feet. 417s

She didn't recognize that they were angels because the other gospels tell us that the angels were in the appearance of men. 422s

And she also didn't understand the significance of the angels. 431s

Being on the head and the feet of where Jesus had been laid. 435s

She didn't understand it. 441s

That goes all the way back to Exodus 25, all the way back to the Old Testament. 443s

Genesis and then Exodus. 448s

And in Exodus 25, it tells of the building of the Tabernacle and the building of the Ark of the Covenant. 451s

And on the top of the Ark of the Covenant was what was called the Mercy Seat. 458s

And once a year the high priest would go in and would take the blood from the sacrifices and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat. 463s

And God said, I promise, I promise to meet you there. 473s

And at either end of the Mercy Seat made of gold were two angels. 480s

Mary didn't understand. 491s

With the angel at the head and at the feet that echoes all the way back to Exodus 25, Mary didn't understand that God no longer promised to meet the Ark of the Covenant. 494s

But that God was meeting there in the empty tomb of the Lord. 507s

Bible tells us verse 13, they said to her, 517s

woman, why are you weeping? 520s

She said to them, they've taken away my Lord and I do not know where they've laid him. 522s

She's actually what verse two says. 527s

She ran, went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved and said to them, 528s

they've taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. 533s

That first Easter mourn. 543s

There was the cry of Jesus on Palm Sunday and then that first Easter mourn. 547s

There's the cry again. 555s

And it's the cry of Mary. 560s

But she would not be left in her tears. 567s

One of the parks in grapevine. 577s

It's a wonderful gathering. 582s

There were parents and grandparents and kids of all ages and they were just running around and having a great time. 583s

But all of a sudden there was a cry. 593s

And that cry, it occasioned a glance from some but not one. 599s

She was talking in a group. 607s

Her back was to where the cry was. 609s

She didn't glance though when that cry started, she just turned and she ran. 612s

She ran to the child crying. 618s

Why? 622s

Why was there no glance? 624s

Because with her back turned and hearing the cry, she knew it was her own. 628s

She recognized the cry. 639s

Listen to what David says in Psalm 56. 646s

David writes this, you have kept count of my tossings. 652s

That's an amazing image here. 658s

That when we toss and turn at night, God keeps count of that. 660s

He knows of every toss and turn. 665s

When we're struggling with something or when we're troubled by something or where there's grief. 668s

And then David writes, you have put my tears in your bottle. 673s

Are they not in your record? 679s

God does not miss one of our tears. 684s

The image is that he puts them in the bottle. 690s

He recognizes our tears and he addresses our tears. 698s

Look when he plays at verse 14 of our text. 709s

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there but she did not know that it was Jesus. 716s

Jesus said to her woman, why are you weeping? 722s

Who were you looking for? 727s

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, sir, if you've carried him away, tell me where you've laid him and I will take him away. 730s

Jesus said to her, Mary, she turned and said to him, in Hebrew, Robonai, which means teacher. 738s

There was grace-born recognition when the name is given. 752s

And then in the very next verse, you have to smile a little bit because there's a little bit of humor embedded in it. 759s

Verse 17, Jesus said to her, do not hold onto me because I have not yet ascended to the father. 768s

When you look at the ancient language there and when you look at that, what it communicates is the grasp of Mary upon Jesus. 773s

And what it communicates is Jesus is saying, don't hold me so tight. 784s

I still have to ascend. 789s

But go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your God to my God and your God. 794s

Mary Magdalene went and announced that the disciples I have seen the Lord and she told them that he had said these things to her. 801s

The tears wiped away. 815s

And there was joy that morning. 822s

There was joy that morning. 829s

Her name was Tony. 839s

It became apparent that the Lord was going to heal her, not on this side of Easter, but on the other side of Easter. 842s

As we sat and talked in her hospital room, she turned and she said, so what's it going to be like? 853s

What's it going to be like when I die? 864s

What's it going to be like? 867s

What's it going to be like? 871s

That occasion, the wonderful conversation. 875s

For the Christian, when we die, we are immediately in the presence of the Lord. 881s

That's Luke 23. 887s

Remember Jesus on the cross turned to the criminal next to him and said, today you will be with me in paradise. 888s

John 14 says that he goes to prepare a place for us and that he will come again and take us to himself. 897s

Christian, when we die, it is instantaneous. 906s

You are here and then you are there. 909s

There's no traveling. 912s

There's no travel time. 913s

It's instantaneous. 915s

Instantaneous. 917s

Transfer. 919s

In living. 920s

Myvel tells us down judgment day. 923s

Those that have gone before. 928s

In paradise itself, we receive the resurrection body. 931s

That's Philippians, the third chapter. 939s

That's that resurrection body like our Lord. 942s

It's not subject to decay. 945s

There's no illness associated with it. 947s

It's perfect. 951s

Bible tells us that indeed there will be no more of sins consequences. 954s

That's revelation chapter 21. 960s

As one author puts it in heaven, there are no more wars. 962s

There's no more fighting. 967s

There's no more animosity. 969s

There's no more illness. 971s

There's no more medicine. 974s

There's no more funerals. 975s

None of that. 977s

Bible tells us in heaven that we'll be with him. 979s

That's John 14. 983s

The Bible tells us that in heaven we'll be with fellow believers. 984s

That's revelation five. 989s

The Bible tells us that in heaven we'll be with the angels. 990s

Matthew the 22nd chapter. 996s

The Bible tells us that in heaven the image of God will be fully restored in us. 998s

Ephesians 4. 1005s

The Bible tells us that in heaven we will not need a Bible to tell us about who God is. 1006s

But we will have full knowledge that's first Corinthians the 13th chapter. 1013s

In heaven a media transfer the new body just like the Savior's body. 1020s

No more of sins consequences. 1030s

We will be with him with fellow believers with the angels. 1032s

The image of God fully restored in us. 1037s

Full knowledge. 1042s

What's it going to be like? 1046s

That's what it's going to be like. 1049s

In addition the Bible tells us what will be absent in heaven. 1053s

Revelation the 21st chapter. 1067s

See the home of God is among mortals. 1074s

He will dwell with them. 1078s

They will be his peoples and God Himself will be with them. 1080s

The catches. 1088s

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. 1091s

Death will be no more. 1101s

Morning and crying and pain will be no more. 1104s

For the first things have passed away. 1110s

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. 1117s

That is so difficult for us to comprehend. 1130s

Because we don't have any frame of reference for that. 1137s

Because until we take our final breath this side of Easter, 1142s

there will be tears. 1147s

But we can live in the confident joy of the day that will be. 1152s

The message of Easter is that our sins have been forgiven through the Lord Jesus Christ. 1165s

The message of Easter is life eternal. 1176s

The message of Easter is that we have been reconciled unto God. 1183s

Sin separates us. 1188s

But the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place. 1192s

The wrath of God fell upon him and not us. 1197s

And we have been reconciled unto him. 1201s

The message of Easter is that the debt of our sin has been paid in full. 1205s

The Lord Jesus Christ has taken the victory of the cross in the empty tomb. 1215s

He's put it with the ordinary water of baptism. 1221s

And with that word it becomes a life-giving water. 1226s

And we have been washed in the promises of God Almighty. 1230s

The message of Easter is that Christ is not in the tomb. 1237s

And the sacrifice for sin has been accepted. 1243s

The message of Easter is that what awaits us is the tearless life. 1248s

The tearless life. 1261s

For there will be no crying in heaven. 1265s

Because there will be nothing to cry about. 1269s

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 30, weeping may linger for the night. 1276s

But joy comes in the morning. 1287s

And one day, one day the morning of mornings will come for each one of us. 1298s

The shadows will dissipate. 1314s

And by the grace of God baptized child, we will join the church in heaven. 1322s

And we'll join as the hymns swell. 1333s

We'll join in the eruption of joy. 1343s

And with every tear having been wiped away, our alaluious will reign. 1353s

And with every tear having been wiped away, our alaluious will reign. 1374s