John 2021

The reading tonight is from John's Gospel, chapter 19, getting at verse 31. Now it was the day of preparation And the next day was to be a special Sabbath because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath. They asked pilot to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who have been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

Instead, 1 of the soldiers p s g's aside with a spear bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth and he testifies so that you also may believe these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, not 1 of his bones will be broken. And as another scripture says, they will look on the 1 they have pierced. Later, Joseph Arimathea asked pilot for the body of Jesus.

Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With pilot's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicolas, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus bought a mixture of Ma and Allos, about 35 kilograms, taking Jesus body, the 2 of them wrapped it with the spices in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden and in the garden a new tomb in which no 1 had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation, and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. Early on the first day of the week While it was still dark, Mary Magdalen went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the 1 Jesus loved and said, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. So Peter and the other disciples started for the tune, both were running but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but did not go in. And Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lined there as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.

He saw and believed. They still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had arise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw 2 angels in white seated where Jesus body had been. 1 at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, woman, why are you crying? They have taken my lord away. She said, said, and I don't know where they have put him at this. She turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener. She said, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him. Jesus said to her, Mary.

She turned towards him and cried out in aramek. Reboni, which means teacher. Jesus said, do not hold on to me. For I have not yet ascended to the father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my father and your father to my god and your god.

Mary went to the disciples with the news, I have seen the lord and she told them that he had said these things to her. Well, good evening from me and may I say welcome. My name is Rory for those who don't name me. I'm 1 of their members of staff here. And it's great that we can be looking at this section of John.

Although, I'm sure you agree as you read through it, you thought that is absolutely round full of stuff. And so we truly need God's help tonight to to really get stuck into this. We wanna work hard wanna work hard at this because there's real treasures in this passage. Let's pray as we begin, and then we'll see what this has to say to us. Father, We thank you so much for this, your word.

We thank you for all the blessings that we have received by reading through this book of John and we pray now that as we consider the sort of last moments of the book that you will help us. We help us to work hard. We help us to listen. We help us to see. The glories of the gospel.

How was to see the glories of Christ and what it means for us. So he prayed these things in Jesus' name our men. Now I wonder what you would say the meaning of it is finished. Is. What does it mean it is finished?

I think it's quite an easy question actually, isn't it? If something's finished, it usually means that a task is completed. That's it's all been done. It is finished. Have you finished?

Yes, I finished. I finished that. I'm moving on to the next thing. Now, it's an easy phrase to say. It's an easy phrase to stand, but actually just because you say it is finished doesn't always mean it is finished.

Now you might be you might be familiar with this or or is it really finished? You might ask the question. If anyone, you may have accounted people like this at work where you say, have you done that job? They say yes, and it turns out that they actually haven't done that job. They've done parts of that job.

Or if you have kids and you say, have you finished your chores? They say, yes, I finished. You said, have you really finished your chores? Have you actually done this, that, and the other? And they say, no, I haven't done that.

So it's not finished. You go to a child in in school and you say, have you finished your work? They say, yes. You say, well, have you asked this question? They say, no.

It's not finished. Is it really finished? And actually, we see here that Jesus' words in verse 30 are It is finished. It is finished. Now we might, though, question, is it finished?

Is it actually finished? Did it actually happen? Is is what Jesus is claiming to have done Done. Now you might be here and you've never come to believe that Jesus is who he says he is. And you may be thinking, no.

I'm not so sure that what he's saying is true. Is it actually finished what he's saying? Or maybe you a Christian are here. And there are times in your lives where you've ended up doubting. And you asked that question, is it finished?

Maybe it's a a time in your life. You've you've you're struggling with sin. You've you've messed up in the same way again. And you look at the cross and you say, is it really finished? Is my sin actually made an end to, why do I keep on sinning?

Is it finished? Maybe you you hear the arguments against the gospel. Jesus didn't really die. People do not rise from the dead. The bible is a a made up story.

And so you asked the question is, is it is it really finished? Is it finished? As you look at a world and you see people going away further and further away from Christianity, Is it really finished? Why are people not coming to know Jesus? They seem to be going further away from Jesus?

Is it finished? Is what he did, did it work? And I want to say that this passage answers that question that it's absolutely finished. I've got 3 points, and they all start with it is finished. We're gonna see that Jesus is really dead.

We're gonna see a bodyless tomb. I'm gonna see my God and your God. And as we go through these points, I want us to see the proof that it is finished. I want us to see that the old testament is fulfilled, that prophecy is fulfilled, and I want us to see the power of those words it is finished. So let's have a look at this now.

Firstly, then, it is finished. Jesus is really dead and buried. It is finished. Jesus is really dead and buried. So here's the proof for you.

We come to the story in verse 31, and it comes to be that the Jews now apparently are really worried about religious things again. They've killed an innocent man, and now we really wanna keep the Sabbath because we're so righteous. That's what the the Jews are thinking. And so they want the legs of the criminals and those on the cross, including Jesus, to be broken. Now you might be thinking why do they want the legs broken?

Well, this is where it gets a little bit gory. Because in crucifixion, you needed your legs to lift yourself up to breathe. If you break those legs you can no longer do that. So you're speeding up this process of death. And so we come to this scene in verse 32, and the Romans, they would have had some massive hammer basically that was very blunt.

They come to the first criminal and they break his legs. They go the other side of Jesus, and they break his legs. But then they come to Jesus. And they don't. Because what do they see in verse 33?

But when they came to Jesus, and found that he was already dead. They did not break his legs. So here's your first proof. That Jesus is dead. The Romans come.

They see Jesus on the cross and they say he's already dead. That's good proof, by the way, because the Romans were pretty good at killing people. Yeah? They weren't they didn't usually make mistakes. They were professional executioners.

They weren't they didn't make blunders often. Okay. But okay. But we want some more proof Well, let's keep going because in the next verse, what do they do? Instead verse 34, 1 of the soldiers pierce Jesus aside with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

Okay. So let's just make sure he's dead 1 of the Roman soldiers says he grabs his spear and he grabs Jesus in the side with that spear. The blood and water flow out showing that he's dead. They they they think there's a there's a couple of arguments about why that happens. But essentially, it might be because, sorry, that when you are dying on a crash, you're dying of exphyxiation and your lungs fill with water.

So that's the release of blood and water. But I think it also shows even if we're not sure about the medical expertise in this, if you stab someone who's alive, they would usually react some way. Yeah? They might say, wow, where the big sharp stick is problem into them, but Jesus doesn't. That's proof number 2 that he is really dead.

Proof number 3. Verse 35, the man who saw that it has given testimony and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth and he testifies that you also may believe. This wasn't done in the dark corner. John, they think that the the commentators think that this John.

He is there. He's looking. He sees that Roman soldiers come. He sees them not break his leg. He sees that they see that he's dead and they see him pierce his side and he sees the blood and water and John is saying he is really dead.

That's a proof. But more than that, it's not just that he's dead, but he's also buried. You'll see as we read as we read through there, the word body is used 3 times versus 38 later. Joseph of Arimothaya asked pilot for the body of Jesus. Later on, he came and took the body away versus 40 taking Jesus' body the 2 of them wrapped it with the spices and strips of linen.

This is not a live, walking, and talking body, is it? This is a dead body. This is dead. Jesus' body is dead. And so they take the body and they wrap it in linen.

They're wrapping and wrap it. You don't wrap up live bodies. It would be slightly silly. But not just that, not do you just wrap the bodies, but they have a cloth that goes over the face and you'll notice in verse 39 that nicodemus brings a mixture of Merin aloes about 35 kilograms of the stuff. Okay?

That cloth is going over your face. Okay? If that if that's going over your face and you were alive even after the off chance that Jesus is alive, which he isn't. That's gonna suffocate him. Right?

It's packed full of all this gear. He's wrapped across his face. If he was alive, I think at this point, he might start shouting. No. No.

No. No. But he isn't. He's really dead. And he's then really buried.

And he's given a proper burial, isn't he? He's put in a new tomb in a garden that no 1 has ever laid in. It's really really important this. It is finished. He did that.

He has to die. It is important that he dies because If he doesn't die, he hasn't paid the price. Because the wages of sin as death, he needs to die. My death for me for to be fished. The work has to be done to gain the rewards.

So there's the proof. He's dead. He's buried. Yeah. Don't try and argue with that because you'll look silly.

But let's look at the prophecy because this is deeper this is deeper than just that. You'll notice in verse 36, These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled. Not 1 of his bones will be broken. Now, This is where I'm starting to get excited. Okay?

So I'm expecting to see some excited faces here. Not 1 of his bows will be broken. That is amazing. Now you'll you'll have seen that throughout this passage and throughout John, he keeps on talking about the Passover and Preparation Day that this is a special Sabbath Day because it's Passover Time. Now if we go back to exit this during Passover, What was the requirement for the lamb that they killed to spread the blood over the doors?

Were they required for that passover lamb? Was that its bones would not be broken. This is the perfect passover lamb of God. He's the 1 that has to die so that we may be sheltered from the wrath of gods. And we see that further on, you go to Psalm, chapter 34, and verse 19 to 20, it says this.

The righteous person may have many troubles as Jesus. But the law delivers them from all. He protects all his bones. Not 1 of them will be broken. So even in Jesus' death, He's he's fulfilling prophecy even in this death scene God is working.

So, the bones are not broken, but more than that go to verse 37. And as another scripture says, they will look on the 1 they have paced. So it's been prophesied years before this that the the 1 that comes will be pierced and they will be looking upon them. His bows won't be broken, exodus, numbers, psalms, but also his side will be pissed and they will look upon him. And here it is being fulfilled.

But there's more. Verse 41 to 42. There he is. He's put in a tomb and he's put in the tomb of a of a man called Joseph Arimothaya. Now Joseph of Arimuthaya, as well as being a very important man, is also a very rich man in Matthew.

And that's pretty cool as well because in Isaiah 53 verse 9, it says he was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Here he is fulfilling all sorts of prophecies and he's not even alive. I can't fulfill anything as an alive person Well, some things may be. So God here is working. Jesus is fulfilling even in his death.

And this is finished. It is finished, and there is power for his people. The power in his people. Did you notice when he was pierced? What came out blood and water?

A lot of the commentators think that symbolizes something. What is it that blood does in the Old Testament? The blood justifies us with the father. It makes us right. It says we are innocent in the eyes of God.

What does water do? It washes us clean. This is the power of the cross. This is the power of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that he dies And in his death, he can bring his justification and sanctification. But also, you'll see that his death draws people out.

Did you see the 2 characters that are here verse 38, Joseph of arimathea asked pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With pilots permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by nicodemus. We've looked we've seen nicodemus.

We love nicodemus. Why? Well, he brought he he was the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nickardinas brought a mixture of mere analysis about 35 kilograms. These 2 men are important men.

They are men of the religious establishment. They are men in ruling a position. They're rich man and men as we've already seen. And before they had been scared to be associated with Jesus because they were worried what people think. But now look, what happens?

No longer is nicodemus visiting Jesus at night. No longer is Joseph of Arimothaya saying, I I don't wanna be a certain associated publicly with Jesus. No. They're drawn out. And they're saying, and and you think, well, want a bunch of cowlets not being willing to, but this is quite remarkable because it's when Jesus is at his weakest dead as most humiliated where he has nothing seemingly to offer them that they then go, I wanna be associated with this man.

They're willing to put it all on the line. And that's what Jesus' death does. It brings people out. It draws people to him. We've seen already in John.

And so it is really finished. It is really finished. Jesus is really dead. Jesus is really buried. The price is really paid.

It is finished. That is good news. But you might have the question. How do we know? How do we know it is finished?

Yes. Rory, you say all of these things have happened justification, sanctification. But how do we know? Is it really finished? Is it?

Yes. It is. Second point, it says finished. A bodiless tomb. A bodiless tomb.

And so look at the proof here. We come in chapter 20 in verse 1 and we get a new day. It's a Sunday, it's dark. Now the darkness might seem like it's quite gloomy and depressing, and that certainly is the picture for Mary Magdalena. She walks down to the tomb to see her beloved Savior, the 1 that she has loved so dearly through his life.

But it is a new day. The light is coming out and we should start getting excited about this. And as she comes down, what is it that she sees to show the beginnings that it is finished while she seeks stone has been removed. The stone's been removed. Now it's very difficult to move those stones because they're whack in great big things.

It's not a pebble. It's a humongous thing. But her conclusion probably is that there are people who have gone in and they've robbed the grave. Does that used to happen in these days? People used to go in the graves and rob them.

And so what what happens as a result of this stone being removed? Well, you probably saw there was a lot of running around. I've never seen so much running around. We get it all over the place. So what does Mary do?

She sees the stone. She's like, oh my goodness. The stone's been removed. We've got a I've got a go. And so she legs it.

She legs it to where, to Peter and John. Peter and John verse too. They have taken the lord out the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. What? Peter and John probably thought.

We need to go and investigate this. So what did Peter and John do? They run. Let's go lads. We're off.

So they lag it off to the tomb. I love this this scene as well because why does John have to have to say that he outrun Peter? Now I I think it's probably because he's quite competitive. This would be like me. If I beat anyone I like, I would make sure they knew.

Yeah? If I beat Stephen growing up, I would might not let him know that I beat him because he might beat me up. Yeah. What's like that? It seems like there's a competitive edge.

Maybe it's not that. But what this does, I think, do for us, it shows an authenticity of the gospel witness. Doesn't it? Why would you just add this in if it wasn't true? They ran They leg it.

John is quicker. Maybe he's younger and better looking. They run, and what does he do when he gets there? Well, he didn't go in straight away. He was he was a little bit cautious when he gets there, he thinks, well, can I go in and he just peers into the tomb?

And Peter, because Peter is Peter isn't he? We love Peter. Gong ho. Let's get in. Yeah.

Comes down to the tube. Straight in, I go. Well, I'm not waiting around. So I'm gonna have a look in here. Yeah.

And then John comes in. It shows us authenticity. The stone has been removed. We can look into the tomb. Now you'll make notice at the top of your chapter heading, where the twentieth.

What does it say? Right. That is wrong. That's why we can't trust these stuff heading. Is the tube empty?

No. The tomb is not empty, and you might be thinking, heresy. No. John, takes great care and goes to great lengths to show us that this tomb is not empty and that is cool news. What is in the tomb?

What is there? Oh, wow. Living and cloth. In fact, that what I mean, he's if you don't if you don't see the first time, you should see the other 4 times he mentions it in these verses. It's 5 times.

And how are these cloths and these linens array linen arranged? It's folded up. What the If they were if if they were grave robbers, If there was cray rubbers, this is not what they would do. Hey, all right. Let's remove that stone after they after they've probably taken out a few Roman soldiers, beat them up, decent.

Let's get that stone removed. Where's oh, there's the body. Okay. Let's take off all this expensive linen cloth. Yeah.

Right? Take it off, take that all those aloes that 35 kilograms of aloes and mud that was quite pricey as well. Okay. Yeah, let's leave it there. Oh, what don't cause a mess?

Don't cause a mess, lad. We don't wanna be we're not animals here. So we'll we'll gently fold them all up and we'll put them down and then we'll go with their body. Oh, we go, GladS. Why would they just take a body?

It's not grave robbers. No. Something has happened here. And the proof is that there's nobody but there is linen wrapped up carefully folded, left in place. And we have 2 witness to tell us about this.

We have Peter. We have John to say there was no body in that tomb. It's a bottle less tube. It's not an empty tube. You might want to cross out on your your bible, empty.

Get out and get body less. Yeah? So there's the proof. It is finished. Jesus isn't dead anymore.

He's alive. But let's have a look at the prophecy. Let's have a look at the old testament because this is the exciting stuff. What is in the tomb? Linen.

The linen is in the tomb. Why is that significant? Why does John want us to know that there is linen? Well, if we go back to the old testament in the book of LaVittacus, the high priest on the day of a token would have to put on a white linen garment to go behind the curtain to offer sacrifice for the whole people Right? He had to go into the into the most holy of holy places and sacrifice their for the people, a representative of the high priest with his white linen garment, not like the 1 he usually wore.

And then when he came out, what was he to do? He had to take them off and leave them there. Right? They were done with. The job had been done.

The linen had been left. What do we have in the tomb? Linnin. It's finished. How cool is that?

It is finished. The linen is left. It is finished. The sacrifice has been paid. How do we know?

The linen is there. It's like when you finish your job, You take your work clothes off. If you're in a medical profession, you don't go home where in PPE, do you? You'll look like I write laughing stock. Before you go to bed when you've done all your jobs and you say no more jobs, you take off your clothes and you go to bed.

Yeah? It's finished. Actually, I've been known because my jobs haven't been finished and I need to get up in the morning. I go to bed fully closed and sleep on top of the covers. Because I'm such a heavy sleeper.

But when we finished our jobs, we'd take our clothes off, put our put the clothes on maybe. And we go to sleep. It's finished. It is finished. The linen pronounces that it is finished.

And the old testament has been pointing to this that the righteous 1, the lord Jesus would not stay dead that he would pave away, he would defeat death. So we can see throughout Psalm 49 and Psalm 69 to 11. Therefore, my heart is glad that my tongue rejoices. My body also will rest secure. Why?

Because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead. Nor will you let your faithful ones see decay. You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 49, but God will redeem me from the realm of the dead.

He will surely take me to himself Isaiah 53 11 12. Therefore after he has suffered he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteousness would justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. And it goes on. Death is being defeated.

The grave has been conquered here. And that is what the old testament has been pointing towards. So we have the linen. It says that the sacrifice has been made, it has worked. We have the old testament prophecies that say that death will be defeated, show that it is defeated.

And so there is power in the fact that it is finished. John sees and he believes did you see that in verse 8. Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. They still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

John goes in. He sees the grave clothes wrapped up and he says Jesus has risen from the dead. And he doesn't get it all. He doesn't get what we've just gone through here. But he knows that Jesus has risen from the dead.

There is power for us because the grave and death has no means anymore so that we can say, where o death is your sting? Where o grave is your victory? See, Jesus has gone through. I remember 1 contagious, we did the resurrection for a whole week. It was fantastic.

And I I vividly remember 1 of the leaders John T had taken us through. He takes us through a a sort of doorway and he says Jesus goes through the doorway and we just follow on behind him. He's he's he's paved the way. The death is defeated. The grave has been conquered, and the resurrection is the proof that the cross worked.

It is finished. It is finished. It's like the receipt. How do I know I've paid for something? They give me a receipt.

How do we know that the cross works? The resurrection is the receipt that says it is finished? Now, what's amazing is where is this tomb? It's in a garden, isn't it? 1 of them a commentator called Matthew Henry.

I've just realized this is not on the slide, but it's really cool because in Eden, death and the grave, find its power. Death and the grave are brought to life in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve fall. But now in another garden. Oh, I've got it. Cool.

Few. I don't have to say it. In the garden, let me read this because it's much better when he says it. In the Garden of Eden, Death and the Grey first received their power. And now in the Garden, they are conquered, disarmed, and triumph over.

That's brilliant, isn't it? In a garden Christ began his passion in the guest emony. And from a garden, he would rise and begin his exaltation. There's power in the fact that it is finished. The grave has been defeated for us.

There's the proof. But thirdly, it is finished. My God and your God So we continue on. Now just because John's belief doesn't mean everyone's belief and so here's more proof for you. For Mary, she doesn't see it.

For Mary, she doesn't believe it yet. And she is so overcome with grief for the loss of of the 1 who has loved us so much that you can see in the story that she doesn't seem to compute, that she's chatting to 2 angels even. It isn't it weird? She bent over to looking to the 2. I saw 2 angels in white seated where Jesus body had been.

1 at the head and the other at the foot. That's that's significant, but we can't go into it right now. They asked her, woman, why are you crying? Just to a I always talk to angels. Mary says, they have taken my lord away, she said, and I don't know where they have put him.

So she she so overcome with grief that she doesn't realize that she doesn't seem to realize that she's talking to angels, but then it goes on. They are at this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not realize that it was Jesus. She thinks he's a gardener in in verse 15. She's so overcome with grief.

She's so she's so can't can't compute that the body has gone. She's looking for a dead Jesus. That she doesn't realize that he's standing right there in front of her. You know, when you I don't know if you ever been in those situations. You might think that can't happen, but we've all been there.

Haven't we? You know, you walk him down a shop. And and you see someone and they're like, and they're like, who are you? And then it and then it clicks. Yeah?

Or or we miss something. And you can understand why she might let her eyes are filled with tears as she's weeping. She turns she glimpses this man. It's not the body I'm looking for. She turns around again.

Sir, if you've taken it away, tell me where and I'll get him. She doesn't know what she's saying. What she's gonna do? She's gonna go to the body. She's gonna pick it up.

She's overcome with grief. But in her grief, you get verse 16. Jesus said to her, Mary. What a sweet sound that must have been for Mary. Mary.

She hears the voice of Jesus the intimate voice of Jesus that loves her. She turns and she sees Jesus her lover. And she touches Jesus and embraces him and clings to him and holds onto him and says, this is true. He has arisen from the dead. This is the proof that he is alive.

This is the proof that it is finished and isn't amazing. Mary Magdalen is the first woman, but she's the first person to witness the resurrected Lord Jesus. It's great this morning to talk about how important women are in gospel ministry where they're so important that Jesus would use them to be the first witness of his resurrected body. So we have the proof. What about the prophecy?

Look at verse 17 with me. Jesus said, Do not hold on to me for I have not yet ascended to the father. Do I always say to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God. You see that my God and your God. That is an incredible sentence because the old testament throughout the prophet say, And even in Exodus, it says that God says, I will be their God.

They will be my people. This is the hope of the old testament that we can be in relationship with God, but it's so much bigger here because it says my God in your God, but it says my father and your father that we will know God as father. This is what the old testament is trying to bring us back to. Why do you think it's in a garden? Why do you think she mistakes him for the as a gardener?

How does god relate to his people in Eden? He walks with his people, Adam and Eve. He walks with them in his finished creation. Creation starts. In a dark day.

And then the light comes in. And after he finishes, his work of creation, he rests with his people. Do you see the parallels? We come to another garden. Once he finishes his work on the cross and in the resurrection, he is with his people marry, and they're at rest now.

No more work to be done. Just to enjoy me forever. And so there's power in the people. Power that we have now, a relationship with God as father, the cross has achieved. The fact that we can call Godfather, Dremmar and John, chapter 10.

What does Jesus say? He says in verse 4 well, in first in verse 3, he says he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And then in verse 4, he goes on ahead of them. There's a that could be the resurrection right there, isn't it? He goes on ahead of them.

We follow. And his sheep follow him. Why? Because they know his voice. Mary, she turns reborn.

There is relationship with god the father, but there's more there is rest for us. An eternal rest. No longer do I have to try and justify myself. No wonder no no more do I have to try and make make right the wrongs that I have done. But there's more.

What was she doing before she sees Jesus, she's crying, she weeping. There is grief. There are tears. And at the end, there's joy. There's power in the cross and the resurrection.

It is finished. Tears are no longer needed. There is joy when we know the Lord Jesus Christ, and his resurrection And he's saying, don't cling onto me here because this is more than a physical thing now. I'm going to be with the father. This is a spiritual reality that we are children of the living god, that we have eternal rest, that we have joy along the tears.

And because of those things, we can go out and like Mary, we can go and tell people I have seen the Lord. That's a mission now. I've seen the Lord. I've seen the Lord. And through her eyes, we can now say I've seen the Lord.

I've seen the Lord. So it is finished. Here's my fourth point. I've snapped 1 in. Sorry.

I know I said 3, but it's a secret 1. Here's the fourth 1. It is finished. Have you seen and have you believed Have you seen and have you believed? 1 Corinthians 3 f 50 and 1 to 4 somewhere around here sort of 4.

There is 1 Corinthians 50 and 1 to 4. Now brothers and sisters This is Paul speaking. I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel, you are saved because it is finished. If you hold firmly to the word I preach you otherwise, you have believed in vain for what I received, I passed on to you as our first importance.

Nothing more important than this. That Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures, that he was buried. He was buried in a grave, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. This is our first importance.

So have you seen this? And have you believed this? Maybe you haven't. Maybe you've never believed. Well, let me say, look again.

Look and see. Look and see. Look and see. As the lord Jesus is pissed and blood and water comes out and reminds us that it's by the blood that we are justified, there is nothing that I can do to make myself write with God, but the blood of the lord Jesus Christ can cover all over all my sins. And make me write with God, look at the water that pours out and say that I can clean you of all the sin and of all the shame in your life.

Look at the grave and see that he has risen And it shows that it is finished. Look at him who died and rose again and to end sin to end shame, to defeat death and the grave, to bring you into a relationship with god the father. Look, look and see and trust. Be like John, believe believe believe and Christian. Maybe you have had those doubts before.

Maybe you've not said it like that. Is it finished? Is it finished? Yes. It is finished.

How good are those 3 words? It is finished. And so yes, you may suffer in this world, you may have persecution, and you can say, no, it is finished. You may look at this world going away from Jesus and you could say, yes, that people don't wanna know Jesus, but I know that it is finished. We might look and we might be confronted with our sin and our shame and think is it finished, but we can say it is finished.

Isn't that good news? I get it wrong. I've messed up again. Praise God that it is finished. Praise God that I can have confidence that because of the cross and the resurrection, I am forgiven.

I am saved. I am redeemed. I am restored. 1 of the 1 of the classic songs now that we sing before the throne of God above. What do we sing?

When Satan tempts me to despair. I fill my shame. I fill my sin. What do I do? Would I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin?

Because it's in the Savior died. Isn't that great news? It is finished. It is finished. And the cross and the resurrection proved it.

And so, like Nick Ademis and Joseph, let's go to the cross, let's serve the savior of the world. Like Mary, let's go and tell I have seen the lord. I have seen the 1 that says it is finished who can save you from your sin. So that you may know God as father. Take a moment to think through those things and Dean will bring us to to close.