For the past 6 weeks we have been looking at some of the words Jesus spoke while He hung on the cross. We called the series Red Letter Day because the words of Jesus are often printed in red ink in our Bible. The words we hear Jesus speak from the cross are powerful because they talk about God’s forgiveness and grace, and they remind us that even in the midst of our darkest days Jesus is still with us. He says, today you will be with me in paradise.
The red letters of that day would mean nothing, however, if there were not more red letters to come. If Jesus had simply died on the cross, never to rise again, His teaching would be insightful but it would not be transformational, but because there were red letters after his death, because Jesus rose from the grave, it gives power and authority to every word and teaching of Jesus. The resurrection is the sign to us that everything Jesus said is right, and good, and trustworthy, and that Jesus alone is the Messiah, the Son of God. Today we celebrate the Ultimate Red Letter by looking at three words Jesus spoke after He rose from the dead. Three words that give us hope, and power, and a future.
One of the first words Jesus spoke from the gospel of John was, Mary. Mary Magdalene had been a follower of Jesus. Jesus had turned her life around when he drove evil spirits from her life, and in return, Mary was devoted to Him. Mary was one of the last people at the cross and the first person at His tomb. While all the men ran away and hid, Mary was courageous and stood by Jesus to the end, and then after the Sabbath day of rest, it was Mary who went to properly prepare Jesus’ body for the grave. She went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus dead. His body should have been wrapped tight in the temporary grave clothes, he should have been lying in a sealed tomb. But when Mary got there, the tomb was not only open, but empty.
After running to tell the disciples what she found and having everyone check out the situation, Mary was left alone by the grave. John 20:11-16.
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one 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, “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 toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
I love that one of the first words Jesus spoke after He rose from the dead was the name of one of his followers. He doesn’t call her by name and scold her for not recognizing Him. He doesn’t try to teach her anything, or dive into a deep theological meaning of the resurrection, He simply calls out by name, he speaks to hear heart. These red letters tell us that the resurrection of Jesus is PERSONAL. It is for all of us.
While Jesus was the sacrificial lamb who took away the sin of the world, He also is the one who died for me, and for you. If Jesus died for each one of us, then His resurrection is for each one of us. It is personal. God’s forgiveness is for each one of us. New life in Jesus name is available to each one of us. In Isaiah 43:1, God says, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
God knows us by name, and it’s because of the resurrection of Jesus that we are forgiven (redeemed) and now belong to God. Where once we were separated from God because of our sin, now, through Jesus, we are brought near to God and given the gift of life. When God calls Mary by name, it transforms her life again. Her sorrow becomes joy, her despair becomes hope, and a life that had lost everything 24 hours earlier is now filled with purpose.
Everything changed for Mary when she heard her name, and everything can change for us when we hear God call us by name. Our sorrow can be turned to joy, our despair can become hope, and our life can be filled with meaning and purpose.
It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t call Peter by name, or John, or James. He called Mary, and the reason He did is because she is the only one who stayed in the garden. You have to believe if the other disciples had stayed, He would have called their names as well, but they left. Mary stayed. If we want to hear God call our name, we need to stay with Him. We need to quiet our lives, still our hearts, and put ourselves in places where it is quiet enough to hear God speak. It may not happen the first day, or the second, or the third, but if we will be still - we will know that God is with us and we just might hear our name. The red letters of Easter tell us that the resurrection of Jesus is personal, God forgives us and redeems us and brings each one of us hope and new life.
If we keep reading in John’s gospel we find that later in the day Jesus does appear to His disciples. This time He doesn’t greet them by name but with this blessing. Jesus says, PEACE. In Luke’s gospel it says, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Luke 24:36-39
The resurrection of Jesus wasn’t just personal, it was also to bring a peace that would overcome all doubt and fear. We all have doubts and we all have fears, and some of these are centered on our faith. We ask ourselves, is all of this true? Did Jesus really live and die and rise again? Can we trust and depend upon His word and God’s love? Can all of this really make a difference in my life? We all have these kinds of questions and what I love is that Jesus simply offers Himself in response saying, try me. Reach out your hand and touch me? See if I am a ghost or if I am real.
We can reach out to Jesus today to see if He is real. God says, if you seek me with all our heart you will find me, so if we are willing to reach out with sincere and humble hearts - we will find that Jesus is real and that He can be counted on in every area of our lives. Each of the disciples reached out to Jesus and their lives were transformed. In fact, one of the most powerful pieces of evidence we have to tell us that the resurrection of Jesus is real is the changed lives of his followers.
A day earlier, the disciples were all hiding in fear, a few days from now they are going to be strong and courageous and take the world by storm. Even in the face of death, they would not deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Because they reached out to him, their lives changed. If we are willing to reach out to Jesus we will find Him and with Him we find peace and a power that will change our lives.
If you are in need of this kind of peace, if you need to know that God is real and experience the power of God in your lives, I would invite you to do one simple thing this week. PRAY. That’s it. Pray, and ask God to show you that He is real. Pray, and then listen for God to call you by name, or fill you with peace. It’s what this red letter day is all about.
It’s personal, and it brings peace, but there is one more word that we cannot overlook - GO. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus tells his followers to go into all the world with the good news that He has risen from the dead. In the gospels of Luke and John, Jesus says that He is sending them out into the world to do the same thing. Part of this ultimate red letter day has to be to PROCLAIM the good news that Christ is Risen! (He is risen indeed!)
You may have seen an article this week that according to a recent Gallup survey, this is the first time in the history of the US that less than half the population is a member of any kind of church, synagogue, or mosque. While there may be many people who are very active in their faith and just don’t want to join a church, the reality is that we are not doing a very good job of proclaiming the message that Jesus died and rose again to fill us with hope, and power, and new life. We aren’t doing a good job telling people that God knows their name, and that God alone can bring them a peace that passes all understanding. We have to reclaim the power of Easter and learn how to proclaim this good news with joy, with authenticity, and with conviction. We need to share how the resurrection of Jesus has changed our lives and filled us with peace.
If we have experienced God in personal ways, and if we experience the peace of God, a peace and presence that fills us with power, then let’s take up the purpose of the church and the mission of Jesus and share this good news with others. Everyone who heard the red letters of Jesus on that first Easter day were given one purpose, one task, one job. Go and tell someone else.
Mary - go tell the disciples.
Disciples - go tell the world.
The mission of God hasn’t changed, the call of God today is exactly what it was on that ultimate red letter day, go and share the good news that Christ is Risen! (He is risen indeed!).
AMEN!
Next Steps
The Ultimate Red Letter Day!
Read the resurrection story in all four gospels.
Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21
● What red letters jump out at you?
● What message was so important that Jesus shared it on this particular and powerful day?
● What do they mean for you personally?
Personal: the resurrection of Jesus is personal, God knows your name.
● When have you heard God call your name?
● What does it mean to you that God knows your name and everything about you?
○ Does it bring comfort, fear, joy? Why?
● If you have never heard God call your name, take time this week to be quiet and listen. Ask God to speak to you.
Peace: the resurrection of Jesus brings peace.
● What doubts or fears are you struggling with today?
○ How can knowing that Jesus rose from the grave help you overcome these fears?
● How can the open and empty tomb help you see that nothing is impossible with God?
○ Where can this give you hope and power?
● Pray and ask God to show you that He is real.
Proclaim: the resurrection of Jesus isn’t just for you, it is for everyone.
● Who do you know that could benefit from hearing that God is for them, that God is with them, and that God loves them?
● How can you share your own personal story of God’s love?
● Where can you be an agent of God’s peace in the world?
● Pray with us that Faith Church can find ways to proclaim the good news of Jesus to those who need to hear.
