2005-03-27 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

John 20:6-7

For the religious leaders it had been a restless night. With unlawful trials and false testimonies the night before, they'd condemned an innocent Man to die, and with blackmail they'd convinced the governor to carry out the sentence. An innocent Man had been executed yesterday. Now that He was dead and buried, they wanted to make sure He stayed that way, so what did they do? They went again to the governor, and they asked him to secure the tomb! The governor had sentenced many men to die, but something was different about this One. This time he was afraid (John 19:6-8), so he gave the religious leaders what they wanted.

At least four soldiers, under direct order from the governor, helped these religious leaders make sure the innocent Man's body was in the tomb, then they sealed the entrance so nobody could get in and steal the body, and then they stood on watch until the third day (Matt 27:62-66). As the sun was about to rise on the third day, something very frightening happened; something that caused the soldiers to desert their post; something that the innocent Man had predicted would happen, the very thing the religious leaders and the governor were afraid might happen - it happened. The entrance to the tomb is open; the body is nowhere to be found, and thanks to the devoted women who came early to mourn at the tomb, the news gets back quickly to this Man's friends. This begins a footrace to the tomb between two of them; one named Simon Peter, and one named John. John gets there first. He stoops down and peers in, but he only sees the strips of cloth that his Friend's body had been wrapped in, and he doesn't go in.

John 20:6-7 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

The next verse tells us that John went into the sepulchre then, and whatever he saw in there caused him to believe. Luke 24:12 says that Peter walked away "wondering in himself at that which was come to pass." John and Peter were confronted with the same evidence in that tomb; it persuaded John to a convicting faith, but Peter walked away wondering.

Men, I'm sorry, but I have to ask you this. There's no need to raise your hand because I'll know by the look on your face.

How many of you have ever folded clothes at any time in your life?
How many of you can honestly say that you've folded clothes at any time since you've been married?
How many of you have been folding clothes, but then a woman came by and criticized your technique?

Now, a question for all of you: Do you think Mary ever scolded her Son when He left His dirty clothes lying around?
Do you think Jesus ever had to help His mom with the chores? Reckon she was the one who taught Him how to fold laundry?

During those precious moments when Jesus passed from His dead flesh body into His resurrected body, those grave clothes lost their grip. They just laid there on the slab. They lost their grip on Him, and my friends, at that moment, they lost their grip on you, too. Do you realize that? Do you live for each day, even for each moment, with joy? Do you thank Jesus that the grave has lost it's sting?

What did John see when he went into the tomb? He saw all the majesty and might of the empty grave clothes. Now he understands what Jesus meant when He chided Philip, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father (John 14:9)." John saw the linen wrappings, empty and unmoved, but he also noticed the napkin, "neatly wrapped together in a place by itself." John saw that Jesus was right, that we have a great hope in this Resurrection, and he saw something else.

In that folded-up napkin, John saw the innocent Man. He saw in the work of the innocent Man, in the folding and careful placing of that napkin, John saw that we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). In the folding and careful placing of that napkin, John saw the "form of God," who made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phi 2:7-8).

John could see in the empty grave clothes the Son of God, the power of One who could accurately predict His own betrayal, arrest, trial, death, burial and resurrection (to the day), and in the napkin, placed separately and neatly wrapped together, John could see the innocent Man, the Man whose mother had taught Him to clean up His room, to sit up straight, and to chew His food.

In a picture of grave clothes, John saw man and God in a new relationship, and he believed.

Christians should be the happiest people in the world. Every "religion" and every "way of the world" bases your worth on what you have and what you've done; on how good a person you are; on the things you've done for your religion, for humanity, for the animals, for the environment, or whatever, but Christianity is different - because of this day. This celebration sets us apart from everybody and everything else. We should be the happiest people you'll ever meet, because God delights more in our love than our sacrifices (1 Sam 15:22, Hos 6:6, Matt 9:13, Matt 12:7).

It's not hard to please Him - just become as a little child and obey.

We should be full of peace and of joy because we know that if we love Him, nothing that comes against us will prosper. We should be full of hope, because we know that If we love Him and turn away from our sins, at the end of the day each and every one of us will receive the exact same wage (Luke 19:11-27). We should feel empowered because while every other philosophy or religion in the world today would have us work our way to the top, we know that the Way has already been made. I know that I can't get into heaven because "I've been a good person." It's only possible for me because Jesus was the only good Person. He made it possible, and there's no other way. It takes a huge burden off your back when you realize that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, therefore what manner of people should we be?