Grace For Your Day March 25

Our sermon for Easter Sunday will be taken from John 20 which describes the time when several people went to the empty tomb in order to see Jesus after the resurrection. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Peter and John. In my studies this week, I came across a sermon that Charles Spurgeon preached on this passage and I wanted to share some of his thoughts with you as we prepare our minds for this text. Here they are:

THIS was the first appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ after His Resurrection. In sundry places and at diverse times, during the ensuing 40 days, He appeared to different disciples, showing Himself openly to them when they were assembled for worship and at other times. But this was the first occasion of His being seen by any of His followers after He had risen from the dead. The whole incident is full of consolation and we who are poor weary pilgrims through this earthly wilderness need some words of comfort every now and then to cheer us on the road.

First, IT IS PECULIARLY ENCOURAGING TO REMEMBER THAT THE FIRST PERSON TO WHOM OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST APPEARED AFTER HIS RESURRECTION WAS MARY MAGDALENE.

It was a woman, then, who first beheld the risen Savior. It was a woman who was first in sin. It had, therefore, to be a woman who should first behold Jesus Christ when He rose from the grave. If there is—and there certainly is some degree of opprobrium connected with womanhood, because Eve first of all touched the forbidden fruit, there is a far greater degree of glory now connected with it, because Mary Magdalene first of all beheld the Savior after His rising which should be a great source of comfort to you who, after years of sin, have lately found the Savior.

Not only was it a woman to whom Christ first manifested Himself after His Resurrection, but it was a woman out of whom He had cast seven devils. I am inclined to think that there were other devils in Mary Magdalene beside those that made her a demoniac. Luther used to say of her, "So many devils, so many sins." She had been first a sinner, then she became a demoniac and afterwards Christ changed her into a saint. How strange it was that Jesus should appear first to her! What? Give the highest honor to her who had the most of sin! Sweet thought!

The experience of Mary Magdalene should be a great source of comfort to you who, after years of sin, have lately found the Savior. Think not that those years that you spent in folly, though they must always make you weep, will be the means of robbing you of fellowship with Him. Oh, no! He will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten and He will not take away from you the pleasure of enjoying the bliss of God on earth—and certainly He will not diminish your glorious happiness when you shall stand before His Throne above!

In thinking over this subject, I have come to the conclusion that Mary Magdalene was selected to see Christ first because she loved Him most. John loved Jesus much, but Mary loved Him more. John looked into the empty sepulcher and then went home. But Mary stood there and wept until her risen Lord appeared to her because love will look for Jesus and discover Him where none else can.

Charles Spurgeon is right because our love for Jesus can draw us near to God when everything else fails. After all, that is what God wants us to do to be saved. We do not have to be perfect because Mary was not perfect. And we do not have to have our life together because she failed at that too. However, we do need to stay close to Him which is where she excelled the most.

Please join us as we study her story this Easter. It is a good reminder that Jesus does not look for the greatest people to be His followers. He just wants those who will be humble and treasure Him more than anything else in the world. Our service begins at 9:30 and it will be recorded and later posted on our You Tube page for all those who cannot make it in person.

– Jeremy Cagle