Witnesses to Something Miraculous

John writes in verse 11, and as she wept, She stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw These two angels again. Here they are in white. emanating light. And they said to her, Woman, Why are you weeping?

Here she tells the angels, they have taken away my Lord. Isn't that great? What an incredible statement of faith. Not the guy I thought was my lord. Jesus was dead.

But Jesus was still her Lord. Hello, and welcome to Wisdom for the Heart. Wisdom for the Heart is a daily program. featuring the teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International.

You can learn more about us on our website. wisdomonline.org Today, Stephen continues through a teaching series called, This Changes Everything. What convinced the first Christians that Jesus really rose again? And why did God choose unexpected people to spread the news?

Well you're going to find out today. Stephen called today's message. Witnesses to something miraculous. Let's get started. Growing up near Williamsburg, Virginia, many trips during my childhood were taken to that reconstructed.

Section dating back to the 1800s. Of course. I would learn over time that Yeah. Colonial Williamsburg is a replica, an imitation of what it once was. I remember touring one home.

In Waysburg, as a teenager, and they had that narrow pathway. You know, they guided us through the home. Uh the rooms were all sanctioned off. Sanctioned off with velvet ropes. And at one point, I was looking into a kind of a dining room, living room.

area, sort of imagining what it'd be like to be sitting on that furniture and eating in that dining room. And I asked the tour guide, what is it in here that dates back to the 1800s? And as she pointed toward the living room, she said, You see the table and chairs over by the window? And I said, Oh, wow, you know, they're in such great shape. She said, No, no, you see that table?

And I said, Yeah, that's no, on top of the table. You see that candle? I said, Yeah. She said, That candle holder is the only original thing. from Colonial Williamsburg.

I wanted my money back, actually, after she said that.

Now, I don't have a problem with replicating historical landmarks. In fact, if you travel two hours west, which my family and I have done. You'll come to Monticello. The home of Thomas Jefferson. Much of that is still original.

The furniture. Books in his library, the clock in the lobby, even the antlers on the wall. date back to possessions he had when he was alive. It reminded me, though, that the the tragedy Here is that one of the most replicated items from the colonial period of time. Is a copy of the Gospels, not an original copy, not even an attempt to replicate the Gospels.

It's called the Jefferson Bible. And I have a copy of it here. When he was 77 years old, He completed a project that he had started decades earlier. He finally finished it. Where he had taken several copies of the Gospels and cut out.

The passages that and I quote he said that made sense Tehem. And he pasted Those passages together to create his own gospel account.

Now he denied anything miraculous. He denied the deity of Christ. He was a materialist, a deist. He believed in a creator God, but not God the Son. And so his Gospels begins with Luke chapter two.

He skips over Luke chapter one. Because the angel, you remember, talks about the miraculous virgin birth to Mary and declares that he is the son of God.

So he skips that, starts with chapter. Two.

Well As we've learned going through the Gospel of Luke, if you cut out the miracles and you cut out the verification of the deity of Christ, you're going to cut out a lot of Luke. In fact, of the 1,151 verses in the Gospel of Luke, Thomas Jefferson. kept seventy. In his copy.

Now, he claimed to be a Christian, he used that term. Because he believed in a creator God. But he would write to a friend that he believed that Jesus, and I'm quoting, was a moral man. and eloquent benevolent innocent victim of the Roman state. And since Jefferson rejected any miraculous elements of the Gospels, he rejected the greatest miracle of all, right?

which is the resurrection. Of Jesus from the dead. And so because of that, Jefferson's Bible. Ends with these words. I'll read from his own copy.

Here's how it ended.

Now in the place where he was crucified There was a garden. And in the garden a new sepulchre, Wherein was never man yet laid, There laid they Jesus. and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre. and departed. Period.

The Ed. of the Jefferson Bible. Six years after he completed this project, He died, and unless he changed his mind at the last moment, and I hope he did. he would soon discover that the Creator God was actually God the Son. For by him that is Jesus Christ, All things were created in heaven.

And then Earth. Colossians 1.18. The Son of God was actually the speaking agent of creation.

So remember that when you go back to Genesis chapter 1, when God said, let there be light, it is Jesus who is saying that, God the Son. How tragic it would be to discover that truth too late. But I gotta add to the tragedy, this addendum, to learn that several decades after Jefferson's death. The United States government decided to print 9,000 copies of Jefferson's Bible, and for the next 190 years, up until 2010, they gave every incoming senator A free copy. Bible that denied the deity of Christ.

And it ends. At the two.

Now there's no doubt that Deity of Christ and The resurrection of Christ would be the most hotly debated topics over the last 2,000 years and it It it Recycles. In every generation, which is one of the reasons I believe the Spirit of God inspired all four gospels. writers and every other New Testament author. to refer directly to the resurrection. Of Jesus.

It is the foundation of our faith. And God the Father planned for at least five people and more. to be visited by angels at that tomb. Announcing that Jesus had risen from the dead. You could not deny that something miraculous.

had taken place.

So let's go back to this miraculous scene. We're in Luke chapter 24, and I'm going to give you three. witnesses to something miraculous. First, Luke chapter 24, you have the witness of several faithful women.

Now, we noticed them in our last study. Luke actually gives us some of their names. They're not afraid to come forward. In fact, they're going to be asked about this. I'm sure, for the rest of their lives.

What they saw and what they heard.

Now look right here. In verse 10, Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna. And Mary, the mother of James, and the other women with them Who told these things to the apostles? But these words seemed to be to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. We looked at that carefully last Lord's Day.

Now If we put the gospel clues together. And I've spent some time on this to read about this, the chronology of these events. And it's it's challenging because you have different perspectives. From these eyewitness accounts, it looks like everything just begins to. Spin forward in fast motion, and really rightly so, because of the stunning news of the resurrection.

Early in the morning, Probably around 5:00, 5:30, Mary Magdalene and these other women are heading toward the tomb with their spices. They're going to anoint the body of Jesus. It's Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene evidently is more anxious than the others. She arrives first.

She hurries on ahead of them. She sees the stone roll away. Looks in just enough to see that the tomb seems empty. She races back to tell Peter and John. The other women Then they arrive, they also see the stone rolled away.

Then, two angels dressed in brilliant white raiment appear and inform them that. Jesus has risen from the dead. They raise Back. Matthew tells us they actually meet Jesus. Who reveals himself to them?

They make it back then to tell the apostles, and the apostles think they're out of their minds. Don't believe them.

Well, in the meantime Mary Magdalene has told Peter and John, and the three of them together race to the tomb.

Now Peter and John outrun Mary. We'll discuss that in a moment. And after they get to the tomb, and observe what they observe. We're told they head back. to their homes.

Then Mary Magdalene finally catches up, reaches the tomb after Peter and John have left. By the time she arrives there, everyone's gone. She believes she's alone. And she begins to weep and to sob. In despair.

Now let's slow the camera. Back down.

Now back in Luke chapter 8 Luke mentions some of these women who traveled with Jesus and repeats some of these names that were given here in chapter 24. These were women who would go along and help. No doubt cooking and Taking care of the needs. There were wealthy women among them, we're told by one gospel writer who actually financed. The travels of Jesus from their own wealth, one of them would have been this woman mentioned in verse ten.

Luke 24 and verse 10 again, Luke mentions Jesus. Joanna.

Now earlier in chapter 8, Luke tells us a little more detail. He writes that Joanna was the wife of Chudzah. Kudza. Herod's household manager.

Now, this would have been Herod Antipas. the son of Herod the Great. Kudzho was a high-ranking Member of King Herod's Court. He's in the inner circle of... Of political power.

Now, this would have provided a wonderful testimony to that secular, politically connected world. We don't know the details, but we know that Joanna would have been a rather Surprising. Testimony, surprising disciple. We don't know if Kunza has become a believer, but the implication of her traveling with Jesus and the other disciples, and the fact that. Money is given, no doubt, from her as well as others.

Supporting him would certainly indicate that he's supportive. or at least cooperative.

So, Luke here is quietly telling us that the gospel of Christ has reached. into the upper echelon. of society. Because it is in charge of managing the financial portfolio. of Herod.

Now in this world he reminds me he'd be like a Nehemiah. and confident who was the cupbearer to the king. Akuza and Joanna would have rubbed shoulders with The movers and shakers in this world, they would have. Had to be diplomatic. Uh careful, wise.

Yet courageous. to identify with this unlettered Uh rabbi. Joanna is following along with. Herod's no friend of the gospel. This world here is no friend.

of Christ. Hi.

sort of read him between the lines and believe that Luke is no doubt encouraging The high-ranking official named Theophilus, to whom he is writing the Gospel of Luke. Chapter 1 and verse 3 tells us that he's writing to Theophilus, a noble man, another member of the top echelon of the rich and powerful and famous in this world. He's effectively saying, Theophilus, you're not the only follower of Christ. Uh in high places. You're not alone.

And to this day, The Lord's Followers are found in unexpected places of power. You might have a position of great influence. There's a man who came up and talked to me, a visitor, after the first hour. You're not alone. Joanna and her husband were among them.

Which tells us that Joanna would have been a cultured Uh refined. poised.

Sophisticated woman who knew her way around the palace grounds. She was known in that community. She's the kind of woman you would want to sit next to at a formal banquet. You know, you don't know what to do with five forks and three spoons and two knives and several glasses. You know, where do you start?

I've been told you start from the outside and you work your way in, and if you run out, you just use your fingers. No, I made that part up. By the way, somebody did give me a wonderful tip. If you're ever at a formal banquet, just do this. This is a B.

This is your breadplate. This is a D, and that's your drink. I mean, that's worth coming to church to find out, isn't it? Right there, you'll never get that neighbor's bread again.

Now in case you're wondering Being a disciple If you're new to the faith, it wouldn't be reserved for... These kind of people. the cultured, the talented. You couldn't have added to the circle of women. A woman who would have been more different.

The Joera. Then Mary Magdalene. We'll look at her carefully in a moment. But remember, she has left the tomb and the other women. She's raced back to tell Peter and John that it's empty.

Luke only mentions Peter. John mentions that he was along with Peter, gives more details, so I want to look there. They are the next witnesses of something. Miraculous. John chapter 20.

And verse 1. Catches us up as John writes: Now, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away. Literally, John says it was carried away, it was picked up out of the groove and tossed.

So She ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, that's John, that's how he refers to himself. And said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb. And we do not know where they have laid him.

So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb, both of them running together, but the other disciple outran Peter. And reach the tomb first. If this were my three-year-old granddaughter Lily, she'd stop and go, I won, I won, I won, with all humility.

Well, Peter's not happy about it, I'm sure, even though John doesn't mention it. Verse 5 And stooping to look in, he, that is John, saw the linen cloths lying there, But he did not go in.

So here's how it develops. John wins the foot race. stoops down to look in. And he sees The linen cloths Lying there. He sees the word, the Greek word refers to looking with.

Surprise. Looking with curiosity.

Now remember, all he's heard from Mary Magdalene is the expression: they have taken the Lord out of the tomb. But it doesn't look like it. He sees the linen clothes. Lying. There.

You could translate it lying there outstretched. Lying there Undisturbed. You could render it lying there, still in their folds.

So get this, the shape of the Lord's body is evident. The folds of those linen wrappings have hardened over the weekend. The only thing is there's no body inside. The shape of the Lord's body is evident. But the body's gone.

One author writes it this way: you have this strange appearance. of hollow wrappings. Still in the shape of a body. Suggesting it had vanished from within, leaving a sort of undisturbed cocoon shell.

Now, while John is standing there mystified. By this Peter finally arrives, huffing and puffing, not happy to come in second, I'm sure. He pushes past John, verse 6. And Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. He just brushes past him and goes right in.

He saw the linen cloths lying there and And the facecloth. which had been on Jesus' head. not lying with the linen cloths, but Fold it up in a place. By itself, Now the word used earlier for John seeing is to see with curiosity. Surprise.

In this word used here, Peter is. Seeing the word is theorizing. He's considering it mentally. He's trying to figure it out. Why are they mystified?

Because they're seeing something. They don't expect to see that they'll never see it again. It's a stunning sight. The linen wrappings are lying there in the form of a body where the body's been laid. The body's missing.

Linen's still in place. Probably somewhat caved in at the chest area. It doesn't look like anybody was in a hurry. Nobody stole the body. The linen wrappings would have been torn and scattered everywhere.

Even the facecloth. This day, as I mentioned last Lord's Day, this was rapture on the head. and then tied under the jaw to keep it from sagging open. Body's not stolen. It hasn't been taken by the disciples or grave robbers.

The body has vaporized. into thin air. You remember when Jesus He'll soon meet his disciples. They're in a room. They've locked the door.

And Jesus Just walks through the door. And yet on the inside he says, here, look. Flesh and blood. Look at the Scarves. He eats a piece of fish and they watch him.

I love that. They watch him, see if he goes down. Can they see it? He's not a ghost. It's a body.

A glorified body. Future. kind of body.

Now with that. John pushes his way in. Probably tells Peter to make a little room in there. Verse 8. Then the other disciple Who had reached the tomb first.

I think John's kind of rubbing it in here. also went in and He saw And believe, a totally different verb. Hurrah. It means to see. And then have discernment.

It means to be persuaded by that which is seen.

Now they still don't understand. Uh how? Or when But John believes What? Jesus is alive. Miraculously.

You know, when you put these witnesses together, you have all the range of emotions, don't you? You've got unbelief. You've got fear, you've got amazement. You've got curiosity. You've got theory.

You've got discernment. How do you see it, by the way? Maybe you're not a believer. What's your theory? How do you reconcile?

The eyewitness account. Keep in mind if you are a disciple of Jesus today. If you are a witness. to this miraculous. Truth.

Because it's in It's impacted your own life. You know what you were and what you are. You know the guilt that has been released. You know Christ is changed the way you look at the Gospels. You know why this isn't True.

Mm. This is. Keep in mind you're not responsible. for the responses of people. You just get the word out.

You should get the gospel out. The power of God is inerrant in the gospel. Don't be ashamed to spread the gospel, for it is the power of God, not you. You're not the power. It.

The gospel is the power of God. For salvation, to everyone. Who believes John uh Romans 1 16 Just get it out. I was studying this text and One of the sites that I'll look at for Christian news is called Ministry Watch. I pulled it up and take a little break and there was a news item.

Yesterday or a couple of days ago, I read the news that a group of Christian university students spent all night writing in chalk. on the sidewalk of their campus. It wasn't permanent. It was in chalk, so the rain's going to eventually wash it away, but. But for a few days it's there.

They spent all night writing. On a sidewalk They're Western Kentucky University. All 21 chapters of the Gospel of John. These different colored chalk that Make different Portions stand out. creatively They wrote all 879 verses of John.

It took two miles of sidewalk. Wow. Two vials. I just wanted to evangelize students. who probably wouldn't talk to them about it.

But maybe they'll stop. And read. Maybe somebody will walk The whole two mile. And get to John chapter 20, where John says, I've written this so that you will believe that Jesus is the Son of God. God knows how He will use His truth.

And he's doing it. unusually today on university campuses around our country. A route of 800 university students who just this week were baptized. professing their faith in Christ.

Well, let me tell you, Satan's not going to take any of this lying down. You didn't like it. Especially on a university campus, and you're not going to read about this in the news. He knows the gospel of Christ spells his defeat. He knows his time is short.

He knows the empty tomb is his doom.

So he's constantly deceiving. constantly distracting. He's trying to get people to focus away from the kingdom of light. Keep them in the kingdom of darkness, saying things like: hey, why don't you read the Jefferson Bible?

Now let's give this for 190 years. To every incoming Freshman senator. Maybe that'll distract them. I think in the second century, Gnostic document discovered. Centuries ago, called the Gospel of Judas.

For the most part, Immediately known as spurious. and ignored Until this century The Gospel of Judas says that Judas was the hero, not the villain. He was the only disciple Jesus had shared his secret with. But Jesus wanted to die so he could leave this physical body and enter the realm of the divine. He was a man who wanted to be a God.

A document. in the last fifteen years has been praised Affirmed by just about everybody. National Geographic Society. That bastion of good theology is Written articles on it, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Biblical Archaeology Review, the Smithsonian Magazine, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the UK Times. One tabloid after another, all praising the wonderful insights.

Look at what it revealed. I was asked by the News and Observer to give them my opinion of it. I was happy to do that.

So I wrote it out that People wanted to believe the gospel of Judas rather than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They have that right, but with that, That right? comes great. Risk. I wrote that if I'm wrong If Jesus is a man, And Judas is the hero.

I really have nothing to lose. I wouldn't want to live a different kind of life than I'm living now, and it's not going to affect my eternity. Whatever that will be. But if I'm right. And those who follow the gospel of Judas.

A wrong. They have everything. to lose. They are gambling. with eternity.

My quote didn't make it into the newspaper. But I didn't expect it would.

Now, there's a third witness to something miraculous. That's the witness of Mary. Magdalene.

Now let's go back to her.

Now, just as Peter and John leave the tomb, evidently. Mary Magdalene finally. makes it back, all out of breath. The other women are gone. No angels in sight.

Soldiers are gone. Peter and John are gone. The tomb has been like Grand Central Station. But that's quiet. Mary believes that she's alone.

And John writes in chapter 20, verse 11, that she stood weeping outside the tomb. She just. bursts into tears.

Sobbing. Luke's Gospel. Introduced us to Mary back in chapter 8. We know that she was freed from seven demons. By the Lord.

She had grown up in Magdala. Which is how she's known or identified, fishing village on the coast of. the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum, where Jesus spent much of his ministry. Their paths cross. By God's sovereign design.

We don't know how long she was demonized. There's no reference to family or friends. And with demonization, as we know from the scriptures, Comes physical and emotional disorders, like the demon-possessed man who was harming himself and living in a cemetery. before being delivered by the Lord. We're not told how Jesus met her.

How old she was, how he delivered her, but we do know that she was freed from the kingdom of darkness. She'd been hopeless and helpless. She was delivered. And she's not going to leave. She is invited into this new family.

of disciples. and begins traveling with them.

So, Luke is telling us, it's easy to miss, that. The gospel of Christ can reach into unexpected homes. Like Joanna's. Upper class.

Well connected. Luke is also reminding us that the gospel of Christ can reach into unexpected homes. Heart. Like Mary's, and teach us that. A dark past.

Does not limit the power of God. to give someone a Very bright. Future. But now, here, as far as Mary is concerned, she is hopeless again. She's helpless again.

And she's weeping. John writes in verse 11, and as she wept, She stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw These two angels again. Here they are in white. emanating light.

Sitting Where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. It carved out the ledge, one sitting where the feet would have been and where the head would have been. And they said to her, Woman, Ma'am. Why are you weeping? And she said to them, Well, they've taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.

In other words, can you give me directions? I want to go see Him.

Now two things strike me here. First, She told the disciples, Peter had done earlier in verse 2. Two, they have taken away the Lord. Here she tells the angels, they have taken away my Lord. Isn't that great?

What an incredible statement of faith. Not the guy I thought was my Lord. I thought he was the Lord. She's limited in her perception, as the others are, but in her thinking, Jesus was dead. But Jesus was still her Lord.

What does it take for us? The doubt. Imagine this. Statement of faith. The second thing that strikes me is that She's just she's talking to angels.

John Rayser sitting in the tomb. They're not just wearing, you know, white. Choir robes. They're like lightning. That tomb was lit up.

emanating light. caused the Roman soldiers to be paralyzed with Terror. And she doesn't even seem to notice she's Carrying on a conversation with angels. Reminds me of Balaam who started a conversation with his donkey. Your donkey's talking to you.

That should be a sign.

Something unusual here. You know, angels are in there, Mary, and she's asking for directions.

Well the angels never answer her. No doubt because they see Behind her. The Lord has appeared. Mary either heard footsteps or sensed Someone was behind her because John writes here in verse 14: having said this, she turned around. and saw Jesus standing.

But she did not know that it was Jesus.

Now I will say that He would have looked a lot different than differently than the last time she saw him, which would have been on the cross. We could say that tears are blinding her eyes. We could say that the tomb is lower. Typically you have to bend down. It might not have even been Jesus' waist and his down to his feet was visible, not his face.

We don't know. But Jesus calls her By name Mary. And she recognizes his voice and calls him. Master. She comes evidently flying out of that tomb and grabs him, might have hugged him, might have fallen at his feet.

We were not told. After some time, he says to her, Stop clinging to me, I got work to do. And so do you. Go be a witness. to something miraculous.

I find it interesting, beloved, that Jesus didn't rise from the dead and march directly into. the Sanhedrin's Council. and call them all hypocrites. Who refused? To see.

to see, they wouldn't see. Jesus had already told them they were blind guides leading blind people. Matthew 15, 14. He had already told them in Matthew 13, 13, you see, but you never perceive. How do you see this, beloved?

How do you see this? I find it interesting he didn't march into Pilate's. Palace and give him a tongue lashing for his political cowardice. You knew I was an innocent man. You declared it several times and you still handed me over to die that brutal death.

He didn't do that. He didn't go to the center of Jerusalem. and shout, you rejected the true Messiah? You rejected me. He didn't do that.

He doesn't do that to this day. He doesn't write his name in the clouds. He he doesn't Burn up all these False Bibles. He didn't do that. He just uses you.

He he meets a faithful woman. That he'd rescued from a very dark past. Yeah. A demon-possessed woman Without a family, without any wealth, without any connections. He meets a woman forgiven of her sins.

And he calls her by name. Just like he knows your name. And he tells her, go be a witness. to something supernatural. And by the way, what better person than Mary?

What better person to demonstrate that anyone is welcome. To this gospel. What better person to spread the news of The Lord. What what better person to be a witness to something Amazing. Miraculous that the prince Of Light.

And life Is alive. At the age of grave. has just begun. Father, thank you for recording for us these few details. The changes.

and the lives of people. Thank you that you have to be able to do that. Given us the Glorious life-changing, eternal gospel. Our eyes which were blinded by the Prince of Darkness were opened. Just as the testimony of The individual who professed in baptism They're Allegiance to you.

Thank you for collecting us.

so that we could rehearse these truths. If we had a thousand tongues. to sing. We would sing this. With a reminder that we do have one.

What are we doing? Are we witnessing? through our lives. The gospel to a world. That's so taken up so easily with the latest myth.

With ancient Lies Thank you for those college students that. wrote the gospel on a sidewalk. We pray that you'd bring fruit from that. Pray for our college ministry here that's reaching and the campuses nearby. That fruit would come from that.

Ministries to children. to women, the men. couples. Singles. to the young and old.

Our lives are just a brief Prelude. to eternity.

So we thank you that we've been able to just rejoice. this morning together. That our eternity is secure. Because that tomb is empty. And you are our Lord.

and Savior. Thank you for refocusing us for just these moments. on you again. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.

That was Stephen Davey and this is Wisdom for the Heart. You may not feel qualified, but he knows your name. You're a witness to something miraculous. To discover more truth from God's Word, visit wisdomonline.org. There you'll find Stephen's entire Bible teaching library.

every broadcast plus hundreds of sermons from over 40 years of ministry. You'll also find Stephen's sermons organized by Book of the Bible. Completely free. Whether you're in Genesis or Revelation, you'll find solid biblical teaching to help you grow. Visit wisdomonline.org today and start exploring.

and then join us next time.