Two lessons for Christians today:

1.  Jesus DID exactly what he said he would do

2.  Jesus WILL DO exactly what he said he will do

…but 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.

“Woman,” he said, “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).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:11-17 (NIV)

Mary should have known.  Jesus had driven out her demons and she was with him to the end and heard what he had said.  She was the first one at the tomb the morning Jesus arose and she didn’t even remember His words when the body wasn’t there, thinking instead someone must have moved his body.

Jesus left his life of labor (a carpenter) at the age of 30 to start his ministry.  His message was the salvation of all people.  He was pressed into service by His mother at a wedding where he turned water into wine  And according to John 2:11, “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

From that point He healed every kind of disease and sickness, drove out an evil spirit then healed many more into the night, healed a paralytic, healed a bleeding woman, raised a young girl from the dead, healed a blind man, healed a mute, healed a man with leprosy, drove out demons from a woman’s daughter, healed a Centurion’s servant, raised a widow’s son from the dead, drove an evil spirit out of a boy, even healed the ear of one of the guards that came to arrest him.  He also performed many other miraculous signs that were not recorded (John 20:30)

The people were watching and listening, thousands would follow him.  The crowds would be so great that once he even had to preach from a boat.   He had everyone’s attention.  ”He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him” (they ended up running him out of town) Luke 14.  At times he spoke to thousands at a time.

Jesus eventually told his apostles what was about to happen.  Shortly after Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the living God Jesus began telling them:

That just like Jonah was “three days in the belly of a fish so the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the earth” Matthew 12:40

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”  Matthew 16:21 (NIV)

“….  They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:33b-34 (NIV)

It’s not like the disciples didn’t have enough warning.  The disciples put great stock in prophesy.  Shortly after he began his ministry he cleared the Temple in Jerusalem of the merchants selling things and exchanging money.  His disciples were watching and remembered he was fulfilling prophesy  “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17

So when Jesus told them he was going to die and be raised to life in three days his disciples should have marked up another prophesy as about to be fulfilled:

Come, let us return to the LORD.

He has torn us to pieces

but he will heal us;

he has injured us

but he will bind up our wounds.

After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will restore us,

that we may live in his presence. Hosea 6:1-2 (NIV)

Was Jesus Disappointed?

Jesus set the record straight just before he ascended back into heaven:

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:45-49 (NIV)

He has told us to be watching because he is coming back again.  Just after he told his disciples to watch for his crucifixion and resurrection he also told them (and us) to watch for his return

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  Matthew 24:42-44 (NIV)

Followed by this parable he told others:

The thief:  If we knew when a thief would break in we would be ready.  Be ready moment by moment
The good servant:  It will be good for the Servant whose master finds him doing what he told him to do when he returned.  Do what Jesus has told us to do
The parable of the ten virgins:  The wise virgins took oil with their lamps as they waited on the bridegroom.  Be prepared
The parable of the talents: The servants with five and two talents put their money to work and doubled the master’s money.  Use your talents for God
The parable of the sheep and the goats:  Jesus will divide the good and the bad based on what they did and did not do.  Be a sheep

Jesus is coming again.  If we are not there to meet him this time he WILL be disappointed.

Be ready, do what he tells us to do, and use your talent to builds the next great welcoming party when He comes again.