Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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 from the tomb. John 20:1

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:11-14

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “ Rabboni !” (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16

Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”— and that he had said these things to her. John 20:17-18

#1 – God loves to save the unlikely!

#1 – God loves to save the unlikely! Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. Luke 8:1-2

#1 – God loves to save the unlikely! The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15

#1 – God loves to save the unlikely!

#2 – God did the unlikely and raised Jesus from the dead.

Sooner let the words of the Law be burnt than delivered to women (Talmud, Sotah 19a)

Any evidence which a woman gives is not valid… One who is accounted a robber is qualified to give the same evidence as a woman (Talmud, Rosh Hashannah 1.8)

But let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex… since it is probable that they will not speak truth. (Josephus, Antiquities 4.8.15)

In dealing with a crowd of women a philosopher cannot influence them by reason, they cannot be aroused without myths and marvels. (Strabo – 8AD)

After death he rose again and showed the marks of his punishment and how his hands had been pierced. But who saw this? A hysterical female, as you say, and perhaps some other of those women who can be deluded by sorcery. (Celsus - 175AD)

“Given the second -class status of women in first- century Palestine and their inability to serve as witnesses in a Jewish court, it is amazing they should appear here as the discoverers and chief witnesses to the fact of Jesus’ empty tomb. Any later, legendary account would surely have made male disciples discover the empty tomb. The fact that it is women, whose testimony was considered worthless, rather than men who are the discoverers of the empty tomb is best explained by the fact that the account is reliable.” William Lane Craig

#2 – God did the unlikely and raised Jesus from the dead.

#3 – Jesus calls unlikely people to be totally dedicated to Him! Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. Luke 8:1-3

#3 – Jesus calls unlikely people to be totally dedicated to Him! but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John 19:25

#3 – Jesus calls unlikely people to be totally dedicated to Him! And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. Matthew 27:59-61

#3 – Jesus calls unlikely people to be totally dedicated to Him! Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:23-24

#1 – God loves to save the unlikely! #2 – God did the unlikely and raised Jesus from the dead. #3 – Jesus calls unlikely people to be totally dedicated to Him!