The Greatest Show on Earth!

EASTER RESCUE! Through The Eyes of Easter People. Pastor Brad Myers The Greatest Show On Earth! March 3, 2024

Easter Rescue: Through the Eyes of Easter People!

Thought: This Easter season I want to show you the rescued spirit in the hearts of people as we look at the greatest show on earth through the eyes of Easter People.

Mark 16:1-3 (NIV) Jesus Has Risen

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³ and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Mary Magdalene

• Woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2).
• The name Magdalene likely indicates that she came from Magdala, a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee.
• After Jesus cast seven demons from her, she became one of His followers.
• Witnessed most of the events surrounding the crucifixion.
• She was present at the mock trial of Jesus;
• She heard Pontius Pilate pronounce the death sentence;
• She saw Jesus beaten and humiliated by the crowd.
• She was one of the women who stood near Jesus during the crucifixion
• She was an early witness to Jesus’ resurrection. (John 20:11-18).
• Mary Magdalene was a rescued Easter Person

Mary, the mother of James

• Mother of James, son of Alphaeus.
• One of Jesus’ more obscure apostles
• Watched the crucifixion of Christ.
• Saw the place where Jesus was buried.

Salome

• The mother of the disciples James and John, sons of Zebedee.
• She also watched from a distance when Jesus was being crucified.
• Mark’s Gospel is the only one that mentions Salome by name.

Mark 16:4-7 (NIV)

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

The greatest show on earth

• Core of our salvation!
• Cornerstone of our faith.
• Our hope, our Victory!

Thought: Paul said that when Christ rose, a spectacle took place — not only on earth, but in heaven, it, for sure, reverberated through the quarters of hell, too.

Colossians 2:15 (NIV)

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

“He made a public show of them.”

Thought: For this great show, Mary Magdalene, had a front row seat, Mary the mother of James, had a front row seat, and Salome, The mother of the disciples James and John, had a front row seat! EASTER PEOPLE WITH A STORY TO TELL!

Mary Magdalene at the resurrection.

• Just lucky? A fluke?
• In the right place at the right time?
• This wasn’t the case; it was the result of a faithful life leading to a climactic victory.
• Why? Because one of the greatest we can make is to only analyze our failures assuming our victories will just continue.

Focus: Wrong (Fail) vs. Right (Success)

• How did we Fail? So, we don’t again. We review, analyze, study, etc.
• How did we do Right? How did we do right so we can do more of it.
  • Much harder and more time consuming what we did right?

Thought: You don’t get to automatically repeat a success unless you understand what it was that you did right.

Luke 8:1-2 (NKJV)

….. He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ² and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,

“certain women” Devotion!! Dedication, lifelong commitment

Thought: Jesus knew that teamwork makes the dream work but only certain women decided to join His team! Mary Magdalene was an Easter Person because she first decided to be one of those “certain women.”

Other “Certain Women”

Luke 8:3 (NIV)

Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Luke 8 after “certain women”

• Jesus’ mother & brothers couldn’t get near him because the crowd was too big.
• Jesus calms a storm.
• Jesus cast out demons from a possessed man.
• Jesus heals a sick woman.
• Jesus raises a young girl from the dead.

Thought: For Mary Magdalene it wasn’t just this fluke thing that caused her to be able to see Jesus rise from the dead and get to be a part of the greatest story ever told. It was a way of life, beginning when she started out at rock bottom, and Jesus touched her. She was a “certain woman” caught up in an Easter Rescue because she decided to follow Jesus!

John 20:9-10 (ESV)

for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes.

John 20:11 (ESV) Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.

• The Assignment: for a “Certain Woman” who use to be demon possessed.

John 20:17 (ESV)

….go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

John 20:18 (NLT)

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

• She didn’t get lucky?
• It wasn’t a fluke?
• She wasn’t just in the right place at the right time.
• She was in the front row of the greatest show on earth and she delivered!

Why Mary Magdalene? Because she spent from Luke 8 all the way to the end of the gospel, getting ready to be in the right place at the right time. She was a “certain woman” who responded.

Seven things People who sit in the front row of the greatest show on earth should do.

1. Gratitude! She didn’t just say thanks to Jesus. She said, how can I help? What can I do? How, what needs to happen?

• I want more people to be touched like I’ve been touched. That’s gratitude in action.

 

• 2. Resilience: Failure in darkness of possession to victory. HOW?

• She got over it and didn’t allow herself to be defined by it.
• When you heal from an injury you don’t continue to act like you’re injured.

Thought: We’re not to be defined by the hard things we’ve been through, but driven by them to seek out other people and be a blessing to them.

Daniel 3:27 (NLT)

……… Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke.

Thought: People who sit in the front row of the greatest show on earth never look to see where they were but only where they ended up.

Thought: You can’t be a victim and a victor at the same time.

3. Work:

• “Certain Women” Women that were proving themselves…
• From Magdala: wealthy, affluent city. Dye’s and textiles.

1. Lead: Others to do what they had done

• Mary Magdalene shows up 14 times in the scriptures. Eight of those times, it’s in connection with a list of other women.
• Leading women to Jesus’ tomb.
• Why? Influential. Magnetic personality. Charismatic
• Uses influence for God’s glory

Luke 8:1-3 (NLT)

…Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, ² along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; ³ Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

4. Courage: You don’t read much about the disciples at the cross; John was there..

• Mary and her band of women are at the cross
• Many disciples in hiding because they thought they were going to be put to death as accomplices of Jesus.
• Mary was fearless. She showed courage to be there.

5. Emotion: Strong and vulnerable at the same time!

• • “In touch with there emotions?” Knows the balance..
  • Finances Jesus ministry cries at the tomb.

6. True Colors: Crisis shows who you really are.

Thought: Your true colors come out when going through a hardship, going through a storm, doesn’t change who you are but shows who you are.

John 20:13 (NLT)

“Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.

7. Who is Jesus to you? She didn’t say the Lord. She said my Lord.

• That possessive pronoun changes everything for you.

John 20:14-16 (NLT)

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ¹⁵ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

Thought: When she finally meets Jesus on that day, the front row seat comes full circle.

• Jesus meets her when she’s all alone; in hour hour of grief, feeling all is lost.

Q) What Happens after to The Greatest Show on Earth. The Easter Rescue?

John 20:17 (ESV)

….go to my brothers….. and tell them.

WHY? Because The Show Must Go On!!