Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Comfort from the Risen Jesus

George Gregory · August 2, 2022

John 20:11-18

sharonrpc.org/sermons/comfort-from-the-risen-jesus

Summary

Mary's grief is so deep that the open tomb, grave cloths, angels, and even Jesus standing nearby do not immediately break through her despair.
The risen Jesus meets his downcast sheep personally and opens her eyes by speaking her name with the familiar tenderness of her Shepherd.
Believers should be patient with themselves and one another when sorrow makes God's providence and promises difficult to perceive.
Christ's exaltation has not removed his sympathy; the risen King retains a tender and individual concern for his suffering people.
Jesus' instruction not to cling to him directs Mary toward his ascension and the greater, abiding presence he grants through the Holy Spirit.
By calling the disciples his brothers and naming his Father as their Father, Jesus announces the new relationship of adoption secured for his people.
Mary becomes a faithful witness to what she has seen, and the written apostolic testimony gives later believers a sure word concerning the risen Lord.

Has grief made me unable to recognize evidences of God's care that are already present?
How can I show patience rather than easy answers to a believer whose soul is deeply downcast?
Where does the risen Jesus address me personally through his written Word?
Do I imagine the exalted Christ as distant, or trust the tender sympathy he shows toward Mary?
How does the Holy Spirit make Christ's presence more abiding than a temporary physical meeting?
What difference does it make to pray to Christ's Father as my Father through adoption?
Am I resting assurance on the sure apostolic witness or waiting for an extraordinary experience?

Downcast soul: A heart so burdened by grief or despair that it struggles to perceive God's work and receive available comfort.
Good Shepherd: Jesus as the Savior who knows his sheep by name, seeks them in distress, and speaks life-giving comfort.
Ascension: The risen Christ's exaltation to the Father's right hand, from which he reigns and sends the Holy Spirit.
Indwelling Spirit: The Holy Spirit's abiding presence in believers, communicating the presence and benefits of the risen Christ.
Adoption: God's gracious reception of believers as his children, with a Father's care and the inheritance promised in Christ.
Witness: Truthful testimony to the risen Jesus, preserved in the apostolic Word so others may believe.