April 19, 2026 Service - "Encountering Jesus" - Week 2

Jesus doesn't give a sermon. He doesn't scold her for, not believing or being discouraged or being distracted or being afraid. He he doesn't try to explain the resurrection to her. Don't you remember what I said all the while? He just calls her name. And it's in that moment that she knows. She experiences his presence and his peace. [00:50:21] (24 seconds)  #CalledByName

Jesus spoke Mary's name, and the scriptures declare that when her name was spoken, something in her switched. And it said that she called out teacher, rabbi. She knew who was before her when Jesus spoke her name. There's something here. We don't have time to dig into this. There is something about our identity and who we truly are. When Jesus speaks to us, when he calls our name, everything changes. [00:48:58] (35 seconds)  #NameChangesEverything

He lived perfectly. He set aside his divine powers and privileges for a season. He was betrayed by a friend of his, and he willingly then laid down his life and was brutally killed for the rebellion of the world. In fact, in the apostles creed, it is said that Jesus descended into hell. There is no place Jesus has not gone or will go or will not go to meet you. [00:40:40] (37 seconds)  #JesusGoesAnywhere

Jesus is calling our names as he called Mary's names, which leads to a final thought this morning, is that an encounter with Jesus becomes a shared story of hope. An encounter with Jesus becomes a shared story of hope. Mary meets Jesus on the road to resurrection. Check out verses 17 and verse 18 if your bible is still open. Jesus says, don't cling to me for I haven't yet ascended to the father, but go find my brothers and what? Tell them. And so Mary, I'm imagining she bolts. She bolts from the tomb, and she runs to her brothers, and she says, I have seen the Lord. [00:52:53] (54 seconds)  #RunTellTheGoodNews

And when Mary thinks she's all alone, someone, a supposed gardener enters the scene, enters into the moment of sorrow, the moment of raw emotion, the moment of deep grief. And Jesus doesn't say, this is uncomfortable for me. I'll wait till you compose yourself, and and we'll talk about this whole resurrection thing. Jesus enters into the moment of deep grief. The risen Christ moves towards sorrow. [00:38:48] (36 seconds)  #JesusMeetsGrief

And the truth this morning is that we worship a God who will move heaven and earth to bring us back into relationship with him, to make us right with him, to join us in a greater fellowship with the father, to experience life, a full and complete and a fulfilled life. You see, we worship a god who will go anywhere for any lengths to meet us, and he himself will meet us anywhere at any time and in any space because God desires to meet you. [00:42:07] (45 seconds)  #GodMeetsAnywhere

And just like Mamaw did not realize how close my mother was, Mary did not realize that Jesus was right there. And I wonder for your life and for my life, what it might be like to begin to realize that Jesus is closer than we think. That when we call out Jesus is closer than we realize, That he has not moved far away from us, that he has not abandoned us, that he has not cast you aside, that he has not forgotten you, that he has not put off by you, he is not too angry or frustrated with you, he is not too disappointed with you, but that instead he is still close by. [00:46:45] (50 seconds)  #JesusIsCloserThanYouThink

When we hear the savior of the world call us, our whole lives shift. It all changes when he calls our name. You see this moment recorded by the apostle John, I wish I could have just been a bug flying around the garden that day. Just don't make me a mosquito. I don't know what else to be. A ladybug. I'll be a ladybug. I don't care. To have been there and to have witnessed this moment from weeping to a moment of rejoicing that Jesus is before her, and that Jesus called her name, and everything shifted. [00:49:33] (48 seconds)  #CalledAndChanged