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Why should we be excited today? We came out early and dressed our best! Why? Our entire belief system is based on what happened on this day over 2000 years ago. A hundred people made a decision for Christ in our first service this morning! This morning hope is found in an empty tomb! This same resurrection power is available to you this morning! Christ crucified on Friday and an empty tomb this morning! In the Book of John we see all of Jesus disciples and friends abandoning Him during the Crucifixion and after! All abandoned Him except one. Remember Jesus cast 7 demons out of her! If anyone knew about His resurrection power it was Mary! Like on prom night she was up all night tripping over rocks in the dark trying to get to the tomb early in the morning! Mary wanted to see the face of Jesus one more time. The tomb was heavily guarded and sealed because rumors were that someone was going to try to steal His body! In spite of all the facts Mary found hope at the tomb! Do you have a hope beyond the grave? God has given you one! John 20:1-2. Early while it was still dark? Why was this greatest event in all of history staged on the first day of the week while it was still dark? This story began in another Garden! The Garden of Eden. Our sin ruined this Garden! We had it made but we messed up! Sound familiar? Is this the story of your life? Jesus is saying to you this morning you need a fresh start. Like a bankruptcy judge giving you a clean start! The first day of creation will start all over for you! The stone has been rolled away for you and me! Take off your grave clothes and put on His Light! Jesus told Peter, John and the other disciples where He would meet them after Calvary but they did not believe Him? Why would a demon infested and alleged prostitute with infirmities be the first to witness the resurrection? God loves losers! He makes them winners! Mary preceded the sleeping giants of the Church to make history! She awoke Peter, John and the rest with the news then Peter and John ran to the tomb! Paul says that we are in a race! You will win the gold but not a small token around your neck but walking on streets of gold! The prize is Christ! To be with Him forever! You are racing either towards your own tomb or His empty tomb! If you ever win a race it needs to be this one! They found the linen cloth and the face cloth neatly folded in the tomb. The Jewish tradition is the cloth is neatly folded at the meal table. At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb the linen cloth will be neatly folded just for you! Jesus said I must go to prepare a place for you! Reservations have been made for you! It says in verse 8 that the disciples saw the empty tomb and believed but not that He was raised from the dead? Jesus asked Mary at the tomb why she was crying? Do you still cry over loved ones and still believe they are in the tomb? Mary got down on Jesus and told Him not to mess with her and by the way where have you put his body? God has ordained this day for you whether young or old or rich or poor! Jesus knows your name just like He called His disciples by first names! He knew Mary’s name! He is a personal God! He is nearest those who are outcasts from the culture! He defeats culture with life! Peter fails a lot in this story! He seemed the smart one of the bunch. He had courage to walk on water and almost drowned! He confessed to Jesus he would never leave Him but denied Him three times before the rooster turned him in! He seemed bold but left Jesus in His darkest hour? Peter was full of shame, fear and doubt and seemed a coward! Peter ran to the tomb to say I am sorry. Then Peter went back to fishing. Failure often leads us to go back to a place in life where we had some success. Peter saw Jesus on the shore and jumped off his boat never to return to fishing! He began to fish for men! Peter do you love me? Jesus asked him this question 3 times maybe for each time he denied Christ? Feed my sheep Peter! Mary thought all hope was gone! They all viewed the Cross as a failure. The disciples saw His death as a failure. They viewed it as a dead end! Do you feel like an outcast? Do you feel ignored and forgotten this morning? Have people you trusted betrayed you? Have you betrayed people? Family? Do you feel like you have blown your opportunities? Do you feel like a big fake and a fraud? Peter felt this way! There is a reason why you are here today! Jesus was resurrected to bring dead people back to life! He did not come to turn bad people into good people. That is what religion tries to do! God does not try to fix the old man! He raises the old man from the dead! You must be, “Born Again!” You have a Great High Priest this morning that you can tell anything and everything and He will understand! He knows how you feel! You can start over and have a new life! Paul writes some 60 years later in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22. Christ was the first fruits of them that slept! By one man Adam came death and by one man The Christ resurrected from the dead! All die but in Christ all are made alive! I was a 16 year old kid who abandoned all good and rebelled against all authority! My family thought I would do well in life but I proved them wrong! Then in August of 1988 I surrendered all my failures to Christ! I had come to the altar before but with wrong motives. When I learned He loved me everything changed! On that altar in 1988 I made the decision to follow Christ the rest of the days of my life! If you believe Him this morning and follow Him you will never be the same and will live each day with His Resurrection Power living in your life for the rest of your life here and forever! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado