Key points
- 1
1Mary Magdalene's first instinct was that Jesus' body had been stolen, showing she still didn't recognize Him as the Waymaker who conquers death.
“The empty tomb is greater than the empty room”
- 2
2Jesus is the Waymaker because He is the only way to be made right with God, having lived a perfect life and died in our place to justify us.
- 3
3Peter moved from a surface glance to forming theories about the resurrection, seeing the folded face cloth as evidence Jesus rose rather than that His body was stolen.
- 4
4John saw, understood, and believed — grasping that Jesus is Waymaker, Miracle Worker, and Promise Keeper — yet even he went back home still hiding in the dark.
- 5
5Jesus revealed Himself to Mary by calling her name, transforming her from hopeless confusion to full recognition — 'I have seen the Lord.'
“I have seen the Lord”
- 6
6The resurrection proves Jesus is the Light in the darkness, and receiving that light begins by hearing Him call your name and responding in faith.
“if you don't recognize Easter right now, it's because you don't recognize Jesus, the way maker”
“it's not so much about what you're going through, it's about who you're with”
“I may not be in the room, but Jesus is”
A story from life
Preacher's young daughter Micah becomes stuck and terrified under her bed in the dark; he rescues her by calling her name and turning on the light
A story from life
Preacher recounts being mistaken for a Target employee while shopping in matching khakis and red polo shirt
Application
The pastor frames the takeaway around a simple but searching question Jesus asks Mary — 'Who are you looking for?' — and invites every listener to stop treating Jesus as a gardener who merely helps with immediate problems and instead recognize Him as the Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, and Light in the darkness. Whether you are fully in the dark like Mary, forming theories like Peter, or believing but still hiding like John, the path forward is the same: listen for Jesus to call your name and respond. For those who have never placed their faith in Him, that means saying yes to what He did on the cross — receiving His forgiveness and beginning to follow Him. For those who already know Him, it means letting that truth pull you out of whatever dark, fearful place you are stuck in right now.
