John chapter thirty. He spent nearly two years going through this book. When we concluded a couple of weeks ago, we were in this chapter. There were some things I noticed then that I didn't mention. I thought I'd reserve them till Easter someday. So let's keep on this morning. John chapter twenty, verse one. The first day of the week Come with Mary Magdalene early. When it was yet done, unto the sepulcher, and see if the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she run up, and come with this time of Peter and to the other disciples whom Jesus loved and saith unto them, They have taken away my Lord, and out of the sepulcher, and know not where they have made him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple had came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together, and the other disciples outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooped down, and looking in, saw the linen-clothes lying, yet went not in. Then come Simon Peter, following, went into the sepulcher, and see if the linen-clothes lie. And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen-clothes, but wrapped together the place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again until their old home. I want you to notice that. The disciples went away again to their old home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher reading. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher. Three of two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they sailed on earth. Woman, why reap thou? She said unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have made him. When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not the Lord Jesus, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why, weepeth thou whom sheepeth thou? She supposing him to be the gardener saith unto him, Sir, if thou have born and hence, tell me where thou hast lay him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary, she turned herself and fell unto him, Babuna, with the same master. Jesus saith unto her, Catch me not. For I am not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and to your father, and to my God, and to your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then the same day and evening, during the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, were assembled for fear of the two. King Jesus stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. When he had so said, He showed unto them his hand and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Our subject this morning is walking toward the sunrise. The story of the resurrection can hardly be told without referring to a certain character, a remarkable character, she plays a very important role in the resurrection, and that is Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord casts not seven devils, but seven demons. There's only one devil. She's quite distinguished among the six Mary's in the Bible, a New Testament especially. She has a very unique place. Mary, the mother of Christ, has been upgraven by man. And if she were on earth, she would blush, because man has said that Mary was the mother of God, making her older than he, which is impossible. She was not the mother of God, but that which she gave birth to was God. She was just a channel. Furthermore they say Mary never sinned. They also say that Mary was taken to heaven without dying. She was not. Mary died because she was born in sin just like everyone else. And she had gone astray like everyone else. All we like sheep have gone astray. Mary herself said concerning her low estate. She speaks of herself as a boundless lay, and acknowledges she needs as a Savior. My Spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior. Mary needs as a Savior. And yet men today, they exalt Mary and give her a place even above the Lord that she has the authority, the influence, and causing her son to make decisions. Absolutely not. When on earth, She more or less intruded into what Christ was about to do. She said, they have no wine. In the cane of Galilee, the wedding. She says, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. And immediately accepting the rebuke, she says, Whatsoever he, Mary is saying to those peasants, whatsoever he saith unto you, Do it. And Mary is in heaven that no question of she was blessed among women. But in no way does she have the place that men have given her, calling her the queen of heaven. And so on. This is blasphemy. But as they have, man, as usual, not only do we upgrade Mary, the mother of Christ, they downgrade the virgin man who downgrade Mary Magdalene. Man has been very unjust toward Mary Magdalene. Mary, the mother of our Lord, would never have taken the face that men had given her. She didn't want it. She doesn't have it in Scripture. But here you find Mary Magdalene, downgraded, far more than the Scripture's teeth. And never in my life have I noticed this until it has passed me through this. That's why I want to bring in this remarkable character, Mary Magdalene. Men have been very unfair, as one writer said in the mid-century, that she was the inmate of a penitentiary of fallen women. The Bible doesn't say that. And the Roman Church in thirteen twenty-four at Naples, they established a place they call the home or the house of Magdala, referring to Mary Magdale, and this was a place for prostitute. And all over the world you'll find these houses of Magdala, referring to Mary Magdale, and even art took up the idea. Masters of art, and in the art galleries of the world, they'll have her painted. and a voluptuous prostitute. And you'll find in some of these plays on the person of Christ, I've seen two or three of them, and there they have her depicted in that capacity. The Bible in Norway, Jim Fox, drowned for shame that Mary Magdalene was a wicked woman, nowhere. Even the early church fathers whose writings come next to the apostles in their authority, They in no way give her that reputation. So we want to speak about Mary Magdalene, of course. The most noble, glorious person of the resurrection is our Lord Jesus Christ. Her name, Mary Magdalene, undoubtedly speaks of the place where she was born. Magdalene. That was a little town on the Sea of Galilee. And that's where she got her name. Mary of Magdala, a little village where there were dye works, an also primitive textile, undoubtedly a prosperous little town, and because of prosperity it did have an unsavory reputation because light was high. But that in no way indicates that Mary was a kind of women of men, says she was. It speaks of Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. And as Magara had an unsavory reputation, didn't mean to say the Mary Magdalene had, because she came out of that town. We read of Jesus of Nazareth, and Nazareth has an unsavory reputation. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Jesus Christ came out of Nazareth, and yet he was the sinless Holy Son of God. And so this is what man has done relative to this woman, Mary Magdalene. It has been pointed out and I think right. That she evidently was a woman of need. Because you'll find her and we'll notice that. She followed the Lord ministering of her substance unto the Lord. From the moment she got saved, she left everything and followed the Lord, constantly ministering unto him. There's no evidence whatsoever that she was a kind of woman. that men claim that she walks. Very interesting, and I read through this week two passages where there were men who possessed the demon, Mark V, the demoniac of that town. He would possess the demon. He was in the cemetery among the two, cutting and shunning the stone, screaming, frothing at the mouth, layering eye, man could not control. Yet the Lord cast the demons out of him, and it says he was in his right mind. Nothing said about that man being a low-down, degraded character. He was just possessed with demons. The other man that in, I think, Matthew chapter seventeen was son of the Father, and it says he was a lunatic. And the Father said he's constantly trying to commit suicide. casting himself into the fire. And nothing is said about that being, that man being a moral derelict. He was a man whose mind was affected. And you have these days. And I believe the same thing was said and true of many magnates. Her mind was affected by these things. There must have been a terrible experience through which she passed. We just have to think of Mary. And fifteen times Mary is mentioned in the New Testament. And remarkable that eight of these occasions she's mentioned with other godly women and she takes the lead. And that's a remarkable thing. And then the other times you'll find, five times in what we've been reading, relative to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. She's seen alone. Eight times she's seen with others, and she seems to be the leader. Her name is mentioned first. And five times you find her connected with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me stop to think of Mary deliverance, and this is a fascinating story. Poor Mary, but outpossessed with these awful demons. And the very fact there were seven, and that's a mystic term in the flying. It supplies perfection or completeness. Seven demons possessed, completely possessed. She was possessed, dominated with these demons. A lot of people today dominated with demons. Oftentimes it indicates something similar to these attacks of epilepsy. The mind taken over completely, I think, and there's a lot of it in the world today. I've mentioned these cases and all, when you look at these cases in the Bible, the one in the Acts, no reference is made to their moral behavior. There is a Mary in Luke seven, and it says this woman who was a sinner now the Lord, it says plainly, point that out she was a low-down woman, but not merry nightly. Here she is, and if the Lord comes along, he sees this wide-eyed, couching woman looking at her, with headled hair, fallowed cheeks. She could scream. She could shout. She could pull. She could blow down the ground, all kinds of physical discourses. Faithful distortion. Horrible looked in character. Quotes, that's what he means. Yes, that was true to her. True of her. The Lord looked at this woman. She didn't have the faith to believe him. She knew nothing of who he was. He looked at her. He saw her pitiful condition. Had she been prostitute, you might have said maybe. you deserve what happened to you. But it makes it all the more evident she wasn't likely that. Because he showed mercy on her and he looked at her and he cast the demons out of the Mary Magdalene. What a moment that was when he gave command to the demons and they left Mary Magdalene. and cast them out the stair. Back, back to the depths of hell, those foul spirits from whence they came. And Mary became a new person. Old vets were calm, they were tranquillity. They came into Mary's life, free from that fearful bondage, free from that mental torture and torment. free. What an experience that was Mary's experience. The Lord delivered Mary from the power of those ungodly deeds, the miracle happened. And I want to say this, if she were released from that mighty power of the devil, if she were released from that bondage, that fearful, horrible She also released her love, her joy, her gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ. And from then on you see, Mary, her love for Christ is very noticeable. She never ceased to love him. She loved the Lord and she followed him. whereever he went, ministering unto him. As I said, Mary became one of a little band of godly women after this experience. Lily sprang out the hymn of her sons, and I'm going to read some scriptures to you to point this out. You'll find this over in Luke, Luke, eight and one and three. And it came to pass afterwards. that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him, that's the disciples. And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, Carl Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons. And Joanna, the wife of Cusa, Herod Stuart, Susanna and many others which ministered unto him of their substance. Here is this group of women. The Lord never asked for a collection. He had no time, we as we know, when he went into public ministry. He was a carpenter, first part of his life. He didn't take up the fishing business. He was not a tent maker like the Apostle Paul. The Lord Jesus went everywhere preaching the word. But he had to live. He was a human being. He needed a place to sleep. He needed food to eat. He needed clothes to wear. Where was he getting the money? He never charged for anything he did. He never lifted the collection. These women ministered unto him of their substance. To me that's lovely. Here are these lovely women. godly soul, grateful soul, ministering unto the Lord. Then you have another case. You have Mary at the cross. You just notice her life following him after her conversion. Then you find also Mary at the cross. Here you have in Mark fifty, verse thirty nine. When the centurion which stood over against him saw that he so cried out, and gave up their goat. He said, Truly this man was the Son of God. Now notice, there were also women looking on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalene. There she is. Mary, the mother of James the Lex, Joseph, and Salome, who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him, and many other women which came up with him unto Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, his aunt, Mary, the wife of the other, and Mary, Magdalene. At the cross, the order is, as you would expect, the mother of Christ first, the aunt of the Lord's second, Mary last. Certainly she was last on this appeal. But on other occasions, she was blessed. You know, we just stopped to think of it. It wasn't a woman who sold the Lord. It wasn't a woman who betrayed the Lord. It wasn't a woman who denied the Lord like Peter. It wasn't a woman who fled for his disciples, who shook them and fled. Here you find these women, God may... grateful and bold. They stood their ground. They didn't go. Then Joseph of Arimathea, and I believe two of these women, they saw all, they heard all, that went on in Pilate Judgment Hall. They saw the abuse of the feats upon them. They listened to everything that was said. They saw them spitten in his face, given the awful thrashing and beating of the crypt with pieces of bone they sawed off. And they also heard his seven cries, as he cried in the cross. And then the final one, it is finished. He bowed his head, yielded up the spirit. These women saw more. They like they heard everything. and who is more emotional than a woman. Then they witness something like this. A woman can out love a man, but a woman can out hate for them. But here are women, oh, their love for Christ. See what witnesses are. Then what happened? Joseph of Adamathea and Nicodemus obtained permission from Pilate to get that body. And they proceeded to wrap that body in linen and spices. Who was looking on? Of course, Mary. After the burial notice, if you want to read Mark, fifteen, forty-seven. And Mary Magdalene, there she is. And Mary the mother of Joseph beheld where he was laid. And when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, there she is in Mark sixteen one. And when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Salome had bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week they came unto the sepulcher and the rising of the sun. Where did the two men go? Joseph of Anamaphia and Nicodemus after they buried him in that tomb. They rolled a storm into its place. They went home. But the women did. Women were looking off. They were watching everything that was being done. Evidently other women finally retired and according to Luke, They spent the last part of fifteen. They spent the time preparing spices for their fires. Very early in the morning. I want you to notice three expressions. We won't find it all in John's Gospel. It's very interesting. You'll find in John, what it was yet dark, Mary Kate. I am Matthew twenty-eighth one, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week. And Mark says, at the rising of the sun. Well, that's very significant. While it was yet dark, as it began to dawn, and the rising of the sun. Now, this is strange. And I mentioned what my subject was, walking toward the sunrise. You know not where Mary lived, how far away from the truth she wouldn't have spent the night there alone. That would have been big. She went home. Very early in the morning, she was up early that morning, while it was yet dark. She left. And as she was hurriedly walking in the direction of the tomb, it began to go off. When she arrived at the tomb, the sun was coming up. She was walking toward the sunrise. She may have had to walk two or three miles if she lived to the other side of the town city of Jerusalem. Here you find these three remarkable things are not contradictory. They're complementary. Here is Mary, and she's walking toward the sunlight. Yes, the sun was coming up. This is when she arrived at the two. How wonderful when she gets to the two. And as she approached, she noticed two witnesses. Who are these two witnesses, angels? She looked in. The tomb was empty. Praise God it was. But if Christ had still been in that tomb, we'd have still been in our sins. But the tomb was empty. That was sad news, wasn't it? But good news for Christendom. Oh, Mary was about to see the greatest thing that's ever happened in the history of the human race and of the world. But as she looked into the truth, there were two angels sitting. And they asked her the question, what are you doing here? What's the word? Why have you told me? They said, because they've taken away my Lord. I know not where they've made them. and she turned herself back and she saw another person supposing him to be the guardian. She said, if thou born and hence, will you tell me where you've laid them, and I'll come and take them away. Afray a woman, take up a body, a possibly two hundred pound dead weight, and you'll take him away. Love can do greatly. There's something about love that knows no limit. She was ready to take a move. And the Lord at that moment said, Mary, she recognized that voice, Rabona. That word is the most forceful word seeking of divine love, Rabona. This is the one who cast the demons on her knees. He's alive. How wonderful! I was so happy. I feared when I found he was dead. Maybe those demons will come back and torment me again. Now he's alive. He's alive. So Bonai must run. Then he said, Mary, go tell my disciples. The way she read, she spent, spent. The Kaltika and Dawn, the Lord had risen. The two were then. You know, it's a very striking contrast here. Very early in the morning, and when she got up there, rather, the disciples had gone at night before to their own home. That's where they went, that morning, Mother, when they found out. They went to their own home when they heard the two were thence. But Mary didn't. She stayed right there. But Mary stood without at the supper of the reading. How could Mary go anywhere? In what direction could she travel? Her Lord was missing. The world had gone empty. Where could she go? It was an awful vacant year in her heart. Where is he? But when she found out he was alive and stood before all that thrill that came back into her heart, that joy, he's alive. He's alive. Do you know what it is this morning and know the thrill, the joy, the emancipation of a living Christ? The one who had the power then to cast a demon out of Mary can cast a demon out of you this morning, whatever the demon may be. She stood and she wept until she saw him. Her tears were dry. She wept no more. Her wonderful visit. Go tell my disciples, here you find Mary. She was the last at the cross, she was first at the tomb. And she was the one more fortunate individual of all the millions of the human race. No one so fortunate, not even the Virgin Mary. Mary Magdalene was the first one to see the risen Christ. And she was the one that got the first message to tell it. an honor about marrying the mother of Christ and his cousin, or his aunt. How wonderful to think of what Mary did, Mary Magdalene, on that wonderful morning. John Bunyan in his book on Grace Abound and he makes this comment. He says, I see in these seven demons that within Mary's heart I see in them seven abominations that are in my heart. Pride, envy, anger, lasciviousness, intangible, covetousness, sloth. You may not be a Magdalene this morning. But the reason you're not saved is one day you're rejecting Jesus Christ by the assistance and with the help of the dead. For the devil doesn't want you to accept Jesus Christ. He doesn't want you to confess Christ as your Savior. And in a final analysis, it's the power of Satan. That's resisting the power of God. And the reason people will get up and go out of a gospel meeting without Christ is just because they're dead. They're just because they're so filial. And you give him the nod, the permission to help take you up. And here is Mary. What a lovely character. And in your heart this morning, there are many other things you can add to Dante's and also Bunyan's list, pride, envy. anger, intangible, miscellaneousness, covetousness, and spiritual sloth. You might add to them adultery. You might add to them drinking. You might add to them a hundred dollars a day. That are in your heart this morning. And God have mercy on you as you take them guns and you're in on gold and you're tampering with demons. which is quite prevalent today. Last night I read something on the news that twenty percent of American Jews in the last twenty years have turned to Asiatic religion and religions that have sprung up in the last twenty years. Leading the list is spiritism and demon worship. The only way you're going to overcome that power, through the same one, to cast the demons out of the very nightly. When you start to think of that wonderful moment, that wonderful release, when that horrible power left very madly, the soul clearing, she never could forget. He never ceased to worship the one who passed those demons out. I want to say this. This morning God can take those demons out of your heart wherever you are. It is better to enter into heaven with seven demons, excavated from your heart that with a knife that the hand these demons know in your soul forever they will. You'll know something of the power of the devil when you're consigned to your everlasting burning with the devil and his people. What happened to Mary Magdalene can happen to you this morning. A wonderful illness. Only you know, I know, what the state of your heart is, a knowledge in what sin is and guilty of. I minister to him, what you're going to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. What he did for Mary Magdalene, he can do for you. It's immaterial what men think of you. Many men were wrong on Mary Magdalene. The Lord knew her heart. He saw her weakness against the power of the demon. And she didn't ask him to do it, but he did it. He cast those demons out. Maybe you'd like to ask him to do it this morning, but he's willing. And he will do it with your permission. That's all he's got to do. Lord, I need to be saved. I'm a sinner. I'm lost. I'm going to hell. Lord, I can't save myself. And I couldn't keep myself after I am saved. But Lord, you can. you can save me and you'll keep me and you'll present me. It's faultless for the presence of thy glory that he's feeling for. We're going to do it. Yes, he says, I will. Remember the man in the section of Mark, Lord, look, thou open my eyes. The Lord says, I will. And the Lord will do that for you this morning. And you'll see, by faith, a risen Christ. You know there are some fourteen times that Christ was seen, according to Scripture. First time, very nightly. Second time, to certain women returning from the sepulcher, according to Matthew, twenty-eight. To Peter, I've given up to Luke, twenty-four. To the disciples on their way to Emmaus, we find two of them. Then the ten in the upper room when Thomas was absent, the next Sunday to the eleven when Thomas was present. Then also seven on the Sea of Tiberius in chapter twenty-one. Then drew eleven of the apostles, undoubtedly on the Mount, in Matthew when he gave them the Great Commission. Then five hundred brethren at one time, given us in first Corinthians fifty. Then to James, also in First Corinthians, verse fifteen and seven, then to the apostles on the Mount of Olives, when they watched and grew up. Here you have those eleven cases where Christ was definitely seen after his resurrection. He went up. But then there were some times Three times they know he was seen after his ascension, that is in Acts seven, Stephen saw. When they were stoning Stephen to death, he looked up and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. The Apostle Paul also saw the Lord in chapter nine of Acts. It was the risen Lord to look down upon the Apostle and said, Saul, Saul, why persecute us thou? So bright was the light of that blessed one that Paul's eyes undoubtedly were impaired the rest of his things. The last one that saw the risen Christ as John on the Isle of Patten, when he gives us a graphic and wonderful picture. of Christ in Revelation chapter one. Oh, the marvels of Christ, a risen Christ, as John portrayed. The curtain dropped. That's the last picture anyone on earth dropped of living Christ in him. John was on the island of Patmos, an aged man on the island in the Aegean Sea. He saw that living Christ. friend this morning, that's where you'll see him. By the eye of faith, some would like to go up, in fact I believe some of you were so hard and in love with sin that if the Lord Jesus in person stood up here this morning and invited you to come and put your finger into his hand and thrust your hand into his side, you drop your head and go out. That's how hard your heart is. He's not going to be here this morning. But he's here first in faith by Spirit. The Spirit is here. His Word is here. And you're going to have to believe by faith. Thomas, you've seen me. And you've had the opportunity to touch me. Blessed are they which have not seen yet have believed. This is where we come in. Ever since John saw Christ from the Isle of Patmos, in his glorified form, from that time to now man has had to believe, without sight and without fear, by faith. Blessed are they which have not seen, yet they have believed, on the authority, and the remarkable fourteen times. Eleven times before he went to heaven, three times after. Fourteen is very significant. Twice seven is fourteen. Seven is completion. Two is witness. Here you have a perfect witness in these fourteen appearances of Christ, a perfect testimony of a risen, glorified man at God's right hand, and you can't deny it. But you can reject it, and you will face it. What will you do, you see, on this beautiful Ishmael? Could you think of a better time to open your heart and receive Jesus Christ as you see? We see around the nature's marvelous illustration of resurrection. Two or three weeks ago, the trees were bare. and the bushes bear true. Today, light, fragrance is bursting out of the resurrection of the dead. In this morning, springing out of your heart dead in trespasses and in sin, there can come a new light. Christ in you, the hope of your life. A new life, a new desire, a new ambition. You come to know friends. How wonderful. You'll have an experience maybe not as popular or dramatic as Mary Magdalene, which will have an experience that you receive Christ sufficient to satisfy you in time, support you in death, and you'll sing about it throughout eternity. Will you come to Christ? Will you come this morning? Will you come now? The choice is Lord. What will you do with Jesus? What will your answer be? Number three. Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus, thy Son, our Savior, we come before thee. We thank thee for this glorious person, the creator of the universe. becoming man and going to the cross, and suffering for our sins, bearing them in his own body on the street, rising again and showing himself for forty days to these many witnesses. He thanked me he's at thy right hand at the very moment, a living glorified Savior. All power is given unto him in heaven and earth. or that he can save any soul in this meeting this morning who wants to be saved. We trust that someone does. We trust that someone has such a type. In a very fair, of course, we ask it in our Savior's name. Amen. Shall we sing in closing number three, seven, three? From near him, just as I am, without one's leave, that thy blood was shed for me. That thou didst me come to thee, for all I must love thyself. Will you come to Christ? Maybe you come to him. For him of this garment, maybe you cross with him. He should come into your heart, and you feel a release in his hands. He let the new teacher Christ be, which is our fresh breath of air, a loaded vessel, salad. And he said, I'll often tell you that you've accepted Christ as one. You can think of anything for a glory. You say, well, I don't let it up for all these people. I'll tell you one thing, you won't see any crowns of anything. And you see a lot of smiles and talk of new things. We just love to see you in the world. In fact, I'll see you soon. You'll see. You'll see me in the second one.