Jesus Speaks Our Name

Introduction

He is risen! Praise God—he is risen. Happy Easter!

As the psalmist declares, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Easter is the high day of rejoicing for Christians. It stands at the center of the Christian calendar. Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent lead us up to it. And Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday flow out from it.

But let us be clear about something important.

We are not here today to celebrate a day.
We are here to rejoice in the One the day points to—Jesus Christ.

What we seek and find on Easter morning is not merely a memory or a tradition. We encounter the living Lord who is among us.

Today we are reminded of that good news through the resurrection story in John 20. And at the heart of this story is a moment that changes everything.

A single word.

A name.

Because in this story we discover a profound truth:

Jesus speaks our name.

Expository Walkthrough

1. Jesus Meets Us Even While It Is Still Dark

The story begins early on the first day of the week.

John tells us something that is easy to overlook:

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark…"

We know it is Easter morning. But Mary Magdalene does not.

For her, it is still dark.

Mary has followed Jesus for years. She has heard his teaching about the kingdom of God—about restored relationships, peace, and joy. She has witnessed miracles. She has experienced the love and grace of Jesus firsthand.

And now he is dead.

Her teacher, her Lord, her friend has been arrested, condemned, crucified, and buried.

So she goes to the tomb.

She walks toward death.

Many of us know something about walking through darkness.

Even on Easter morning, people carry heavy burdens. Some are grieving the loss of someone they love. Some are facing illness, broken relationships, loneliness, or uncertainty.

Celebrating Easter does not mean pretending everything is fine.

Mary reminds us of something very important: faith often begins in the dark.

We celebrate Easter even when it still feels dark in our lives.

But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus does not wait for the darkness to disappear before meeting us.

Through the Incarnation, God entered our darkness. Jesus suffered with us—and he suffered for us. He took upon himself the sin, brokenness, and death we could not overcome.

And through the resurrection, he has already broken the power of sin and death.

The kingdom of God is already here—but not yet fully complete.

The darkness is real. But it does not have the final word.

And so the story continues.

Transition: Even while it is still dark, something unexpected happens. Mary notices that something has changed.

2. Jesus Is Not Where We Expect Him to Be

Mary arrives at the tomb and sees something startling.

The stone has been rolled away.

In those days, tombs were often small caves cut into rock, sealed by a heavy stone. The stone marked the finality of death.

But now the stone is gone.

Mary immediately runs to tell Peter and another disciple:

"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

Notice what Mary assumes.

She does not think, "Jesus is risen!"

Instead she assumes something terrible has happened.

Why?

Because when we encounter change—especially when we are grieving—it is difficult to imagine that something good might be happening.

Mary was already heartbroken. And now even the tomb seems disturbed.

Sometimes we are like Mary.

We want things to stay exactly where they are. We want what we love to remain safely behind a stone—unchanged and predictable.

At least if the stone stays in place, nothing more can be taken from us.

But the resurrection tells us something surprising about Jesus.

He refuses to stay where we expect him to be.

You cannot keep the living Lord confined to a tomb.
You cannot put him in a box designed for death.

And the truth is, we do not actually need a predictable God.

We need a trustworthy God.

Even when everything feels out of control, we can trust that the risen Jesus is at work—moving in ways we cannot yet see.

Transition: Peter and the other disciple run to the tomb. They see the empty burial cloths. They begin to believe something extraordinary has happened. But Mary remains outside the tomb, weeping. And that is when the most important moment in the story occurs.

3. Jesus Speaks Our Name

Mary is standing outside the tomb in tears.

She looks inside and sees two angels, but she is still overwhelmed with grief.

Then she turns and sees someone standing nearby.

It is Jesus.

But she does not recognize him.

Jesus asks her two questions:

"Woman, why are you weeping?"
"Whom are you looking for?"

These questions reveal something profound.

Our tears often point to our deepest longings.

When you feel lonely, it is because you were created for community.

When you feel ignored, it is because you were created to belong.

When life feels meaningless, it is because you were created for purpose.

Our grief points toward something deeper—toward the life God created us to experience.

But Mary still does not recognize Jesus. She assumes he is the gardener.

At this moment we might want to jump into the story and say:

"Mary! Don't you see it? The stone is moved! The tomb is empty! It must be Jesus!"

But Jesus does not try to convince her with an argument.

Instead, he says one word.

"Mary."

Her name.

And everything changes.

In that moment, Mary recognizes him.

Why?

Because your name is the one word you cannot mistake when it is spoken personally to you.

And that is what the risen Jesus does.

He speaks her name.

And he speaks ours as well.

Faith does not begin with winning arguments or solving every question.

Faith begins with an encounter with the living Christ.

Jesus knows you.

He sees you.

And he calls you by name.

Transition: But Jesus does more than restore Mary's recognition of him. He gives her something even greater. A new relationship.

4. Jesus Gives Us a New Identity

After Mary recognizes him, Jesus says something surprising.

"Do not hold on to me… but go to my brothers and say to them:
'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Do you hear what Jesus has done?

He has drawn Mary into his own relationship with the Father.

The Father of Jesus becomes our Father.

Through Jesus, we are welcomed into the life of the Trinity—into the loving relationship shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus does not simply take away our sin, suffering, and death.

He gives us his life.

This is exactly what the apostle Paul celebrates in Ephesians:

God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up with him.

In Jesus, we are lifted into God's family.

We are no longer strangers.

We are children of God.

Transition: And when we encounter the risen Jesus in this way, something else happens. We cannot keep the good news to ourselves.

5. Those Who Hear Their Name Are Sent

Mary becomes the first witness of the resurrection.

John tells us:

"Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord.'"

The one who came to the tomb in grief now becomes the first messenger of Easter.

This is how the gospel spreads.

Not through perfect arguments.

But through people who have encountered the risen Jesus.

People who can say:

"I have seen the Lord."

And that shapes how we share our faith.

Instead of beginning with arguments, we can begin with invitation.

"Come and see."

Come experience the love of Christ among his people.

Come encounter the grace of God in community.

Because ultimately it is Jesus himself who opens hearts.

The Father draws people.
The Holy Spirit convicts.
And Jesus speaks their name.

Application

So what does this mean for us today?

First, it means that Jesus meets us in our darkness.

You may feel like Mary walking toward the tomb. But the risen Christ meets people exactly there.

Second, it means Jesus knows you personally.

He does not call you as a number in a crowd. He calls you by name.

Third, it means you have been given a new identity.

Through Jesus, the Father of Jesus is now your Father. You belong in God's family.

And finally, it means you are sent.

Like Mary, we are invited to share the good news—not with pressure or arguments, but with the simple testimony of what we have seen and experienced.

Conclusion

The story that began in darkness ends in joy.

Mary came to the tomb weeping.

She left proclaiming the greatest news in history:

"I have seen the Lord."

And that same risen Jesus is alive today.

He meets us in our darkness.

He calls us by name.

He brings us into the Father's family.

And he sends us to share the good news with the world.

So today we rejoice.

Because Jesus speaks your name.

And he is risen.

He is risen indeed.

Click link to see original sermon: https://equipper.gci.org/2026/03/sermon-for-april-5-2026-resurrection-sunday