Hank Smith: 00:04 Hello, my friends. Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. My name is Hank Smith and I’m here with the incredible John Bytheway. Welcome, John.

John Bytheway: 00:11 Thanks, Hank.

Hank Smith: 00:12 John, for Follow Him Favorites, it’s Easter this week. We’re going to take a look at this week’s lesson and just maybe mention one thing from the lesson of Easter. So when you think of Easter, John, what comes to mind?

John Bytheway: 00:28 It was different for me when I was a kid, of course. And then as you get older and, Hank, as we both have lost people, I think of that empty tomb. And because that tomb was empty, those people that we’ve lost, aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, friends, brothers, sisters, children, it’s a temporary separation. We’ll have them again, all because that tomb was empty. So it’s just like the happiest possible message ever.

Hank Smith: 00:56 Yeah. The Bible Dictionary said Christianity is founded on that miracle, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without that, Christianity doesn’t become what it is. And with it, all other miracles are small potatoes, right? All other miracles cease to be impossible.

  01:15 I love John 20 where Mary Magdalene is outside the sepulcher. She’s weeping. I’ve done that same thing. And many of those listening have done that same thing, where they’ve stood by the grave of someone and weep. And Jesus is standing there, she doesn’t know it’s him. And verse 15 of John 20, he says, “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom do you seek?” And he knows. And then in verse 16, Jesus says her name, Mary, and I would guess that changes everything for Mary. Her whole world changes at that moment as the Lord is resurrected.

  01:53 I look forward, like you said, John, to those moments where I get to talk to my dad again, and he calls me by name. And I get to talk to my brother again, and he calls me by name and we laugh and talk with each other. So I testify that we’re all going to have John 20:16 moments that change everything.

John Bytheway: 02:12 Well, I love it, that John 20. The church made a movie a few years ago called Lamb of God. And I always loved this scene because Mary Magdalene went and told the other disciples the tomb was empty. And it talks about Peter and John running. This has always made me smile a little bit. “Peter therefore went forth and the other disciple that came to the sepulcher, so they both ran together and the other disciple that outrun Peter.” I don’t know why John wants to let us know, “I’m faster than Peter.

Hank Smith: 02:43 Yeah, faster.

John Bytheway: 02:44 “And came first to the sepulcher and he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying, yet he went not in.” If you watch the movie, maybe it’s a respect for the senior apostle John stops and lets Peter go in. Verse six. “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, went into the sepulcher and seeth the linen clothes lie.” This is my favorite part, verse seven. “The napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” And when you see that moment in the movie, the clothes are just neatly folded as if to say he wasn’t dragged out of here. He took those off and he folded them up and left there. And it’s the greatest moment to just think he was conscious when he folded those clothes and left then as that follows up with what you told. So yeah, we’ll have those moments again.

Hank Smith: 03:37 Beautiful. Well, from the team at Follow Him, we want to wish you all a happy Easter. We’d love for you to join us on our full podcast. It’s called Follow Him and you can get it wherever you get your podcast. And then come back here next week and we’ll do another Follow Him Favorites.