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Weekly Message | June 7th, 2009
Passage: John 20:1-31
Key Verse(s): 29
Last week we learned about Jesus who finished the work of salvation on the cross. Jesus won the victory for us over sin and death. We pray that we may become living testimonies to the power of the cross and the love of God poured out on it through Jesus Christ.
This passage today is about Jesus’ resurrection. Just as John didn’t try to explain the meaning of the cross, John doesn’t make any attempt to explain the meaning of the resurrection. Instead, he provides a clear and truthful testimony about what happened. He records the reactions of some of the first resurrection witnesses. Through this, John emphasized what is most important—that we may believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that we may have life in his name. In this way we may think about Risen Jesus.
First, “I am returning to my Father” (1-18). Mary went to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week. (1) This was early Sunday morning while it was still dark. We know from the other gospels that Mary went with some other women to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. (Mk 16:1-3) However, Mary Magdalene is the only one mentioned here. Perhaps John focused on her because she best represented the women’s most sincere and personal love for Jesus.
When Mary arrived at the tomb she saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance of the tomb. Immediately, she ran to Peter and John and told them that Jesus’ body had been taken out of the tomb and she and the other women did not know where it was. What was Peter and John’s reaction? It says in verses 3-4, “So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running.” I don’t recall in the entire gospel if it ever mentioned that the disciples ran. When Peter and John heard that Jesus’ body was missing, they ran as fast and as hard as they could to reach the tomb to see for themselves what had happened.
John reached the tomb first. It says that, “He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.” (5) However, Peter who was right behind him, went into the tomb, saw the strips of linen, and the burial cloth used to wrap Jesus’ head. (6-7) The cloth was folded up and separate from the linen. Here we see that Jesus was not in the tomb. Because the burial linen and cloth was wrapped and was still intact we realize that Jesus was transformed and raised with a resurrection body. (1Co 15:52) Jesus was raised with a supernatural body and left his burial clothes behind.
In verses 8-9 it says, “Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)” It says that John saw and believed. First, John saw an empty tomb. And second, he saw the undisturbed grave clothes and believed that Jesus was miraculously gone. John did not believe that Jesus’ body had been stolen out of the tomb by grave robbers. He believed that Jesus’ body was gone through a supernatural event. To John, the empty tomb represented a work of God that was beyond explanation to him at the time. He simply believed. However, his belief was not based on scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Later, he would learn and understand that, based on Scripture, Jesus had to be raised from the dead.
Peter and John went back to their homes. (10) Perhaps they did not know what to do next. They had seen enough and there wasn’t any reason to remain. But Mary remained. It says that she stood outside the tomb and cried. (11a) This was not just weeping and sniffling. Her crying was that of someone who was filled with grief and sorrow. She cried as someone who suffered the loss of a loved one. Mary deeply loved Jesus. Jesus had healed her from demon possession. (Lk 8:2) She followed Jesus and supported him and his disciples out of her own means. (Lk 8:3) She did not desert Jesus when he was crucified and she saw where he was buried. (Jn19:25) She did not even want to leave Jesus’ empty tomb because this was the place where she last saw him. Mary stood next to the empty tomb, her life had become as empty as the tomb. Jesus was gone and she despaired.
In verses 11b-16 we see how much Jesus helped her to know that he had been raised from the dead. As Mary was crying, she bent over to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” Mary responded, “They have taken my Lord away and I do not know where they have put him.” When she said this she turned around and she saw Jesus but did not recognize who it was. However, Jesus spoke to her and asked her “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Mary answered that she was looking for her Lord’s body and wanted to reclaim it. In verse 16 it says, “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” When she heard Jesus’ voice speaking her name, she recognized it was Jesus. Suddenly her grief and sorrow was gone because she saw the risen Jesus. Mary’s initial reaction was to hold onto Jesus and to be with him once again. What is important here is that she believed. In believing in Risen Jesus, miraculously her grief and sorrow melted away.
Jesus commanded her not to hold on to him. He said to her, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Jesus referred to his disciples as his brothers and still cared very much for them. To be with the Father is where the risen Jesus belongs. Jesus had come from the Father and now that his ministry was over, he would return to the Father. He broke the power of sin and death. He was now in his glory, in his resurrection body, waiting to ascend to heaven. (Acts 1:9) From the kingdom of God, Jesus rules the world. From there he will rule forever and ever. (Rev 11:15) This is now Jesus’ place. Mary obeyed Jesus and told the disciples the good news that she had seen the Lord. (18)
In this passage, we see the stories of Peter, John, and Mary who all saw the empty tomb. Each of them had a different response. Peter seemed indifferent but looked closely into the tomb. John thought about what he was seeing and believed. Mary was suffering from despair and sorrow. But she struggled and Jesus graciously met her and she became the first resurrection witness. None of them understood from scripture that Jesus would be raised from the dead. But God was working and in his time, Jesus would appear to the rest of his disciples and they would believe in Risen Jesus.
Second, “As the Father has sent me” (19-23). Later that same day, on Sunday evening, the disciples were together. In verse 19 we can gain some insight to their frame of mind. It says, “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.” They were now living in fear for their lives. Their fear was that the Jews, who persecuted and crucified Jesus, would come after them. Perhaps they were haunted by imagining being crucified like Jesus. Practically, the disciples became powerless men.
With the doors locked, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (19) Risen Jesus did not have physical limitations. Miraculously, Jesus could move about freely. He came to the disciples to bring the peace of God. At this time, the peace of God is what they needed. The peace of God is not an absence of trouble or hardship. The peace of God is where God is. In God’s peace, we experience the presence of God and his Spirit.
Jesus came to the disciples and enabled them to become believers of the resurrection. Earlier, they did not believe Mary’s testimony. So Jesus gave them convincing proof that he was truly risen. It says in verse 20, “he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” At that moment, the disciples were changed from men of fear, to men of joy with real hope of God because they believed when they saw Risen Jesus. The peace of God entered into their hearts and minds and they were relieved of all their burdens from unbelief.
Look at verse 21: “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus was sending his disciples with the task of continuing the gospel work that Jesus had been doing with them for the last three years. Jesus came into this world in the most humble and obscure way—he was born in a manger and then he suffered on the cross. The Father God sent his Son, Jesus, in the most humble way to preach the good news. (Mk 1:14-15) Jesus also sent his disciples in a humble way. At this time, they were not influential. They were weak, ordinary, unaccomplished men. In a locked room, without any recognition of the world, one of the greatest commissions ever given took place. The risen Jesus sent out his disciples to carry on the life-giving gospel work. Jesus sends his disciples in the humility, love, power, and grace of Jesus. (2Co 4:7)
Look at verse 22: It says, “And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Jesus gave to his disciples the Holy Spirit. The disciples needed to be empowered to do the life-giving work of Jesus. Jesus gave them the same Spirit that raised him from the dead. (Ro 8:11) In the power and authority of Jesus they could preach God’s words and move sinner’s hearts. More than that, the Holy Spirit enables the disciples to overcome their own fear and anxiety.
Look at verse 23: It says, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Jesus is not giving us authority to forgive sins. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. The main point here is that Jesus has given us authority to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and God will continue to do his work through the Church of Christ. In this we must proclaim the message of Jesus Christ in his grace and in the humility of forgiveness. So we faithfully give the truthful message about sin so that people may repent and turn to Jesus. Then, they may know the power of the cross that forgives their sins and they may know the joy of believing in the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus’ disciples live as the bearers of the good news of Jesus.
Third, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (24-31). Look at verses 24-25: When Jesus had visited the disciples, Thomas was not there. We don’t know where he was, but he missed the opportunity to see the resurrected Jesus. The disciples told him emphatically that they had seen the Lord! But Thomas did not believe it. Thomas wanted the convincing proof of seeing the nail marks in Jesus’ hands, putting his finger where the nails were and putting his hand into Jesus’ side. Unless he did this, he would not believe it. Perhaps he could have been stubborn. But he expressed himself and wanted the same evidence that the other disciples had seen for themselves.
Look at verse 26: one week later, while they were in the house, Thomas was with them. The doors were locked and Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” This time Jesus may have come solely for the sake of Thomas. Jesus could have ignored this disciple who ungraciously denied the testimony of the others. Instead, Jesus graciously provided the exact evidence Thomas wanted. Jesus invited Thomas to touch the marks from the nails in his hands and to touch his side where the soldier wounded Jesus with the spear. When Thomas touched the wounded hands and side of Jesus, his heart was open and the healing of his doubt came into his soul.
Jesus gave Thomas a tender moment to see the risen Jesus and see the evidence of his crucifixion. However, Jesus also rebuked Thomas saying, “Stop doubting and believe.” What was Thomas’ reaction? He said, “My Lord and my God!” In essence, Thomas was declaring that Jesus was his Lord who was wounded and suffered on the cross. Thomas confessed that Jesus was God who loved him so much that he revealed his glory to him. Jesus deeply planted resurrection faith in Thomas and gained a powerful servant of God.
Let us read verse 29 together: “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” Thomas’ faith was based on what he saw and witnessed. This was true with the rest of the disciples and Mary Magdalene in this passage. Jesus says that it is blessed to believe in him without physical evidence or without having seen him. In fact, the disciples during this time had a special privilege to see The risen Jesus. Who else had the opportunity for this? Certainly not before Jesus’ time and certainly not now. Therefore, to believe in Jesus without seeing must occur through the Scriptures. What we believe is the word of God that Jesus spoke during his ministry and through the promises of God found throughout the Bible. Jesus says that we are blessed when we believe through God’s word that Jesus is raised from the dead.
In the Old Testament, we call Abraham our “Father of faith.” This is because he believed in God’s promises. (Ge 12:2-3) Abraham was a man who had no son but God promised that he would become a nation and be a blessing to the whole world. Abraham believed God’s words and God credited this to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:6) Abraham had faith and believed. We know that from afar he saw the resurrection. (Ge 22:15-18; Heb 11:18-19) Since we cannot see God who is in heaven and we cannot see Risen Jesus, we must learn to have faith in God and his promises. Like Abraham, we have not seen the miracles Jesus performed in the gospels. Instead we must believe in the word of God.
In the New Testament, Paul and Silas were in jail in the city of Philippi. The jailer was so moved by Paul’s and Silas’s praying and singing that he asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. (Acts 16:25-31) To believe in the Lord Jesus is to believe Jesus who saves us from our sins and gives us eternal life. Men and women of faith throughout the entire Bible respond to the message of God by faith as we find in Hebrews 11:1; “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1)
Jesus said, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We need to be careful to understand what is involved when we “believe”. In our passage today, the resurrected Jesus did not appear to Pilate, or the Jews. The resurrected Jesus did not appear to the crowds of people who wanted to see him. Who did Jesus appear to? He appeared to his disciples. They were the ones who followed him for three years and believed. They were the ones who gave up everything to be with Jesus. And they were given the privilege to be resurrection witnesses. Likewise, when we believe, there is a process that we undergo of Bible study, repentance, prayer, fellowship with believers, and worship. Overall, we are prayerfully seeking God and living our lives before him.
Personally, I had studied the Bible for a few years when I read Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life that I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It was when I read these words that I understood the resurrection. A hope sprung up in me that I could learn to live a life fighting my sinful nature by faith. It was in this way I was able to believe in the resurrection. It was also in this way I was blessed because I was learning how to live my Christian life. I knew that Jesus was with me fighting my battles with me.
In conclusion, John recorded the events of Jesus’ resurrection and the first witnesses so that we may believe and be blessed. (31) As Mary, we may exclaim, “I have seen the Lord.” May we be filled with the joy of the disciples and, like Thomas, declare salvation through Jesus Christ. May the word of God remain among us that many may believe in Jesus and know his blessing.
June 7, 2009; John Wilson; Toledo, UBF
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
