This is the second study in out Lent series. As we read the passage today, let us keep in mind that this text is written so that we may believe in Christ. It has been written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that we may have life in his name!
(A) The discovery of the tomb: Resurrection is not natural or easy to accept (John 20:1-10)
First thing in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene discovers that the stone was rolled away (John 20:1). We thus have a picture of what time of day it was, and how early she was at the tomb. It says that it was on the first day of the week, so it was the sabbath day right after Jesus was buried. John is trying to tell us is that Mary was there to check on the body of Christ. From this we can observe her devotion to him.
She reacts in a way that is very human. She flees to her community, to Simon Peter and the other disciple. She assumes that certain people have taken Jesus’ body. She might have been thinking about political forces, and she was definitely thinking about human forces. She thinks that people are conspiring against Christ. Are these human assumptions that you can relate to?
As we read on in John 20:3-6, the passage is written in a narrative style. John records that Peter went out with the other disciple towards the tomb. These verses are presented as facts of what happened, and were written from a recollection of events. This is literally John recalling what happened and writing the sequence of events as faithfully as he can. As we approach this text today, we ought to see that this is an eyewitness account and not mythology. These are facts and observations as experienced by real people.
What is notable about the 2 Jewish men witnessing the empty tomb? In Deut 19:15, two jewish men were needed to be present to establish a charge. Thus, John intentionally records this detail of 2 disciples at the tomb. There was the minimum criteria for this account to be considered lawfully acknowledged. It is not just hearsay, it is not just something passed down verbally, it is something that was considered legitimate!
In John 20:7, Peter picks up new details. Peter charges into the tomb, and we learn that the face cloth was folded up in a place by itself. The face cloth is an element brought to our attention. It indicates that there was intentionality and whatever happened in the tomb happened not by accident. Whoever was there too, did all things with a sense of confidence and assuredness, not one that was in haste.
When John goes in, we are told that he saw and believed (John 20:8-9). We might not know what exactly he believed, but he did not fully understand it yet. His belief was incomplete and was not fully connected to scripture. This could refer to the Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus. There are also other passages that provide a bigger picture. In Luke 24:25-27, we observe the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus shares, from the Old Testament, the things concerning himself. Jesus shows them how the Scriptures are in place concerning the Father’s will for his life. We get in this passage that God’s mission for Jesus was not fully grasped by John, as he did not yet understand scripture. Going back to Christ’s ministry to his disciples, what we clearly get a sense of, is that Peter and John are finding it hard to accept the significance of Christ’s resurrection. Without the Holy Spirit they are unable to understand.
This account ends in John 20:10 with a picture of the disciples going home. It is rather uneventful. They have seen the empty tomb, with partial belief. There is a sense of stunned confusion, not knowing fully how to make sense of what has happened. We don’t see the disciples feeling victorious or like they had everything figured out. This is the reality for what we have been reading up till now. Resurrection is not something we experience in our lives regularly and can reference. It is really something that is foreign! We need to acknowledge that God needs to send His Spirit to help us comprehend! If you find that you have just taken it at face value and are numb to the beauty that our Saviour has stepped out of the grave, the encouragement is that you are not alone. This is not a natural truth to accept. But what do we do? God’s Word is calling us to seek Him and cry out for help.
(B) The appearance to Mary Magdalene and other disciples: Resurrection is true and must be witnessed to (John 20:11-23)
Mary goes back to the tomb and is weeping. She is incredibly sad about the loss of Christ — his death and also how his body is gone. She sees 2 angels, one where Jesus laid his head and the other at where His feet was.
The angels talked to Mary and she did not understand what’s going on yet. Jesus appears to her but she did not recognise Him. Perhaps she expected to see Him as she saw Him on the cross -beaten and bruised — but this Jesus had a new body.
Jesus initiates a conversation with her. Mary assumed that Jesus was the gardener (John 20:15) and asked Him about where the body is. She wanted to find the body again. What do we learn of her heart here? We see incredible love for Christ. She cares even for the body of Christ and wanted to find it so that she can treat the body with the respect it is due. We see here her incredible devotion and love toward the Saviour. This love is not faith in the resurrection. We can have real love for Christ, but still not have faith in the resurrection!
What then awakens Mary’s faith? Jesus calls out Mary’s name (John 20:16). Mary was formerly demon possessed, and Jesus had cast out the demons. She and many other women travelled with Christ and supported him in his ministry. There is thus a great history of a relationship. There was a gospel partnership! As Jesus called her name, he called out to her tenderly and personally. She responds back by calling him teacher, and she finally recognises who he is.
We get a sense of what is happening by Jesus’ next words to her. Mary has probably hugged Jesus and gripped him tightly (John 20:17). We can imagine that she has loving devotion to her saviour. She has moved from grief to joy! We see a desire to restore a fellowship that has been broken by death. She wanted to keep Jesus with her always! However, Jesus tells her not to cling to him, for he had not yet ascended to the father. We know that his ascension was to leave earth to the Father. This thus gives us a sense of his mission. His plan was to send the holy spirit, and to have spiritual communion with us. His mission is not just one of being in the environment and in a relationship with people by being on Earth. He is thinking of God’s mission, to live, die and then to be with God.
Jesus tells Mary to go and tell the brothers and tell them of Jesus’ ascension. This is significant as he is asking Mary to be a witness. She then goes and attests to the fact that she has seen God. This is different from what we hear in sermons. A witness does not spin anecdotes about life. She does not share how to live a fulfilled life. She recounts what has happened. It brings to mind what witnessing to the resurrection means, to recount real events! Jesus also chooses a witness that is weak, one that is not acknowledged in the eyes of the law. This is not something that was fabricated, as they would not have chosen a woman.
In the next part of the passage, we see that the disciples are in a state of fear (John 20:19-20). Their doors were locked. Their Christ had just been crucified, and the disciples might have feared that they were next. They were in lockdown for their own safety!
It is in this moment that Jesus then comes to stand among them and wishes peace upon them (John 20:19b). We may be numb to this greeting, but to a people who are fearing for their lives, what makes these words real? He shows that the basis of this peace are the scars on his side! These scars point to his deity, that he is truly God in human form, who had died and risen from the dead. This points to his peace being true. It changes the circumstances because they now see their messiah who has conquered death. Knowing that the messiah who promised to rise actually fulfilled it, gives them peace. Jesus knows that he needs to show this to them, so he repeats it in John 20:21. He reminds them that while he acknowledges their position, he can give them peace! This is why the disciples have peace.
Jesus’ encounter with the disciples is a picture for us to be reminded that we need Christ to speak peace into our lives, and that his resurrection is real and true. This should give us peace! We are reminded that we are also equipped to share with the world what we know about Christ.
Jesus sends His disciples and gives them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22-23). What is this authority given to the disciples? He is commissioning his disciples to go out and to be witnesses of Christ. This is the authority that they are given to share the gospel truth to the world around them. Thus, if they do practice, they are bringing hope to the world. If they withhold, they are withholding forgiveness to the people.
What we see here is the beginning of the church going out to share the truth of what Christ has done. This is what we do today, sharing the truth that Christ came, died, and rose again. This should not be something that is limited to the disciples of the day. It is authority given to those who have been given the Holy Spirit!
This is how Jesus appeared to Mary and the disciples. We learn that the resurrection is true, and there are implications to this knowledge. Jesus calls us to be witnesses to this fact.
(C)The appearance to Thomas: Resurrection is proof (John 20:24-29)
Thomas wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus appeared and we don’t know why he was missing (John 20:24). The disciples tell him what had happened but he claimed that unless he sees the scars for himself, he will never believe (John 20:25). He lists out very strong criteria! He doesn’t just want to see it but also wanted to touch it. There were so many eyewitness accounts from the disciples in the room, but that was not enough for him!
Jesus doesn’t meet him until 8 days later (John 20:26). He has had 8 days to wrestle with this topic! See Jesus’ patience and gentleness, for He appeared to Thomas as he wanted. He is a God who listens and addresses the doubt directly! He had a personal word for Thomas.
But there’s also a command at the end — “Do not disbelieve but believe” (John 20:27b). There’s no neutral ground and Thomas had to take a stand! Jesus isn’t saying doubt is wrong. Rather, after being presented teh facts, will he still have such a hardened heart, demanding for things to be done in his way? Disbelief is rejecting the truth that God presents, while insisting on truth being presented in the way we want!
Thomas’ response is to acknowledge Jesus in personal terms — “My Lord and my God”(John 20:28). We see Thomas’ personal confession. All through this passage, we hear of Jesus being acknowledge in very personal terms by the disciples after they recognise who He is. He also acknowledges Jesus’ lordship over his life, and acknowledges that Christ is the divine God. In these words, he reveals his change of heart.
How then should we respond to the truth of the resurrection? God calls us to witness to him. What we are faced with is the proof that Christ is God.
As we have gone through the text, we see how the resurrection has claims on how we should live our lives. How should we respond in an age where we have not seen God? These are the shoes that we are in. How then do we believe? What is plain in this text is that we should approach God’s word with our doubts, reading the word carefully to examine the eyewitness accounts. We are to go to God with out doubts and honestly ask him as we read his word, praying that he will speak to us faithfully, through his holy spirit that we might understand.
Jesus meets us where we are. Through the account of Mary and Thomas, we see the struggles of the different followers. We then see Jesus acknowledging the struggle, and helping them to believe. We have a God that knows and understands us, and gives us what we need to believe! It is not a struggle with our own effort, but Jesus approaches us and gives us what we need.