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John – From the Upper Room... (7 of 12)
The Resurrection & The Story of Thomas
John 20:1-31
John 20 begins with the discovery of the Empty Tomb that first Resurrection morning and then recounts a series of Jesus’ resurrection appearances.
Jesus is alive, He has risen. The grave could not hold Him! The historical facts of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the absolute center of our Christian faith. Gazing upon the resurrection ought to fill us with joy and cause us to ask and answer the questions – Are my sins forgiven? Do I have peace with God? Do I have eternal life?
John 20:1-10 (ESV) –
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.”
1. Early in the morning Mary Magdalene made an astonishing discovery, the stone was rolled away and Jesus’ tomb was empty!
John 19:41-42 (ESV) –
“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
John 20:2 (ESV) –
“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
John 20:2 (ESV) –
“…we do not know where they have laid him…”
John 20:8 (ESV) –
“Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed…”
John 20:9 (ESV) –
“… for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”
Peter and John look clueless as opposed to heroic in these verses. This bears the marks of eyewitness testimony. They didn’t understand Jesus’ predictions of His death and resurrection.
Mark 8:31 (ESV) –
“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
John 10:17 (ESV) –
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”
John 20:6-7 (ESV) –
“He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”
Matthew 28:13 (ESV) –
“Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’”
If you hear it claimed that the disciples invented the resurrection or that the empty tomb was the work of grave robbers – Don’t be uneasy, don’t feel uncomfortable wondering if we’re crazy! This account would not be invented and it’s NOT a robbery!
John 20:1 (ESV) –
“Now on the first day of the week…”
1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”
Revelation 1:10 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…”
Sunday became known as – The Lord’s Day.
Exodus 20:8-10 (ESV) –
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.”
The day of worship shifted from the seventh day to the first day, the Lord’s Day (that’s Sunday) and this happened among Jews beginning in the city of Jerusalem itself. The only fitting explanation is that something happened on Sunday that changed everything and with that I’d remind us that every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday!
John 20:11-23 (ESV) –
“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
2. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb and later that evening He appeared to His disciples as a group.
The account continues with Mary Magdalene outside of the tomb crying. As she wept, she looked into the tomb and saw angels.
John 20:13 (ESV) –
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
John 20:13 (ESV) –
“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
John 20:15 (ESV) –
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
John 20:15 (ESV) –
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
John 20:16 (ESV) –
“Mary... ...Rabboni! (which means ‘Teacher’)…”
John 20:17 (ESV) –
“Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
John 20:18 (ESV) –
“I have seen the Lord!”
Luke 8:2 (ESV) –
“Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out…”
This is exactly what it claims to be, reliable eyewitness testimony! In skeptic circles, it’s popular to suggest that the disciples created the story of the resurrection but if that was the case, Mary Magdalene would not play such a significant role while Peter and John are clueless. When people lie and fabricate a story, they make themselves look good, not lost and confused!
Jesus had been arrested and crucified. Crucifixion was awful, the suffering was horrific. Now the disciples were together and they’d locked the doors out of fear. They were Jesus’ followers.
Then Jesus shows up, locked doors were not an obstacle and He said – Peace be with you!
John 20:19 (ESV) –
“Peace be with you!”
John 20:20 (ESV) –
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
The theme of peace in Jesus’ greeting is significant! Think about how troubled they were and consider that our default human condition because of our sin is not peace with but alienation from God.
Isaiah 53:3 (ESV) –
“But he was pierced for our transgressions...”
John 19:30 (ESV) –
“It is finished...”
On the cross Jesus paid the penalty of our sins as our substitute, satisfying the wrath of God.
Colossians 1:20 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“...through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Peace with God is available through Christ’s blood shed on the cross. And this compels us to ask – Do I personally have peace with God?
Romans 5:1 (ESV) –
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
John 14:19 (ESV) –
“Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”
John 16:16 (ESV) –
“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples without Thomas and next we’ll see that He appeared to the group including Thomas and as He appeared to His disciples He sent them.
John 20:21 (ESV) –
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 20:22 (ESV) –
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 14:16-17 (ESV) –
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...”
Every follower of Jesus has been sent, sent on a mission to proclaim the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been sent to proclaim the news of the forgiveness of sins.
John 20:24-31 (ESV) –
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
“Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
3. Considering the resurrection compels a response!
We all need to personally ask and answer the question – Do I believe?
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“We have seen the Lord!”
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
John 20:27 (ESV) –
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
The nails pierced Jesus’ hands and the spear His side. Through this episode Thomas received the title Doubting Thomas but don’t be too hard on him, history suggests he took the Gospel all the way to India!
John 20:28 (ESV) –
“My Lord and my God!”
John 20:29 (ESV) –
“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…”
John 20:31 (ESV) –
“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John 11:25-26 (ESV) –
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
All of us need to personally ask and answer the question – Do I believe? Am I a committed follower of Jesus Christ?
Praise God for forgiveness of all of our sins, for eternal life, the assurance of heaven, for living hope! Praise God for the substitutionary atonement and the victorious resurrection.
Jesus is alive, He has risen. The grave could not hold Him! The historical facts of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the absolute center of our Christian faith. Gazing upon the resurrection ought to fill us with joy and cause us to ask and answer the questions – Are my sins forgiven? Do I personally have peace with God? Do I have eternal life?