He Must Rise From the Dead

John 20:1-18

The first day of the week

The Sabbath has just ended

They were not permitted to go to the tomb to complete their task

The other Gospels tell us that Mary and two other women came to the tomb to bring spices

Nicodemus had already brought spices after Jesus’ death, but it is possible that he was not able to finish the process due to the Sabbath being upon him

It is still dark

Mary wasted no time in getting to the tomb to accomplish the task

It is now Sunday

Every Gospel account records this as the first day of the week rather than “on the third day” like Jesus earlier attested to

It is possible that they are emphasizing the dawning of new era on this side of the cross

This is the reason that the church has met on Sundays since its conception

Trouble for the disciples

The stone is rolled away

They have taken Him and we do not know where they have laid Him

They assume that His body has been stolen

Grave robberies were a common problem in the first century

They saw the linen cloths and face cloth

This was not grave robbery

This was not even like the resurrection of Lazarus

This is probably important for three reasons

Jesus was not bound by death or burial cloths, he shed them both

He is not like Lazarus

He does not walk out of the tomb covered in cloth

He has no need of someone else to unwrap him

Jesus’s face cloth lying there folded shows the neatness of the vacating of the tomb

The face cloth folded also shows that He is finished with them

They were devastated

He was not there, and they were left in confusion and weeping

Peter and John return home

Mary stays by the tomb and weeps

They did not yet understand

While it was still dark

John continues his use the darkness of the setting to point us to a deeper darkness

In this case, it is the darkness of understanding by Mary and the Disciples

But soon the sun will rise, and then light!

Then they will understand that Scripture foretold, not only that He would rise again, but that He MUST rise again

“Mary”

Mary turns around to see a man who she thinks is the gardener

Jesus sees Mary weeping and asks why she is weeping

She asks for him to tell her where Jesus’ body is if he has taken him

He simply responds by saying “Mary”

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name

John 10:2-4- he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

He calls you by name and leads you

He opens your eyes to the truth when you are in the darkness of unbelief

He shines the light of understanding where there formerly was ignorance

He tenderly leads you through all of your days

The cross and the tomb are inseparable

The mission of Christ is central to John’s Gospel

From the arrest, to the trial, to the cross, to the empty grave

They are all connected with the same focus

This means that we cannot take the cross and tomb as separate acts of different stories

They are as inseparable as the divinity and humanity of Jesus

It is His purpose to be raised/glorified through the cross

He is ascending to the Father

She must not cling to Him since

It seems that Mary is likely at Jesus’ feet holding onto them

Why does Jesus care if she touches Him?

Thomas will soon be invited to touch His scars

It is because He has not yet ascended

Here is the heart of the mission

It is better for her that He ascends

He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in her

And so it is with us

His Spirit now lives in you

He strengthens you

He guides you

He convicts you

He teaches you

He gives all that you need for faithfulness

We serve a risen king

He lives forever

He lives to intercede for us

Hebrews 7:25- Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

He reigns forever

Philippians 2:9-11- Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This includes today

He has defeated sin and Satan

He has promised that He will always be Your Good Shepherd

He has given His Spirit to live inside of you

He sits at the right hand of God and reigns over all Creation

Every knee will bow before Him

Trust Him