HALLULJAH! Jesus is Alive!

Intro

For John, the early church and Christians all over the world today the resurrection is teh immutable fact upon which our faith is based

1 Corinthians 15:14–18 NIV

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

When we appeal to the gospel accounts we must remember that we are appealing to eyewitness who saw the risen Lord

1 John 1:1–3 NIV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Read John 20:1-10

The eye witness were not just the male disciples of Jesus. In fact the very first witness was a woman.

1. With out a doubt, the eyewitnesses confirm that the tomb was in fact empty.

Mention a woman as the first eyewitness is significant. A woman’s testimony would not hold much weight.

Jesus resurrection on the 1st day of the week would alter the way many people worshiped

Don’t look at the stone being rolled away as a small thing

The Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology explains stones used to close graves weighed tons. They could not be moved by a single person.

Mary Magdalene immediately reports this news to the disciples

John out runs Peter (possible dig at Peter?)

What they saw is exactly what Mary Magdalene saw…and empty tomb, save the burial cloth

When He saw, he believed. This was a moment of Revelation! (put that little nugget in your pocket we’ll come back around to huge payoff regarding this)

So what did Mary Magdalene, Peter and John witness? An empty tomb

Read John 20:11-18

2. The first testimony of the resurrected Christ belongs to Mary Magdalene.

This is of course again…huge.

But lets’s look closer at what’s going on here.

It appears that the men have just left, perhaps over come with confusion and joy

She only knows that the tomb is empty and Jesus is not there. She begins to cry.

John notes that first two angels are there and begin to comfort her.

She’s of course mournful, Jesus, whom she calls “my Lord” has been taken away.

Mary then notices someone…she believes it must be the gardener. It is in fact he risen Jesus.

He too asks Why are you crying? but adds “Who are you looking for?”

Her response comes with a hint of anger or frustration.

Jesus calls her name, “Mary” and her response is filled with joy and it appears that she must have physically latched on to him.

Why would he tell her not to latch on to him? He has a job for her to do. She needs to tell the disciples that he has not yet gone to the Father.

They knew he had to return to the Father but he not yet made his ascention there yet.

Her testimony has changed, it has gone from “the stone has been rolled away” to, “I have seen the Lord!”

The focus now moves back away from Mary Magdalene and back to the disciples

Read John 20:19-23

Later in the evening we find the disciples. Peter and Johns report has not had the effect one would expect. They are hiding in fear of their lives.

How does Jesus walk into their midst?

In their frightened state Jesus greets them with Shalom, peace.

I suppose he could have been hostile or angry with them, maybe even disappointed but he gives them what they need, peace.

He also presents his hands and side. Proof that it was him.

There fear has now tuned to Joy.

So for Jesus has calmed their fear, offered them peace and now he commissions them

3. Jesus taught that the Father had sent him and he desired to do the Father’s will. In the same manner he sends his disciples.

Jesus does not call without equipping and the breaths on them to receive the Holy Spirit.

This is fulfillment of the promise he made to them regarding the HS

John 14:16–17 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:26 NIV

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Reflection of God breathing life into Adam

But also a foreshadowing of what is to take place in Acts 2.

How are we to understand vs. 23? Do we have the personal authority to forgive sin.

John 12–21 (4) Jesus Appears to the Disciples behind Closed Doors in the Evening (20:19–23)

Thus one could say that Jesus’ followers are to make the Gospel so clear that it is evident where people stand on the nature of sin. When these texts are understood in this perspective, it should become clear that Jesus’ commission to his followers is not one of privileged judgment but of weighty responsibility to represent the will of God in Christ with extreme faithfulness and to be honest and authentic about their evaluations or judgments.

What does that mean. It means that the sacrament of forgiveness is not granted to individuals as the Catholic church and deduced. Rather that the church has the duty to proclaim that forgiveness.

Declaring such a forgiveness can free people from the bondage of passed sins and draw them into the joy of living with the risen Christ under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Read John 20:24-29

The obvious question is where had Thomas been?

Thomas is like many of us. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Don’t vilify him for this. The few times John mentions Thomas he really is a realist.

He absence allows Jesus to demonstrate an amazing reality.

John doesn’t tell us specifically how this works but Jesus enters the room through some locked doors.

Again peace. They were probably a little startled.

Thomas wanted proof. he got it. His response...”My Lord and my God”. Has this not been John’s point all along?

Jesus did not rebuke this response he acknowledged it.

Remember that little nugget I asked you to put away until later? John believed, Mary believed, Peter believed and Thomas believed based on what they saw.

Jesus now looks through space and time and says to us “Bless are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

4. The blessings of heaven are bestowed on anyone who believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I’ve referenced this passage many times since January of 2023. I will do it again.

John 20:30–31 NIV

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

APPLICATION

Jesus called Mary by name. The truth is he calls each one of us by name.

(Thinking about Mary holding on to Jesus) Do not loose focus on the mission. Loving Jesus is so very important but if we fail to go and tell than we’ve done 1/2 of the job. (Love God, Love neighbor)

There are some of you here today that may have most identified with Thomas. I want you to know that’s ok. However eventually you’re going to have to make a decision. Thomas was not a denier, he followed the facts. Would you be willing to consider the resurrection of Jesus with an open mind. The hope is that you may have life in the name of Jesus.