Blessed are Those who Believe
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsBlessed are those who believe Jesus died on the cross and was physically resurrected from the dead! there are those who have a lack of understanding and those who are skeptical but others will hear and believe
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
If you are a member of the silent gen, baby boomers or Gen X raise your hand!
If you don’t know, that means you were born between 1928 and 1980.
Our generations grew up when there were no smartphones or internet or social media…I have a couple of close friends that I will not mention by name who did some crazy stuff…but no one knew except those who were there
People didn’t break out cameras and prove it happened to get likes on social media
And so the only way you knew what happened was if people talked about it: those who were there, saw it and experienced it with their own eyes would tell their friends who would tell their’s
But there was not physical proof, except the scrapes and bruises…all of the proof was with the eyewitnesses
And guess what: some people believe it and other didn’t
Some shake their heads not understanding how they actually survived so they wanted more explanation
Others were skeptical and would say: prove it! Ill have to see for myself before I believe you did that…Or they may challenge you: do it again…and your thinking: I survived once but I might now the second time…
But some just believed…they knew the person who did it and was like, yep he told me he was going to do it
These are the same responses we see in John 20 about the resurrection
There is no greater truth that sets the Christian faith apart from every other religion than the resurrection
In fact, all the religious leaders…
Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius, Joseph Smith…and yes even Jesus…every founder of every religion that has ever existed has died.
But there is only one who is said to have been raised from the dead: Jesus!
And so Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15 that the whole Christian faith is built upon the resurrection…if it is false so is everything else
And yet what we know of the resurrection rests on the testimony of eyewitnesses…there aren’t any pictures or video’s with time stamps…those who saw the resurrection Jesus lived and even died to tell the world that Jesus is alive
This is what Peter preached in Acts 10:40-41
but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
God made Jesus appear to only a few people…he didn’t appear to the whole world
So it was the responsibility of those who saw him to go and tell others, and to write it down so that those who hear and read their testimony will believe
This is the whole purpose of John’s gospel…so that we will believe in Jesus
John was an eyewitness…in fact, notice how John bookends the story of the resurrection…John 19:35
He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.
Then he records the story of the resurrection in chapter 20 and notice how he follows it up in John 21:24
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
John is telling us in John 19 I know what I am about to say is going to be hard to believe so let me guarantee you its true…I saw it for myself, I am telling you the truth
And then he sees everyone’s jaw hit the ground and the disbelief upon hearing the story and so he reaffirms it in chapter 21
But before John believed without seeing Jesus
John believes without seeing
John believes without seeing
In verses 3-10, we have the story of how John outruns Peter to the tomb upon hearing that Jesus’ body is missing
and I want you to notice what happens: John doesn’t go in the tomb at first…he just peeks his head in and sees the linen cloth
But typical Peter doesn’t stop…he runs right into the tomb…and then John enters
And it is here that John tells us he believed in John 20:8-9
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.
It says he saw and believed…but what did John see?
Nothing but folded linen cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus…the tomb was empty…there is no body, there is no one there
He saw an empty tomb and he believed Jesus’ words that he was the Son of God
He remembered Jesus tell them I am going to die but I will be resurrected from the dead three days later…
and he didn’t understand what Jesus meant until that moment he walked into that empty tomb and it was there that he eyes were opened and he believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
John believed without seeing…he believed the word
And then he told the story of the resurrection, the greatest sign Jesus performed that testified to his deity, John made sure everyone would know that Jesus rose from the dead so that they too would believe and receive eternal life…
The question is will you believe Jesus’ word, will you believe the story of John without seeing Jesus in the flesh? Will you hear of his eyewitness account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and experience eternal life?
That is the question you will answer before you leave here today: I want to plead with you: Do not disbelieve, but believe!
Now I want to focus on two people from this story that perhaps you relate to:
First, Mary Magdalene, she does not understand
Mary Magdalene does not understand
Mary Magdalene does not understand
Three times: verses 2, 13 and 14 it says that Mary “did not know”
She does not understand the information before her, it doesn’t make sense: the body of Jesus is gone
Mary arrives at the tomb early on that Sunday morning
And to her surprise the stone is rolled away…and so she runs to tell Peter and John what she found…
Notice what she says to them in verse 2: John 20:2
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.”
She thinks someone has stolen his body…that’s the first time she states she lacks understanding
Now look at verse 11: she is distraught, crying…
She had gone to honor Jesus…he had delivered her from a life of sin and shame
She is the one whom Jesus cast out seven demons from in Mark 16:9
She had been forgiven much and so she loves much in return
So she is not satisfied to leave the tomb without knowing what happened to Jesus’ body
And so in verse 13, she looked in the tomb and there are two angels and: John 20:13
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.”
That’s the second time…she thinks someone took the body…she doesn’t understand Jesus’ words, his life, what he came to do…
And then there is a man whom she thinks is a gardener but its Jesus and she does not recognize him…he is in his new glorified body so she doesn’t know its him
And he asks her: why are you weeping? …I just want to say that when we face the death of a loved one who was a follower of Jesus 1 Thessalonians 4:13 reminds us:
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
Mary was weeping as if death was final…but its not for those who are in Christ…his resurrection guarantees the resurrection to life of all who hope in him.
But she is not there: she weeps as though death is final and so she pleads with him John 20:15
John 20:15 (ESV)
Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
That’s the third time she confesses a lack of understand of the ways of Jesus and what he has said and came to do…But this time she is pleading to know where he is and notice: I will go get him, I will take him away…but she doesn’t know…the one she is confused about has come to get her
And so Jesus said to her: Mary!!! ha…can you hear it in that sweet tender voice Jesus is calling her: look at me…Mary
Jesus said in John 10, I know my sheep by name and my sheep know my voice, they hear it and respond…
Mary has just been called by name…and she responds in humility and obedience.
She immediately goes to the disciples and announces, she shouts to them “I have seen the Lord”…he is not dead in a tomb…he is alive and well and he wants to meet you!
Oh what joy overwhelms those who hear the voice of the Savior and they want others to meet Jesus too so in their joy they go and compel their families, friends and neighbors to come meet Jesus…he is alive and he wants to meet you!
So here is what I want us to see and what I think John wants us to know from her eyewitness story:
Mary testifies to a bodily resurrection of Jesus
Mary testifies to a bodily resurrection of Jesus
She had gone tot he tomb that morning expecting to see Jesus lying in that tomb but he wasn’t there
And three times she says where is his body…his body isn’t here…where have you laid him…
This has been the case throughout history regarding the resurrection…people do not understand it just like Mary
Some people believe that Jesus just rose in spirit…that his spirit went back to God
Others think it wasn’t a physical resurrection but the resurrection just conveys the idea that his influence carries on
And perhaps you came here today with some questions, some misunderstandings about Jesus and God and the Bible…you are in the right place…and we want to help answer those questions.
His body is gone…in fact, had the authorities been able to recover a dead body they would have been able to prove Jesus was a fraud, but they couldn’t.
The evidence points to a physical resurrection…People heard Jesus talk, saw the scars and in Luke 24:43 he ate fish
Jesus says in Luke 24:39
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
His physical resurrection validates his deity, the Scriptures which foretold of his resurrection and even his own words that he would rise from the dead after three days
And so if you have more questions than answers we would be happy to discuss this with you after service…
Because listen: the hope of our salvation and eternal life rests on the truth of a physical bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
Now some of you may be experiencing more than a lack of knowledge…maybe you are skeptical…you have heard the stories but you just do not believe it…well John includes a skeptic in his story to help us…Thomas!
Thomas is Skeptical
Thomas is Skeptical
In the evening of that same day, Jesus appears to the disciples and he showed them his hands and his side.
And when they saw that it was Jesus, they rejoiced to see him!
But Thomas wasn’t there
And so in verse 25 the disciples try to convince him: We have seen the Lord
That’s what Mary said, “I have seen the Lord, now the disciples announce to Thomas…he is alive and they were being obedient to tell others.
But Thomas responds in verse 25 by saying: John 20:25
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.”
There are eyewitnesses to Jesus being alive…they know…they saw the nail marks in his hands, the pierced side…its not hearsay…but he refuses to believe them
He was a skeptic and refused to accept the truth laid before him.
Perhaps this represents some of you…
You reject the Bible and the claims of Jesus because it goes against all the empirical knowledge of how the world works
All of the historical evidence points to the fact that Jesus is who he said, God in the flesh and that he died and rose again
But maybe because you have not seen it, you refuse to believe it is true
That is exactly where Thomas was until…Look at John 20:26-28
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!”
Thomas doubted, he was a skeptic
Until Jesus called him by name!
It says Jesus told Thomas to put his fingers in his hands and side but it never says Thomas does it
He didn’t need to…Jesus called him by name…and he responded in faith: “My Lord and God”
Just like Mary heard her name and responded
Two people with two different perspectives: one lacked understanding and the other rejected understanding
Yet Jesus called both to salvation and they believed
Here is the thing: we do not have Jesus in the flesh but we can know him and his resurrection through his Word
Jesus says in vs. 29 - John 20:29
John 20:29 (ESV)
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Everything that is written in the Bible is for our sake, so that we will know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing we may have eternal life in him.
These are eyewitnesses and they have told us the truth of what happened: Jesus is alive!
Our proof of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is here in the pages of Scripture built on the testimony of eyewitnesses
The question is: will you believe?
Conclusion
Perhaps you do not understand the Bible, or how Jesus is both God and man or you don’t understand how he could do some of the things the Bible claims or maybe its weird to think about a person coming out of the grave after being dead.
And some of you may just be skeptical of the whole thing: its just not rational, it doesn’t relate to nature, the supernatural stuff of the Bible just doesn’t hold weight to you and so you reject it.
And look I get it…Its a crazy story…just like the stories of my friends…but that does not mean it isn’t true!
The story of the Bible may seem foolish
Like who believes a virgin has a baby from God, or of raising someone from the dead…it just seems like fables…
Even the Bible tells us this is how many will respond: 1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
This is the story of Mary and Thomas…they did not understand, it was folly and so they rejected it…
That is until Jesus called them by name and opened their eyes to see and believe.
And just maybe you are here today to hear this message because Jesus wants to give you eyes to see so that you will believe that he died for your sins, took your place on that cross and rose again so that you could have eternal life and not face eternal damnation.
And it doesn’t matter what yo have done in the past, lying, adultery, stealing, drunkenness, immorality, lust, gossip, anger…the list could go on and on
But no matter how bad you think you are…how messed up your life has been…you are not outside of the love of God.
He loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for your sins so that he could have a relationship with you for all eternity…
And Romans 10:9 tells us
Romans 10:9 (ESV)
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Even you…right where you are…if you will call on the name of the Lord you will be saved
So here is what I want to do: if you feel the Lord calling you this morning… you have been living in sin and you just can’t keep going, you feel the weight of the things you are doing bearing down on you…Jesus is waiting on you right now and we want to pray with you.
Jared and Amber will be down from if you want to pray with them
Walt and Liz will be in the back to pray with you as well.
Please, I plead with you: do not leave here today the way you came in…if you have questions or doubts then we are here to help answer and guide you in the truth
So don’t wait…today is the day of salvation…put your faith in Jesus today!
Christians, what now? What do you need to do in light of this sermon?
Some of us may need to repent because we have not been submitting our lives under the Lordship of Jesus
Perhaps you have just been living how you want by your own standards…but Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments
There is no place in all of Scripture for a person to claim to be a follower of Jesus and not obey his word
So perhaps you need to recommit your life to him…do that now
Some may need to recall the death and resurrection of Jesus and begin to live in joy that he has defeated sin, death and Satan…and you are no longer bound in the shackles of sin and temptation and death but are more than conquerors through Jesus who is victorious!
So commit today to live in the joy of our salvation and fight for joy and delight in God instead of letting the pressures of life and temptation tear us down and rob us of our joy in Christ.l
Some of us need to identify our one and begin praying for them right now during this altar call…Ask God to send an awakening to this city…that the eyes of sinners would be opened to see the glory of Christ!
The altars are open…come and pray…if you want to pray with someone we are here waiting for you!