Seeing Is Believing

Setting

John 20:1–10 NIV

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

3 Observers of Simple Fact

Mary sees the removed stone

Peter and the Other Disciple confirm the body is gone but the clothes remain

The observation does not lead to the right conclusion (v. 9)

The have started to believe (v. 8) but don’t quite get it

The significance of the resurrection is brought home through three encounters

The Resurrection Comforts the Grieving (Mary)

Mary encounters the angels

John 20:11–13 NIV

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Two angels on either side of the bench Jesus had laid on

The place of Jesus rest flanked by angels alludes to the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant

Not deeply affected by the presence of the angels

“Why are you crying?”

She responds exactly as she did when she saw the empty tomb – the disciples had started to believe, but she was distraught

She shouldn’t be crying, but she does not realize the significance of what has happened

The place of grace is to Mary a place of grief

She is experiencing her darkest moment at the time of greatest joy

Mary encounters Jesus

John 20:14–18 NIV

14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Mary sees but does not recognize Jesus

It is only when Jesus calls her by name that she recognizes him

John 10:4 “4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

Jesus warning not to touch him accompanied by mention of the coming ascension serves to demonstrate that his physical presence with Mary is coming to an end as he goes to his Father’s house for the next phase of his ministry

John 14:1–3 NIV

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 16:7 NIV

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Mary grieves because Jesus body is missing

Jesus body is present though because he is raised

His body will go away soon in the ascension

Application

To be comforted by Jesus, Mary must accept that her greatest sorrows can be redeemed and are a means by which God pours out his grace

Jesus death

Jesus departure

If the darkest day of all can turn into the brightest morning, he can turn all things into good – so take comfort

If Jesus didn’t abandon Mary in his darkest day, why would he abandon you in yours?

The Resurrection Strengthens the Fearful (Disciples)

John 20:19–23 NIV

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

On the day of Christ’s greatest victory the disciples are hiding rather than celebrating

The Roman and Jewish governments have joined together to murder their leader

Some have denied Jesus

Some have fled and hid

It is this group of fearful men that Jesus sends out as his apostles

He sends them in the power of the spirit

In this new creation he breathes life into his apostles as he had breathed life into Adam

The disciples are tasked with advancing the mission of Christ – forgiveness of sins

What they forgive will be forgiven – the apostles have a ministerial role in delivering forgiveness, forgiveness ultimately is found in God through the work of christ

Application

Christ speaks directly to their fear

They need not be afraid of death, his body demonstrates this

They need not be afraid of opposition, his commission demonstrates this

They need not be afraid of sin, his forgiveness demonstrates this

Because Christ is risen we have nothing to fear – the greatest enemy is defeated no lesser enemy can possibly remain

This enables these men to embark on a glorious and dangerous mission that ends in nearly all of their deaths

The Resurrection Assures the Doubting (Thomas)

John 20:24–29 NIV

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas misses out on seeing Jesus and struggles to believe

Thomas is not a villain but an example

Not necessarily an example to emulate, but an example of faith proceeding from doubt

Mark 9:24 NIV

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

We do not need to see the nail prints to believe and we are blessed when we trust; however, our struggle with faith does not exclude us from belonging to Jesus

Conclusion

John 20:30–31 NIV

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 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.

You may identify with mourning Mary, the frightened disciples, or doubting Thomas, but the asnwer to your struggle is found in Jesus resurrection. Believe in him and have life in the his name. He has conquered death.