Three Ways to See

[ 001 ] A few weeks ago, right after the gathering one Sunday morning, I jumped in the van and drove through the night to South Central Pennsylvania where my family still lives. My dad was recovering from eye surgery, and I wanted to go spend some time with him. On my last day there, we visited a little breakfast stop in a small town in rural PA.

As we pulled in the driveway, I said to my dad, this seems like the kind of place where the waitress calls you hun. At first glance, it was very mom and pop, and the name of the place is Gumpy’s Creekside Cabin. Here’s literally the description from their Google listing: Bait and tackle shop also offering outdoor gear, hunting supplies, and breakfast. So, breakfast at the bait and tackle shop.

When you get inside the breakfast area, you feel like you’re stepping back in time. You start to take in the wood paneling on the walls, humorous signs on the wall everywhere, red and white checkerboard tablecloths, and you start to imagine that this place has been around for a while.

The server was a very kind elderly woman who brought us coffee and menus, and then she disappeared into the kitchen. Soon a tall elderly man we hadn’t seen before walked through the back door carrying some supplies over to the bait and tackle side of the place, like he’d just made a Walmart run. But then he returned, grabbed an order pad and said, Okay, fellas what are we having this morning?

We’re like, oh. Okay. Gave our orders, he said, they’ll be right out. Soon another older gentleman showed up, grabbed the coffee pot off the counter, came to our table and said, "Does anyone need a refill over here? We’re thinking, wait a second… where’d he come from? He fills our coffee, then grabs a mug off the wall, pours himself a cup, and sits down at his own table to watch the TV on the wall.

There was a table of six behind us, and I said to my brother, $20 someone from that table brings us our food. Not two minutes later, a guy from that table gets up, and refills our coffee. And by this point I’m thinking I see how this works: Either everyone works here, or no one works here and we have to serve the people who come in after us. Now, the food that came on the plate was no laughing matter – it was amazing. People were friendly. Great little place. I’d recommend it to anyone stopping in Millville PA for breakfast.

[ 002 ] The title of the message today is Three Ways to See. I don’t mean three ways to get to the ocean. Three ways to S E E. And all three of them were in the story I just told.

At first glance, this looks like a place they call you hon. That’s the first way of seeing. A glance. A drive-by.

The second way of seeing is going inside the building and taking it all in. The signs, the table cloths, the wood paneling. Observation. Investigation.

And the third way of seeing is actually experiencing Gumpy’s. Meeting the people. Tasting the food. Drinking the coffee. The smells. The textures. everything. It’s seeing, but with different eyes.

People have the same three kinds of “seeing” when it comes to Jesus. It’s very important that we identify how we’re actually seeing Jesus, because our eternity hangs on it. Leanne read from the book of John this morning, and so if you have a bible with you, I invite you to turn to John 20 so you can follow along with me, and we’re going to see those same three kinds of “seeing” pop up here in the text. So let’s pray and then dive in.

PRAY

John 20, starting in [ 003 ] verse 1. “On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. The other gospel accounts tell us that she and some other women who had been followers of Jesus were on their way to finish properly embalming Jesus’ body. On Friday, a couple guys quickly embalmed Jesus’ body and put it in a tomb because Sabbath started Friday night at sundown and then they wouldn’t be able to do anything about the body for a couple days. So the plan was to come early Sunday morning, and finish the embalming process. But the women have one major obstacle that they’ll have to figure a way around. That is the stone that was rolled in front of the tomb, and an intimidating group of Roman soldiers that are guarding the tomb to make sure no one goes in, and also… to make sure no one comes out.

The women maybe hoped that a few of the soldiers will move the stone for them, but, end of [ 004 ] verse 1, She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. [ 004-2 ] So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

Now if you fast forward to the very last couple sentences of the book of John, you’ll see that John, the author, is referring to himself as “the one Jesus loved.” This isn’t a romantic kind of love – it’s just that John can’t seem to get over the fact that Jesus loved him at all. So Mary runs to Peter and John, and tells them the Lord is gone from the tomb, and we (Mary and the other women) don’t know where they have the body.

Was it grave robbers? Did they get past the guards? That kind of thing happens. Mary doesn’t say anything about the guards, so they are probably gone – maybe they took the body somewhere? Peter and John spring into action, and [ 005 ] verse 3, they went out, heading for the tomb. [ 005-2 ] The two were running together, but the other disciple (John) outran Peter and got to the tomb first.

Can you imagine the first time Peter is reading John’s gospel? John says, hey Peter, would you proof read this for me – just want to make sure I got everything right. So Peter reads, okay, Mary went to the tomb on the first day of the week, yep that’s true, she came running to Peter and the disciple Jesus loved??? He loved us all, John. Yeah, I know, it’s just a personal touch – please keep reading. Okay, but yeah, so far so good. Peter continues to read: At that we took off running, yep I remember that, but John outran Peter and got to the tomb first… JOHN!!! What’s this? Why you gotta do me like that? And John’s like, bro, I need to keep it accurate. If I let them think that you were faster than me, they’ll think I’m lying about everything else too. Bro we’ve seen you run.

So back to the text, Peter and John are sprinting to the tomb, John gets there first… and here’s where we come back to our three ways of seeing. John wasn’t writing in English when he first penned this book, he was writing in the most commonly spoken language of the world at the time: Greek. He uses three different Greek words for “seeing” in the next couple of verses (Wiersbe, 1:388). And sadly, English doesn’t translate those words very well. It just uses the same word, “saw”, for all three.

Here’s the [ 006 ] first one: 5 Stooping down, he saw (blepo) the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

Blepo means “to glance in, to look in.” It’s the first glance. The drive-by. He stooped to look, he glanced in and saw the linen, but it wasn’t anything more than a glance. You get a little bit of information that way, but not much.

[ 007 ] Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw (theoreo) the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on [Jesus’] head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself.

Theoreo means “to look carefully, to observe.” Peter isn’t content to just glance, or just to drive-by. If you know your Bibles well, and you’re familiar with Peter’s personality, this fits pretty well. But right away you can tell Peter’s kind of “seeing” has a lot more detail. It wasn’t just that the linen cloths were there – he noticed they were over here, and the wrapping that was on Jesus’ head was neatly folded up over there. This isn’t the work of a grave robber, or someone who is trying to get out of there in a hurry. They wouldn’t take the time to fold up the face cloth (cf. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, 2:168).

But while Peter is taking in a few more details, [ 008 ] verse 8, The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first (this detail is really important to John), then also went in, saw (eidon), and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead.

Eidon means “to perceive with intelligent understanding.” He’s now experiencing the reality of the empty tomb. It’s sinking in. He’s seeing with more than just his physical eyes, even though the Scriptures had pointed to this the whole time.

So maybe you’re here this morning, and you are one of those people who says, “you know, I’d believe if I could just see some evidence. You know? If I could walk into the tomb and see the graveclothes, that would do it for me. Would it though?

[ 009 ] The most studied and examined artifact in all of human history is called the Shroud of Turin, which was discovered in the 14th century. It is supposedly a fabric that was wrapped around the dead body of a crucified Jewish man – and all the blood markings, wound in the side, blood on the head all point to the gospel accounts description of Jesus. So people go back and forth on whether or not this is this exact fabric that Jesus was wrapped in, or if it’s a giant hoax. But let’s say scientists said, yes, without a shadow of a doubt, that is what Jesus was wrapped in – this is proof that he died and was buried – would your life be transformed simply by evidence?

Or would we still just doubt – Eh, you can pick any old shroud of cloth and call it the grave clothes. Eh, you could pick any old cave in the side of a mountain and call it his tomb. Because as one popular Bible scholar points out, “as good as evidence is to convince the mind, it can never change your heart” (Wiersbe, 1:388). It’s not going to transform the way you live. It takes more than evidence. Let’s look at the rest of the story:

[ 010 ] 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying. But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. And in the tomb, she saw something the boys never saw. Maybe the Lord saved this one just for her. [ 010-2 ] She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. [ 010-3 ] They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” And Mary is right back to where she started: “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

[ 010-4 ] Apparently after saying this, verse 14, Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. Probably because the last time she saw him, his body was in pretty bad shape and now a few days later it’s in perfect condition. Add her tears to that, and she doesn’t know it’s him.

[ 010-5 ] “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?” Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, [ 010-6 ] “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.” [ 010-7 ] “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.” She calls him “Rabboni”, which means teacher.

Now, I know we have a lot of different people in this room today. Some of you saw River City as “a” church to go to this morning. You had 1/2 a dozen options this morning, and we were one of them. “A” church. For others of you, River City was “the” church. For one reason or another, it was the only option you considered when you woke up this morning. But if you are a regular attender, you might refer to River City as “my church.” You might have invited someone to join you this morning at “your” church. It’s a way of saying “I belong to those people.”

When Mary uses the word “Rabboni” she is calling Jesus something very personal: “My Rabbi. My teacher. My master.” Not “a” rabbi. “A” teacher. “A” master. That’s a different word. She is saying, he is mine and I belong to him! This presents us once again with three ways of seeing that every one of us has to answer today when it comes to Jesus:

[ 011 ] Is Jesus “a” teacher, “the” teacher, or is he “your” teacher?

If he’s just “a” teacher, then he’s no different than Ghandi or Confucious or Mrs Yoder from 4th grade. He has some good wisdom and knowledge, but it’s whatever. But if he’s the teacher, then you could say there’s no one like him. No one who taught like him. He’s in a category all his own. But that in itself won’t transform your life. But if he’s your teacher, and you belong to him – you would be hanging on his every word, following him wherever he went. You wouldn’t want to miss a thing because you are being transformed to be more like him.

[ 012 ] Is Jesus “a” Lord, is he “the” Lord or is he “your” Lord?

If he’s just “a” Lord, then his authority is no different than your old boss, or the middle school principle. He has some authority, but eh. Once he’s not around anymore, it’s whatever. If he’s the Lord, you agree he’s the highest authority there is. He can take you out, he can judge you, condemn you, etc. You would even agree, yes, we should treat him differently than we treat any other authority. But you might also say, you know what though, I’ve done some stupid things and He hasn’t struck me with lightning yet. And you might still take your chances. But if he’s your Lord, and you belong to him – then our lives look like Colossians 3:23–24 “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

[ 013 ] Last question: Is Jesus “a” savior, is he “the” Savior, or is he “your” Savior?

If Jesus is just “a” Savior to you, then he really doesn’t offer you anything you can’t find somewhere else. If Jesus is just “a” Savior, people say “all roads lead to the same place - so glad you found something that works for you… Jesus isn’t for me. If he’s “the” Savior, you know he’s the only way to heaven. You know people who don’t believe in him spend eternity somewhere other than heaven. If he’s “the” Savior, you intuitively know you should probably give him more attention than you currently do. But is he your Savior? Your Lord? Your Teacher?

See, the people who never make Jesus their own are usually stuck in one familiar spot. And it goes something like this: “I’m a good person. I try to do what’s right. I’m doing the best I can to be a good person. And compared to some of the people I work with – compared to some of the kids I go to school with – compared to the guys at the gym or the folks I hear about on the news – those people are the ones who really need some help, not me.”

When you find yourself saying those kinds of things, what you’re saying is Jesus might be a Savior – he might even be “the” Savior – but I don’t need saving. I know I’m not perfect, I wouldn’t want Jesus to have seen me in college, but I’ve left that behind. I’m running a pretty tight ship these days. He’s got bigger fish to fry, and he can use his energy on them… I’ll be okay.

The problem with that is that Ephesians 2 says sin doesn’t actually make us bad people – it makes us spiritually dead people. So the real question isn’t are you a good person, or are you a bad person. The question is, are you spiritually dead or alive? Are you broken or are you healed? Some of you walked into this room today, and you feel like you have a car parked on your chest. You thought coming here this morning would make some of that weight go away, because you did your duty – you came to a church. But I’m telling you right now, if Jesus stays “a” Savior and never becomes “your” Savior, you’re going to walk away with that car still sitting on your chest, and you’ll say church didn’t work for me. And you’ll stay in that tomb.

God raised Jesus from the dead to prove that the cross worked. The reason Resurrection Sunday is such a celebration for Christians all around the world is because it proves Good Friday worked! [ 014 ] 1 Peter 3:18 says “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”

Do you see that? We don’t get to God by being a good person (however you define “good”), we must be brought to God by a suffering Savior! Why did Jesus endure the agony of the cross? Look at the verse? Why did Jesus die for sinners? He died to bring unrighteous people to God! We need to be brought to God, because in our spiritual deadness we can’t get there any other way!

Yeah, but I’m seriously a good person! For real. I know we’re a long way from football season right now, but when an offensive lineman commits a holding penalty, there’s a 10 yard penalty, right? And who moves back 10 yards? The whole team, right? One person commits the penalty, and the whole team pays. I’m sure you know the story from the Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve’ sin wasn’t about what kind of fruit they ate – they sinned by rejecting God and his offer of abundant life, and chose the way that leads to death. [ 015 ] Romans 5:12 spells out the death sentence for all of us: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.”

So even if we think we haven’t really done anything bad, we were spiritually stillborn because of Adam’s sin. We were born infected with it.[ 016 ] Psalm 51:5 “Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” Spiritually dead, yet very active in our deadness. And that deadness shows up a million different ways. Sometimes it shows up in doing horrible things that land you in some terrible places. Sometimes that deadness shows up in people just sitting in church, week after week after week after week, thinking religious activity is going to get that car off their chest. For others, the deadness shows up in the arrogance of saying I’m a good person and God can spend his time with people who need Jesus more than I do. That’s just full throttle pride, and the Bible says “…God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” There is only one person who is good, one person who obeyed God fully, and they killed him for it. But that’s the good news.

Romans 5 goes on to say [ 017 ] that if one person’s sin brought condemnation and death for the whole team, the whole human race, in the same way, one righteous act can bring LIFE for everyone! Just like Adam’s disobedience made us all sinners, Jesus’ obedience is enough to make us all righteous! The only difference is, where death from sin was automatic, life in Christ is not. It is a gift that must be received. A gift. That means we don’t have to earn it by doing more, being a better Christian, or trying harder. We can’t work our way onto God’s good side if we try. And the good news is, you don’t have to try.

When it’s Christmas or your birthday and someone hands you a gift, you don’t look at it and think, oh boy – how am I going to pay for this? That’s absurd. You either receive it or you reject it. And it’s the same with the gift of God’s grace. You either accept it or you reject it. It’s not about good and bad. It’s about dead and alive; broken or healed. No matter how sophisticated our technology becomes, it can never make you right with God. No matter how advanced our medicine becomes, it can never heal guilt and shame. No matter how advanced our life-saving support systems, they can never bring you back to life spiritually. Only Jesus can do that. It’s a gift. Mercy where there should have been judgment. Grace where there should have been a hammer.

Go back to John 20, and we’ll close with this. Mary saw her need for Jesus, and called him my teacher. Her authority. Her Lord. Matthew’s gospel says she fell down in worship and held onto his feet. But watch Jesus’ response to her. [ 018 ] “Don’t cling to me,”… “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Do you see what he’s saying? Jesus wants Mary to cling to him by faith. Mary, I’m not going to be around much longer, and once I’m gone, you can cling to me all you want. Friends, when we cling to Jesus by faith as our Lord, our Teacher, our Savior, like Mary did, then look at what Jesus says about us: his Father is our Father. His God is our God. He refers to us as brothers. Sisters. We belong to Jesus’ family! And it is only there that we will find the healing, the grace, and the kind of aliveness we so desperately need.

[ 019 ] So one last time: How do you see Jesus today?

Are you giving him just a glance? I’ll give you 10 minutes to make me feel something.

Are you trying to get more information? I need to read more. Think more. Investigate more. Have more conversation. I need to pray about it.

Or will you cling to Jesus by faith and say, My Lord and My God! My Savior.

So here’s what we’re going to do. I know it’s a full house here today, but if you’re one of those people who have the car on your chest and you don’t want to leave that way, you want to receive the free gift of grace that Jesus offers you. You’ve known that Jesus is “the” Savior, but you sense him drawing you in so that he will be your Savior, we’d love to pray with you and for you, so I’ll have the elders and their wives join me up in the corners and as the band plays these last two songs, we’ll be available to pray with you.

SOURCES

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997)

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996)

Kenneth O. Gangel, John, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000)