The Resurrection

MAP

Q:How can we be sure of life after death?

How can we be sure of the historical resurrection of Jesus?

A: We can be sure because...

John saw

Mary heard

Thomas heard and should have believed

SW: Will you believe and receive Life?

PREAMBLE

Read John 20:26–31

“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!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Thank. Welcome. Introduce self. Love to meet.

INTRODUCTION (Relevance Persuasion | Resonate)

Confession: A few years ago. Crisis of faith. Not major but moment of doubt.

Previous job. Leading a lunchtime talk in Covent Garden.

Lunchtime talks, designed to encourage and equip workers in their faith and be bold about speaking of Jesus.

Meet in churches, cafes, restaurants, typically Tue, Wed Thu. Invite colleges. Grab sandwich. Heard a talk from the bible.

Excellent resource. Scattered around central London. Many here are involved in them.

If you work centrally, be part of your local lunchtime work. Come speak to me.

(L) Also when I was leading the lunchtime talk, experience this mini-crisis.

Had a co-worker, Rachel. Taken a few days off because her Nan, (She was Irish) or Grandma, passed away.

Clearly remember being on a zoom call with her and a few others. (This was during COVID times, if you still remember those good ol days)

She was sharing, funeral was such a sad time, but her family too great comfort of the certainty that her Nana will experience eternal life. She was a great woman of the faith.

(A) And there we were on zoom, praying for Rachel, as you do in those occassions. And everyone else on screen have their eyes closed, but I have my eyes open, as you shouldn’t but sometimes do in those occassions

And I can clearly recall I’m thinking to myself.

(Pause)

“Wait a moment.”

“Is this all made up? This thing we call eternal life”

“Is this just a made up warm fuzzy blanket Rachel’s family is using to comfort themselves”

“How can we be sure, like absolutely sure that Rachel’s Nan will be raised from the dead?”

And that thought was in my mind the entire day

I was having a crisis of faith.

(L) I wonder whether you’ve had a similar experience?

There are number of teenagers here. Maybe you’ve not thought about life after death, but what do you really think happens after you died?

In those moments, what your parents tell you to think is not enough.

The rest of us, are we sure we know where we are going after we die?

Are we really sure?

Because death stares at us in the face, factors such as

Family upbringing is not enough

What we want to believe is not enough

What others want us to believe is not enough

That you’re leading a ministry and can’t tell others in the middle of prayer that you’re having a mini-crisis of faith.

Death stares at us and forces us to reckon with the question:

“How can we be sure of life after death?”

(Long pause)

The answer: Is what we have been considering all morning.

2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross, but three days later, overcame death, and rose to resurrection life.

Easter Sunday gives us confidence of life after death.

(L) But of course, that then raises the primary question: How can we be sure of the historical events of Easter?

How can we be sure of that Jesus really did rise from the dead?

(pause)

Our key text from our passage today

John 20:30–31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

This was written by the apostle John

Disciple. Lived with. Followed. Pub. Teaching. Miracles.

Last week: Stood at the foot of the cross. Looked up. Saw him die.

He was absolutely sure that Jesus died.

(L) But this week he saw something amazing.

so much so that he is convinced that we can be sure of resurrection life.

ARGUMENT (Texture | Unity | Coherence | Development)

WE CAN SURE OF LIFE AFTER DEATH BECAUSE...

JOHN SAW AND BELIEVED

John 20:4–5 “Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.”

(A) Let’s imagine ourselves in John’s shoes.

Panting as he runs to the tomb.

And then he stops right outside the tomb of Jesus.

There is an eery silence.

And as the morning sun shines light into the tomb and his eye catches a glimpse of the grave clothes lying there.

“Wait what is going on...?”

And at the moment, Peter charges past and goes right in

John 20:6–8 “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple (that’s John), who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;”

The reason why John thinks we can be sure of life after that is because...

He saw it with his own very eyes.

He saw the grave clothes. folded up neatly. something that no grave robber would do.

He saw the proof of life after death with is own eyes

He saw that the body of Jesus was no longer there and so he is a witness to life after death.

(A) The regulars would know I’m an avid cyclist. Technical term: MAMIL.

Few years ago, glorious british summer. I slipped on my Lycra and jumped on my bike, and headed out for a spin.

30 seconds after leaving my house headed down Evenlyn street.. all of a sudden.. BANG!

A black car cut in front of me and I collided and flew off my bike.

To add to my misery, as I lay on the ground motionless, the driver came out screaming abuses at me and accusing me.

I know you’re all worried, But don’t worry,

the bike was fine.

And if you ever been in an accident before, you know how important eyewitnesses are

And thankfully, there was someone who witnessed what had happened and who was in the wrong.

I was vouched for when I filed the police report.

And I eventually managed to receive some compensation.

The point is that eyewitnesses hold considerable weight in the court of law to ascertain historical events.

(L) But eyewitnesses don’t only matter for small traffice incidents.

They also hold significant weight to charge someone in a court of law.

(A) 2020 was the 75th anniversary of end of Auschwitz Nazi Germany.

Holocuast Memorial Museum in the US marked the occassion by releasing videos by Holocaust survivors.

There was one video by an elder lady named Ruth Cohen who shared vivid details of her experience in the concentration camps.

Her uncle was tortured and killed in one of the gas chambers.

she herself experienced unimaginable sufferings.

Her personal experienced alongside the vivid details gives significant weight to her testimony.

Even today, eyewitness testimonies like Ruth’s are being used to convict Holocaust war crimminals in the 21st Century.

six or seven decades on.

eyewitness hold significant weight.

And so John saw, with his own eyes, and tells us, so we can believe.

But John gives us more reason to believe.

He also saw OT scripture being fulfilled. This was part of a much wider prophetic event.

You might have noticed a strange phrase earlier what I read out this account.

8 Then John, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

We read Psalm 16 “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

The Psalm was written 1000 years prior, predicting that a future king not only die and rise again.

(A) It is equivalent of the eyewitness to my bicycle accident.

In his lefthand, he is reading a medivial document.

Someone in the 10th century, writing about someone, 1000 years later.

Would leave home on a sunny British summer day on a bicycle.

And 30 seconds after leaving his home. Smash into a black car who cuts in front of him.

And the driver gets out to scream abuse.

But despite the incident, of course the bike is fine.

And as he looks us, he sees me coming out of my house and smash into this car.

When John saw the empty tomb

In his left hand - Psalm 16:10 “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”

Looks up He saw scriptures being fulfilled.

The historical resurrection of Jesus is not an isolate event but the climax of predictions made hundreds of years ago.

And so John saw, with his own eyes, and tells us, so we can believe.

(L) But here’s common objection: Easy enough for John to believe, because he saw with his own eyes.

If I saw, I also would believe. But we can no longer.

How about us who have not seen the resurrected Jesus? How can we be sure?

We can be sure because...

2. MARY HEARD AND THEN BELIEVED

John 20:10–14 “Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 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.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.”

This is odd.

Mary knew Jesus for many years.

She looks Jesus in the face.… Yet she does not recognise him

Unlike John, she saw but didn’t believe.

Mary does not seem to fit with our expectations

We think: seeing is believing. Even seeing gaurantees belief

Yet Mary is an exception....

Actually she isn’t an exception. For many people during Jesus’ day saw him, saw his miracles,

Yet the more they saw, the more they didn’t like what they saw.

Seeing doesn’t guarantee believing.

What you want to believe is more decisive. For Jesus’ enemies, seeing even resulted in killing.

Seeing does not necessarily lead to belief.

V - maybe you think. When i see a miracle. Then I will believe.

sometimes what you want to believe is more decisive.

Somtimes If you don’t want to believe, it doesn’t matter what you see.

Seeing does not necessarily lead to belief.

Certainly not for Mary.

(L) So what did made the difference for her?

John 20:16 “Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

It is as Jesus’ calls her name “Mary!” does she finally recognise him.

This is the good shepherd.

The good shepherd calls his own sheep by name - Mary! Serina! Andrew! Nick!

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me”

Mary saw but didn’t believe. Only when she heard does she believe.

In John’s gospel, seeing and witnessing Jesus’ miracles and particularly his death and resurrection is very important.

We can be sure because John saw.

But also, Jesus teaches that there is a premium placed on hearing.

Seeing does not gaurantee belief.

It is those who hear his words and believe.

(A) Call is the difference between cats and dog

If you ever had a pet or know someone who does. you know the difference.

In laws. here. Ash. beautiful. but horrible.

i did not like. expressed my opinion.

call. never come.

Benji. PQ.

call Benji. He comes for cuddles.

The call of Jesus, much more similar to calling dog.

Effective.

More than effective.

Same voice that called stars and planets into existece.

Calls you today.

V - maybe that’s you today

Perhaps You have been distant from God for many years.

But perhaps recently, you’ve wondered whether there is more.

Is there more to Christianity than you previously thought?

Is there more to life after death?

Is there more to the person of Jesus?

That might just be the good shepherd calling out to you.

Jesus said to her.. “Mary”

because Mary heard and then believed.

likewise you can hear and believe.

(L) We have one more individual left to consider and his name is Thomas.

3. THOMAS HEARD AND SHOULD HAVE BELIEVED

(A) It’s evening. The disciples are huddled together in a locked room for fear of the Jews.

And Jesus appears in the midst of them and says:

“Peace be with you.”

And he shows them his hands and his side.

(L) but how about Thomas? let’s pick it up from verse 24

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him,

“We have seen the Lord.”

But he said to them, “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.””

Do you resonate with Thomas?

Well on one hand we do

What caused him to doubt?

I suppose, dead people don’t typically come back to life. Not now, and not back them.

But more than that, I suspect that his disbelief may have been due to the fear of religious group think

When all his friends were telling him “we have seen the Lord!”

He did not want to succumb to religious group think.

And so he says until I myself see his hands and place my finger in the mark of his nails and placed my hand on the side I will never believe.

And perhaps there was me when we were praying together for Rachel's nan on Zoom.

I did not want to succumb to religious group think

I did not want to believe that Rachel's nan would experience eternal life just because the group thought so.

and so it result in my mini-crisis.

(L) so what happens to Thomas?

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!””

In Jesus’ kindness, he appears personally to Thomas.

Place your finger in the holes of my hand.

Touch my side where the spear had pierced.

This Jesus with his scars.

And this Jesus with a scar story says: John 20:29 “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””

On one hand, Thomas was rightly cautious.

He was rightly cautious of religious group think.

Yet as Jesus points out, Thomas needed to see past his concern of groupthink and remember who was witnessing to him.

It was his friends who he knew and trust

But more than being his friends, they were reliable eye witnessed

Together they spent three years together with Jesus.

Together they saw his miracles

Together they heard his predictions that he would die and rise again.

Jesus is not telling Thomas to have blind faith.

Just believe inspite of the evidence.

No, he is telling Thomas to believe because his friends, the eyewitnesses of the resurrection, are trustworthy.

Thomas heard did not believe but should have believed.

In the same way, we are rightly cautious of religious groupthink.

We shouldn’t believe just because the group tells us to.

But we should believe the eyewitnesses of the resurrection.

Our key verse for today: start at 29

John 20:30–31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

MAIN POINT (Summarise | Wordsmith | 5 Syllable | Alliterate)

Q:How can we be sure of life after death?

How can we be sure of the historical resurrection of Jesus?

A: We can be sure because...

John saw - so we have his testimony.

Mary heard - as we heard this testimony we hear Jesus calling us.

Thomas heard and should have believed - we heard. and so we can and should believe.

REINFORCEMENT (Amp | Hearts Burning | STAR)

(A) I can still clearly remember being on the zoom call

Everyone's eyes were closed and they were praying

My eyes were open.. and I was just thinking to myself how can I be sure that Rachel's nan would really experience eternal life

Is this just groupthink?

How do I know for sure?

That thought lingered in my head for the whole afternoon.. sense of uneasiness.

And then in the evening.. another thought hit me in the evening

I can be sure because Jesus has risen from the dead

I can be sure because John saw the resurrected Jesus. And written down his eyewitness for me.

And so I moved from uncertainty the certainty that I myself would see rachels Nan in heaven

because Jesus rose from the dead

^ His resurrection

Raised in a new man, not raised with a different substance.

Remember his new body bore the scars of the old.

Jesus is fully God . yes

But he was raised as a man... because he was raised for us.

And his resurrection does not merely offer us life after death

His resurrection was start of

A new day. New dawn.

A new human race.

A whole new creation

His resurrection is the future restoration of world breaking into the present.

(PAUSE)

LAND (Worldview | Us)

To someone who may still be sceptical about life after death

It is understandable to not be sure.

But at the same time, you cannot be sure that there is no life after death.

After all the only way of really knowing about what happens after you die.. is when you die.

So how can you be sure?

However, there is another way the other way.

The other way is for someone to die and then comes back to life and then tells us that is life to come

then we can be sure there is indeed life after death.

If you are Christian today

You can have absolute confidence that you will experience resurrection life

Not because your parents told you

Not becaus people around to tell you

Not because you like for it to happen

You can be absolutely sure because 2000 years ago Jesus rose from the dead

Jesus is alive he is alive today

Thanks so much for joining us this Easter. Wish you a happy Easter.

Pause. Prayer. Sing. a great song praising GOd.