John 20 - Encountering the Risen Christ

🏈 Illustration: “The Comeback That No One Saw Coming”

In 2018, the College Football Playoff National Championship featured Alabama vs. Georgia. By halftime, Alabama trailed 13–0 — completely shut down, momentum gone, fans already preparing for defeat.

Then, Coach Nick Saban made a bold, unexpected move: he benched his veteran quarterback and sent in a freshman — Tua Tagovailoa — who had barely played that season. In the second half, everything changed. Tua led a furious comeback, tying the game and forcing overtime. Then, after taking a sack in overtime (a seeming disaster), he threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to win the game 26–23.

The cameras caught Saban smiling and shaking his head — “Unbelievable.” From despair to triumph — from certain defeat to stunning victory — in a moment.

That’s what happened in John 20 — but on an infinitely greater scale. The resurrection transformed the story of the world — snatching eternal victory from the jaws of apparent defeat.

1. Encountering Jesus in Sorrow

John 20:11–18 CSB

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?” Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.” 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “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.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.

v. 11 Who was Mary?

Mary Magdalene, one of the most devoted followers of Jesus and the first witness of the resurrection.

1. Her Identity

Mary Magdalene means Mary from Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (near Tiberias).

She’s not the same Mary as the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11) or Mary the mother of Jesus.

Luke 8:2 tells us she had been delivered from seven demons — a sign of deep spiritual bondage and Christ’s transforming power.

After her deliverance, she became a devoted follower, traveling with Jesus and helping support His ministry (Luke 8:1–3).

(Also, one of the main characters on The Chosen)

2. Her Devotion

Mary stood near the cross when most of the disciples had fled (John 19:25).

She saw where Jesus was laid in the tomb (Mark 15:47).

On Sunday morning, she came early — before dawn — bringing spices to complete the burial.

Even after finding the stone rolled away, she remained near the tomb weeping (John 20:11).

Her tears show not just grief but love — she can’t bear to leave the last place she saw Him.

v. 13 Angels - why are you crying?

v. 15 Jesus - why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?

Why didn’t Mary recognize Jesus?

1. His resurrected body was new and spiritual - incorruptible and perfect. While continuous with his previous body, he now looked more radiant and alive than ever before.

2. This motif of not recognizing the risen Lord is actually familiar from other resurrection accounts (disciples on the road to Emmaus, disciples in Galilee).

3. Ultimately, Jesus had to make himself known. He did this by simply speaking her name, “Mary,” which triggered her recognition. This moment echoes Jesus’ earlier description of himself as the good shepherd who “calls his own sheep by name” and whose sheep recognize his voice

v. 17

The Gospel according to John 2. Jesus Appears to Mary (20:10–18)

This verse belongs to a handful of the most difficult passages in the New Testament (Carson)

Option 1 - stop touching me (but why?) KJV, “Touch me not”

Option 2 - don’t cling to me (it’s ok that you’re touching me, though - Thomas will be invited to do the same)

Option 3a - Stop holding on to me. I am not yet in the ascended state, so you do not have to hang on to me as if I were about to disappear permanently. This is a time for joy and sharing the good news, not for clutching me as if I were some jealously guarded private dream-come-true. Stop clinging to me, but rather go and tell my disciples that I am in the process of ascending to my Father and your Father.

Option 3b - I have a physical body still, but my time is short...

Note the message to tell the disciples - not that “Jesus is alive,” but rather “Jesus is here but he’s going away”

Note the wording - “your Father,” “your God” (!)

What’s better news - Jesus is alive, or that God is your Father as well as your God?

v. 18 Mary makes the announcement to the disciples - “I have seen the Lord!”

One of the strongest apologetic arguments for the truth of scripture.

In the first-century Jewish world, women’s testimony was not considered legally reliable in court.

The historian Josephus wrote that women’s witness was not accepted because of perceived emotional instability (Antiquities 4.8.15).

In other words, if the Gospel writers were fabricating a story to convince others, they would never have chosen a woman—much less one formerly associated with demonic possession (Luke 8:2)—as the first and primary witness.

Apologetic Point: The fact that Mary Magdalene is named as the first to see the risen Christ is powerful evidence of authenticity. It’s exactly the kind of “embarrassing detail” that inventors of a myth would avoid — yet the Gospel writers include it boldly.

2. Encountering Jesus in Fear

John 20:19–23 CSB

19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

v. 19 - This is on resurrection Sunday, the day that Christ arose. The disciples are in hiding.

“the Jews” - those who had Jesus killed; who also wanted to kill Lazarus

The door is locked

Jesus appeared

“Peace be with you” - “the state of well-being and concord” - anything but how the disciples felt. The usual translation of shalom (Hebrew).

v. 20 The disciples rejoiced!

v. 21 “So I am sending you”

The mission of the church is the mission of Jesus - the great commission

v. 22 “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”

But wait - what about Pentecost? What is John saying here?

If we take the view that the HS came here and at Pentecost, this creates a host of problems.

Better: a symbolic promise of the gift of the Spirit later to be given

And with that he breathed, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (In the Greek there is no direct object)

(Theodore of Mopsuestia - 350 AD, Antioch; Emphasized the literal-historical meaning of Scripture rather than the allegorical or mystical interpretations of Origen)

Carson -  his exegesis, admittedly, varied from the brilliant to the heretical

v. 23 “If you forgive the sins of any...”

There is no doubt from the context that the reference is to forgiving sins, or withholding forgiveness. But though this sounds stern and harsh, it is simply the result of the preaching of the gospel, which either brings men to repent as they hear of the ready and costly forgiveness of God, or leaves them unresponsive to the offer of forgiveness which is the gospel, and so they are left in their sins (Marsh)

3. Encountering Jesus in Doubt

John 20:24–29 CSB

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even 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 and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

v. 24 - What about Thomas?

(Doubting Thomas)

His name means “twin”!

He was loyal

John Thomas and Jesus (20:24–29)

In 11:16 he committed himself to following Jesus even though it meant he might die. It was a loyal (though pessimistic) sentiment

He was...an honest questioner?

At the Last Supper, Jesus says, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas replies:

“Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?”

This gives rise to Jesus’ famous answer:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (v. 6)

Thomas isn’t cynical — he’s seeking clarity. His question opens the door to one of Jesus’ most profound self-revelations. He asks what others may have been thinking but were afraid to say.

He did doubt - “I will never believe” - he did more than doubt?

But...

1. Thomas responds with one of the clearest confessions of Christ’s divinity in the entire Bible:

“My Lord and my God!” (v. 28)

2. Some historical records indicate that Thomas traveled east as a missionary — possibly as far as India.

3. Tradition holds that he was martyred in India, likely near Mylapore (modern Chennai), speared to death for his faith.

v.29 - “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” That would include us!

Conclusion:

The people in the region of the Decapolis - Mark 7:37 “37 They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Some people are consumed with grief; Some people gravitate toward fear; Some people gravitate toward doubt

Were there any who were not in need of Jesus’ ministry?

See how Jesus does all thing well in his dealings with these various types of people?

What is our mission?

The resurrection is not the end of the gospel story — it’s the launchpad of the church’s story (Acts). It’s the foundation of the gospel message.

The peace that Jesus gives comes only through the gospel.

The forgiveness of sins comes only through the gospel.