Easter Sunday

(ESV)

The Resurrection

The Resurrection

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 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.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, 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. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

On the Road to Emmaus

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 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.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘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 that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

Jesus and Thomas

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 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.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.”

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension

26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Out of the 4 accounts of the resurrection, I find myself drawn to John’s account the most.

I think it’s because it talks about the response of two specific people: Mary Magdalene and Thomas.

Neither of these people get a lot of “press time” in the Gospels. They don’t get talked about a lot.

But I want to focus on Thomas today

Thomas doesn’t get talked about a lot because there isn’t much said about him in the Gospels. And when he does get talked about, he’s referred to as “Doubting Thomas”.

That’s how I heard him talked about as I was growing up. Singing that little song that has the line, “Don’t be a doubting Thomas, lean fully on his promise. Why worry, worry, worry, worry, when you can pray?”

Doubting Thomas. All the other disciples believed right away, but not Thomas! No. He declared that he WOULDN’T believe unless he could see Jesus with his physical eyes and touch Jesus with his hands.

We should have faith and just accept things that we can’t see and not doubt like Thomas did.

But you know, the older I get and the more life experience that I have, the less I find myself getting down on Thomas. The less harsh I become with him.

I guess because I’ve been where Thomas finds himself.

And my guess is that if I had been in Thomas’ situation on that day, I might have responded exactly like he did

In fact, I wonder what any of the other disciples would have done, Peter, James, and John, included.

Had any of the disciples not been in the gathering when Jesus appeared, and the other disciples came and said, “We have seen the Lord”, maybe they all would have responded just like that.

See, the disciples, Jesus’ closest followers had just spent 3 unimaginably terrifying, painful, and confusing days.

They had just witnessed their Lord and Master, the One whom they loved, the One they believed was their Messiah, the One who would free them from Roman Tyranny, they had witnessed Him captured, tortured, and dying a horrible excruciating death on a Roman cross.

And they had seen his body being put in a hole in the rock and a stone rolled in front. And the thud as it dropped into place seemed to pierce their soul with an overwhelming sense of grief and hopelessness.

Their senses were reeling.

They were greiving as they had never grieved before.

Thomas was no exception. He was in the depths of grief

And how he responded was a normal response for a person who is grieving.

Just like when we suffer a physical wound and our body reacts to protect that wound,

So it is that when something happens that makes our hearts grieve, we react to protect our hearts.

When trust has been broken with a friend, the walls of our hearts come up and we say, “I can’t believe I trusted him. See if I ever trust anyone again.”

When our hopes have been dashed, we say, “I can’t believe that I even dared to hope. See if I ever hope in anything again! I’m going to stick with what I know and can manage myself.”

When we grieve, our natural tendency is to fall back on good ol’ #1. ME! We say, “It’s up to me to manage my life now.”

This is where Thomas finds himself.

I think he is saying, “You know, I trusted once. I trusted this Man. In fact, I uprooted my whole life to throw my allegiance behind Him. Now He’s dead. I saw the whole thing with my own eyes.

Now I’m not going to believe what you say unless I see Him alive with my own eyes.”

8 days later he gets his chance.

Jesus is so merciful with him. He could have been harsh and said, “Thomas, look. Didn’t you listen to anything that I’ve been telling you the last number of years?

I mean, I guess if that’s the way you are going to be, who needs you? I need people in my kingdom who have more faith than you do.”

But he doesn’t do that at all

He just says gently, “Hey Thomas, you wanted to touch me? Heres your chance! Believe.

And relief floods over Thomas like a tidal wave. I can imagine the tears coming in a rush and him doing more than just delicately touching the wounds in Jesus’ body.

I can imagine him flinging himself at Jesus and wrapping Him up in a great big bear hug.

“My Lord and my God!” he cries out.

Again, Jesus doesn’t scold him, but offers him a gentle reminder of what is to come.

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”

In just a short while, Jesus would return to His Father, and His followers would be required to believe without seeing Him.

That is where we find ourselves today on Easter Sunday.

We are living in times that are difficult. And on some fronts, it brings about a sense of grief.

There are thousands of people in our country who are grieving today.

Some of you, maybe you haven’t lost loved ones to death, but our relationships have suffered. We miss being together. We miss seeing parents, and grandmas and grandpas.

And in our grief, it’s hard to trust.

We may find it hard to believe that Jesus really is alive and that He knows what is going on and is in control of these things.

We just think that if we could see Him and touch Him, then it would make it easier.

But Jesus says, “There is great blessing in believing without seeing!”

And then He makes it possible for us to do this, by giving us the promised Holy Spirit, His very presence dwelling inside of us!

So while we don’t see Him with our physical eyes, we do see Him with our spiritual eyes. And maybe even touch Him with our spiritual hands:)

Today, this Easter Sunday, be reminded that we serve a Risen Lord! And even in times that are hard which bring grief, may we dare to trust again

May we dare to hope again.

May we, as Thomas did, rush to Him, cling to Him, and say “My Lord and my God!”

I pray that you will be blessed this Easter and that you will truly see Him and experience fellowship with Him.