Gospel of John - He is Risen!

 

    

He Is Risen!

John 20:1-18

The resurrection of Jesus was still not ascertainable to those who had heard and seen Jesus. The grief of Jesus’ death was still weighing on them all. Understanding and discernment of the Lord’s words were pushed aside by the trauma of his death, suppressing their memories of Jesus’ words of rising back to life on the third day, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” (Matt. 20:18-19)

Let’s look at the first portion of the text, “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. 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!” In Mark’s accounts of the first day encounter with the tomb of Jesus, Mary Magdalene was with another Mary, the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome. The women went to the tomb in order to talk the soldiers into letting them anoint Jesus’ body with more spices and ointments. On the way, they pondered how they were going to remove the large stone covering the tomb, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mk. 16:3). As they approached the garden, the ground shook as if in an earthquake. When the women arrived at the tomb, they found the soldiers had fainted for some reason and the stone was rolled away from the tomb. In boldness, the women went to the entrance to the tomb. There they encountered angelic beings. One account speaks of an angel sitting on the stone he rolled away (Matt. 28:2). As they entered the tomb, they found the grave clothes of Jesus but his body was gone. It was another account where two men in dazzling white (angels) spoke to the women telling them that Jesus had risen from the dead as he had said. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.” (Lk. 24:5-8) 

The women were told to go and tell the disciples, so they hurried back still in bewilderment. Short of breath from the run, bewilderment and exhilarated from their encounters with the angels, they relayed the message to Peter and John, who did not believe the women about Jesus’ body and their message, thinking they were speaking nonsense because of grief. 

Application - Trauma creates incredible emotions and responses to our minds. Those who have been through life wrenching acts in life, know how it askews memory and affects decision making and planning. The women plainly expected to see the tomb just as they had seen it two days earlier, but expectations changed. The one absolute constant we can rely upon in every possible situation is the truth of God’s words. Jesus has given us his Spirit and told us of the plan for the times to come. There are also testimonies of those who have had an angelic visitation or dream/vision that assist them in following the way. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a promise from his Word that is worth more than the treasures of this world, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (or will direct your paths).” Jesus gave the disciples and followers this word of certainty, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn.16:33) and these words are for us as well who believe and follow him. Trauma and trials will come in life, but the eternal Word of God will be our anchor and sure peace when our world around us is failing.  

Let’s look to the next portion of the text, “So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.”

       They raced to the tomb to see for themselves. John, being swifter and younger, beat Peter to the tomb. It doesn’t say where the soldiers were when John and Peter arrived at the tomb , but they must have recovered from their fright of seeing the angel of the Lord, and left to tell the religious authorities (Matt.28:11). John pulled up short of the tomb entrance, but Peter bolted passed him into the tomb to see if what he had heard was true. There upon the slab were Jesus’ grave clothes, including the facial cloth or shroud, but no body. Now both men were astounded and uncertain about what all had happened. The women’s testimony was true about the tomb being empty, but seeing the angels was beyond their faith to believe at the moment. Peter and John returned to the place in which the disciples were staying, and relayed the truth of what they saw as well. The words of Jesus had not yet settled into their minds and hearts.

Application - It is amazing what man will do to see and understand the inconceivable. They will experiment with all the variables and try to prevail in their assumptions with hypotheses. They will formulate a plausible answer to a supernatural event. And when all their efforts and data fall short of truly explaining the unexplainable, man will contrive an answer to explain the impossible. This has been the result of mankind’s efforts to explain the resurrection of Jesus Christ. From the Swoon theory, the wrong tomb theory, the stolen body theory, and the Hallucination Theory, and many others. The facts remain with the eyewitness accounts of the women and the disciples. They found an empty tomb, soiled grave clothes, and angelic testimonies. Jesus told the disciples and followers of the truth, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” (Lk. 24:7) Jesus tells us as well, even though we haven’t seen him and believe, one day we will see him in all of his glory and grace. “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12) This is my hope, to not look through a darkened glass, but with clear eyes upon our sovereign Lord and Savior.

Let’s look at the last portion of the text, “Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 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.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 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.’” 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.” 

In all of the excitement and uncertainty, Mary Magdalene went back to the tomb with the disciples and remained and wept in her uncertainty and doubt, her fears and grief. Again, more angels comforted her and Jesus’ appearance confounded her, for she saw Jesus as a gardener this time, possibly the one who took Jesus’ body. She longed for the certainty of a body to anoint, but found none. She wept in grief until she heard the voice of the One she knew and believed in. It was Jesus calling her name personally. This awakened her spirit and soul and she went to grasp a hold of the one she loved and worshiped, only to be asked to wait until Jesus had ascended to the Father. Again, she had a message for the disciples, her brothers in the faith. “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” This time she had an extra skip in her stride as she had good news for all the believers.

Application - Meeting the Lord Jesus will be the highlight of a lifetime, for those who have believed it will be pure and unrestrained joy. For those who do not know him, it will be their greatest fear,  “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Rev. 1:7)

  It is our blessed hope (1 Thes. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13, Rom. 8:23) the promise of our Savior to take us to where he is, that he has prepared a place for all of us who believe in him. We will behold the One who died for our sins, who arose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God waiting the day he will come and to take his church, his bride, to his kingdom of light and truth. Yet, God has given us a message to share as well, the Gospel of the Good News. I can’t imagine Mary Magdalene keeping the message of the risen Jesus to herself, how much more so should we tell the Good News for all to hear.

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. And he wants to empower you with the Holy Spirit. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second, B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com