THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
JOHN 20:1-18
This passage is John’s account of the resurrection of Jesus. In it he gives us the facts and he shows us the faith journey of some of those who were involved in the story.
The first thing we see is that the story begins on the first day of the week, Sunday. Jesus was crucified on Friday, was in the tomb on Saturday, and rose on Sunday. That is why the church gathers on Sunday; it is recognition that the Lord was raised on that day. So, every Sunday is Resurrection Day for the church. We gather to worship a risen savior, to hear his word expounded, and to observe the Lord’s Supper, remembering his death until he returns. It would be silly to deny the resurrection while attending the observance of his resurrection every week.
John’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb focuses on Mary Magdalene. That does not make John’s account contradict the others which say several women went there. It just means he chose to focus on Mary, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Mary, along with several other women, had followed Jesus in his travels and supported him and the Twelve. She, at one time, had been possessed by demons and delivered from them by Jesus. (Luke 8:2; Mark 15:40-41) You can understand, then, why she believed in him and was intensely loyal to him.
There are other things that are said about Mary, but are not stated in Scripture. Some say she had been a prostitute. Others that she and Jesus had a romantic relationship. Neither of these are scenarios are in the Bible.
Mary had also stayed to watch Jesus crucified even though most of the disciples had fled. Mark 15:40 says she, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses and Salome watched from a distance. She and Mary the mother of Joses followed Joseph of Arimathea and his helpers to the tomb where Jesus was laid, so she knew exactly where it was. (Mark 15:47)
Mary, as an observant Jew, would have returned home, or to someone’s home, after the crucifixion on Friday, to observe the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Since it was too dark to do anything after sundown, she waited until Sunday morning to return to the tomb.
Mary must have spent a sleepless night waiting, for she got to the tomb before sunrise, while it was still dark. She had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. You can imagine how hard that was to think about.
Mary probably also wanted to start her work the minute it was light enough to see. That work would have been adding the traditional spices to the wrappings on Jesus’ body, which had not been fully accomplished when Joseph buried Jesus in the tomb. Out of respect and reverence for him, she wanted him properly prepared as soon as possible.
When Mary arrived at the tomb, she was shocked to see that the stone had been taken away. This tomb would have been a large hole carved out of a limestone hill with a stone to close the entrance. Her reaction was not to believe Jesus had been raised, but that someone had taken his body away. This could have been done by the Roman or Jewish authorities to prevent claims of resurrection, or by someone who took it because the first tomb was only temporary, belonging to someone else. Either way, she was alarmed that his body was missing.
So Mary ran and found Simon Peter and John, brother of James and author of this gospel. He identified himself only as the “other disciple” and “the one Jesus loved”. (2) She told them “they” had taken Jesus’ body and she did not know where.
She actually said “we” do not know where they laid him, indicating that there were others with her at the tomb. This again shows there is no conflict in the accounts concerning which women were at the tomb.
Peter and John then took off toward the tomb running. (3) John got there first, but did not go in. He looked in and saw the linen cloths, the burial cloths, lying there. Peter caught up, and being the bold one, went in. John followed him in. They saw the linen cloths lying undisturbed and the face cloth lying separately and folded or rolled up. If the body had been taken, you would expect the cloths to have been taken with the body, but these were not. Yet, the body was gone.
There is a story that goes around at Easter that the face scarf was folded as a symbol, saying that when a Jewish person was eating, he put the napkin on the table unfolded if he was finished, but folded if he was coming back to the table. So, by folding the napkin, it signified that Jesus would return. But, there is no evidence of this in either Scripture or other writing, so it is likely untrue.
Verse 8 says John saw and believed because as yet they did not understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. I think this is saying John did not believe Jesus was raised, or understand that he would be, until he saw the empty grave clothes. Peter “marveled at these things” but it does not say he believed. (Luke 24:12)
Peter did come to believe and to preach the resurrection. Once the Holy Spirit opened his mind to the Scripture, he applied Psalm 16:9-10 as fulfilled in the resurrection. That Psalm says:
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
Peter’s sermon is recorded in Acts 2:25. Paul later preached the resurrection using that same verse. His sermon is recorded in Acts 13.
After the disciples returned home, the focus of the story returned to Mary. She remained at the tomb and stood there weeping. (11) She did not yet believe or understand resurrection. She believed Jesus’ body had been stolen and desecrated and that she could not tend to it as she planned. But, in her devotion to Jesus, she was reluctant to leave the last place she knew he had been.
Mary took one last look into the tomb as we often do when leaving a sad place. But this time two angels were there in the tomb. They sat on the shelf that the body had been on, one at the head and one at the foot of the cloths. There may be some reference here to the cherubim that were constructed on either side of the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant. It was the place where the presence of God dwelled in the tabernacle and accepted the sacrifices for sin.
The angels asked Mary why she was weeping. (13) We often treat this as a rhetorical question, but they may have been genuinely perplexed. They knew Jesus had risen. That should be the cause for joy, yet this woman was grieving instead. This shows us that angels cannot read our minds.
Mary told them it was because the body of her Lord had been taken and she did not know where. She still did not understand or believe that Jesus had risen.
I think it is interesting that she did not ask them “why are you here?”. That would have been my first question. Instead, she turned to go.
As she turned, she saw Jesus, but did not recognize him. She thought he was the gardener. (15), meaning the one who took care of the garden where the tomb was.
Why did she not recognize him? There is much speculation about this. No reason is given in the text. It could be that she thought him dead and so did not think it could be him. It could be her eyes were blurry with tears or that it was still dark. One of these would be the simple explanations.
It could be that the Lord in his glorified body was not recognizable to her. Yet, she later clearly does recognize him. Finally, it could be that the Lord in his power kept her from recognizing him, as he did the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Like 24:16) But there the text says that is the reason.
But when Jesus spoke her name, Mary recognized him immediately. Maybe he always said it the same way. Maybe she simply recognized his voice. Whatever the reason, she responded to him by calling him Rabboni, a form of the Aramaic word Rabbi, meaning teacher. It was probably how she had always addressed him and was a term of respect.
Mary must have fallen to the ground and grabbed Jesus’ feet, for he told her not to cling to him. The reason he gave was that he had not yet ascended to the Father. (17) There is much speculation about the reason he said this, but again I think a simple explanation fits. Jesus was saying you do not need to cling to me because I am not ascending yet. I’m not leaving now.
Jesus wanted her to to go and tell the disciples to meet him. She did and said she had seen the Lord.
So, what can we take away from this story?
First of all, John presented these events as fact. He did not use mythological or metaphorical language. He simply stated facts.
In fact, all of the gospel writers say Jesus was raised. John was one of the first witnesses. Matthew, as an apostle, would have been present at one of Jesus’ appearances. We believe Mark wrote Peter’ account of the story, which would make it a first hand account. Peter preached that he was raised. Paul saw the risen Jesus and said Jesus was raised.
It is a fundamental fact of the Christian faith. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, says the resurrection is part of the gospel. It is, therefore, something that must be believed for us to be saved.
Although the old hymn says basically that we know that Jesus lives because he lives within our hearts, we have much more than that. We have witnesses recounting the events they witnessed.
There are many that acknowledge that Jesus lived and died, but deny he was raised. Yet, we have four accounts of his resurrection, including multiple appearances to many people. There are no accounts of people finding his dead body.
Some say Jesus swooned and recovered in the tomb. There are no witnesses to this either. In addition, you would have to believe the Roman executioners, who crucified people all the time, did not recognize he was alive and breathing. You would also have to believe he could move the tomb stone from the inside of the tomb, sneak past the guards, and run off to hide.
Some also say the disciples stole the body and lied about seeing Jesus later. That would have been impossible with soldiers guarding the tomb. And, there is no way that all of the disciples would have kept the secret and gone to their deaths to defend it.
Another reason to deny the resurrection is to say it cannot happen because it never happens. But, part of the point is that it does not happen normally and it was a supernatural event, the Son of God in the power of God rising from death for our justification and as a sign of our own resurrection at the end of this age.
Second, believing that the resurrection is a fact puts us in position to understand its meaning. God raising Jesus from the dead vindicates him. It says the condemnation of the Jewish leaders and the Roman government was unjust. It says Jesus indeed was righteous. As 1 Timothy 3:16 says, he was vindicated by the Spirit, meaning his resurrection from the grave by the power of God expressed through the Holy Spirit. God suspended the power of death, declaring the ultimate consequence of sin was terminated. God annulled the sentence of condemnation.
As Jesus was raised, we will be raised. As Jesus was vindicated and declared righteous, we will be vindicated at our resurrection and declared righteous because of our identification with Christ. Romans 3:25 says Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Believing in Christ’s resurrection leads us to believe in our own. 1 Corinthians 15 says Christ was raised as the first fruits. This allusion to the Old Testament refers to offering the first grain, the first fruits, before the Lord in anticipation of a great harvest. Jesus was the first fruit of resurrection, to be followed by a great harvest from humanity through out history.
And that is cause for celebration.
Godspeed.
JOHN 20:1-18
This passage is John’s account of the resurrection of Jesus. In it he gives us the facts and he shows us the faith journey of some of those who were involved in the story.
The first thing we see is that the story begins on the first day of the week, Sunday. Jesus was crucified on Friday, was in the tomb on Saturday, and rose on Sunday. That is why the church gathers on Sunday; it is recognition that the Lord was raised on that day. So, every Sunday is Resurrection Day for the church. We gather to worship a risen savior, to hear his word expounded, and to observe the Lord’s Supper, remembering his death until he returns. It would be silly to deny the resurrection while attending the observance of his resurrection every week.
John’s account of the discovery of the empty tomb focuses on Mary Magdalene. That does not make John’s account contradict the others which say several women went there. It just means he chose to focus on Mary, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Mary, along with several other women, had followed Jesus in his travels and supported him and the Twelve. She, at one time, had been possessed by demons and delivered from them by Jesus. (Luke 8:2; Mark 15:40-41) You can understand, then, why she believed in him and was intensely loyal to him.
There are other things that are said about Mary, but are not stated in Scripture. Some say she had been a prostitute. Others that she and Jesus had a romantic relationship. Neither of these are scenarios are in the Bible.
Mary had also stayed to watch Jesus crucified even though most of the disciples had fled. Mark 15:40 says she, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses and Salome watched from a distance. She and Mary the mother of Joses followed Joseph of Arimathea and his helpers to the tomb where Jesus was laid, so she knew exactly where it was. (Mark 15:47)
Mary, as an observant Jew, would have returned home, or to someone’s home, after the crucifixion on Friday, to observe the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Since it was too dark to do anything after sundown, she waited until Sunday morning to return to the tomb.
Mary must have spent a sleepless night waiting, for she got to the tomb before sunrise, while it was still dark. She had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. You can imagine how hard that was to think about.
Mary probably also wanted to start her work the minute it was light enough to see. That work would have been adding the traditional spices to the wrappings on Jesus’ body, which had not been fully accomplished when Joseph buried Jesus in the tomb. Out of respect and reverence for him, she wanted him properly prepared as soon as possible.
When Mary arrived at the tomb, she was shocked to see that the stone had been taken away. This tomb would have been a large hole carved out of a limestone hill with a stone to close the entrance. Her reaction was not to believe Jesus had been raised, but that someone had taken his body away. This could have been done by the Roman or Jewish authorities to prevent claims of resurrection, or by someone who took it because the first tomb was only temporary, belonging to someone else. Either way, she was alarmed that his body was missing.
So Mary ran and found Simon Peter and John, brother of James and author of this gospel. He identified himself only as the “other disciple” and “the one Jesus loved”. (2) She told them “they” had taken Jesus’ body and she did not know where.
She actually said “we” do not know where they laid him, indicating that there were others with her at the tomb. This again shows there is no conflict in the accounts concerning which women were at the tomb.
Peter and John then took off toward the tomb running. (3) John got there first, but did not go in. He looked in and saw the linen cloths, the burial cloths, lying there. Peter caught up, and being the bold one, went in. John followed him in. They saw the linen cloths lying undisturbed and the face cloth lying separately and folded or rolled up. If the body had been taken, you would expect the cloths to have been taken with the body, but these were not. Yet, the body was gone.
There is a story that goes around at Easter that the face scarf was folded as a symbol, saying that when a Jewish person was eating, he put the napkin on the table unfolded if he was finished, but folded if he was coming back to the table. So, by folding the napkin, it signified that Jesus would return. But, there is no evidence of this in either Scripture or other writing, so it is likely untrue.
Verse 8 says John saw and believed because as yet they did not understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. I think this is saying John did not believe Jesus was raised, or understand that he would be, until he saw the empty grave clothes. Peter “marveled at these things” but it does not say he believed. (Luke 24:12)
Peter did come to believe and to preach the resurrection. Once the Holy Spirit opened his mind to the Scripture, he applied Psalm 16:9-10 as fulfilled in the resurrection. That Psalm says:
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
Peter’s sermon is recorded in Acts 2:25. Paul later preached the resurrection using that same verse. His sermon is recorded in Acts 13.
After the disciples returned home, the focus of the story returned to Mary. She remained at the tomb and stood there weeping. (11) She did not yet believe or understand resurrection. She believed Jesus’ body had been stolen and desecrated and that she could not tend to it as she planned. But, in her devotion to Jesus, she was reluctant to leave the last place she knew he had been.
Mary took one last look into the tomb as we often do when leaving a sad place. But this time two angels were there in the tomb. They sat on the shelf that the body had been on, one at the head and one at the foot of the cloths. There may be some reference here to the cherubim that were constructed on either side of the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant. It was the place where the presence of God dwelled in the tabernacle and accepted the sacrifices for sin.
The angels asked Mary why she was weeping. (13) We often treat this as a rhetorical question, but they may have been genuinely perplexed. They knew Jesus had risen. That should be the cause for joy, yet this woman was grieving instead. This shows us that angels cannot read our minds.
Mary told them it was because the body of her Lord had been taken and she did not know where. She still did not understand or believe that Jesus had risen.
I think it is interesting that she did not ask them “why are you here?”. That would have been my first question. Instead, she turned to go.
As she turned, she saw Jesus, but did not recognize him. She thought he was the gardener. (15), meaning the one who took care of the garden where the tomb was.
Why did she not recognize him? There is much speculation about this. No reason is given in the text. It could be that she thought him dead and so did not think it could be him. It could be her eyes were blurry with tears or that it was still dark. One of these would be the simple explanations.
It could be that the Lord in his glorified body was not recognizable to her. Yet, she later clearly does recognize him. Finally, it could be that the Lord in his power kept her from recognizing him, as he did the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Like 24:16) But there the text says that is the reason.
But when Jesus spoke her name, Mary recognized him immediately. Maybe he always said it the same way. Maybe she simply recognized his voice. Whatever the reason, she responded to him by calling him Rabboni, a form of the Aramaic word Rabbi, meaning teacher. It was probably how she had always addressed him and was a term of respect.
Mary must have fallen to the ground and grabbed Jesus’ feet, for he told her not to cling to him. The reason he gave was that he had not yet ascended to the Father. (17) There is much speculation about the reason he said this, but again I think a simple explanation fits. Jesus was saying you do not need to cling to me because I am not ascending yet. I’m not leaving now.
Jesus wanted her to to go and tell the disciples to meet him. She did and said she had seen the Lord.
So, what can we take away from this story?
First of all, John presented these events as fact. He did not use mythological or metaphorical language. He simply stated facts.
In fact, all of the gospel writers say Jesus was raised. John was one of the first witnesses. Matthew, as an apostle, would have been present at one of Jesus’ appearances. We believe Mark wrote Peter’ account of the story, which would make it a first hand account. Peter preached that he was raised. Paul saw the risen Jesus and said Jesus was raised.
It is a fundamental fact of the Christian faith. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, says the resurrection is part of the gospel. It is, therefore, something that must be believed for us to be saved.
Although the old hymn says basically that we know that Jesus lives because he lives within our hearts, we have much more than that. We have witnesses recounting the events they witnessed.
There are many that acknowledge that Jesus lived and died, but deny he was raised. Yet, we have four accounts of his resurrection, including multiple appearances to many people. There are no accounts of people finding his dead body.
Some say Jesus swooned and recovered in the tomb. There are no witnesses to this either. In addition, you would have to believe the Roman executioners, who crucified people all the time, did not recognize he was alive and breathing. You would also have to believe he could move the tomb stone from the inside of the tomb, sneak past the guards, and run off to hide.
Some also say the disciples stole the body and lied about seeing Jesus later. That would have been impossible with soldiers guarding the tomb. And, there is no way that all of the disciples would have kept the secret and gone to their deaths to defend it.
Another reason to deny the resurrection is to say it cannot happen because it never happens. But, part of the point is that it does not happen normally and it was a supernatural event, the Son of God in the power of God rising from death for our justification and as a sign of our own resurrection at the end of this age.
Second, believing that the resurrection is a fact puts us in position to understand its meaning. God raising Jesus from the dead vindicates him. It says the condemnation of the Jewish leaders and the Roman government was unjust. It says Jesus indeed was righteous. As 1 Timothy 3:16 says, he was vindicated by the Spirit, meaning his resurrection from the grave by the power of God expressed through the Holy Spirit. God suspended the power of death, declaring the ultimate consequence of sin was terminated. God annulled the sentence of condemnation.
As Jesus was raised, we will be raised. As Jesus was vindicated and declared righteous, we will be vindicated at our resurrection and declared righteous because of our identification with Christ. Romans 3:25 says Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Believing in Christ’s resurrection leads us to believe in our own. 1 Corinthians 15 says Christ was raised as the first fruits. This allusion to the Old Testament refers to offering the first grain, the first fruits, before the Lord in anticipation of a great harvest. Jesus was the first fruit of resurrection, to be followed by a great harvest from humanity through out history.
And that is cause for celebration.
Godspeed.
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