John - Chapter 20: Jesus Appeared after the Resurrection
Application: The student will accept the resurrection of Jesus as a life changing event, in the same way as those who first experienced it.
THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN CONCERNING THE RISING OF THE LORD WAS AS AN EYEWITNESS, NOT A SECOND HAND RETELLING STORY.
JESUS WAS SEEN BY MANY WITNESSES IN ORDER TO ASSURE THAT THERE WAS STRONG EVIDENCE BY MANY THAT HE WAS NO LONGER DEAD.
ON THE 1ST DAY OF THE WEEK (OUR SUNDAY) MARY MAGDELENE WENT TO THE TOMB IN THE EARLY MORNING DARKNESS.
OTHER GOSPELS SAY SHE WAS JOINED BY OTHER WOMEN BUT JOHN MENTIONS ONLY MARY.
WE KNOW BY LUKE 8:2 THAT JESUS HAD CAST SEVEN DEVILS OUT FROM MARY BUT HER TROUBLED SPIRITUAL PAST DID NOT DISQUALIFY HER FROM THE GREAT HONOR OF BEING THE FIRST TO SEE THE RISEN LORD.
SHE SAW THE TOMB WAS EMPTY AND WENT BACK TO TELL THE DISCIPLES AND PETER & JOHN RACED TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES
WHAT DID THEY SEE?
YES, THE TOMB WAS EMPTY BUT THE GRAVE CLOTHES WERE THERE, LINEN CLOTH STRIPS THAT WERE USED TO SURROUND THE BODY WITH SPICES TO DELAY THE SMELL OF DEATH.
THE CLOTHS WERE ORDERLY THEY HAD NOT BEEN UNWRAPPED OR CUT AWAY, NOT THEREFORE THE REMAINS OF GRAVE ROBBERS OR THIEVES.
THE HEAD NAPKIN WAS FOLDED, NOT WADDED UP, IN THOSE DAYS A FOLDED NAPKIN MEANT ONE WOULD RETURN(AS IN A MEAL)
JOHN SAW AND BELIEVED WITH THE GREEK WORD “EIDEN” USED, MEANING “TO UNDERSTAND & PERCEIVE”.
HERE IN JOHN'S VERSION WE SEE MARY HAD SEEN TWO ANGELS.
SHE WAS QUESTIONED BY THEM AS TO WHY SHE WEPT AND SHE WAS SORROWFUL THAT THE LORD HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY.
THE RISEN JESUS WAS ALSO SEEN BY MARY AND CALLED HER BY NAME.
IN THE EVENING OF THE SAME DAY JESUS APPEARED TO THE DISCIPLES AS THEY HID FROM THE JEWS AND GREETED THEM WITH THE SWEET WORDS “PEACE BE WITH YOU'.
ON THE RESURRECTION DAY, JESUS WAS SEEN 5 TIMES:
MARY MAGDELENE
OTHER WOMEN (MATTHEW 28)
TO TWO MEN ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS
TO PETER
TO THE TEN IN THE ROOM
HIS GREETING OF PEACE WAS MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT THAT JUST
THE FOUR WORDS SPOKEN, FOR HIS RISING GAVE THEM FAR GREATER MEANING THAN SIMPLY A MOMENT OF HELLO.
HIS RISEN PEACE MEANT:
SINS ARE NOW ATONED (WE ARE RECONCILED WITH GOD)
SLAVERY TO SIN & DEATH IS BROKEN
LIFE BOTH HERE & IN THE HEREAFTER IS SETTLED
HE ASSURED THE DISCIPLES THAT HE REALLY WAS HIMSELF BY SHOWING HIS WOUNDS.
THOMAS WAS NOT PRESENT SO JESUS CAME BACK 8 DAYS LATER TO ASSURE THOMAS WHO HAD SAID THAT HE WOULD ONLY BELIEVE IF HE SAW FOR HIMSELF.
HERE IS A GREAT LESSON BY JESUS OF HIS BEGINNING OF FAITH AFTER THE CROSS.
THOMAS WAS WALKING ONLY BY SIGHT AND SAID HE HAD TO SEE TO BELIEVE. (HABAKKUK HAD WRITTEN 400 YEARS BEFORE THAT THE JUST SHALL WALK BY FAITH)
JESUS ACCOMODATED THOMAS BUT GAVE A GREAT TEACHING HERE TELLING THOMAS THAT HE WAS NOW BELIEVING BECAUSE HE SAW,
BUT THEN JESUS SAID BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET BELIEVE.
ALL BELIEVERS AFTER THESE DAYS WALK BY FAITH.
SPURGEON PREACHED AN ENTIRE REVIVAL FOR A WEEK ON JUST THIS MOMENT AND HE SUMMARIZED SO WELL HOW IMPORTANT THIS MOMENT IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE FOR ALL BELIEVERS.
THESE WORDS ARE ACTUALLY ANOTHER BEATITUDE FROM THE LORD, AS THEY PROMISE GREAT BLESSING, JUST AS HE DID IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
SPURGEON PREACHED THAT WE AT TIMES SEEM TO DIMINSIH THIS BLESSING IN OUR FAITH JOURNEY WHEN WE MAKE DEMANDS UPON JESUS BEYOND THIS BLESSING.
WHEN WE DEMAND A VERBAL VOICE, A VISION, A REVELATION TO CONFIRM SALVATION BEYOND GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
WHEN WE DEMAND SOME SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO PROVE HIS BLESSING BEYOND HOLY SCRIPTURE.
WHEN WE DEMAND SOME PERSONAL VISIT FROM ABOVE.
WHEN WE DEMAND ALL ANSWERS OF FAITH IMMEDIATELY, BEING UNWILLING TO WAIT ON FAITH TO MATURE AND FAITH ANSWERS COMING AS WE GROW.
JOHN TELLS US IN THE END THAT MANY OTHER SIGNS WERE DONE BUT NOT WRITTEN BUT THAT THE ONES WRITTEN HERE WERE GIVEN SO THAT WE MAY BELIVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST (MESSIAH), THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT IN THAT BELIEF WE HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.
THIS CHAPTER MARKS THE END OF SIGNS.
JOHN HAD CHOSEN 7 SIGNS IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS GOSPEL TO GIVE US:
WATER INTO WINE
HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN'S SON
HEALING AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA
FEEDING THE 5,000
WALKING ON WATER
HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND
LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD
NOW THE GREATEST AND LAST SIGN IS GIVEN, THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD.
COLLECTIVELY THESE ARE GIVEN SO THAT FAITH CAN COME BY THE HEARING OF THEM, AND BELIEVING IN THEM.
