GOD GIVES US EACH WHAT WE NEED - TO BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN

04-12-09

(John 20:1,2) The first day of the week[Sunday] cometh Mary [Heb: rebellious] Magdalene[Aramaic: tower] early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher [Gk: tomb], and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon[Heb: hearing]Peter[Gk: a piece of the rock], and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved[John – the author of this book], and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

(John 20:3-10) Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple [John] did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying [Gk: linen bandages]; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, Andthe napkin[Lat: for binding the face of a corpse],that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple [John], which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

  1. Commentary: John, the easiest case to be convinced to believe, did not believe that Jesus was risen from the dead when he first looked into the tomb and saw just the linen clothes. Why not? Because, he needed more evidence and/or because of the hardness of his heart? Who knows? But John was convinced and believed that Jesus was risen from the dead when he went into the tomb himself and saw the additional evidence of the folded napkin.

(John 20:11-13) But Mary stood without [outside] at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

  1. Commentary: What was Mary seeing? What was Mary seeing that she did not understand? Mary, perhaps because of the depth of her love for Jesus for she had been forgiven much, was being privileged and honored above all men and women to be addressed by the two angels sitting upon a supernatural manifestation of the Ark of the Covenant; whereas, Peter and John saw an empty tomb, the burial clothes, and no angels.

(John 20:14-17) And when she had thus said, she turned herself back [from the sepulcher opening], and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener[Gk: the garden-keeper] [and He indeed was the gardener] [1], saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary [2]. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

  1. (Gen 2:15) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it[Heb: serve, till: labour, work] and to keep it[Heb: guard, protect: preserve, save].
  2. (John 10:1-5) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porteropeneth [Gk:the gate-warden:--that kept the door] [the Holy Spirit]; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
  3. Commentary: Mary, perhaps blinded by grief, believed that Jesus was risen from the dead, not when she saw the empty tomb, not when she spoke (unknowingly) with the angels, not when she saw and spoke with “the gardener,” but only when she heard the voice of the her Shepherd calling her name as a sheep in the field.

(John 20:18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

(John 20:19-23) Then the same day at evening, being [still] the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

  1. Commentary: Peter and the disciples believed not that Jesus had risen from the dead upon hearing Peter’s first report, nor upon hearing Mary Magdalene’s following report, but they believed that Jesus was risen from the dead upon seeing the body of the resurrected Jesus suddenly supernaturally appear amongst themselves, speaking to them, with the crucifixion marks in His body.

THE SENDING WITH POWER

(John 21-23) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them [the impartation of the Holy Ghost], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit[Gk: forgive], they are remitted[Gk: forgiven] unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

  1. (John 7:37-39) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me,and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

(John 20:24,25) But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus[Aramaic: the twin] [nick-named by all Christendom, “Doubting Thomas”], was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

(John 20:26-28) And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

  1. Commentary: Thomas was the hardest case to be convinced to believe that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, and perhaps had the hardest heart. He did not believe the indirect testimony of Peter and Mary Magdalene, and the direct enthusiastic testimony of ten of his fellow disciples (the number 12 being akin to a jury). But Jesus had compassion on this doubting man who had been with Him through 3 ½ years of ministry, and was still so slow to believe. Jesus presented Thomas with what Thomas needed to be convinced to believe. Has Jesus presented you with what you need to believe?
  2. Commentary: So then we have seen an ever increasing progression of cases of “hardness of heart,” people who had to be given more evidence to believe that Jesus had risen, commencing with the disciple John, then Mary, the disciples, and concluding with the hardest of all, Doubting Thomas. Whom of these most represents you?

(John 20:29-31) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs[Gk: miracles] truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Amen