Passion Week of Christ (Parts 38, 39)
The Dawning of a New Day! - John 20:1-18

"My Lord and my God!" This might well be the theme of this chapter.
It records the climactic "sign" of a book filled with records of lesser
"signs." And, as John adds in his postscript, Jesus did many other
"signs" in the presence of His followers but John and the other gospel
writers have witnessed and recorded enough supernatural signs to lead men
to believe in His diety (cf Jn. 20:30--1).
The physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as He
Himself foretold, was the apex of all His signs. This is the one event in
the life of Jesus Christ which gives credence, meaning and relevance to
all else He said or did!
One is tempted to wax eloquent for page upon page concerning this
event but we believe Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, Dean of the Graduate School,
Wheaten College, Wheaten, Illinois, has summarized it so well we prefer
to quote from his book, "The Reality of the Resurrection" here:
"... the resurrection of Christ... marks the intersection of the temporal
and eternal worlds, of material existence and spiritual life. Because the event
is supernatural, it expresses the essence of God's revelation, because it is
historical it is a genuine part of human experience. The resurrection is a
permanent witness to the love, power holiness, and redemptive purpose of
God and is also a fact which must be accepted as art of history. It cannot be
dismissed as a speculative venture of the intellect which is possibly, but not
necessarily, true. For this reason the resurrection is perpetually relevant to the
intellectual and spiritual problems of the would. The event provides a foundation
for faith; its imagery contains the framework for a new life ... By this one great
fact all theology can he integrated. Revelation, incarnation, redemption,
sanctification, and eschatology teach their fullest development in the
demonstration of the divine triumph over death."

We feel compelled to repeat here some quotations by famous men showing
their convictions concerning the resurrection of Jesus.
— Warfield said, "The resurrection of Christ is a fact, an external
occurence within the cognitance of man, to be established by other
testimonies and yet which is the cardinal doctrine of our system: on it
all other doctrines hang."
— Lyndhurst (famous British jurist) said, "I know pretty well what
evidence is; and, I tell you, such evidence as that for the Resurrection
has never broken down yet."
— William Lyon Phelps (Yale) said, "Our faith in God, in Christ, in
life itself, is based on the resurrection; for as Paul said, if Christ be
not risen from the dead then is our preaching vain, and your faith is
also vain."
— Theodosus Harnack said, "Where you stand with regard to the fact of
the Resurrection is in my eyes no longer Christian theology. To me
Christianity stands or falls with the Resurrection."
— Tenney said, "The resurrection demands the attention of those who
contemplate the basic problems of death and life, for it has thrust into
them a new factor which must be included in evaluating the whole of human
exrperience. Any attempt to explain the process of history will be
incomplete without it. The resurrection is permanently relevant to any
scheme of thought.
John omits some of the appearances of the resurrected Jesus. Even the
Synoptics do not include them all. Acts and the epistles (esp. I
Corinthians 15) include a few of the appearances omitted by the gospels.

In fact, Acts 1:3 informs us that He "also showed himself alive after
his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty
days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God" by which we
realize many of the appearances Jesus made to His disciples may not be
recorded at all!
Generally speaking the Gospels record the facts of His resurrection;
the Epistles show the theological and experiential implications of it;
and Acts records the results or fruits of it.
When I was in college I once traveled with a group of students to work
in a youth meeting in another state. As we drove through the night to
reach our destination, we passed the long hours by taking turns telling
about our own journeys of faith.
Some in the car had grown up in Christian homes, while others were the
only Christians in their families. Some had struggled long with doubt,
and others had not. Some had only recently made the commitment to trust
Jesus Christ with their lives, and others had been Christians for more
than ten years.
As we shared our stories, the one statement which made the greatest
impression on me was made by a girl who had lost her faith in a high
school biology class. Intimidated by a teacher who ridiculed her faith in
God, she had decided to reread the Gospels to give faith one more
opportunity. She wondered, "Is this real, or is this just a nice story
someone made up? Did a man named Jesus ever live? If He did, was He
really the Son of God?"
For long months she wrestled with these questions. Finally, she
arrived at a simple yet profound conclusion. The validity of the gospel
message hinges, she realized, on the Resurrection. If Jesus rose from the
dead, then it is all true: He did perform miracles, and He is the Son of
God. If He did not rise from the dead, then it is only a myth or a
terrible fraud.
My friend was right. The claims of the Gospels (in our case the Gospel
of John) stand or fall based on the truth of Jesus' resurrection. Paul
said it this way: ... "[God] promised beforehand through His prophets in
the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of
David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power
by the resurrection from the dead, according to the spirit of holiness,
Jesus Christ our Lord"(Romans 1:2-4).
Now, as we come to the climax of John--this Gospel of belief--we face
the story of Jesus' resurrection. This is no small issue, for everything
is at stake!
The presentation of the Resurrection in John is straightforward and is
organized around four different appearances of the risen Lord:
· The resurrection and Magdalene (1-18)
· The resurrection and the disciples in the upper room (19-24)
· The resurrection and Thomas (24-29)
· The resurrection and us (30-31)

Each one introduces something new into the picture. At the beginning
of chapter 20 we may think of ourselves as spectators watching others
handle the questions concerning the Resurrection. By the end of the
chapter, however, we will find that we ourselves are at the center of the
picture, having to decide what we will do with Jesus!
———————
If the gospel of John were an ordinary biography, there would be no
chapter 20. Most biographies end with the death and burial of a subject.
The time is Sunday morning, and we're at the tomb the Pharisees went
to such lengths to secure. This is where we'll begin dusting for
fingerprints, because something is awry: the seal is broken ... the stone
is rolled away.
The tomb is empty!
The resurrection is an essential part of the gospel message (1 Cor.
15:1-8) and a key doctrine in the Christian faith. It proves that Jesus
is the Son of God (Acts 2:32-36) and that His atoning work on the cross
has been completed and is effective (Rom. 4:24-25).
The empty cross and the empty tomb are God's "receipts" telling us
that the debt has been paid!
From the very beginning, the enemies of the Lord tried to deny the
historic fact of the Resurrection:
- the Jewish leaders claimed that the Lord's body had been stolen
- yet, it had been sealed by an official Roman seal and guarded by
Roman soldiers
- His disciples did not believe that He was to be raised from the
dead...it was His enemies who remembered His words (Matt. 27:62-66)
- perhaps the disciples had "visions" of the risen Lord and
interpreted them as evidences for the Resurrection
- did they go to the wrong tomb?
But wherever people were confronted with the reality of His
resurrection, their lives were transformed!
"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."
Our Lord rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and arose from the dead on
the first day of the week. Many people sincerely call Sunday "the
Christian Sabbath," but Sunday is not the Sabbath Day.
There were at least five resurrection appearances of our Lord on that
first day of the week:
- Mary Magdalene
- the other women (Matt. 28)
- Peter (1 Cor. 15:5)
- Luke (Luke 24)
- two Emmaus disciples (Luke 24)
- other disciples, Thomas (John 20)

The Sabbath was over when Jesus arose from the dead (Mark 16:1). He
arose on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1).
The change from the seventh day to the first day was not effected by
some church decree; it was brought about from the beginning by the faith
and witness of the first believers. Besides, there is no evidence in
Scripture that God ever gave the original Sabbath command to the
Gentiles, or that it was repeated for the first century church to obey.
Some women had come to the tomb to finish what Joseph of Arimathea and
Nicodemus had hastily begun. Mary Magdalene had gone ahead, it seems,
and noticed that the stone had been moved.
"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!"
Her use of the pronoun "we" showed that the other women had also come
to see the situation. It is significant that the first witnesses of the
resurrection of Christ were believing women; among the Jews of that day,
the testimony of women was not held in high regard.
Mary Magdalene either did not hear the angel’s message or she did not
even stay to enter the tomb with the other women but ran to tell Peter
and John immediately upon seeing the stone rolled away.
Mary sobs out the dread picture as she surmised it from just seeing
the tomb’s entrance violated: — "They have taken away the Lord out of the
tomb, and we know not where they have hid him."

"So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. {4} Both were
running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
{5} He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did
not go in. {6} Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went
into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, {7} as well as the
burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by
itself, separate from the linen. {8} Finally the other disciple, who had
reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. {9} (They
still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the
dead.)"
This text has long been used for fun to show that John was a faster
runner than Peter, but Peter, so impetuous, went into the tomb first.
John did bend over and peer inside, to see the empty tomb and the strips
of linen still there.
For certain, grave robbers would not have carefully unwrapped the
corpse and then left the graveclothes neatly behind. Note: John did see
and believe!
Why the women do not meet Peter and John we are not told. McGarvey
harmonizes: 'They have scarcely left the spot, when the swiftfooted John
bounds up to the open door, stoops down and looks with eagerness into the
vacant tomb.
The impetuous Peter follows hard after rushes put his companion into
the sepulchre, and gazes around. They both for a moment look thoughtfully
at the napkin lying here and the linen clothes lying yonder, then they
solemnly walk away.
Mary evidently did not hear what the other women heard from the
angels. Considering the hateful viciousness of the enemies of Jesus she
may have surmized that these enemies had stolen the body in order to
desecrate it even more or to use it to capture His followers.
The fact that the grave clothes were so orderly laid aside was a sign
of lack of haste. The very fact that the linen bandages were there at all
infers that the body was not taken by grave robbers in haste for they
would have little need to lay aside the cloths in such a manner.
What did the disciple John believe after entering the tomb and
observing the neatly placed grave cloths? Did what he saw there satisfy
him entirely! Was he so credulous a person that in this moment he wanted
so desperately to believe he was able from the empty tomb and the linen
cloths to come to a "resurrection faith" without any further evidence!
We know this is not so for the disciples were incredulous-they would
not believe at brst. They were hard-headed men who refused to believe
that He was raised from the dead, except on more evidence than the report
of the women (cf Luke 24:11,
Thomas was more stubborn than all the rest requiring to see the nail
prints in the Master's hands before believing. There does seem, however,
to be a spark of faith ignited in the heart of John here. Westcott puts
it this way, "The use of the word (believed) ... points to the calm
patient acceptance of a mystery as yet in part inexplicable with full
confidence in the divine love ... indicating something still to be more
fully shown, and the apostle waited in trustful expectation for the
interpretation."
Whatever the faint glimmer of hope within the apostle's breast it was
not built upon any knowledge of the Old Testament prophecies and
promises con- ceming the resurrection of the Messiah (20:9) or any no
reason for stealing the body. It seems strange that the disciples did
not remember all the many prophecies Jesus Himself had made concerning
His resurrection!
The women believed on this basis (cf Luke 24:1- 11). Perhaps the
disciples were too busy with seek- ing places in the kingdom when Jesus
made His prophecies to remember them or their Jewish preju- dices as
to the nature of the Messiah caused them to misunderstand or count His
prophecies of no signifi- cance.
There may have been hope (cf Luke 24:19-21) but they would not
believe until they had actual concrete. The talk of the women seemed to
them an "idle tale" (Lk. 24:11). So, with the body of the Master gone
they could hope but they could do little else by remaining at the empty
tomb so they returned to their dwelling in Jerusalem.
While we are thinking about the empty tomb let us consider some of the
attempts of the skeptics to supply an answer to the fact of the empty
tomb. One thing is certain, the tomb was empty. The record states that
even the enemies of Jesus testified to His certain death and the empty
tomb.
As Wilbur Smith puts it, "Something happened to the body of Jesus when
it was taken down from the cross. The New Testament testifies that it
was in a tomb ... On Sunday morning, for one reason or another, that
tomb was empty, as everyone admits--Christian, unbeliever, disciple,
scoffer, Jew and Gentile, conservative, and modemist." Notice which here
what the historical record witnesses as to the empty tomb: (a) The women
testify to it being empty; (b) Peter and John found the tomb empty; (c)
The guards appointed to watch the tomb came and reported the tomb was
empty; (d) The Sanhedrin did not even so much as question the story of
the soldiers or go and see for themselves but concocted a lie that the
soldiers were to repet in order to offer an explanation for the empty
tomb!
Consider this first attempt by the enemies of Christ to explain the
absence of His body from the tomb: (a) It was a story spread by bribery;
(b) It was ridiculous--how could the soldiers know what happened to the
body if they were asleep! (c) The disciples would not steal the
body--they would not want to risk further antagonism of the Roman
soldiers and other authorities and they had absolutely no reason for
stealing the body and furthermore their subsequent lives makes such an
allegedly diabolical plot unthinkable!
In considering the other attempts to explain the empty tomb we have
borrowed from both A. Dale Crain's essay and "Therefore Stand" by Wilbur
Smith.
There is a theory that the body of Jesus was stolen by His friends
(Joseph, Nicodemus and the disciples). There is positively no evidence
that this was done. If His friends did remove the body, why did the
Sanhedrin have to bribe the soldiers to tell it.
Another skeptical theory is that the enemies of Jesus stole the body.
But what is the motive for this!! Certainly there could be no greater
help to the cause of His enemies than to keep the body in the tomb!
Furthermore, if they had removed it and hidden it, why did they not
produce His body when the apostles began to preach His resurrection in
the very courts of the temple!! That would have stopped Christianity for
good!
There is a theory that the women went to the wrong tomb. Could anyone
forget within a few short hours where a precious loved one had been
buried! If the women went to the wrong tomb then the angels were in the
wrong tomb and Peter and John went to the wrong tomb!
Furthermore, this was not one tomb among many in a public burial ground
but was in a garden, belonging to a rich man, hewn out of solid rock,
near the place of His crucifixion, with guards and a Roman seal upon it!
And the women didn't know which one it was--or forgot" This is so
ridiculous a theory that even many skeptics ridicule it!
Another theory is called the "Swoon Theory. According to this theory
Jesus did not actually die, but merely fainted away and was revived by
the coolness of the damp tomb and rose up and rolled away the stone
Himself. How could anyone who had endured physically what Jesus had
endured revive Himself in some seventy-two hours enough to roll away a
stone which possibly five women could not
move! !
He had been beaten to he point of fainting with the Roman scourge; He
had not had rest for two nights; He had been crucified and left to hang
for six hours; His side had been pierced and a great amount of His blood
had flowed from the gaping wound; He had been wrapped and bound in grave
cloths.
This theory makes the record a complete and deliberate contradiction
and lie for the record says that even Pilate was satisfied that Jesus was
dead. If Christ did merely swoon then the apostles are liars and Christ
is the greatest fraud the world has, ever known.
There is a theory called the "Vision Theory" which explains the
resurrection as a supernatural but ephemeral vision given to the apostles
and women and others.
If the appearances of Christ were not bodily appearances why do the
gospel writers make it so plain that Christ showed the nail prints in His
hands and the wound in His side --why did He eat with the disciples!!
There is the "Optical Illusion" theory which says that a ghost-like
appearance of Jesus was produced in some natural way. This would not
explain the empty tomb at all. Futhermore, Jesus made enough appearances,
both night and day, to enough people, in such dose proximity to the
subjects that it would be impossible to defraud all those to whom He
appeared!
Finally, there is the "Hallucination" theory which relegates the
claimed appearances to the realm of subjective apparitions of the
imagination. Still, we have the record of the empty tomb-was that a
hallucination, too!!
Paul claims that He appeared to over five hundred people at once-are
we then to suppose over five hundred identical, individual, subjective
hallucinations!
Besides the Lord made varied appearances over a period of forty days
in many widely separated places to all types of people (even to one of
His enemies, Saul of Tarsus). The empty tomb makes the hallucination
theory an absurdity.
The factual and historical evidence for the empty tomb is so
overwhelming that skeptical scholars are baffled as to how to explain
this phenomenon.
One skeptic has said, "The empty tomb must be thought out on
doctrinal, not historical or critical grounds. The relevance of the
resurrection and its meaning may be theological, but the facts
surrounding the resurrection such as the empty tomb and the appearances
of Jesus are strictly historical matters. The people are real people; the
places are geographically definite, the enemies were not mythical
beings.
John used three different Greek words for "seeing" in these verses:
- in verse 5 the verb simply means "to glance in, to look in"
- in verse 6, the word means "to look carefully, to observe"
- in verse 8 it means "to perceive with intelligent comprehension"
It seems incredible that the followers of Jesus did not expect Him to
come out of the tomb alive. After all, He had told them many times that
He would be raised from the dead.

While all the pieces of this puzzling event hadn't fallen into place
yet, these two disciples saw enough to get a clear picture:
- the missing piece was the resurrected Christ
- the first sighting of Him occurred early Sunday moning(vs. 11-17)
- the second, that evening (vs. 19-23)
- the third, eight days later (vs. 26-29)
- the people who saw Him were Mary Magdalene (vs. 11,18)
- the disciples (vs. 19, 26)
- and Thomas (vs. 26-28)

"Then the disciples went back to their homes, {11} but Mary stood
outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
{12} and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one
at the head and the other at the foot. {13} 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." {14} At this, she turned around and saw
Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. {15}
"Woman," he said, "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." {16} Jesus
said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,
"Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). {17} Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me,
for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and
tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and
your God.'"
Peter and John have left the garden. Mary Magdalene has returned to
the garden tomb alone. She evidently did not meet the other women and
hear from them what the angels have said concerning His resurrection.
Now that she has time to contemplate the awfulness of her suspicions
she bursts into tears. "They" have taken his body. Just who she suspects
we do not know—perhaps she thinks the Jews have taken His body. She
stoops and looks in the tomb to confirm her suspicions.
For the first time she sees the angels and they begin to converse
with her about her sorrow. Mary is still persuaded that the body of Jesus
has been taken. As she is answering the angels there is perhaps a sound
in the garden which causes her to turn and see the figure of a man
approaching.
The light was still dim and there may have been an early morning fog
and Mary's eyes were blurred with tears. She did not recognite the man.
He began to ask her her reason for being in the garden. He wanted to know
the reason for her sorrow.
What other man would be there at that hour and be questioning her as
to her presence except the gardener. Supposing him to be the gardener she
assumed he would know if the body had been removed and so she questions
him.
Jesus must have deliberately concealed Himself from her initially, as
He would later do when He walked with the Emmaus disciples in Luke
24:1332. All He had to do was to speak her name, and she immediately
recognized Him.
Jesus spoke her name. It would be in that gentle but firm tone which
she knew so well. Startled and surprised with joy and relief, she
immediately recognizes Him and cries out, "Rabboni!" The word means
"Teacher," or "Great Teacher." It is a title of profund respect among the
Hebrews.
Only seven great leaders of the Jews have ever been given the
title.(among whom were Gamaliel I and Gamaliel II). As she cried out
"Great Teacher,' she made a movement as if to fall at His feet and cling
to Him. The Greek word hapfesthai is used of that clinging to the knees
or feet which was adopted by suppliants.
Jesus forbade her doing so saying, "Do not hold to me." Why did Jesus
forbid her to do so! Not because it was indecent; nor because she wanted
to test the reality of His resurrection for He did not forbid Thomas such
a test; nor because her doing so would in some mystic way disturb the
process of glorifica-lion, but because He wanted Mary (and the other
disciples later) to understand that this was not His permanent return to
visible fellowship with His disciples.
He had promised His disciples to "return in a little while" (Jn.
16:16) and perhaps Mary felt that the little while was over and He was
now to be visibly with them forevermore. Hendriksen paraphrases thusly,
"Do not think, Mary, that by grasping hold of me so firmly you can keep
me always with you. That uninterruptible fellowship for which you yearn
must wait until I have ascended to be forever with the Father.
Before the visible fellowship is restored Jesus must ascend to the
Father for His High priestly work ("the little while") (6. also Acts
3:19-26).
Then Jesus commissions Mary Magdalene to go and tell the disciples,
not specifically of His resurrection as the angels commissioned the other
women, but Mary is to tell them that Jesus is ascending (present tense)
unto the Father. Although He will yet appear for forty days He is in the
act of ascending to the Father.
Jesus now calls the disciples by a new name. He has called them
"children," "sheep," "disciples, "friends," "branches," and other names
but now He calls them "brothers!"
This new relationship has a significant bearing on His commission to
Mary. She is to tellthe "brothers" that Jesus, the elder brather, is
going up to be with Hir Father and their Father, His God and their God!
(cf Heb. 2:5-18).
And so Mary, went with all speed, to tell the disciples as they
mourned and wept (cf Mk. 16:10-11) just what Jesus had told her to tell.
But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her they would
not believe it. The words seemed as an idle tale to them (cf. Lk.
24:9-11).
Mary loved her Lord and had come early to the garden to express that
love. When she looked into the tomb and saw two men in white, she was not
disturbed. She was, however, determined to find the body of Jesus.

But Jesus gave her clear instructions, which she observed: "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.
We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with affection, and seek
in tears. But many believers complain of the clouds and darkness they
are under, which are methods of grace for humbling their souls,
mortifying their sins, and endearing Christ to them.
See how Mary's heart was in earnest to find Jesus. Christ's way of
making himself known to his people is by his word; his word applied to
their souls, speaking to them in particular. It might be read, Is it my
Master? See with what pleasure those who love Jesus speak of his
authority over them. He forbids her to expect that his bodily presence
look further, than the present state of things.
Observe the relation to God, from union with Christ. We, partaking of
a Divine nature, Christ's Father is our Father; and he, partaking of the
human nature, our God is his God. Christ's ascension into heaven, there
to plead for us, is likewise an unspeakable comfort.
Let them not think this earth is to be their home and rest; their eye
and aim, and earnest desires, must be upon another world, and this ever
upon their hearts, I ascend, therefore I must seek the things which are
above. And let those who know the word of Christ, endeavour that others
should get good from their knowledge.
Mark 16:9-11 gives us some added information about the disciples:
"...Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared firstto
Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. {10} She went
and told those who had been with him and who were mourning andweeping.
{11} When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they
did not believe it."

* THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION (20:19-31)
Between the appearance to the women and the appearance to the ten
disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to two of His
disciples on the road to Emmaus. These two disciples were despondent at
the death of Jesus because all their glorious Messianic hopes had died,
they thought, with Him there on Golgotha's brow.
They had heard rumors that He was alive--His tomb was empty--but they
had not seen Him. Perhaps these disciples were going to Emmaus to rest,
get away from all the uproar in Jerusalem and to think over the events of
the last few days.
Emmaus was probably only 7 or 8 miles from Jerusalem. Jesus met them
or overtook them and walked on with them to Emmaus but they did not
recognize Him ... "their eyes were hidden."
Barnes notes that it was not some miraculous veiling of their own eyes
that occurred but that He appeared to them in a form they were not used
to seeing (cf Mark 16:12) and they were not expecting to see Him anyway
and they simply did not recognite Him as He walked and talked with them.
As He began to remind them of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies
and apply them to Himself, their hearts began to "burn within them." And
then, as they were eating with Him, the familiarity of it all opened
their eyes and they recognized Him. And they arose that very hour and
hurried back to Jerusalem to report to the rest of that little band of
despondent disciples.
Just who these two disciples are we are not certain. One was Cleopas
and the other sems to be most probably, Peter. There are some
commentators who believe the second disciple was Luke because of the fact
that only Luke records the event and his record has the flavor of that of
an eyewitness.
Just how Jesus vanished out of their sight is not certain either. The
account seems to indicate that it was a miraculous "vanishing." This
would be in keeping with His miraculous entrance into a room which had
the doors shut to outsiders.
In John 20:19 we notice a special emphasis on "the first day of the
week." The first day of the week, being the day of Christ's resurrection,
is the chief of days, the day of Christian worship (cf Matt. 28:1; Mk.
16:2; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10).
Abruptly, John cuts to another scene: (John 20:19-21) "On the
evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among
them and said, "Peace be with you!" {20} After he said this, he showed
them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the
Lord. {21} Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent
me, I am sending you.""
Luke 24:37 tells us that "They were startled and frightened,
thinking they saw a ghost."
Yet, as He spoke to them, they became calm and responded with a
familiar reaction: they saw and believed.
The appearance of Jesus in their midst where they were gathered on
that evening that must have been beyond natural for the disciples were
"terrified and frightened."
John seems to record that the doors were "fastened" to show some
significant difference regarding the properties of the risen body of
Jesus. The idiom of the Greek indicates that the Lord's appearance in
their midst was with breath taking suddenness and completely unexpected.
They had "fastened'. the doors on account of their fear of the
Jews.Their Master had been slain and there may have been word rumored
that the Sanhedrin was looking now for the disciples of the Nazarene to
condemn them also.
Jesus was suddenly in their midst, speaking in a calm and soothing
manner, "Peace be unto you.' It was a familiar phrase for He had used it
often in addressing His disciples.
The disciples were terrified believing they were beholding one who
had retumed from the unseen realm of the dead--a spirit, Luke tells us.
But immediately Jesus held forth His hands and showed His feet which were
pierced with the prints of the nails. He commands, "handle me, and see!"
To dispel their doubts and fears He bids them prove to themselves beyond
any doubt that the One in their midst is the same One with whom they
walked and talked the last three years.
This is one of the unique features of the revelation of Jehovah-God,
whether that revelation be in the Old Testamemt, in the Incarnate Word,
or in that revelation given by the apostles-the invitation, yea, the
command, to test and prove the credibility and authenticity and divine
nature of such a revelation.
No other religion has ever been so insistent, that its claims be
tested and verified and none has ever offered such undisputable evidence,
for such verification. The disciples were not asked to place their trust
in some mystic philosophy, nor in imaginative man-made gods--they were
given evidence for d~e supematurnalness of Christ. The resurrection of
Christ was not only His spirit but His body also.
But how, if Christ was resurrected in a body, was He able to be
suddenly in their midst if the doors were "fastened." We like the
conclusion given by Hendriksen, "Scripture gives no answer. Some day we
will understand."
Our test here in John does not say whether they ‘handled’ Him or not.
Luke (Luke 24:41) seems to indicate that they did not but ‘still
disbelieved for joy and wondered’ until He ate the broiled fish with
them. then they were glad and rejoiced.
How did our Lord transform His disciples' fear into courage? For one
thing, He came to them. It is remarkable that these men were actually
afraid. The women had reported to them that Jesus was alive, and the two
Emmaus disciples had added their personal witness.
But His first word to them was the traditional greeting "Shalom --
peace. And not only did Jesus come to them, but He reassured them. He
showed them His wounded hands and side and gave them opportunity to
discover that it was indeed their Master, and that He was not a phantom.
But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence
that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have
"peace with God."
There is more than a command here—there is also a warnaing and a
promise. Jesus as the Great Apostle, was sent to preach the will of God
and to be persecuted and suffer for His glory, even so the apostles were
sent to preach and be persecuted for His glory. they were to "fellowship
His sufferings" (Phil. 3:10). There is also the promise of victory. they
would also know "the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10). they were
to receive a divine commission and they were to be given divine
credentials through the power to work miracles (Heb. 2:4).
And verse 21 tells us also that He commissioned them: "As my Father
has sent Me, even so I send you." It must have given the men great joy to
realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrusting
them with His Word and His work! He also enabled them with the Holy
Spirit: "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy
Spirit. {23} If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven.""
This was the first day of the week, and this day is afterwards often
mentioned by the sacred writers; for it was evidently set apart as the
Christian sabbath, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection.
The disciples had shut the doors for fear of the Jews; and when they
had no such expectation, Jesus himself came and stood in the midst of
them, having miraculously, though silently, opened the doors.
It is a comfort to Christ's disciples, when their assemblies can only
be held in private, that no doors can shut out Christ's presence. When He
manifests his love to believers by the comforts of his Spirit, he assures
them that because he lives, they shall live also. A sight of Christ will
gladden the heart of a disciple at any time; and the more we see of
Jesus, the more we shall rejoice.
After this, Christ directed the apostles to declare the only method by
which sin would be forgiven. This power did not exist at all in the
apostles as a power to give judgment, but only as a power to declare the
character of those whom God would accept or reject in the day of
judgment.
They have clearly laid down the marks whereby a child of God may be
discerned and be distinguished from a false professor; and according to
what they have declared shall every case be decided in the day of
judgment. When we assemble in Christ's name, especially on his holy day,
he will meet with us, and speak peace to us.
The disciples of Christ should endeavour to build up one another in
their most holy faith, both by repeating what they have heard to those
that were absent, and by making known what they have experienced.
Verse 23 has long been a problem. The Roman Catholic Church has used
this verse to teach that the so-called successors of the apostles (the
popes and priests) have the authority to forgive men of their sins. Such
a doctrine is technically called "absolution."
Not even the apostles themselves had any authority of their own to
gtant absolution-the forgiveness of sins. One need only to turn to Acts
8:14-24 to find one example of an apostle being asked to grant absolution
in the case of a man confessing his 'sin. The answer of the apostle Peter
is, "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if
perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee."
This passage in John 20:23 does not grant the apostles the power of
absolution. The verbs apheontai (they are forgiven) and kekratentai (they
are retained) of this verse are in the perfect tense in the Creek. Now
the perfect tease means "an action having been completed in past time
with a cantinuing result."
Literally translated verse 23 would read, "whosoever sins ye forgive,
they have already been forgiven them; and whose soever sins ye retain,
they have already been retained."
It is very interesting indeed that in the other two instances where
Jesus similarly commissioned the disciples (Matt. 16:19; Mart. 18:18) the
verbs are also in the perfect tense! There the verbs are dedemena (has
already been bound) and lelumena (has already been loosed).
In founding the church, declaring the will of God and preaching the
gospel of repentance and remission of sins by the blood of Christ and
men's obedience to the gospel, the apostles merely declared on what
terms, and to what people God extended fargiveness of sins.
Whatever they preached on earth had already been decided in heaven.
Only God can forgive sins. The apostles and all who have preached since
are merely heralds of the covenant which has already been ratified, once
for all, in heaven.
The apostles were given here by Jesus a symbolic prophecy of the
special baptism of the Holy Spirit when He "breathed."
The literal baptism of the Spirit would come upon them on the day of
Pentecost and would empower them with miraculous power in order to
confirm the already-ratified message which they were to preach afterward.
The Holy Spirit did not give them any inherent authority to grant
absolution of sin.
By his statement, Thomas limited the Holy One of Israel, when he
would be convinced by his own method or not at all. He might justly have
been left in his unbelief, after rejecting such abundant proofs. The
fears and sorrows of the disciples are often lengthened, to punish their
negligence.
Before discussing Thomas' doubt, we need to realize that Jesus never
rebuked him for his doubt; He rebuked him for unbelief. The verb in verse
25 means that the disciples "kept saying to him" that they had seen the
Lord Jesus Christ alive.
"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the
disciples when Jesus came. {25} So the other disciples told him, "We have
seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe it." {26} A week later his disciples were in the
house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your
hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." {28} Thomas
said to him, "My Lord and my God!" {29} Then Jesus told him, "Because you
have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed.""
Thomas has been tagged the rationalist of the apostles. Also called
Didymus (which means "twin") he has been tagged with the surname
"doubting." I prefer to call him the "Palestinian Missourian. While doubt
can be harmful and even sinful, Thomas can also be admired for wanting
some facts before belief.
Thomas was absent at the first meeting together of the disciples. Why
he was absent we are not told. Perhaps he was inveseigating further the
reports of the women about the empty tomb. Immediately after the Lord's
appearance to the "Twelve" (ten disciples in all) that first Sunday
night, they went as a body and found Thomas and told him excitedly, 'We
have seen the Lord!" (v. 24). But for some reason, known only to Thomas,
he could not satisfy the despondent longing of his own heart with just
their testimony-he had to see for himself.
If it is fair to characterize Thomas from two previous statements of
his (Jn. 11:16; 14:5), we may think of him as one who tends to be
pessimistic-to see the dark side. It was not that Thomas was a confirmed
agnostic or skeptic--he believed readily enough when there was enough
evidence to sweep away his natural inclination to despondency.
Actually, Thomas was no more a "doubter" than the other ten
disciples-he was just not at the right place at the right time. The other
ten disciples were filled with the same despondent doubt (even though
they had the testimony of the women and the two back from Emmaus) until
Jesus appeared to them that hrst Sunday evening. Thomas simply demands
the same evidence which was necessary for the other ten to overcome their
doubts.
Foster says, "The gradual development of their faith and the fact
that fear, doubt, misunderstanding and the obstinate insistence upon
absolutely indubitable evidence caused them to be slow to believe but it
adds to the power of their testimony as witnesses.
The disciples have not left Jerusalem and gone into Galilee as the
resurrected Lord has commanded them through the women (6. Lk. 24:3-8;
Mark 16:2-8). and another week has elapsed according to 20:26. As
Hendriksen points out John a employing the inclusive method of
time-computation." Thus "after eight days" would be the next Sunday
evening when the disciples had gathered together again-probably in the
same place as on the previous Sunday evening. Again the doors were
"fastened." But again Jesus appeared suddenly and stood in the midst
ofthem. Again He calmed their beating hearts with, "Peace be unto you."
It is worthy of note that Jesus has, in all His appearances at this
time, appeared only on the first day of the week. There can be little
doubt that He did it: to especially consecrate and dedicate this day in
the minds of the apostles. We notice also that the disciples have not yet
come to that boldness and courageousness of faith which they later knew
(Acts 4:13; 4:19-20; 5:29). They still have the doors "shut" for fear
ofthe Jews.
Jesus does not waste any time but gets immediately to the point of
this appearance. He commands Thomas to come forward and "touch and see
and believe."
The question is always asked, "Did Thomas actually touch His hands!"
In all probability he did, but we simply do not know, though verse 29
givesusahint. (cf. Lk. 24:39; I Jn. 1:1-4). Jesus' response of verse 29
is profound, however. Jesus wants us to rely on Him --~ithout having to
feel, see, or prove anything. Thomas' belief came about not from touching
but from seeing!
There is no possibility of hallucination or extreme ciedulity here!
Either Thomas actually saw and "handled" the resurrected body of the
crucified Jesus of Natareth (as well as the women and the other
disciples) or the writers of the gospel accounts are the most dastardly
deceivers and frauds the world has ever known.
There are just two attematives. either the evidence is overwhelmingly
sufficient to call forth faith and surrender to the divine, omnipotent,
omniscient, resurrected Lord Jesus--or-the gospel writers deliberately
lied and duped millions of their contemporaries and the gospels then are
not morally worthy of consideration for they are lies.
Only two alternatives are worthy of honest men: let us hear no more
that the gospels are untrustworthy historically speaking but may form the
basis for morality and social action ---this is neither reasonable nor
morally upright.
There was no question lingering in the mind of Thomas. He was of an
"honest and good heart." Once the evidence was sufficient he surrendered
his mind and heart to the demands of the fact.
It is as AIexander Campbdl has written, facts are moral, they demand
a decision. Facts are the basis of faith and faith is the motivating
force of feeling. The facts caused Thomas to trust (and have faith) and
thus leading to the emotion of his heart and soul poured out in "My Lord
and My God!"
There must be no doubters among the men upon whom Jesus is to thrust
the responsibility of establishing the church and preaching the gospel in
the face of the whole world against it! There must not be the slightest
hesitancy, question, or problem about His victory over death and Satan.
There must be absolute and abiding conviction on the part of each one
commissioned to this great task.
Furthermore, Jesus appeared to Thomas out of His love for Thomas.
God desires to give every man enough opportunity to know of Christ's
victory over death and Satan, but now the responsibility to present the
facts to every man is upon those who are His disciples.
Jesus will not appear to men again until He comes to judge the world.
Then those who pierced Him will see Him--but then it will be too late !
R. C. Foster notes, "John opens his gospel with a profound statement
concerning Jesus as the incamation of God. He closes his gospel with this
great declaration of Thomas which is a result of actual experience and
association. Thomas sums up in one dramatic explanation the message of
the entire gospel. The disciple who doubted the most gives at last the
final statement of his faith. Thomas hails Jesus as God and Jesus accepts
the identification as Thomas worshipped Him."
Why does Jesus pronounce this last "beatitude" of blessing upon those
who believe without having seen! Faith which results from seeing is good;
but faith which results from hearing is more excellent. If men had
to verify every basis of life or every statement of history to their own
senses before they acted, virtually nothing would ever be accomplished!
We could not all personally and minutely verify everything we accept
as fact and allow as motivating principles in our lives. The faith of
multitudes through the centuries has ested, not upon their own personal
sensory perceptions, but upon the testimony of competent witnesses.
We do not accept the fact that Washington was the first President of
the United States of America on the basis of our own sight, but of the
testimony of accredited witnesses.
Another matter to be considered here is the weight of the accumulation
of testimony over against the possibilities of our own senses being
deceived. It is no wonder Jesus said, "blessed are they who, though not
seeing, are yet believing."
Doubt says "I cannot believe There are too many problems." Unbelief
says, "I will not believe unless you give me evidence I ask for."
Jesus' response of verse 29 is profound, however. Jesus wants us to
rely on Him --without having to feel, see, or prove anything. Thomas'
belief came about not from touching but from seeing!
"My Lord and My God" is the last of the testimonies that John records
to the deity of Jesus Christ. The others are:
- John the Baptist (1:34)
- Nathanael (1:49)
- Jesus Himself (5:25 & 10:36)
- Peter (6:69)
- healed blind man (9:35)
- Martha (11:27)
- John himself (20:30-31)
That one day in seven should be religiously observed, was an
appointment from the beginning. And that, in the kingdom of the Messiah,
the first day of the week should be that solemn day, was pointed out, in
that Christ on that day once and again met his disciples in a religious
assembly.
The religious observance of that day has come down to us through every
age of the church. There is not an unbelieving word in our tongues, nor
thought in our minds, but it is known to the Lord Jesus; and he was
pleased to accommodate himself even to Thomas, rather than leave him in
his unbelief.
We ought thus to bear with the weak, Romans 15:1,2. This warning is
given to all. If we are faithless, we are Christless and graceless,
hopeless and joyless. Thomas was ashamed of his unbelief, and cried out,
My Lord and my God. He spoke with affection, as one that took hold of
Christ with all his might; "My Lord and my God."
Sound and sincere believers, though slow and weak, shall be graciously
accepted of the Lord Jesus. It is the duty of those who read and hear the
gospel, to believe, to embrace the doctrine of Christ, and that record
concerning him, 1 John 5:11.
This leads to the two reasons for John's gospel: "Jesus did many
other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book. {31} But these are written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may
have life in his name."
This is the climax of the Fourth Gospel--not the conclusion, but the
climax. Chapter Twenty-one is the conclusion in the form of an epilogue.
It is quite dear from John's statement here in vv. 30-31 and from just
a cursory reading of the other gospel accounts that none of the gospels
ever set out to give, nor claimed to give, a full account of the life of
Jesus. What they have recorded, however, is historically and factually
accurate. The brevity of the accounts in no way denies their historicity
!
But why are the gospel records so brief! Would it not be to our
advantage to know every detail of Jesus' life as a youngster and a
growing man! It is also quite clear that the gospels are not intended to
be complete biographies of Jesus' life.
I like the statement of R. C. Foster in his Life of Christ Syllabus:
'"The narratives of the life of Christ are condensed in order to be the
more effective. They are sufficient for the purpose of presenting
adequate evidence, extensive enough to challenge a life-time of study,
and yet not so voluminous as to overwheln the reader with a mass of
unnecessary records. The brevity of the scriptures is one of the foremost
proofs of their divine inspiration. Contrast the gospel narratives with
any biography in print, whether of Napoleon, Lincaln, or any other famous
person!"
The purpose of John has been all along to show that Jesus of Nazareth
is the Incarnate Word--the Very Son of God, co-equal with the
Father--indeed Immanuel, God with us! This was John's stated purpose in
his Prologue (1:1-18).
These climactic verses show us that from start to finish the Fourth
Gospel is a book of signs that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the first
purpose of the book.
If the deity of Christ be established and told in a vivid and
captivating way then men will be led to believe in Him and gain eternal
life. This is the stated second purpose of the gospel record: to bring
men to faith and salvation in obedience to the will of Christ.
The purpose of the gospel record has just been vividly betrayed in the
experience of Thomas: he has been brought to a complete faith in the
deity of Jesus and commits his life unto Him.
The Fourth Gospel began with the unfolding of the mystery of life which
has its source in the Word. It closes with the offer of life to all who
will accept Jesus. It is worthy of note that John uses the present tense
of the verb pisteuo (believe) and so literally it means to "believe and
eep.on believing.
Hendriksen says, "Note: continue to believe. Remember Cerinthus, who
was trymg to undermine the faith of the Church in the deity of Christ!
That faith must be strengthened. The enemy must be reputed."
It may be that John had m mind, writing his gospel toward the end of
the first century, a refirtatian and defense against Gnosticism. But the
use of pisteuo in the present tense is so common an idiom of the New
Testament writers simply to state the nature of saving faith that it
seems beside the point to connect it with a refirtation of Gnosticism.
Whatever the case, John climaxes his gospel with his version of the
good confession. But, as Foster suggests, it now includes the profounder
meaning of the crucified and risen Christ, and of the Son of God who has
given final proof of His claims.
There were other signs and proofs of our Lord's resurrection, but
these were committed to writing, that all might believe that Jesus was
the promised Messiah, the Saviour of sinners, and the Son of God; that,
by this faith, they might obtain eternal life, by his mercy, truth, and
power. May we believe that Jesus is the Christ, and believing may we have
life through his name.
The signs that John selected are described in this book are proof of
the deity of Christ. They are important. Sinners are not saved today by
seeing miracles but by believing that Jesus performed miracles. There was
no need for John to describe every miracle that our Lord performed; in
fact, he supposed that a complete record could never be recorded. Either
Jesus was a madman, or He was deluded, or He was all that He claimed to
be. He claimed to be God come in the flesh, the Son of God, the Savior of
the world. That is what He is!

Last modified: April 18, 2006