TEXT: John 20:1-31

SUBJECT: Exposition of John #49: Risen Indeed!

The Empty Tomb, vv.1-10.

This chapter takes up where the last one left off--in a cemetery. A lady has gone there very early on Sunday morning. Who is she? She is "Mary Magdalene"--one of our Lord's dearest friends. Why has she come? To finish the work Joseph and Nicodemus had begun three days before; she's there to prepare the Savior's body for its burial.

But when she gets there, she's dismayed to find the tomb has been vandalized--someone has "rolled away the stone". And who knows what's become of her Lord?

What does she do? She calls for someone to investigate. Peter and John are roused from their sleep and told the alarming news. The men run to the Garden to check things out for themselves. And they find that Mary's right--the Lord is not there.

Where could He be? Peter goes into the tomb, looking for clues. John follows him. What they see surprises them. The body is gone, but not the graveclothes! What's even more surprising is this: The linens are lying there, but they haven't been cut or unravelled. And the headpiece? It's neatly folded in a separate place.

What did they think of it all? As for Peter, we don't know. But John tells us what he thought at the time: "He went in...he saw...and believed".

Believed what? He believed His Savior had risen from the dead. Was he justified in his belief? Or was he some kind of nutjob?

Think about it: The dead man was placed there three days ago, but wasn't there now. What happened? One of two things: Someone carried Him off or He left under His own power. Which is more likely? The former, of course. Obviously, He has been stolen--even Mary thought so. But if He had been, how do you explain the graveclothes still in the tomb? Well, He was stripped. But why would graverobbers take the time to do that? Wouldn't it be easier, faster, and safer to take the clothes with the body? If they wanted a naked corpse, they could strip it later, why do it at the scene of the crime? Maybe they were just plain stupid! (Many criminals are!). But, if they were so dull, how did they get the body out of its tightly wrapped linens without unravelling them? And why were they so neat?

John thought about these things, and concluded: The body wasn't stolen at all, but the Lord is risen indeed!

Why did he believe that?

He didn't get it out of the Bible. The Old Testament foresaw a risen Savior, to be sure. But neither John nor his colleagues knew that at the time. "They did not yet know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead".

In other words, John was not forcing this event to fit his interpretation of the Bible. A man who wants to see something is likely to see it--whether it's there or not. But John was not looking for an empty tomb. Yet here it is!

What are they going to do about it? For the moment, nothing. Might as well go home.

First Witnesses, vv.11-18.

Oh, how they wish they hadn't! No sooner do they leave than a couple of angels show up, inside the tomb. Mary hasn't gone home, and they speak to her: "Woman, why are you weeping?" She replies, "Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him".

While she's talking, another Man sneaks up behind her. She takes Him to be a gardener, till she hears His voice--"Mary".

She replies, "Rabboni!" and falls at His feet, hugging His legs for all she's worth. Her Lord is risen--risen indeed. She's not about to let Him get away again.

But He won't have that--not for long. He has other things to do than to be hugged in a graveyard. "Go to My brethren and say to them, `I am ascending to My Father and to your Father, and to My God and to your God'".

Wow!

What does this mean? Three things, at least:

It means our Lord has entered into life. Not only is He alive (as Lazarus was from the grave), but He has entered into the fullness of life. Never to die again.

It also means that His coronation is at hand. The disciples believed Jesus was "the King of Israel". Thus, they figured He would one day occupy the Throne of His father, David. And they were right--well, half-right! He would take the throne--but not on earth, ruling over a small kingdom. He would take that Seat of Majesty in Heaven and rule the Universe from God's Right Hand.

It also means: His saving work has succeeded. Thus His disciples are now no less related to His God and Father than He is Himself. In other words, God could no more send a believer to hell, than He could send Christ to hell. Or, the believer is no less sure of heaven than His Savior is. His "Father and God" is no less our "Father and God".

The Ten see Him, vv.19-23.

For several hours, Mary is the only witness to the Resurrection. But as night falls, the disciples get a visitor. He comes to them, despite the locks and bolts they've placed on the door. He greets them, "Peace to you!"

Who is the uninvited guest? He looks familiar, but could it be, uh... One look at His hands and side and all doubt leaves them--"And they were glad when they saw the Lord".

Now they too are witnesses. As such, they cannot be mute; they must speak up for the Savior. But how? They're not learned; they're not bold.

And so, our Lord gives them something that will more than make up for their deficiencies: He breathes the Holy Spirit on them. This makes them apostles--not in word and tongue--but in deed and in truth. From now on, they'll preach the Word--preach it with no less authority than their Master. Just as He was sent to redeem the world by His Death, now they're sent to redeem it by preaching His Death.

Their preaching will "forgive" the sins of some--those who believe. It will "retain" the sins of others--those who don't believe. The Apostles, therefore, will be--to some "the savor of life"; to others they'll be "the stench of death". One message; two results. Which will it be for you. The Gospel which sends you to hell can just as easily take you to heaven. Just believe it. God help you. Amen.

Doubting Thomas, vv.24-29.

The Ten have now seen Him alive, but that leaves one who hasn't. Thomas was not there at the time and, when told the amazing story, he says, "No way!" He's of a scientific bent--if he doesn't see the Lord alive and even touch His wounds, he won't believe.

One week later, the Lord came again--with a special word for His old friend: "Thomas, reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing".

For Thomas, seeing is believing! "My Lord and My God!" This is not profanity, but worship. Thomas--the same man who said, "Lord, show us the Father", has now see all the God He needs to see in Jesus Christ.

Thomas believed because he saw. This is good, but there's something better. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed". Thus we who believe are more blessed than this dear brother who saw the Lord with his own two eyes!

Footnote, vv.30-31.

John closes the chapter with a footnote. He tells us why he wrote His Gospel the way he did. He might have added many other things, but didn't need to. Why not? Because He didn't write to satisfy our curiosity or to answer our every question. He wrote to bring us to faith in Christ. To make us believe that this Man from Nazareth was more than a great teacher or social reformer. He is nothing less than "The Christ, the Son of God". The Divine Savior, whom God had long promised and has now sent.

Why does he want us to believe this? Because there is "life in His name". Eternal life is offered in Christ. In no one else. And in nothing else. Why has God chosen but One Savior? Because One will do. But not any One. Only this One. "Jesus Christ, the Son of God".

If the empty tomb does not prove He is the Christ, nothing will. God pity your soul. And give you faith. For Christ's sake. Amen.