He Is Risen
Introduction:
Jesus’ body had been taken down off the
cross by Joseph of Arimathea. He and Nicodemus wrapped the body in costly
linen cloth while placing myrrh and aloes in the cloth. A rock was rolled
in front of the opening to the tomb and a Roman guard sealed it and was left
to make sure disciples made no attempt to steal the Lord’s body.
Text:
John
20:1-18
Body:
I.
Exegesis of Text (All four gospel accounts
combined)
Verse 1
John 20:1
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early,
while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the
tomb.”
NKJV
Mary Magdalene
along with several other women including Mary, the mother of James, Salome,
Joanna, left for the tomb before daybreak and arrived after the sun had
risen on Sunday, the first day of the week. They were coming to anoint
Jesus’ body with spices and ointments. Mary Magdalene apparently ran ahead
of the others and discovered that the rock had been rolled away from the
door to the tomb. A great earthquake had occurred and an angel from heaven
had moved the stone. Roman guards were terrified. She does not enter the
tomb now but ran back to inform Peter and John of what she had seen. The
other women, upon arriving, enter the tomb and discover Jesus’ body is
nowhere to be found. Two angels appear to them. Read
Luke
24:4-8.
“And
it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men
stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed
their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living
among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!’ Remember how He spoke to
you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise
again.’ And they remembered His words.”
NKJV
Verses 2-4
John 20:2-4 “Then she ran and came to Simon
Peter, and to the other apostle, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They
have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have
laid Him.’ Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going
to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter
and came to the tomb first.”
NKJV
Mary Magdalene
reported to Peter and John about the missing body. They are amazed! Both
men ran to the tomb. John arrived first.
Verses 5-7
John 20:5-7
“And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet
he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had
been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together
in a place by itself.”
NKJV
John looked in the tomb and saw Jesus’ burial cloths but did not go in.
Peter arrived and entered to see linen cloths lying where they had been
carefully removed and the face cloth neatly folded in a separate place.
This is evidence that robbers had not been there; instead it showed a neat,
orderly appearance. Jesus’ body had not been stolen nor had friends removed
it. There was only one other conclusion.
Verses 8-9
John 20:8-9
“Then the other
disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and
believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise
again from the dead.”
NKJV
John entered
the tomb and saw the evidence and believed. Probably he did not fully
understand the implication of the resurrection. The fact of resurrection
was clearly prophesied in the Old Testament and Jesus often referred to it.
There was no reason why they shouldn’t have known and understood. It shows
how hard it is to uproot long-held beliefs.
Verse 10
John 20:10
“Then the
disciples went away again to their own homes.”
NKJV
Peter and John
returned home. John was surely eager to inform Mary, the mother of Jesus,
of all that had happened.
Verses 11-12
John 20:11-12
“But Mary stood
outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked
into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and
the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”
NKJV
When Mary
Magdalene arrived at the tomb, Peter and John had already left for home.
She did not yet know that Jesus had been resurrected. Weeping, she stooped
down [entrance to the tomb is low] and looked inside. She saw two angels
dressed in white. One was at the head and the other at the feet of where
the body had lain. Angels placed like the man-made ones on the mercy seat
of the temple. There were real ones who guarded this new mercy seat!
Verse 13
John 20:13
“Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them,
‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have
laid Him.’
NKJV
She answered
their question by stating that someone had taken her Lord’s body to
some unknown location. She too had not understood Jesus’ own teaching about
His resurrection.
Verse 14-15
John 20:14-15
“Now when she
had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not
know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you seeking?’ She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him,
‘Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I
will take Him away.’”
NKJV
She in some
way sensed the presence of another person but did not know it was Jesus.
Since they were in the garden and it was early morning, she thought He was
the gardener. She asked Him to lead her to the body so she could take it
away probably to a safer place.
Verse 16
John 20:16
“Jesus said to
her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (Which is to say,
Teacher).”
NKJV
Jesus simply
said her name but that was enough. That brought instant recognition. She
responded, “Rabboni.” [My Great Teacher]
Verse 17
John 20:17
“Jesus said to
her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father’; but go
to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your
Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
NKJV
It appeared
that she went forward to touch Him. He told her not to cling to Him now.
[He had been in the Hadean realm, the part called Paradise, but had not yet
ascended to His Father in heaven.] Rather she needed to go and tell the
disciples that He would soon go to His Father. This was a source of great
joy to them.
Verse 18
John 20:18
“Mary Magdalene
came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had
spoken these things to her.”
NKJV
She
immediately went and informed the apostles of what had happened. Mark
records that they did not at first believe. [It does not include Peter and
John.]
Now Read
Matthew 28:9-10.
“And
as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
‘Rejoice!’ so they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then
Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to
Galilee, and there they will see Me.’”
NKJV
The other
women, after visiting the empty tomb, seeing the angel and being told to
tell the disciples that Jesus had arisen, met Jesus on the way back. He had
already appeared to Mary Magdalene. They worship Him. He tells them to
tell the apostles to meet Him in Galilee. They carry out instructions –
tell them “He is risen!”
II.
What the Resurrection Means to Me (Acts
2:24)
“whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not
possible that He should be held by it.”
NKJV
1.
It assures me that He is
the Son of God. (Romans
1:4)
“and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
NKJV
2.
It provides the basis for my hope. (I
Peter 1:3-4)
“Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy
has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to be inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that
does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”
NKJV
3.
It made possible eternal life. (John
14:19b)
“Because I live, you will live also.” This life is possible
because Jesus was resurrected, never to die again.
4.
It causes me to live a
transformed life. (II
Corinthians 5:14-15)
“For
the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus that if One died for
all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no
longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
NKJV
5.
It proves all of us will
be resurrected. (I
Corinthians 15:22-23)
“For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one
in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s
at His coming.”
NKJV
Will you not place your faith in the Risen Savior, repent of your past life,
confess His Name, and be buried with Him in baptism in order to be raised a
new person? Bobby Stafford March 25, 2018
Video
MS
Word
