Wednesday, February 27, 2019

John 20: 1-31 - The Resurrection of Jesus

My last post was about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he shed his precious blood to atone for sin, and when he took upon himself the penalty for sin by which all those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be their Saviour are saved.   In this post, Jesus is risen from the tomb and witnessed by Mary Magdalene and his disciples.   Chapter 20 begins with Mary Magdalene coming early to the sepulchre.

V1-10 On the  first day of the week when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb where Jesus was laid and saw that the stone which had sealed the opening was taken away.  Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to "the other disciple whom Jesus loved" (this is the apostle John who wrote this gospel, he never refers to himself by name) and said to them "they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him."  The "we" are the other ladies who went to the tomb with Mary Magdalene.  They supposed that someone had stolen the body of Jesus.  So Peter and John ran together, and John got to the tomb first but did not enter.  From the entrance he saw the linen cloths that Jesus had been wrapped in.   Peter arrived, and being of a bolder nature, entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying, but the napkin that had been wound around the head of Jesus was not lying with the other cloths, but was wrapped together in a place by  itself.  Then John came in and saw, and believed that Jesus was gone.  But as yet they did not know that Jesus must rise from the dead, and they went back home.



V11-18  Mary stood weeping outside the tomb with the thought that someone had taken the body of Jesus, and she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre.  And for Mary there was a wondrous sight!  Two angels in white were sitting, one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.  They asked 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.  And when she looked back, she saw Jesus standing, but she didn't know it was Jesus.  Then Jesus said to her "Woman, why weepest thou?  whom seekest thou? Mary thought that it was the gardener, for the last time she saw Jesus, he was beaten and torn, was bruised and bleeding.  It was Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus who had wrapped Jesus and buried him in the tomb.  But Mary Magdalene was to be the first person Jesus spoke to after he had risen from the tomb.  Mary, still thinking he was the gardener,said "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away."  Mary was desperate to know where the body of Jesus was. But then Jesus called her by name, "Mary",  probably the sweetest sound she had ever heard.  She turned around and said to him "Rabboni, which is to say, Master."  And Matthew's gospel tells us that she held his feet and worshipped him. Jesus said to 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."  And Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

V19-31  That same day at evening, being the first day of the week, the doors were shut where the disciples were because they feared the Jews.  Suddenly Jesus stood in the midst of them and said "Peace be unto you" and he showed them his hands and his side.  His resurrected body still bore the marks of his crucifixion.  The disciples were very glad when they saw the Lord........but Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them and when the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, Thomas said that unless he saw the nail prints in Jesus hands, and put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into the side of Jesus,  he would not believe.  Then 8 days later all the disciples were together and the door was again shut.  Suddenly Jesus stood in the midst of them again and s aid "Peace be unto you".  Then he invited Thomas to "reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said  unto him, My Lord and my God.  Jesus said to 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 truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this gospel.  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.".

John 21 is about Jesus restoring Peter after his three denials after the arrest of Jesus.

This is the end of the posts of the gospel of John.   Next will be the book of Acts,  what happened to the apostles after Jesus ascension into heaven, and the choosing of Paul, the one who persecuted Christians, but who became the great apostle to the Gentiles.
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vcg

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