[The following is a manuscript of my meditation delivered on Easter Sunday morning, Resurrection Day, the 1st of April, 2018. The service this morning also includes the observance of Holy Communion. A video of the service may be found on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
This morning at our Sunrise Service, we read the Apostle Matthew’s account of the events of that first Resurrection Sunday so long ago. Matthew, one of Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples, did not personally visit the tomb that morning, but was given the news of Jesus being raised from the dead by the women who did. And he was among those gathered in the locked room both times when Jesus appeared there, so he could speak with authority about our Lord being alive again. But he did not witness the empty tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid.
So now I would like to read the account of one who did witness both the empty tomb as well as Jesus’ appearances before his disciples. Like Matthew, the Apostle John was one of Jesus’ hand-picked twelve, and the one Jesus called beloved. When Mary Magdalene returned all excited from finding the grave now empty, John and Peter raced to the tomb to see for themselves. And see they did, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Please listen and follow along as I read all of chapter 20 from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
So now I would like to read the account of one who did witness both the empty tomb as well as Jesus’ appearances before his disciples. Like Matthew, the Apostle John was one of Jesus’ hand-picked twelve, and the one Jesus called beloved. When Mary Magdalene returned all excited from finding the grave now empty, John and Peter raced to the tomb to see for themselves. And see they did, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Please listen and follow along as I read all of chapter 20 from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
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. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, 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.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 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. 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.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 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.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
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.’”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to 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.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
--John 20 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, today we celebrate our Lord’s defeat of death and His rising from the grave. Father, You sent Your Holy Spirit to breathe life back into Your Son Jesus, to resurrect Him from that cold tomb. He walked among us again, but still some refused to believe. Thank You, Father, for giving Your elect the faith to believe in Jesus, to believe that He conquered death and rose from the grave, to believe that He truly is Your Son. Please help us dispel any doubts and to more fully understand Your truth that is Christ Jesus our Lord. Speak to us now, Father, and show us Your will. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here's what he wrote: The body of B. Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here, food for worms. But the work shall not be wholly lost, for it will, as he believed, appear once more, in a new and more perfect edition, corrected and amended by the Author.
Franklin paints a wonderful word picture, describing an old, tattered book, pages missing, its cover faded and ravaged by time. But he says it will appear yet again, in a new and more perfect edition, corrected and amended.
And of course, we are the “book” he envisions, our bodies. All our imperfections now, in this life, will be corrected and amended into a new and more perfect form. It’s called resurrection and the Author of all, the Creator of all, will make it happen. Praise be to God!
So like I mentioned, Mary came back to where the disciples were all holed up out of fear… And who can blame them - who wouldn’t be afraid? If Jesus – now widely known throughout the land for his healings and teachings – could be arrested and put to death, what chance did they have if caught?
So Mary runs in, gasping for breath, all excited, and she’s trying to tell them what she just experienced. She went to the tomb where Joseph of Arimathea had laid the body of Jesus, right before sunrise, and found it empty, the huge stone rolled away. And worse, she didn’t know where her Lord’s body had been taken!
Of course that caught Peter’s attention, the disciple most noted for rash responses and impetuousness. So he raced off to see what was going on, followed closely by John, who actually passed Peter and got there first. At that point, none of them really understood what had happened, they didn’t truly believe all that Jesus had been trying to tell them.
So they enter the tomb and it’s empty, like Mary said. Where the broken body of Jesus had been lying, now only the burial cloths remained. And the small linen cloth that had been covering His face was found off to the side, neatly folded.
To understand the significance of that last piece, we need to look at the customs in that part of the world. Then, and even today, when a diner was finished with their meal, they would crumple up their napkin and drop it on the plate, get up and leave. But if they planned to return shortly to finish their meal, they would neatly fold their napkin and place it beside the plate. Then the server would know they’re coming back and would not clear the table just yet.
So to us, the handkerchief lying neatly folded off to the side is Jesus telling us He is coming back, He is returning to finish God’s master plan. John must have caught this subtle message, for verse 9 tells us that “he saw and believed”.
Mary peeks into the tomb and sees two angels who ask why she is weeping. She answers, turns, and there stands the newly risen Jesus, but she doesn’t recognize Him. He also asks why she weeps, and her response is the same as it’s been all along: someone has taken the body of my Lord and I don’t know where they took it. Jesus simply says her name, and instantly recognition sparks. She saw Jesus, and believed.
So now Mary, Peter, and John have all seen enough to believe that Jesus lives again, that He has risen from the dead. They relay this information to the other disciples, but we don’t know if they completely believed or not yet. Jesus wants to leave no doubt, so He suddenly appears in their midst as they hide away in a locked room. They saw, and believed.
But one of the original twelve was not present that day, and when the rest told him what had happened, he didn’t believe them. Thomas refused to believe unless he could see Jesus with his own eyes. He wouldn’t believe until he could feel the nail-scarred hands, touch the wound where the spear had been thrust into Jesus’ side.
So eight days later, when the disciples had once again locked themselves in, this time with Thomas present, Jesus popped in for another visit. He looked at Thomas and said, “Here, touch My hands, touch My side, see for yourself, and believe.” And sure enough, Thomas did, and believed.
So far, the common thread here is that each of these people - those closest to Jesus the past three years – each one had to see something, some proof, to believe that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead, and so was exactly who He said He was: the Christ. Each needed proof, and fortunately for them He was still around to provide it. But after He ascended back into heaven to be with His Father again, the physical proof went with Him.
What about us? All we’re left with is what those folks who needed proof told us. They were shown proof, but we have to take their word for it? This is where faith comes in. The author of the Book of Hebrews describes this gift from God in the first verse of his chapter 11…
In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. Here's what he wrote: The body of B. Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here, food for worms. But the work shall not be wholly lost, for it will, as he believed, appear once more, in a new and more perfect edition, corrected and amended by the Author.
Franklin paints a wonderful word picture, describing an old, tattered book, pages missing, its cover faded and ravaged by time. But he says it will appear yet again, in a new and more perfect edition, corrected and amended.
And of course, we are the “book” he envisions, our bodies. All our imperfections now, in this life, will be corrected and amended into a new and more perfect form. It’s called resurrection and the Author of all, the Creator of all, will make it happen. Praise be to God!
So like I mentioned, Mary came back to where the disciples were all holed up out of fear… And who can blame them - who wouldn’t be afraid? If Jesus – now widely known throughout the land for his healings and teachings – could be arrested and put to death, what chance did they have if caught?
So Mary runs in, gasping for breath, all excited, and she’s trying to tell them what she just experienced. She went to the tomb where Joseph of Arimathea had laid the body of Jesus, right before sunrise, and found it empty, the huge stone rolled away. And worse, she didn’t know where her Lord’s body had been taken!
Of course that caught Peter’s attention, the disciple most noted for rash responses and impetuousness. So he raced off to see what was going on, followed closely by John, who actually passed Peter and got there first. At that point, none of them really understood what had happened, they didn’t truly believe all that Jesus had been trying to tell them.
So they enter the tomb and it’s empty, like Mary said. Where the broken body of Jesus had been lying, now only the burial cloths remained. And the small linen cloth that had been covering His face was found off to the side, neatly folded.
To understand the significance of that last piece, we need to look at the customs in that part of the world. Then, and even today, when a diner was finished with their meal, they would crumple up their napkin and drop it on the plate, get up and leave. But if they planned to return shortly to finish their meal, they would neatly fold their napkin and place it beside the plate. Then the server would know they’re coming back and would not clear the table just yet.
So to us, the handkerchief lying neatly folded off to the side is Jesus telling us He is coming back, He is returning to finish God’s master plan. John must have caught this subtle message, for verse 9 tells us that “he saw and believed”.
Mary peeks into the tomb and sees two angels who ask why she is weeping. She answers, turns, and there stands the newly risen Jesus, but she doesn’t recognize Him. He also asks why she weeps, and her response is the same as it’s been all along: someone has taken the body of my Lord and I don’t know where they took it. Jesus simply says her name, and instantly recognition sparks. She saw Jesus, and believed.
So now Mary, Peter, and John have all seen enough to believe that Jesus lives again, that He has risen from the dead. They relay this information to the other disciples, but we don’t know if they completely believed or not yet. Jesus wants to leave no doubt, so He suddenly appears in their midst as they hide away in a locked room. They saw, and believed.
But one of the original twelve was not present that day, and when the rest told him what had happened, he didn’t believe them. Thomas refused to believe unless he could see Jesus with his own eyes. He wouldn’t believe until he could feel the nail-scarred hands, touch the wound where the spear had been thrust into Jesus’ side.
So eight days later, when the disciples had once again locked themselves in, this time with Thomas present, Jesus popped in for another visit. He looked at Thomas and said, “Here, touch My hands, touch My side, see for yourself, and believe.” And sure enough, Thomas did, and believed.
So far, the common thread here is that each of these people - those closest to Jesus the past three years – each one had to see something, some proof, to believe that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead, and so was exactly who He said He was: the Christ. Each needed proof, and fortunately for them He was still around to provide it. But after He ascended back into heaven to be with His Father again, the physical proof went with Him.
What about us? All we’re left with is what those folks who needed proof told us. They were shown proof, but we have to take their word for it? This is where faith comes in. The author of the Book of Hebrews describes this gift from God in the first verse of his chapter 11…
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
--Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
While the world sees “hope” as a dream that likely won’t be met, something to be longed for but not really expected, when our Bible says hope, it offers an expectation, a certainty, that what is longed for will indeed come to pass. Even without proof, even without being seen. After all, as I told the kids earlier, we can’t always believe everything we see.
Plus, what we see with our eyes is only temporary in nature, because it is of this world and this world is temporal. The Apostle Paul, in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 17 and 18 explains this…
Plus, what we see with our eyes is only temporary in nature, because it is of this world and this world is temporal. The Apostle Paul, in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 17 and 18 explains this…
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
--2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NKJV)
Mary and Peter and John and Thomas and the rest of the disciples and over 500 people in all physically saw, with their eyes, the risen Jesus. They had their “proof”. But what they saw was really only temporary for them, since Jesus soon ascended into heaven, body and all.
Thank God we have our faith! We don’t need to see the risen body of Jesus to believe He conquered death! Jesus knew we would believe even without proof, when He told Thomas, in verse 29 of our reading: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John goes on to say that the risen Jesus did many other signs in the presence of witnesses that are not included in his Gospel account. Those other signs were not recorded, because John saw no need of it. Jesus already told him we would believe without needing to see. We have our faith, we have our proof.
We have all that we need to believe. Jesus is Lord, and He is risen! In that beautiful name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia, Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Son to offer us salvation, knowing full well how it would all turn out. Forgive us, please Father, when we try to put our own wants and plans ahead of what You know needs to be done, just as Jesus knew what He had to do. Thank You for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to accept Your Son and be saved.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You knew what was expected of You, how much You would suffer, yet You came anyway and carried out God’s plan to the very end. You gave Your body, Your blood, Your life, for our sake, that we might be reunited with God. Help us, please Lord, to believe in You and our Father God even when proof is not available. Help us to exercise our faith and keep it strong. Surround us with other believers so we might find greater strength to reach out and help others, to show them the path to salvation through belief in You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
Thank God we have our faith! We don’t need to see the risen body of Jesus to believe He conquered death! Jesus knew we would believe even without proof, when He told Thomas, in verse 29 of our reading: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John goes on to say that the risen Jesus did many other signs in the presence of witnesses that are not included in his Gospel account. Those other signs were not recorded, because John saw no need of it. Jesus already told him we would believe without needing to see. We have our faith, we have our proof.
We have all that we need to believe. Jesus is Lord, and He is risen! In that beautiful name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia, Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Son to offer us salvation, knowing full well how it would all turn out. Forgive us, please Father, when we try to put our own wants and plans ahead of what You know needs to be done, just as Jesus knew what He had to do. Thank You for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to accept Your Son and be saved.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help as we do so…
Lord Jesus, You knew what was expected of You, how much You would suffer, yet You came anyway and carried out God’s plan to the very end. You gave Your body, Your blood, Your life, for our sake, that we might be reunited with God. Help us, please Lord, to believe in You and our Father God even when proof is not available. Help us to exercise our faith and keep it strong. Surround us with other believers so we might find greater strength to reach out and help others, to show them the path to salvation through belief in You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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