What Proves the Resurrection?
John 20:1-18
Purpose: To proclaim that Christ’s resurrection is real.
Aim: I want the listener to be challenged to have a more intimate walk with Christ.
INTRODUCTION: The Easter story is reviewed every year in every church that claims to be Christian. Most of us have heard the story of Christ’s death on the Cross and His resurrection many times. But, we have also heard stories about Santa Clause and the Easter bunny, too. We have heard beautiful fairy tales about castles and knights in shining armor. We have heard stories about fairy god-mothers who appeared and granted much needed wishes to poor maidens. We see well-acted dramas on television and in the movies. Technology is so advanced now, that producers can make impossible situations look real. They can make it look like spider-man really can fly from sky-scraper to sky-scraper. But, is it all real?
It is possible to listen to the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and come away being inspired. After all, a good Man was badly mistreated, falsely accused, and then executed by a mob driven mad. The plot then unfolds with a dramatic and unexpected turn of events. After three days in a grave, that Man comes to life again. The final scene shows that Man in perfect health rejoicing with all of His friends, and they all live “happily-ever-after.”
I want to challenge our thinking today. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is much more than a Hollywood epic thriller. It is more than just a story with a happy ending. What happened over 2,000 years ago on Easter morning was not only real in every sense of the word, it was also powerful. When we are confronted with the reality of Christ’s resurrection, it is impossible to remain unchanged by what happened on that day.
In the first 18 verses of John chapter 20 we find a person who was changed forever. Her name is Mary Magdalene.
Our text today shows us what convinced Mary that Jesus was really alive.
➔Vs.1-10 I. Mary Loved But Doubted
Mary Magdalene met Jesus for the first time in Luke 8:1-2 1 Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,(NAU) Jesus rescued her from her bondage to demons and she never forgot it. Every time we see Mary Magdalene we find her close to Christ. She was one of the women who helped provide for Christ’s needs as He traveled. We find her standing afar off while Jesus was dying on the Cross and here she is one of the first to look for Christ’s body. There is no doubt that she loved Jesus.
➔Vs.1-6 A. Christ’s resurrection was supernatural “linen wrappings lying there”
LYING literally means “Undisturbed in their place.” In other words, Jesus lifted Himself right up through the grave clothes. The wrappings were there like a collapsed cocoon.
Jesus also came right through the rock walls. He even by-passed the Roman seal on the tomb and the guards themselves.
This did not calm Mary’s fears.
➔Vs.7 B. Christ’s resurrection was physical “face-cloth...rolled up in a place by itself”
This shows us that after Jesus came through the grace-clothes He took the cloth that was used to cover His blood splattered face and carefully rolled it up and placed it neatly by itself.
So we see that Christ’s resurrection was physical. His body was now transformed, but it was still a body. Later He used this same body to pass through walls, and also to eat. He told doubting Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”(John 20:27 NAU)
Paul implies this truth when he describes the Gospel: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,(NAU)
John tells us that Jesus must be a man as well as being God. 1 John 4:2-3 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.(NAU) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.(NAU)
Jesus had to be both God and man in order to die for our sins. Only a perfect God could pay the whole price for our sin, and only a man could take our place.
➔Vs.8-10 C. Christ’s resurrection was biblical “did not understand the Scripture”
The NT taught that the Messiah would suffer. Isaiah 53:10-12 10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.(NAU)
The OT taught that the Messiah would be resurrected. Psalm 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.(NAU)
“Two disciples plodded home, confused by the death of their Lord and the rumors of His resurrection. Footsteps approached behind them and a Stranger joined them, asking about their dejected spirits. "O foolish ones," He said, "and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"
And beginning with the earliest books of the Old Testament, He explained to them how the Messiah had come in fulfillment of prophecy, had suffered and died, and had now risen from the grave.” Dr. David Jeremiah
But, even though Christ’s resurrection was supernatural, physical, and biblical Mary still had no peace.
➔Vs.11-15 II. Mary Stayed But Wept
Peter and John came and went. Mary could not bring herself to leave. When we need to understand more about Jesus, there is great wisdom in patiently seeking the Lord until He reveals Himself to us.
There are wonderful promises to those who will patiently seek for God. Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.(NAU)
Jacob didn’t stop wrestling with the angel until he received a blessing from him. If you are seeking Christ, keep seeking Him!
➔Vs.11-13 A. Christ’s resurrection is symbolic “two angels...one at the head and one at the feet”
Here we see the NT mercy seat!
The Ark of the Covenant which contained the Ten Commandments had two angels over it, one at either end. This was the place where the glory of God appeared. Now God has fellowship with us based on the resurrection of Christ, because, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins”(1 Corinthians 15:17 NAU).
The Mercy Seat reminded us of our need to obey the Law and how helpless we were to do that on our own. The NT Mercy Seat shows us the One who obeyed the Law for us perfectly.
➔Vs.14-15 B. Christ’s resurrection reveals love “Jesus said to her...”
The Bible from beginning to end reminds us that God is the One who comes looking for us. We do not look for Him on our own.
This is not the first time that God came looking for someone in a garden. Genesis 3:8-9 8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”(NAU)
Romans 3:10-12 10 as it is written, “there is none righteous, not even one; 11 there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for god; 12 all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”(NAU)
Ephesians 2:4-5 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),(NAU)
Even to this point, Mary’s heart was still in turmoil. She had seen many proofs of Christ’s resurrection, but she was still in agony. ✔ Knowing about Christ and knowing Christ are very different.
➔Vs.16-18 III. Mary Saw and Believed
➔Vs.16 A. Jesus calls Mary by name “Mary!”
John 10:3-4 3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.(NAU)
Mary did not recognize Jesus, maybe because it was still dark, maybe because her tears kept her from seeing clearly, but she knew Jesus’ voice.
Isaiah 43:1 1 But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!(NAU)
Jesus treats each one of us as a person, not a number or a member of some group.
Revelation 3:5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.(NAU) It will be so wonderful for me to hear Jesus say, “Father, and the angels listen, this is David Scudder and I died for his sins.”
✔ “Christianity is not a religious system, it is a loving relationship with a personal God.” Dr. John MacArthur
➔Vs.17a B. Jesus reveals a new blessing “I ascend to My Father”
Mary was so excited to see Jesus that she wrapped her arms around His legs because she didn’t want to ever lose Him again. But Jesus was reminding her that in a short while, only 40 days, He must go back to heaven and leave her.
The good news is that He had promised that He would not leave His followers as orphans.
John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.(NAU)
John 14:16-20 16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.(NAU)
Even though Jesus had to go back to heaven, we have an even better gift from God – the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us and goes with us everywhere we go.
➔Vs.17b C. Jesus reveals a new relationship “My brethren”
“Then she “turned” to Him; she changes directions. It is the movement from grief to joy, from death to life. And in adoration and wonder, she falls at His feet...” [Fredrikson, R. L., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1985). Vol. 27: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 27 : John. Formerly The Communicator’s Commentary. The Preacher’s Commentary series (274). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
Jesus first called the disciples “slaves” in John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.(NAU) Paul’s favorite way to describe himself was “bond-servant of Jesus Christ.”
Then later Jesus called His followers “friends” in John 15:14-15 14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.(NAU)
Now, for the first time, Jesus calls His followers “brothers.” Romans 8:29 conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;(NAU)
Romans 8:15-17 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.(NAU)
➔Vs.18 D. Mary rejoiced greatly “I have seen the Lord”
In verse one she “saw the stone.” In verses 5 & 6 they “saw the linen wrappings.” In verse 12 Mary “saw two angels.” In verses 14 & 15 she saw Jesus but “Supposing Him to be the gardener.” But after Jesus calls her by name she then SEES Jesus.
Mary Magdalene was a demon possessed nobody until Jesus found her. Now she has the privilege of being the first one to announce His resurrection. It doesn’t matter what kind of a background you have come from, God can save you and use you.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.(NAU)
You can see the empty tomb, and the lonely grave clothes, and even two angels, and still not believe in Jesus Christ. You must SEE Him for yourself.
CONCLUSION: Bruce Larson said, “The events of Easter cannot be reduced to a creed or philosophy. We are not asked to believe the doctrine of the resurrection. We are asked to meet this person raised from the dead. In faith, we move from belief in a doctrine to a knowledge of a person. ✔ Ultimate truth is a Person. We meet Him. ✔ He is alive!”
Have you seen Jesus Christ? Come to Christ with all your heart and ask Him to forgive your sin and open your eyes so you can see Him.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.(NAU)
