Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research said this week that "Easter and Christmas are the most revered worship observances of the Christian faith. The crux of the gospel is not just that Jesus came to earth in human form which we celebrate at Christmas, but that He lived a sinless life and was crucified in the place of mankind. God's acceptance of this payment for sin is seen in Him raising Jesus from the dead. This is what makes Easter so significant." (http://www.lifeway.com/Article/research-survey-one-in-five-americans-undecided-about-easter-church-attendance?CARID=jdw-fb-032713)
But C.H. Spurgeon warned that “Religious scruples may live in a dead conscience,”. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “On the Cross after Death,” Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 33 (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1969), 193.).
In fact, they may live for a long, long time. In the incident recorded in John 19:-20, from the moments immediately following the death of Christ, we see the same principles operating. This is a strange irony in the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus: the leaders were adhering to the minutest requirements of their law while breaking its intent in hounding an innocent man to death. They would try for the open formality of two trials and an official condemnation, but they would break scores of legal safeguards and would even neglect to hear a defense for the accused. They would refuse to enter into Pilate’s judgment hall lest they be defiled and be unfit to eat the Passover, but they would defile themselves with the blood of the true Passover, Jesus Christ (Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: An expositional commentary (1549–1550). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
How do you deal with the reality that one day you will die? Do you not worry about it, thinking that death is the end of everything? You are taking a big gamble. The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that death is not the end. Perhaps you think that you are basically a good person and God will look at your good works in consideration? The necessity of the death of Christ shows that all our good works are not enough to earn eternal life.
Religion itself, is humanity’s attempt to conquer the problem of death by trying to reach God through the human definition of good works. The Resurrection, is God’s action to conquer the problem of death through the only work that could bridge the separation between God and humanity: The person of Jesus Christ. Through the resurrection, Christ shows “His Power over Death”, as Manifested in 1) His Dying (John 19:31–37), 2) His Burial (John 19:38–42), and 3) His Resurrection (John 20:1–10).
1) Christ’s Power over Death Was Manifested in His Dying( John 19:31–37)
John 19:31-37 [31]Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. [32]So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. [33]But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. [34]But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. [35]He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe. [36]For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." [37]And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced." (ESV)
It was getting late in the afternoon on the day of preparation (for the Sabbath; i.e., Friday). As indicated in 19:14, it was the day before Nisan 15, the day before Passover; it was the day of Preparation, the day on which the lambs were slaughtered. But at this point in the Gospel the evangelist makes a special note because in that year Nisan 14 was also the day before the Sabbath, as though to emphasize the irony of the fact that it was to be the high day of Passover week. The Lamb of God (cf. 1:29, 36) had died along with the Passover lambs, and that confluence of events must have seared itself into the mind of John (Borchert, G. L. (2002). Vol. 25B: John 12–21. The New American Commentary (273). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
The Jews were concerned that the bodies of Jesus and the two robbers not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, which began at sundown. The Romans usually left the bodies of crucified individuals to rot, or be eaten by scavenging birds or animals. That particular Sabbath was a high day (because it was the Sabbath of Passover week), heightening the Jewish leaders’ concern, which evidently stemmed from Deuteronomy 21:22–23. To leave the bodies exposed on the crosses would, in their minds, defile the land. Nothing more clearly illustrates the extreme hypocrisy to which their pernicious legalism had driven them. They were zealous to observe the minutiae of the law while at the same time killing the One who both authored and fulfilled it; they were scrupulously concerned that the land not be defiled, but were unconcerned about their own defilement from murdering the Son of God.
After Pilate granted the Jews’ request, verse 32 records that the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him; Death by crucifixion could take a very long time, but the Romans did not mind this because it added to the deterrent value (Whitacre, R. A. (1999). Vol. 4: John. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (464). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Crucifixion brought death to its victims through shock, suffocation, or both. At the beginning victims would brace their feet on the platform and push upward, enabling the lungs to function just a bit. In typical Roman cruelty, the legs would be broken when the soldiers had finished their execution games and asphyxiation would take place almost instantly (Gangel, K. O. (2000). Vol. 4: John. Holman New Testament Commentary (353). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
but as verse 33 notes, when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. The events John records mark the fulfillment of Scripture. Psalm 34:20 is quite specific in stating how the Father: “protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: An expositional commentary (1553). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
Now with the Romans, just to make certain He was dead, verse 34 continues, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. We will look at the human elements in a minute, but from God’s perspective this also fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 “They will look on me, the one whom they have pierced” (Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John: An expositional commentary (1553). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
The soldiers were experts at determining death; it was part of their job. They had nothing to gain by lying about Jesus’ death. Their testimony, and that of their commander (Mark 15:44–45), is irrefutable proof that Jesus was in fact dead. He did not, as some skeptics who deny the resurrection maintain, merely go into a coma and then revive in the coolness of the tomb. (swoon theory.) Not only does the soldier pierce the outside part of Jesus’ body that would reveal clearer water like liquid (like when the skin is bruised or agitated), he also pierces the inner part, revealing blood (paralleling Isa 52:15) (Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 19:34). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
This incident proved (1) the reality of Christ’s humanity against Docetic views; and these verses therefore are conclusive evidence against the theory that the Fourth Gospel is the work of a Docetic Gnostic; (2) the reality of Christ’s Divinity, against Ebionite views; while His human form was no mere phantom, but flesh and blood, yet He was not therefore a mere man, but the Son of God; (3) the reality of Christ’s death, and therefore of His Resurrection, against Jewish insinuations of trickery (Rushdoony, R. J. (2000). The Gospel of John (264). Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books.)
John’s eyewitness account in verse 35 as: He who saw it and has borne witness/testified, and whose testimony is true; and who knows that he is telling the truth, emphasizes that Jesus was unquestionably dead. John’s account is not hearsay, fable, or legend, but rather a sober historical record of actual events. His purpose in relating Jesus’ precise fulfillment of prophecy in His death was so that his readers also may believe that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [they] may have life in His name” (20:31).
• The reason for the celebration of the resurrection this morning is not to merely commemorate an event, or to just inform but to transform. Our prayer this morning and from the expressed wishes of God Himself is that you would hear this account, examine the facts, and then examine yourself. See how God is calling you hear to repent of your sins, and believe on His son.
By giving up His life when He did, our Lord assured that the soldiers fulfilled prophecy. According to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12, no bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the Passover lamb, and as such could not have any of His bones broken. Beyond that picture is the explicit prophecy of Psalm 34:20, “He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken,” to which John referred when he wrote in verse 36, For these things took place/came to pass that the Scripture might be fulfilled:, “Not once of his bones will be broken.” Three passages fall to be considered as source of the quotation: Exod 12:46, in the midst of prescriptions concerning the Passover, requires that “each lamb must be eaten inside the one house … you must not break a bone of it”(καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ). Num 9:12 similarly states, “no bone of it shall be broken” (καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψουσιν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ). Ps 34:20, describing God’s care for the Righteous Sufferer, says: “He guards every bone of his body, not one of them is broken” (ἔν έξ αὐτῶν οὐ συντριβήσεται). The Evangelist’s wording does not precisely concur with any of these, but both typologies accord with the interest of the early churches and of the Evangelist himself: Jesus in his death brings to fulfillment the significance of the Passover and the eschatological hope of a second Exodus. He also fulfills the role of the Righteous Man who suffers but is under the care of God (Beasley-Murray, G. R. (2002). Vol. 36: John. Word Biblical Commentary (354–355). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Please turn to Revelation 1 (p.1028)
That unusual act of piercing Jesus’ side was essential to fulfill prophecy. Verse 37 quotes Zechariah 12:10, “They will look on Him whom they have pierced.”. That God said “they will look on Me whom they have pierced” affirms that Jesus was God incarnate. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy will be at Christ’s second coming, when the repentant remnant of Israel will mourn over rejecting and killing their King
Revelation 1:4-7 [4]John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, [5]and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood [6]and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. [7]Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Illustration: Behold, He is Coming
How is it that this one who has come and will return again did so much for so many? Philip Bliss spoke for all of us when, still a young man, he wrote how this glory and power came through the cross:
Man of sorrows! What a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood—
Sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement! Can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die,
“It is finished,” was His cry;
Now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When He comes our glorious king
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
(Gangel, K. O. (2000). Vol. 4: John. Holman New Testament Commentary (356–357). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
2) Christ’s Power over Death Was Manifested in His Burial (John 19:38–42)
John 19:38-42 [38]After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. [39]Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. [40]So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. [41]Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. [42]So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (ESV)
Please turn to Isaiah 53 (p.614)
Jesus not only exhibited His divine power over death by controlling the details of His dying, but even more remarkably, He also controlled the circumstances of His burial after He was dead. As was the case with His dying, by doing so Jesus both revealed His deity, and fulfilled biblical prophecy. John’s account of the burial may continue to develop the theme of Jesus’ royal identity (Whitacre, R. A. (1999). Vol. 4: John. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (468). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
Isaiah 53:9-11 [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (ESV)
• In Isaiah 53:9 the prophet wrote that though Messiah’s “grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” The Romans normally refused to allow those executed for sedition to be buried, leaving them to the vultures and scavengers as the ultimate indignity. The Jews did not refuse burial to anyone, but buried criminals at a separate location outside of Jerusalem.
But even if He escaped being buried with common criminals, how was Jesus to be buried with a rich man? He did not come from a wealthy family, nor could any of the apostles be considered rich men. The answer is that Jesus, “having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18), moved upon the heart of a rich man, Joseph, from Arimathea (the location of Arimathea is unknown; some identify it with Ramathaim-zophim, the birthplace of Samuel [1 Sam. 1:1]). Joseph appears in all four Gospels but only in the accounts of Jesus’ burial. He was rich (Matt. 27:57), a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), who had not agreed with its decision to condemn Jesus (Luke 23:51). Joseph was a good and righteous man (Luke 23:50), who was waiting for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43). He was a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 27:57), although secretly for fear of the Jews.
Quote: Alexander Maclaren has excellent thoughts on this subject. “There is nothing in the organization of society at this day to make any man afraid of avowing the ordinary kind of Christianity which satisfies the most of us; rather it is the proper thing with the bulk of us middleclass people, to say that in some sense or other we are Christians. But when it comes to …a real carrying out of a true discipleship, there are as many and as formidable, though very different, impediments in the way today, from those which blocked the path of these two cowards in our text. In all regions of life it is hard to work out into practice any moral conviction whatever. How many of us are there who have beliefs about social and moral questions which we are ashamed to declare in certain companies for fear of the finger of ridicule being pointed at us? … The political, social, and moral conflicts of this day have their ‘secret disciples,’ who will only come out of their holes when the battle is over, and will then shout with the loudest.” (Alexander Maclaren, Expositions on Holy Scripture, vol. 7, “The Gospel of St. John” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), part 3, 287–88.)
The apostle John usually took a dim view of secret disciples (cf. 12:42–43). However he presented Joseph in a positive light in view of his courageous action in asking Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. Perhaps because of his wealth or standing in the community, Joseph was able to gain access to Pilate. The bodies of those executed by the state were to be released to relatives or others who were willing to provide them with burial (Borchert, G. L. (2002). Vol. 25B: John 12–21. The New American Commentary (280). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Joseph had exhibited sinful, cowardly fear of losing his prestige, power, and position while the Lord was alive. But now he exposed himself to even greater danger than he had tried to avoid by approaching Pilate (who by now had had his fill of the Jewish leaders) and asking for the body of a man who had been executed as a rival king to the emperor. From beyond the grave, however, the Lord moved in Joseph’s heart to expedite His burial. After first making sure Jesus was really dead (Mark 15:44–45), Pilate gave him/granted permission for Joseph to take His body.
Having received the governor’s approval, Joseph immediately came and took away Christ’s body and hurriedly began preparing it for burial. In this, verse 39 notes that Joseph was assisted by Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin who, as John’s footnote indicates, had earlier/first come to Christ by night (3:1–21). Though they kept their allegiance to Him secret while Jesus was alive, Joseph and Nicodemus courageously braved the wrath of the rest of the Sanhedrin to bury His body. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a seventy-five pounds weight (34 kilograms). You may notice a variance in what your translation says of the weight of the spices. The spicy mixture they apply to the body is literally given as “100 pounds,” but this is referring to the Roman pound of 12 ounces. Therefore the seventy-five pounds, assumes our modern 16-ounce pounds (Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John. The College Press NIV Commentary (Jn 19:39–40). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.).
Myrrh was a fragrant, gummy resin, which in powdered form was often mixed with aloes, an aromatic powder made from sandalwood. There is evidence that large quantities were used in royal burials (2 Chron. 16:14), and the probability is that John is reminding us again of Jesus’ kingship. The thought may well be in mind that when he spoke with Nicodemus Jesus talked of the kingdom (3:3) (Morris, L. (1995). The Gospel according to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (729). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Joseph and Nicodemus, as verse 40 records, took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths/wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Recent discussion on the Shroud of Turin has raised considerable controversy. The translation “linen cloths/strips of linen/wrappings” would argue against the authenticity of the shroud (Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), . Vol. 2: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Ed.) (341). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Unlike the Egyptians, the Jews did not embalm their dead; they used fragrant spices to stifle the smell of putrefaction for as long as possible. The spices were probably sprinkled along the entire length of the strips of cloth that were wrapped around the Lord’s body. More spices were then packed around and under His body once it was placed in the tomb. It should be noted that neither Joseph or Nicodemus or the women (Luke 23:55–24:1) were expecting Jesus to rise from the dead. If they had believed His repeated predictions that He would do so (2:19; Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Luke 24:6–7), they would not have bothered to prepare His body so thoroughly for burial.
• It’s too easy for us to go about our daily lives and not have the words of Christ affect us. If someone were to look at how you live your life, what would they say is your hope, or your God? We show what we truly believe and put our trust in, by how we act. If we truly believe that Christ will do what He says He will do, then do our actions fully trust Him, or are we trying to do what He promised, and failing to do what He left us to do?
In verse 41, only John relates that in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. The door of the tomb was a heavy, wheel-shaped stone anywhere from four to six feet tall, which was placed in a shallow trough and held upright by a short wall on either side of the tomb opening. Rolling stones could be opened again for ongoing use but required great strength—thus the women’s anxiety about finding assistance (Mark 16:3) and about breaking the Roman guard and seal (Matt. 27:65–66). In the Synoptics, an earthquake rolls open Jesus’ tomb (Matt. 28:2) (Burge, G. M. (2000). John. The NIV Application Commentary (536). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
Such tombs were expensive, and there would be a tendency to use them again and again. A person was placed on a burial slab in the tomb until the flesh decomposed, then the bones were collected and put in an ossuary (a small box), which was kept in another part of the tomb. Then the burial slab could be reused (Borchert, G. L. (2002). Vol. 25B: John 12–21. The New American Commentary (283). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
But on this occasion John tells us that the tomb had never before been used, a detail that Luke also mentions (Luke 23:53). Matthew tells us that it was Joseph’s own tomb (Matt. 27:60) (Morris, L. (1995). The Gospel according to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (730). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
So/Therefore as verse 42 continues, because of the Jewish day of preparation (Friday) was almost over, and since the tomb was close at hand/nearby, they laid Jesus there. With the Sabbath—when all work would have to cease—nearly upon them, the nearness of the tomb was providential.
Joseph and Nicodemus were motivated by the need to finish their work before the Sabbath began. But there was a more significant reason that the Lord needed to be buried before sundown. In Matthew 12:40 Jesus had predicted, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The Jews counted any part of a day as constituting a day (cf. 1 Kings 12:5 with v. 12; Est. 4:16 with 5:1). Jesus needed to be buried while it was still Friday, so He could be in the tomb for three days (part of Friday afternoon, Saturday, and part of Sunday morning). In His burial, as well as His death, Jesus orchestrated all the details to accomplish God’s already revealed purpose.
Illustration: The crucifixion, burial, and resurrection were for centuries common subjects of church art. Our more jaded era finds it less shattering a fact to imagine the death of God the Son in His incarnation; somehow, like the Gnostics, we have trouble seeing it as an actuality. Similarly, the resurrection is a problem for people now, because, in the modern era, death is seen as final, rather than as a prelude to heaven and hell, and to judgment.
Before World War II, Dunne, a scientist, wrote a book on An Experiment with Time. He called attention to the fact that agnostics and atheists had predicted that, with a loss of belief in life after death, men would prize this brief life more and would behave more humanely. Instead, he saw a growing callousness towards life with the loss of faith in God and life after death. We should not wonder at this. If life has no meaning, what value has it? And what then is morality but misguided behavior?
In recent years, the social importance of Good Friday and Resurrection Day has faded. Family funerals are less and less marked by family reunions and dinners. There are fewer tears at funerals and fewer family celebrations, and some treat funerals as a bad relic of a previous era. One group has advertised cremations and non-funeral dispositions of the dead. One writer of the late 1950’s saw death as the new, coming “pornography,” i.e., death would replace “dirty books” as the unspeakable and forbidden.
John, however, requires us to fix our attention on Christ’s death and its grim nature because he sees it as central to the meaning of history and life. Believe me on this above all, he says, because here is life and redemption. (Rushdoony, R. J. (2000). The Gospel of John (265). Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books )
3) Christ’s Power over Death Was Manifested in His Resurrection (John 20:1–10)
John 20:1-10 [20:1]Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2]So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3]So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4]Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5]And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6]Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7]and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8]Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9]for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10]Then the disciples went back to their homes. (ESV)
The ultimate demonstration of Christ’s power over death, and hence proof of His deity, was His resurrection. It, too, was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The first day of the week. In the Jewish method of reckoning time, it would begin with sundown on Saturday and continue until sundown on Sunday. The text seems to indicate, however, that the visit of the women to the tomb occurred early on Sunday morning (Tenney, M. C. (1981). John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (187–188). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
Sunday, would forever after be the day believers set aside to commemorate their Lord’s marvelous resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). It eventually became known as the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10), and on that first Lord’s Day morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early. The women evidently set out together, but Mary went on ahead of the others and arrived at the tomb first. Probably, in view of the lateness of the hour for Nicodemus’ work and the nearness of the Sabbath, supposing Nicodemus was not able to use all the spices he had brought to complete the process of burial, the women came to do this. The Synoptic Gospels record various other women as well who came to the tomb that morning (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1, 10).
• These women had followed Joseph to the tomb, and so they knew exactly where to find Jesus’ body when they returned after the Sabbath with their spices and ointments. These women could not do great things for Jesus—they were not permitted to stand up before the Jewish council or the Roman governor and testify on his behalf—but they did what they could. They stayed at the cross when most of the disciples had fled, and they got ready to anoint their Lord’s body. Because of their devotion, they were the first to know about the Resurrection.
• As believers, we may feel we can’t do much for Jesus. But we are called to take advantage of the opportunities given us, doing what we can do and not worrying about what we cannot do (Barton, B. B. (1993). John. Life Application Bible Commentary (386). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.).
John mentions only Mary, and says that she came while it was still dark, in contrast to the others who arrived after sunrise (Mark 16:2). The entire phrase could include all or part of the period from around three A.M. to around six A.M.. Mark has “very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise” (16:2) (Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John. UBS Handbook Series (602). New York: United Bible Societies.)
“Still dark” suggests that that sunrise had barely occurred. More important, the reader should remember that time and temperature readings in John are also theologically oriented statements (cf. 3:2; 10:23; 13:30). It was indeed early morning when Mary Magdalene saw a sign of the resurrection—the removed stone—but she was still in the dark concerning its significance (Borchert, G. L. (2002). Vol. 25B: John 12–21. The New American Commentary (291). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
With the statement that Mary saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb: “Taken away/removed” is the translation of ἠρμένον has the meaning “lift up,” “take up,” and is not the word we might have anticipated. When the stone was put in place it was “rolled” (the verb is προσκυλίω, Matt. 27:60; Mark 15:46). Matthew tells us that an angel descended from heaven and rolled the stone away and then sat upon it (Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The interpretation of St. John’s gospel (1335). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.).
John may imply violence, all the more so since the preposition following is ἐκ. This seems to imply that the stone was lifted out of the groove in which it ran. The perfect of this verb is unusual and may be intended to give an air of finality. (Morris, L. (1995). The Gospel according to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (733–734). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Please turn to Psalm 16 (p.453)
Undoubtedly assuming that grave robbers had broken into the tomb and stolen the Lord’s body, verse 2 records that she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” Thus Mary, running to find Peter and John, was not present at the tomb when the angels appeared to the others and announced Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 28:5–7; Mark 16:5–7; Luke 24:4–7). She then returned alone to the tomb, saw the angels, and met the risen Lord (20:11–18).
Speaking prophetically of the Messiah, David wrote:
Psalm 16:1-11 [16:1]Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. [2]I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." [3]As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. [4]The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. [5]The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. [6]The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. [7]I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. [8]I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. [9]Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. [10]For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. [11]You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (ESV)(cf. Acts 2:25–28; 13:35).
Though they were initially skeptical of Mary’s and the other women’s reports of the empty tomb (Luke 24:11), eventually verse 3 records that Peter and the other disciple (John, who characteristically did not name himself) went … to the tomb. The quick response of Peter and the other disciple shows that the disciples were not responsible for removing the body. Had they been aware of an official removal, or had some of their own number been involved in a conspiracy, they would not have been so concerned Verse 4 says that the two started out running together, but the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. John halted outside, and as verse 5 specifies stooping to look in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. The results of archaeological studies indicate that the entrance to burial tombs of this type was on ground level through a small entryway, usually no more than three feet (or one meter) high. Hence, to enter the tomb, an adult would have to bend over and crawl in (Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John. UBS Handbook Series (603). New York: United Bible Societies.).
Having seen that the graveclothes were still within, the other disciple probably concluded that the body was also there and so refrained from entering. Either he felt that he should not enter the tomb out of respect for the dead, or else he feared the ceremonial defilement of touching a corpse ((Tenney, M. C. (1981). John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (188). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).).
• Some hearing this account now are likewise fearful. You don’t want to accept or examine what had transpired with Jesus, lest you fear your life will become more complicated or fear what your friends or relatives might think. As we would record someone as foolish who doesn’t cashing a winning lottery ticket for fear of what the new money would bring, so too failing to grasp what is right in front of you with the resurrection of Jesus, is fear of taking hold of an eternally life giving gift.
Simon Peter, however, had no such fears. Impetuous as always, verse 6 records that he came, following John, and promptly entered the tomb. What he saw was startling. Jesus’ body was nowhere to be seen, but the linen cloths/wrappings in which He had been buried were lying there. Unlike Lazarus, who needed help getting out of his grave clothes after his resurrection (11:44), Jesus’ glorified resurrection body simply passed through the linen wrappings, as it would soon pass through a wall to enter a locked room (20:19, 26).
Even the face-cloth as verse 7 notes, which had been on Jesus’ head, was not lying with the linen cloths/wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. This seemingly minor detail shows that the tomb was left in a neat, orderly condition. In contrast, grave robbers would hardly have taken time to roll up the facecloth, and in their haste they would have scattered the grave clothes all over the tomb. More likely still, they would not have removed them at all, since it would have been easier to transport the body if it were still wrapped. Nor would thieves likely have left the wrappings, containing expensive spices, behind. The presence of the grave clothes also shows that the story the Jewish leaders concocted, that the disciples stole Christ’s body (Matt. 28:11–15), is false. If they had stolen the body, why would the disciples dishonor it by tearing off the grave clothes and spices that covered it?
In verse 8, John also went in the tomb, and he saw and believed that Jesus had indeed risen. Following the lead of Peter, John examined for himself.
• Today there are some who are waiting on you. Most often it is a child who on the plain evidence before them, becomes the first in a family to believe. The sincere pleading with their parents to consider the eternal consequences is often enough to break the barrier of their parents reluctance. As kids, don’t ever think that you can’t make a difference in your families. Your testimony is noticed and can literally change the lives of your parents.
The empty tomb, the undisturbed grave clothes, and the neatly rolled up facecloth were enough for John—even though he and Peter as verse 9 indicates, did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead (cf. Ps. 16:10). Whether Peter also believed at this time is not clear, though Luke 24:12 may suggest that he did not (, “wondering what had happened”).
Whether in belief or bewilderment, verse 10 concludes that the disciples went away again to their own homes.
• Are you waiting to know everything before you act today? In life we will accept a job offer, marry a person or move to an area with only partial information. Yet some how we think that we must know every rationale or every fact in the universe before trusting in God. Faith is trusting in the person, words and works of God that have been revealed to us. If we wait for every piece of information before acting, then we will find that it will be too late to act. We don’t know when that moment will arrive. It is foolish to not act when an eternally life changing opportunity presents itself.
• As you go back to your own home this morning are you going back with the same questions, doubts and fears? Or are you leaving the empty tomb of the resurrected Jesus this morning knowing that death on this earth is not the end? If we will admit that we have sinned against God and need His forgiveness, through faith in the resurrected Jesus, we can have eternal life now.
• As you return to your own home how are you leaving?
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2008). John 12–21. MacArthur New Testament Commentary (359–369). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.).
