Message
John 20:11-31
Jesus Keeps Appearing
Have you noticed that when you are in need that the appearance of someone who is significant in your life can make all the difference.
Maybe your car has broken down and you are stuck in the rain. You have rung your Dad and now he is just arriving to help you. Immediately you feel much safer.
You have gone to a party which you thought was going to be safe, but now it has gotten out of control. So you ring your sister to come and pick you up. You’re really glad she is there.
You are at home alone and you are feeling a little scared. You ring a friend and they come around. Very soon your fears are gone.
The mere appearance of someone who is significant makes all the difference.
Which is exactly what is happening as we focus on the actions of Jesus after His resurrection.
Let’s read John 20:11-30
What are we seeing here?
Jesus keeps appearing to show He is able to bring all that is needed in every situation.
Jesus appears to Mary in her grief …
The disciples came and saw an empty tomb and then left.
Mary stays at the tomb. Absolutely distraught.
It is bad enough that Jesus is dead – but now the body has been taken.
Was it grave robbers?
Was it the gardener?
In the end it doesn’t matter – Mary has been robbed of her ability to take the time to grieve.
Perhaps in the hope that the disciples have missed something she looks into the tomb again.
This time there are two angels.
Usually when people see angels they respond in fear.
Mary just treats them as if they are another group to have a conversation with.
Woman, why are you crying? They ask.
I’ve been on an emotional roller coaster.
My close friend is dead.
I’m sad that the group I was a part of has broken up.
My heart is broken because my Saviour is gone.
I’m struggling to come to terms with this new situation.
I didn’t get a chance to say “good bye”.
All of these things, and so much more. They make Mary grieve.
…
They make us grieve as well don’t they.
…
There is so much about this world that has grief attached to it. How many times over our lives have we found ourselves shedding tears.
It can feel like there is no answer.
Then Jesus turns up.
Woman why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?
Jesus appears to Mary in her grief …
… to bring comfort.
It takes a little while for her to understand but finally she gets it.
In fact he needs to say her name, “Mary”.
John chapter 10 tells us that the sheep of Jesus recognise Him because of His voice.
In the garden outside an empty tomb this the Great Shepherd … using His voice … “Mary”.
All of the sudden the tears are gone. All of the sudden everything changes.
Jesus hasn’t gone.
And when I see Him come into the middle of my grief I can be transformed to a place of comfort.
Our grief does not have to be the lasting situation.
That is what happens when Jesus appears.
But that isn’t all.
Jesus appears to the Disciples in their fear …
It is evening. From the other Gospels we know that Mary has come to tell the disciples that she has seen the Lord.
They have all had the day to think about what has happened and wonder about the implications.
It doesn’t seem that anyone has remembered the words of Jesus where He said He would rise again.
Nor does it seem that the news from Mary has given them any boldness or courage.
They are so afraid they have locked themselves into a house. And all the doors are locked. They are afraid of the Jews.
Now that Jesus is out of the way what will happen to those who followed Him.
Will the Jewish round up the remaining followers to bring an end to the work of Jesus.
Will there be persecution?
There is fear about the ministry impact and whether it will come to an end.
…
That happens to disciples doesn’t it – disciples like us.
…
We are fearful about the impact of the ministry which we are called to have.
We are fearful about what others think of us and their reaction to us being followers of Jesus.
We are fearful because we know what our identity should be, but we don’t always act accordingly.
Then Jesus turns up.
He doesn’t knock on the door and wait to be let in.
He just turns up and He is there in the room.
Such an unexpected event.
Jesus appears to His Disciples in their fear …
… to give them assurance.
The first part of the assurance is a reminder that Jesus is still very much alive. Those vehemently opposed to the Gospel might try and kill off the followers of Jesus and make life difficult for those who trust in Him. But in the end they fail … they always fail.
Jesus has risen. There is always joy to be had in the middle of fear.
The next part of the assurance is to calm the situation. Peace I give you.
This is the peace that passes all understanding. The peace that we have which recognises that even though our circumstances may be difficult and causing us real issues as we try and understand them – over it all is the reality that God has everything in hand and His will is going to prevail.
The last part of the assurance is a reminder of who they really are – our job description as disciples. I am sending you, but I am sending you in power because I am going to give you my Holy Spirit.
We don’t have to live in this world with a sense of fear.
That is what happens when Jesus appears.
But that isn’t all.
Jesus appears to Thomas in his doubt …
I must admit that I feel sorry for Thomas. He gets put into “the disciple who doubted” category. Yet all of them doubted at some point.
Just a week ago they were all hiding behind locked doors in fear.
It wasn’t until Jesus showed them His wounds that they realised who it was and rejoiced.
And look at verse 26. They are still all hiding behind locked doors.
Still living in fear. Still doubting the future ahead of them as apostles for Jesus.
So let’s be fair to Thomas.
…
Because isn’t it true that we all have our doubts.
..
How many of us at one time or another have not been sure that the sacrifice of following Jesus is worth it.
Will Jesus really come back? It has been so long.
Will Jesus really help me? Sometimes He feels far away.
Will Jesus really accept me? I have done so much that was unacceptable.
Sometimes we need more than faith don’t we. Because even faith is weak.
That is when we need Jesus to appear.
Jesus appears to Thomas in his doubt …
… to give him a reminder.
And the reminder is for everyone who reads these words to see that we can be blessed.
Blessed when we have faith based in not seeing it all with our own eyes.
To realise that we don’t have to see it with our own eyes for the truth of the Gospel to be true.
You don’t have to see acceptance … you just need to know it is true.
You don’t have to see forgiveness … you just need to realise it is possible.
You don’t have to see grace … you just need to trust God’s agenda.
And you don’t have to see Jesus with your eyes. You just need to believe that He keeps on appearing – coming to you in the capacity you need.
For ultimately that is what the Gospel is all about.
Believing that God has given you a place because of Jesus.
Indeed that is the whole purpose of John’s Gospel.
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31
Jesus keeps appearing so that we can know that He is doing everything He can to give us life. Today we have only focussed on three separate occasions when Jesus appears.
We know from elsewhere in the Scripture that there are other times as well.
Next Sunday we will look at John 21:1-14 which describes a time when Jesus appeared to a group of His disciples who were fishing.
Luke 24 tells us about appearances of Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that Jesus appeared to a group of over 500 believers.
The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus are many.
But notice who Jesus doesn’t appear to:-
He doesn’t make an appearance before Pilate, or Herod, one of the other Roman leaders. That would have been a huge sensation and would have made it easy for Jesus to demonstrate that, as a resurrected Son of God, He was going to now take control.
He also doesn’t make an appearance before any of the Jewish leaders. How easy it would have been to walk into Jerusalem … into the temple area and say, “I’m back!”. Now they would have to believe He is the Messiah and follow Him.
But Jesus doesn’t do any of that – because for the moment – that is not His focus. Jesus has come with the purpose of dealing with our broken relationship with God.
He isn’t interested in power games or land grabs.
He is not concerned with religious one-up-manship or temple jurisdiction.
He doesn’t want a throne or a palace.
He is not concerned about setting up a Jewish nation.
Had he appeared to the right people after His resurrection He could have done all that, and so much more.
But He doesn’t. He appears to the ones who He wants in His kingdom.
To those who are full of grief because they somehow feel that Jesus is gone.
To those who are full of fear because they don’t realise Jesus is at work.
To those who are full of doubt because sometimes faith is not enough.
Which means He keeps appearing to people like you and me.
Today understand that Jesus is ready to appear in our lives in whatever capacity we need Him to come.
Maybe we feel lost and broken – we need a Saviour who can give direction and purpose.
Jesus appears in this situation when He says:-
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)
Maybe we are overwhelmed by all the burdens of life – we need a Saviour who will come and walk with us on the journey.
Jesus appears in this situation when He says:-
Come to Me all you who are wearied and burdened and I will give you rest. (Matt 11:28)
Maybe we are wondering if we can make a contribution to the bigger plan of God – we need a Saviour who reminds us that we are called into His plans because each one of us is important.
Jesus appears in this situation when He says:-
You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. (Matt 5:13-14)
Maybe we are wondering if you have the right focus. Everyone around us is telling us that we need to have more … and better … and bigger. We need a Saviour to remind us of the right attitude to have.
Jesus appears in this situation when He says:-
Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. (Luke 12:15)
The resurrection of Jesus means that Jesus has the capacity now to keep on appearing in our lives and to give us the very thing that we need the most.
Encouragement, hope, peace.
Joy, comfort, enthusiasm.
Grace, forgiveness, renewal.
Security, assurance, confidence.
Acceptance, value, significance.
In what capacity do you need Jesus to appear to you today?
He can …
He will …
He does …
Appear.
You just need to have your heart open to see.
Prayer
