The death of Jesus had occurred, and he’d been buried, but they didn’t have time to prepare his body completely the way that they should have. When someone would die, they would wrap his body in spices and wrap it in cloth, and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had done that, but they hadn’t had time to complete it, because the high Shabbat, or the high Sabbath, was occurring, because that was the Passover.
And they couldn’t do anything like that during the Passover, and so it had been done, but it hadn’t been completed. And so the women were going to finish setting the spices on the body, and this is what the scene is. And they’re expecting a tomb with Jesus’ body in it, and they don’t know how they’re going to get this stone rolled away.
What had happened is the stone had been placed in front of the tomb, and not only that, the stone had been sealed with a Roman seal, instructed by Pilate, so that it would be a criminal offense against Rome if anyone messed with this grave. And they didn’t know how they were going to get this stone moved, because it was a heavy stone, and there were just a few women. Let’s pick it up at chapter 20 of John’s Gospel.
John 20
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and came to the sepulcher.
And so they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher, and he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also the other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and saw, and believed.
For as yet he knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And then she said unto 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 had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. And Jesus saith unto her woman, Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. And she turned herself, and saith unto him, Throbonai, which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto 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, to my God, and your God.
Mary Magdalene came, and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then the same day that evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, when the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side.
Then were the disciples glad, and when they saw the Lord, and then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto thee, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And then he said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive the Holy Ghost, whosoever sins ye remit, they be remitted. And unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they shall be retained.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them. And when Jesus came, the other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord, that he said unto them, Except I see his hand, and the print of the nail, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas was with them.
And then he came, and Jesus, in the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. And then said he to Thomas, Reach thither thy finger, and behold my hand. Reach thither thy hand, and thrust it into my side.
And be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto them, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto 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 book. 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.
That’s just Thomas. Heavenly Father, as we come before you this morning, we thank you for the opportunity that we have to gather together as your people and remember what you have done for us. You did not have to come to earth and take on the form of a man, and come and suffer on our behalf, and go to the cross, and shed your blood as payment for our sin.
But you did. Out of the depth of your love, and because of your mercy and your grace, you have shown to us the way that we need to go in order to have eternal life in a relationship with you. You have told us that there is no way to come unto the Father but by you, and by the gift that you have paid, where you have paid the penalty for our sin.
And you have paid the price of redemption on our behalf. And Lord, we thank and praise you for this. Lord, this day may we remember the tremendous gift that you have given to us, and we come to worship and praise you and exalt your name above other names.
Lord, I pray that you would just be with us this morning and help us to seek to honor and to worship you this day in spirit and in truth. To seek to love who you are from the depth of our being. And Lord, I pray that you would just be with all those that cannot be with us today that are traveling and spending time with family and friends.
If they are in the process of traveling, keep them safe. And if they are already with family, may they have a blessed time, and may they go forth and worship and bring their praises before your throne honoring your name. Lord, be with our brothers and sisters across the United States.
And Father, I pray that this day they would remember the gift of salvation that is so precious and has come to you. May they remember how you gained victory over sin and death, and you rose again showing us that victory. Lord, I pray that you would be with our brothers and sisters in foreign countries, many of which they’re persecuted for their faith.
Father, we think of the Christians in Africa right now, many of whom have paid with their lives for standing for the truth that you are Jesus, the Son of God, and have taken away the sins of the world. Father, may you be with their families, and you be with those that have not lost their lives. And Father, I pray that you would just comfort them, strengthen them, protect them, and be with them this day.
Lord, now I pray that you would just help us to focus on you this hour. May you receive the honor, the glory, and the praise we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This time if you would turn with me to hymn number 256, 256, Christ Arose. He arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with the saints to reign. He arose, he arose, hallelujah, Christ arose.
Vainly they watch his death, Jesus my Savior. Vainly they steal the dead, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes.
He arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with the saints to reign. He arose, he arose, hallelujah, Christ arose. Death could not keep his prey, Jesus my Savior.
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord. Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes. He arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with the saints to reign.
He arose, he arose, hallelujah, Christ arose. And hymn number 264, He Lives. I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today.
I know that he is living, whatever men may say. I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of fear. And just the time I need him, he’s always near.
He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me along my feral way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart.
Look me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart. In all the world around me I see his loving care. And though my throat’s weary, I never will despair.
I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of fear. His ever appearing will come at last. He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me along my feral way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing. Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King. The hope of all who seek him, the help of all who find.
None other is so loving, so good and kind. He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me along my feral way.
He lives, he lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart. This morning I want us to look and examine the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus and what the disciples were hiding in terror on that day.
And what transformed them and made them men who no longer cowered in fear, but went forth proclaiming the resurrected Lord to a world that in many ways didn’t want to hear the message, but yet they went anyway. And you had a handful of men that literally turned the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of God’s Spirit. The last couple of times that we have met, last time we looked at Jesus entering into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the week of the Passover.
There was a time where the nation of Israel remembered being delivered by God’s power, grace and mercy from under the hand of the Egyptians, and that the final plague that came upon Egypt was the death of the firstborn. And the only way that you could prevent the firstborn of your family and of your animals from not being killed by the angel of death that would come to bring this plague on Egypt, well you had to sacrifice the lamb, but not just any lamb, a perfect lamb. And you had to take this lamb and place its blood on the doorpost and the lintel, and the angel would pass over those houses that had the blood.
The nation of Israel celebrated this and is still celebrating this feast to today. This last week was Passover week in Israel. And this year is one of the, a lot of times they’re on a different calendar than we are.
They’re on a lunar calendar, we’re on a Gregorian calendar which is a solar calendar. So sometimes the days don’t exactly line up. But the Passover was really, all the events of Passover we celebrate in what we call Resurrection Sunday or the world would call Easter.
But it was celebrating at the same time. And as Israel was celebrating this Passover, and they were remembering how God had delivered them from Egypt, a greater deliverance was coming. And that deliverance had been foretold by the blood that had been shed by the lambs that delivered them out from the world system at that time and the world dominating culture, Egypt, and brought them into a deliverance where they would come and enter into the new promised land.
But it was foretelling of another great Passover, if you would, the Passover of those who would be set free from their sins by the blood of Jesus and that this judgment would pass over those who accepted Christ as their Savior. This morning I trust that you’re sitting here knowing Jesus is your Lord and Savior. If you don’t, we’re going to be taking a look this morning at the events that surrounded that and show that Jesus is who He says He was.
This event happened. It’s a historical event. And it really is what God said it was, that Jesus came to shed His blood and take the sins of the world upon Himself.
Let’s just bow in prayer before we begin our study this morning. Dear Heavenly Fathers, we come before you this morning, Lord, we thank you for the opportunity you’ve given to us to look into your Word, to remember Jesus’ coming, His death, His burial, His resurrection, and the significance of it all. The fulfillment of prophecies given hundreds of years before Christ walked on the earth foretelling of His coming, foretelling of His life, foretelling of His death and burial and resurrection, and foretelling why that had to happen so that your Word could be fulfilled and your promises met where you had said when Adam sinned that there would come one who would crush the serpent’s head, the seed of woman who would crush the serpent’s head, and with that crushing would come the deliverance from sin.
Jesus crushed the serpent’s head at Calvary. Lord, I pray that you would just help us to realize this tremendous gift of grace and mercy that’s been extended and revealed to us. This we ask in Jesus’ name.
Those of you who have been with us on Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings and Sunday afternoons have been looking at some of the events surrounding, and I just want to summarize some of those so that you can see why the disciples were acting the way they were. Jesus had told the disciples on three occasions as they were coming up to Jerusalem for the last Passover. He told them when they were way up north in northern Israel, way up by Caesarea Philippi in that area, before they started their trek to Jerusalem.
He told them, I’m going to go, and we’re going to go up to Jerusalem. I’m going to be arrested. I’m going to be beaten and tried.
I’m going to be found guilty and crucified and buried. But I’ll rise again. He told them again when they were drawing closer to Jerusalem.
He told them the same thing. He told them a third time when they were near Jerusalem, and they didn’t hear it. They all perceived that Jesus was going to come and establish His kingdom.
They misperceived what His true kingdom was and is. They thought He was going to come and overthrow the Romans. That’s what the vast majority of the people in Israel thought.
They had seen Jesus do these powerful miracles. They’d seen Him feed the 5,000 and feed the 4,000. They’d seen Him speak and teach.
For when He spoke and taught, people sat and said, we have never heard anyone teach like this before. They’d seen Him cast out demons of demon possession. They’d seen Him heal women and men that had been suffering for years.
And they had seen Him drive out that week the money changers from the temple. And the days before He had entered into Jerusalem, they’d seen Him raise Lazarus from the dead. Who could stand against this man? Could Caesar? Could the Roman armies? As Jesus entered, as we studied last Sunday, into the city of Jerusalem, the people were crying out, Hosanna to the Son of David! Save us! Save us! But they did not know that He had truly come to save them, but the first salvation they needed to experience was not from an oppressive world system, but it was from their own sin.
And if they did not receive salvation from their sin, it made no difference if they received deliverance from an oppressive Roman government, because they would have to one day be accountable for that sin before a holy and righteous God. If Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room, which we talked a little bit about, the first thing they did was argue about who was going to be greatest in the kingdom. They were still perceiving that He was going to establish this kingdom on earth, and one wanted to sit at His right hand, and one wanted to sit at His left, and the others became very upset that John and James had made those requests.
And Jesus, remember, humbled Himself, put on a cloth, and washed the feet. This was not about worldly kingdoms. This was about a spiritual control that has been on our lives since we were born, and that we have enjoyed having there, and that we are allowed to stay unless you’ve been delivered by Jesus.
And that is the control of sin and rebellion against your Creator and God. And Jesus had come to deliver them from that. It’s interesting that Jesus is drawing closer with His disciples, and you can find the account in Matthew.
If you would just turn to Matthew’s Gospel, and turn to chapter 24, I just want you to see the disciples’ attitudes still hadn’t changed that much. Everything they saw. In chapter 24, verse 1, it says, And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and the disciples came to Him, for to show Him the buildings of the temple.
What were the buildings of the temple? It was Herod’s temple. Herod had done much restoration and addition and making more beautiful the second temple that had been built during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. It was a rather plain temple.
Herod had put gold everywhere. It’s said that he even had put gold in the mortar between the bricks and blocks of stone. It was beautiful.
And the disciples, you can hear them go, Look at the temple, Lord! Look at how beautiful it is! And what does Jesus say? And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things verily I say unto you? There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. He’s saying your perception is wrong, and what you’re perceiving as beautiful and mighty isn’t why I’m here. As a matter of fact, about forty years later, Titus would come into Rome, from Rome.
He would besiege Jerusalem, even as it had been foretold prophetically. He would overtake the city, and his soldiers would literally tear the temple down stone by stone. Many historians believe it was to get the gold out of the mortar that was between the stone.
And Rome took that gold that they gathered from the temple, and they took it back to Rome, and built monuments dealing with how they had conquered the Jews, and their God. But they hadn’t. You see, the disciples were looking for the wrong form of a Redeemer.
And it’s interesting, as Jesus sat up there with his disciples, the next thing we see is on the Mount of Olives, and if you go to Israel today, the Mount of Olives is right across from the Temple Mount, it’s right across from the East Gate of the city of Jerusalem, which is boarded up today, blocked up. And you can sit on the top of Mount of Olives, and you can look across the Kidron Valley, and you can see the Temple Mount. There’s no Jewish temple there to see today, there’s the Dome of the Rock.
But as they’re sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples are looking, and they begin to ask Jesus, well, what’s going to happen before you come?