Class Notes, John 20, Easter

Buying burial items -- late on Saturday (Western)

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Matt 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

• Probably different from the other passage since they bought spices in the evening(apparently unaware that Joseph and Nicodemus had properly buried the body in the sort time on Friday)

Matt 28:2-4 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

• This happened prior to the women arriving.  We know because the angel sat on the stone.  But in Luke 24:3-4, we find the angel (possibly two) inside the tomb

John 20:1-2 (NIV) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

Matt 28:5-8 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

• The honor of the message of his resurrection (from the angels) goes first to the women
• The honor of being the first eyewitnesses of the empty tomb goes to the two Mary's, Joanna, and possibly Salome
• Did the women believe?  It does not say that they didn't, but there are at least three women and probably more.  It seems that Mary (not sure which one, possibly Magdalene?) runs back immediately to report the body stolen.  But the other two (or more) women  stay long enough to hear the angels tell them that he is alive.  Matt 28:8 says that they ran back filled with joy

John 20:3-9 (NIV) So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Luke 24:9–12 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

• Do the men believe? No, none of them believe.  But, at a minimum John and Peter run to check out the situation
• They believed, but they did not understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead
• The other disciples do not believe

• It appears that either Mary stayed the whole time or probably return with Peter and John (not running)

John 20:10-18 (NIV) Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

16 Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

• Apparently the two angels are back.  They are not there to be seen by the two men, but are now seen by Mary.  This is a different discussion than the earlier discussion
• There is also a third person, who is not recognizable by Mary -- why? New body

• But he is immediately recognized when he says Mary's name, why? The person is recognized socially, but not physically (although Jesus does have some physical reminders on his body)

• So a women is the first person to who the risen savior speaks and the first person to whom the risen savior appears, Mary Magdalene
• And the first person to spread the good news of the risen savior is Mary Magdalene
• Another passage suggests that Jesus also spoke to women (plural).  This could have been the same incident (where one passage only mentions Mary, or a separate incident closely related in time to this one)

Mark 16:12-13 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

• This occurs during the day, the disciples are unnamed and given the later report, not one of the 11

1 Cor 15:3-8 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

• It is possible that he appear to Peter sometime during this first day.  It is not clear exactly Paul's point.  I think he is validating all the people who saw Jesus in an order, but not necessarily every encounter.  So when he says 12, it could be a later appearance after Matthias is added to the group.  In which case, he does not appear to Peter first, but rather to the eleven as Mark states.

John 20:19-20 (NIV) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

• I think after the Emmaus encounter, this is the evening of that day (second day by Hebrew counting).  He appears to the ten (minus Thomas)

Mark 16:14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

• Now he appears to all eleven, and it is not just Thomas who is rebuked.  If Paul is being literal with his 12 there is at least one more encounter -- or it is the same, the breakfast on the sea of Tiberias
• Finally he appears to more than five hundred at the ascension, and then later to James, and then to all the apostles (suggesting a larger group than the 12), and finally to Paul

APPLICATION: Even the eyewitnesses had a difficult time believing.  Ultimately, it is not proof that saves us, but it is faith.  The story is too amazing to be concocted.  The story puts the men, the leaders of this new movement, in a very poor light.  And I think we struggle with the same unbelief at times.  Yes, we all verbally say that Jesus rose from the dead, but do we really live it.  When disaster strike or hard times come, do we still believe that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is living in us too?