The Risen Lord

John 20:1-17

GOLDEN TEXT: “He is risen.”—Mark 16:6

THE story of the resurrection of Jesus is ever new and refreshing. Like the spring of the year in which it occurred, it signals a new hope of returning life. But, unlike the budding trees and opening flowers of spring, the resurrection of Jesus was not the result of natural causes but a manifestation of the direct interposition of divine power on behalf of Him who had sacrificed all that the whole world might have an opportunity to live, through believing. As the death of human beings is itself not natural, so the resurrection of the dead, guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus, will not be, as some have claimed, the completion of a “cycle of life,” but rather an act of God.

“This Jesus hath God raised up,” is the testimony of Peter, who was among the first to discover the empty tomb and to be convinced that His Master was no longer dead. (Acts 2:32) “Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hell,” are the words prophetically spoken of Jesus. (Psa. 16:10) Jesus was unable to raise Himself from death, hence if the Father had left Him in hades He would have remained there for ever.

We can well imagine the disciples’ joy as the convincing evidences of the Master’s resurrection finally left no room for doubt in their anxious hearts. In John 20:30 we read, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.” Apparently it was God’s purpose that the fact of Jesus’ resurrection should be so firmly established in the hearts of the disciples that no amount of cajoling or misrepresentation on the part of the Pharisees or others could shake their faith. All the verities of the Messianic cause depended upon it. That cause would perish without a living Christ. The prophets had foretold the sufferings of the Christ, but unless the foretold “glory to follow” had followed, there was no reason to continue believing in Him for whom they had forsaken all.

In dying, Jesus had given His flesh, His humanity, for the life of the world, and could not take it back. His short stay of forty days on earth following His resurrection confirms this. While He gave evidences that much of this time was spent with His disciples, yet they saw Him only on a few brief occasions. The remainder of the time He was invisible to them, and was able to enter the room where they were gathered without the door being opened.

To Mary, the first at the tomb, Jesus appeared as a gardener. She recognized Him only when He spoke to her in the old familiar way, addressing her as “Mary.” To the two disciples on the way to Emmaus He appeared as a “stranger.” On the shore of Galilee He appeared as a fisherman. Only in the upper room did Jesus appear in a manner that resembled His old self. On one of these occasions it was to satisfy Thomas, who had said that he would not believe unless he could see the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side.

It is strange that so many should take these two appearances as proof of the particular kind of body Jesus now possesses. Why isn’t it just as reasonable to suppose He is now like the gardener whom Mary saw? or like the fisherman who prepared breakfast for the disciples while they were out on the lake fishing? Surely He is not like all of these. The beloved John, who was acquainted with all these appearances, did not take any of them as indications of what kind of body Jesus possessed in the resurrection, because later he wrote, “It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”—I John3:2

Obviously, if any of the bodies in which Jesus appeared to His disciples during that forty days previous to His ascension, was His real resurrection body, John would know what he would be like when he was made like Him. But John understood perfectly that in manifesting Himself to His disciples in various bodies Jesus was merely giving them “signs” by which they would be convinced that He was no longer dead. “And many other signs truly did Jesus,” is the way John expresses it.—John 20:30

To Mary the “sign” was the familiar manner in which she heard her own name pronounced—no “gardener” could do that. To Thomas the most effective part of the “sign” by which he was convinced was the fact that Jesus had heard his expression of doubt at a time when the disciples did not even know He was in their midst. We are not informed about the many “other” signs by which Jesus convinced His disciples of His resurrection, but we may be sure that each one of them was so designed as to permit of no other explanation than that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

What a wonderful assurance it must have been to those who only a few days before had had their hopes dashed to the ground by the crucifixion of their Master and Messiah. But the purpose of establishing beyond doubt the fact of Jesus’ resurrection went far beyond the sentimentality attached to it by the few whose privilege it was to be His personal friends and original disciples. It was indeed sweet comfort to them, but what is more important, a fundamental necessity to the whole plan of salvation; for if Christ be not risen then the faith of all Christians is vain. (I Cor. 15:1-26) Not only has the faith of the church, but also the hope of the world depended upon the resurrection of Jesus. Paul explains that God hath “given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead.”—Acts 17:31

QUESTIONS:

Is the resurrection of the dead the result of natural causes?

Were any of the bodies in which Jesus appeared following His resurrection, His real spirit body?

In what way is the resurrection of Jesus a basis of hope for both the church and the world?

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