Will You Believe?

This morning, we join Christians all over the world celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We’ll see that in just a minute from John 20.

 

However, I want to begin this morning reminding you why Jesus’ resurrection is different than every other resurrection.  The reason is that, truthfully, while there have been multiple resuscitations, there has only ever been one resurrection. 

 

What’s the difference?  Someone who has been resuscitated eventually died again.  That’s not true with Jesus.  He was resurrected never to die again.

 

In the OT, there were multiple resuscitations before Jesus.   Elijah resuscitated a widow’s son.  Elisha resuscitated the Shunammite’s son, and a dead man was resuscitated when his body touched Elisha’s buried bones.

 

1 Kings 17:21-22, 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

 

2 Kings 4:20, 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

 

2 Kings 4:32, 32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.

 

2 Kings 4:35, 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

 

2 Kings 13:21, 21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

 

In the NT, there were multiple resuscitations after Jesus.  Peter resuscitated Tabitha.  Some believe Paul was resuscitated, and Paul, himself, resuscitated Eutychas.

 

Acts 9:40-41, 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.  41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

 

Acts 14:19-20, 19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

 

Acts 20:9-12, 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

 

There were even multiple resuscitations in the NT by Jesus.  He resuscitated Jarius’ daughter, a young man at Nain, and His friend Lazarus.

 

Mark 5:41, 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

 

Luke 7:15, 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

 

John 11:43-44, 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

 

And it was the resuscitation of Lazarus that set the stage and foreshadowed the RESURRECTION of Jesus!

 

John 11:25, 25 Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

 

Now, turn your attention to the Resurrection Morning of Jesus, and honestly answer this question, “Will you believe?”

 

 

10. John believed because of what he envisioned, John 20:1-10.

1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”  3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.  11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

 

John 20 begins on Sunday morning after Jesus had been crucified in John 19 and laid in a garden tomb.  It was still dark, but Mary Magdalene came to the tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body in their embalming process.

 

When she arrived, she found the stone already rolled away, and this sent her into panic.  She thought Jesus’ body had been stolen.

 

Out of fear, she ran to tell John and Peter.  When they heard, they then ran to the garden tomb to see for themselves. 

 

Peter went in first and examined the grave clothes.  Then John joined him, and verse 8 tells us that John believed after he saw or envisioned what had happened. 

 

In fact, Jesus had been resurrected just like He said He would, and now John got it.  It sunk in.  It clicked.

 

We see some really obvious evidences for the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection in these first few verses.  First of all, we see how history has evolved.  Because Sunday was the day that Jesus was resurrected, the Christian church began worshipping on Sunday rather than Saturday, and has done so for approximately 2000 years. 

 

Second, the first witness of the empty tomb was a woman.  If this was a fictional story, that is not how it would have been written in the first century. 

 

Third, the tangible evidence was overwhelming.  The stone had been moved, and the body was gone.  John believed because of what he envisioned.  Will you believe?

 

 

18. Mary believed because of who she encountered, John 20:11-18.

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”  She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”  14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”  16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”  She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).  17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”  18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

 

Unlike Peter and John, Mary didn’t go inside the tomb, and evidently didn’t talk with Peter and John when they exited.  Therefore, she was still under the impression that Jesus’ body had been stolen. 

 

In verses 12-13, we see Mary’s conversation with the angels who were there at the tomb.  Mary eventually saw Jesus even though she didn’t recognize Him at first. 

 

She thought He was the gardener of the garden tomb, but when He said her name, she believed because of who she had encountered.  She had encountered the resurrected Jesus.

 

In verse 17, not wanting to lose Him again, Mary grabbed Jesus around the legs, but Jesus reminded her that He still had to go to His Father.  Therefore, she couldn’t continue to hang on to Him. 

 

Mary then went to the other disciples to let them know who she had encountered, and she believed because of who she encountered.  Will you believe?

 

 

• Thomas believed because of what he experienced, John 20:19-29.

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”  24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”  So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”  28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

 

In verse 19, it was Sunday night, and this group of disciples was hiding for fear of their lives and what they had seen happen to Jesus.  When He joined them in the room, He showed them His hands and feet where the nails had pierced His body.

 

They rejoiced when they saw Him alive.  However, at this time, Thomas wasn’t with them, and verses 24-25 record his response to their report.

 

Fast-forward to approximately a week later in verse 26.  Thomas was with them now, and Jesus came to them again.

 

In verse 27, He had Thomas put his fingers into the actual holes in His body.  Because of what Thomas experienced, He then believed crying out, “My Lord and my God” in verse 28. 

 

Thomas believed because what he experienced.  Will you believe?

 

 

Conclusion

John believed because of what he envisioned.  Mary believed because of who she encountered.  Thomas believed because of what he experienced.  What about you? 

 

Did you know that this gospel was written for that very purpose?  Luke recorded these events in great detail so that you and I would believe.  See 20:30-31.

 

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

This morning, will you believe and be saved? You can do that by admitting that you’re a sinner, believing that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, but He didn’t stay dead.  His resurrection affirms all that He said.

 

Now, will you call on Him to save you and confess Him as your Lord and Savior?