Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” John 20:26-27
What is the truth about the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Let’s listen to what Jesus has to say:
10:24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
5:25-27Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do you believe what Jesus says? Do you believe that he died for you and rose again on the third day?
10:7,11, 14-15, 17-18 Truly, truly, I say to you . . . I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. . . . I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. . . . For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.
Jesus told us the truth about God and why the Father sent the Son into the world. God the Father gave Jesus the Son the Truth to share with you and me and all whom the Father draws to the Son.
6:37-40All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Jesus has told us the truth. He died for us and will raise us up too. And everyone who believes in what Jesus says and does will receive eternal life. Do you believe?
My job as a follower of Jesus and as a sub-pastor of his flock is to proclaim the truth of the gospel—that God became man in the person of Jesus, that he died in our place upon the cross for our sins to bear the wrath of God’s judgment instead of us, and then rise again three days later to prove that indeed he overcame the wages of sin, death itself. Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Old Covenant—he was the only one who could since every other person is a sinner—and through his death he initiated the New Covenant. Truly, truly this is good news.
My job is to proclaim truth of the gospel. Your job is to believe it. I want you to know the truth. That is why I wrote the Lenten Devotional. I want everyone to come into a saving relationship with Jesus, who is the way and the truth and the life, because no one comes to the Father except through the Son. My job is to be truthful to the biblical presentation of the gospel. Your job is to make a decision about your eternity, because what Jesus did for you and for me was to exchange places with us on the cross so that we would not have to suffer the wrath of God. Instead, he suffered God’s wrath, crying out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We didn’t suffer; he did. Then, after his resurrection, he went to his disciples in the upper room and breathed his Holy Spirit into them. Cowardly men, who had denied and abandoned their master, now filled with the Holy Spirit would witness to him, even to the point of death. John wrote his gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. And he wrote knowing that it would probably lead to his punishment and death.
Thousands of years ago God breathed life into Adam, our ancestor, father, and representative of all humankind. God created him to live forever. But Adam sinned and God ejected him from the Garden of Eden, cutting off access to the Tree of Life and eternal life itself. On the cross Jesus paid the price for sin. He opened the way back to the Father, and on that first Easter day in his resurrection body he breathed new life into his disciples. The Resurrection marks a new day. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Son, recreates and gives new birth, so that all who believe in Jesus’ name have the right to become children of God.
The truth about the resurrection declares that God knew what he was doing all along. The cross of Jesus was planned by God before any person was created or any sin was ever conceived and committed.
As Paul proclaims, “Do not be ashamed of my suffering for the gospel . . . for God saved us and called us not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”
The Resurrection is not just an awesome miracle; it is the event that changed human history, securing the future of every sinner who identifies with Jesus by faith. At its heart, Christianity is a gospel: the good news announcement that Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Rm 4:25). But perhaps you are thinking that you really aren’t a sinner.
You have heard it said that you should follow your heart. Mary Magdalene, the first person to the resurrected Jesus, followed her heart, and according to Luke’s gospel, was filled with seven demons that Jesus had to cast out of her. Paul followed his heart and became a persecutor and murderer of the first Christians. Well I don’t want to follow my heart. My heart and your hearts are born in bondage to sin and are in love with that which will ultimately destroy us, the enemy of truth.
Consider the thrill of falling in love. If we follow our heart, we will want to find someone totally compatible with us. Someone who will satisfy our needs, our life goals, our dreams, and our deepest desires.
Does that sound like narcissism or what? We [fallen humans] are enslaved to the myopic interest in what we already know, experience, feel, believe, and do (Horton, p. 76). I am so pleased to have grown to love a wife, who is so different from my narcissistic interests. I know this sounds contrary to what you’ve probably heard before, but conflict in marriage is part of our sanctification. It can help lead us out of our self-centeredness into a life of genuine romance.
Michael Horton describes genuine romance as “being opened to a shared life with others who challenge us to think, feel, and do things that would not even have occurred to us before. If truth is whatever suits us, we will never actually bump into anything interesting. The gospel transforms us in heart, mind, will, and actions because it is not itself a message about our transformation. Nothing that I am or that I feel, choose, or do qualifies as Good News.” On my best days, my personal transformation is at best okay (perhaps in my mind). But the gospel announces that because of the cross and resurrection, actions which have already been completed in history, that God declares us righteous while we are still unrighteous. The verdict comes first. God declares us righteous on the basis of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and then begins to transform us to Christ’s image. In our judicial system, a judge declares someone righteous after they are found innocent. God, however, declares us innocent because Jesus’ record has been credited to us.
The truth of the resurrection is that it confirms the destruction of our guilty record and that Jesus’ perfect record is credited to us. Do you believe what Jesus has done for you?
Let me close with a story about Cecil B. DeMille, who made a silent film about the life of Jesus in 1927 called The King of Kings. In his autobiography, DeMille shares a story about the influence of "The King of Kings" on a Polish man named William Wallner, who saw "The King of Kings" in 1928. Greatly moved, he decided to devote his life to Christian ministry.
By 1939, Wallner was leading a Lutheran church in Prague. After Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, a doctor in Wallner's parish was sent to a Nazi concentration camp. The doctor, a Jewish convert to Christianity, encouraged his fellow prisoners "to die bravely, with faith in their hearts." As a result, the doctor became a target of Gestapo officers.
Tortured with an iron rod until one of his arms had to be amputated, the doctor would not be quieted. Finally, as DeMille recounts, "one Gestapo officer beat the doctor's head against a stone wall until blood was streaming down his face." Holding a mirror before the doctor, the Gestapo officer sneered: "Take a look at yourself. Now you look like your Jewish Christ." Lifting up his remaining hand, the doctor exclaimed, "Lord [Jesus], never in my life have I received such honor—to resemble You." Those were his final words.
Distraught by the doctor's proclamation, the cruel officer sought out Wallner. After praying with him, Wallner advised, "Perhaps God let you kill that good man to bring you to the foot of the Cross, where you can help others." The Gestapo officer returned to the concentration camp. And through the aid of Wallner and the Czech underground, he worked to free many Jews over the years that followed.
In 1957, Wallner met with DeMille and spoke about the impact "The King of Kings" had on his life. Wallner ended his account to DeMille, declaring: "If it were not for 'The King of Kings,' I would not be a Lutheran pastor, and 350 more Jewish children would have died in the ditches." DeMille concluded his account of Wallner's visit by writing: "If I felt that this film was my work, it would be intolerably vain and presumptuous to quote such stories from the hundreds like them that I could quote. But all we did in 'The King of Kings,' all I have striven to do in any of my Biblical pictures, was to translate into another medium, the medium of sight and sound, the words of the Bible." DeMille’s job as he saw it was to proclaim the truth of the gospel.
Each of us is like that cruel, Gestapo officer—guilty of crimes against a holy, righteous God. Perhaps your sins don’t seem as heinous, but they are sins against the Holy One nonetheless. The gospel is the way we participate in the forgiveness of sins. Through the gospel sin is forgiven. The gospel is that Jesus, the sinless One, died for sinners. He died for us while we were still sinners, and God credits Jesus’ righteousness to us. What Jesus has done and confirmed in his resurrection changes everything. Do you believe in this truth, in the truth of the resurrection?
Lord Jesus, on this Easter day we celebrate your resurrection, the icing on the cake, so to speak, of what you did in dying for our sins. I pray for those who may have understood the gospel message for the first time this Lent. I ask you to reveal yourself to them like you did to Mary, calling out to them by name that they would truly know you. And that like Mary they would cling to you for dear life, knowing that you have drawn them to yourself, forgiven them of all their sins, and guarantee them eternal life through your resurrection. And Lord I also ask, that equipped with this truth about your resurrection we who believe in you may say together, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen.
A prayer before our last readings in the Gospel of John:
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Study: John 20 and 21, The Resurrection of Jesus
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"—and that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." 22And 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
Jesus and Thomas
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
1After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus and Peter
15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."
Jesus and the Beloved Apostle
20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" 22Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" 23So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"
24This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
25Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
