Lesson 22: That You May Believe

Opening Questions:

1. How does the resurrection provide the ultimate reason to believe in Jesus?
2. What questions do you have from the text?

As Jesus was revealing to His disciples that He would be leaving them and returning to the Father, He told them, “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14.29). The events of the crucifixion and resurrection would provide not only the evidence the apostles needed to fully believe in Jesus, but for all disciples through the ages. As Jesus said following His resurrection, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20.29). Two thousand years since these events, the resurrection continues to provide reasons to believe.

Before we proceed to the text we should note that each gospel account presents different details regarding the resurrection and Jesus’ post resurrection appearances. While skeptics have argued that the various accounts contradict each other, those arguments do not hold up under scrutiny (see https://tinyurl.com/3tdthxe2 ). The reality is each gospel writer shared the stories that 1) they knew and 2) conveyed the essential truth of the gospel: Jesus rose from the dead, furnishing proof that He is the Son of God.

The resurrection (vss. 1-10).

• Vs. 1:
  • First day of the week: “It is remarkable that all four Gospels (cf. Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2; Lk. 24:1) introduce their respective resurrection accounts by specifying the first day of the week, rather than ‘the third day’ after the crucifixion (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3, 4), despite Jesus’ passion predictions (Mk. 8:31 par.). The reason is disputed, but it may have to do with the desire to present the resurrection of Jesus as the beginning of something new” (Carson).
  • Mary Magdalene: Note that while other gospel accounts mention other women, Mary Magdalene was listed first (see Matthew 28.1; Mark 16.1). “Magdalene” means that Mary was from the town of Magdala, on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.
  • Stone taken away: note that the women had been worried about how they would roll the stone away (see Mark 16.3-4).
• Vs. 2: “Seeing the tomb empty, she assumed ‘they’ (probably Jesus’ enemies) had taken his body. Stealing bodies from tombs was a serious offence. An inscription found at Nazareth records a decree by the emperor Claudius making it a capital offence” (Kruse, Colin G).
• Vs. 3: their trip was referenced by the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24.24).
• Vss. 6-7: contrast with the resurrection of Lazarus (see John 11.44). “The first circumstance was evidence that the body had not been hastily snatched away for burial elsewhere. Had the authorities or any one else taken the body, they would have taken it as it was. The second circumstance gave them even stronger proof that there had been no hurry” (EXGNT).
• Vss. 8-9: while the gospel accounts generally show that the disciples did not believe until after they saw the resurrected Jesus, the disciple whom Jesus loved seems to be the exception. However, even his faith did not come until after he saw the clear evidence of the resurrection, and even then he had not comprehended that this was what the Scriptures had foretold (see Psalm 16.10).

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (vss. 11-18).

• Vs. 12: “Mark mentions ‘a young man dressed in a white robe’ (Mark 16:5), Luke refers to ‘two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning’ (Luke 24:4), Matthew speaks of ‘an angel of the Lord’ whose ‘clothes were white as snow’ (Matt. 28:2–3) and John here refers to ‘two angels in white’. The overall impression is of angels in appearance like men stationed at the place where Jesus’ body had lain, the first at one end of the rock ledge in the tomb where the head of Jesus’ body had been, the second at the other end where the feet had been. The presence of angels at the tomb testifies to the fact that the disappearance of Jesus’ body has been caused by divine, not human, intervention” (Kruse, Colin G).
• Vs. 14: it’s significant that while Jesus’ body could be touched (vs. 27) and bore the marks of the crucifixion (vss. 20,25,27), it was also different. It could appear in a locked room (vs. 19) and was not at first recognizable (see Luke 24.16).
• Vs. 16: significant that Mary recognized Jesus’ voice (see John 10.3-4).
• Vs. 17: Jesus’ point seems to be that He was not yet ascending to the Father (that would soon come, see John 13.33; 14.12,28). She did not need to cling to Him, now was the time to spread the good news of His resurrection.
  

Jesus appears to His disciples (vss. 19-23).

• Vs. 19
  • The setting is one of disbelief. Mark records that the apostles did not believe the early resurrection reports (Mark 16.9-13) and John adds that they were hiding, fearful that they would experience the same death as their Master.
  • “Prior to his death, Jesus told his disciples they would all be scattered and leave him alone (16:32). When he was arrested he told the soldiers to let his disciples go (18:8–9), and he was taken alone to the high priest and eventually to Pilate to be condemned to death. The disciples, and especially Peter who had denied him three times (18:17–18, 25–27), would have felt deeply ashamed that they had abandoned Jesus in his hour of need. When Jesus appeared to them behind locked doors, his greeting of ‘Peace be with you!’ showed he was not holding their failures against them; rather, he was offering a restored relationship” (Kruse, Colin G).
• Vs. 21: Jesus had been sent by the Father on a mission of salvation (see John 3.17). Jesus would send His apostles on the same mission (Mark 16.15-16).
• Vs. 22
  • breathed: “ἐνεφύσησε; the same word is used in Gen. 2:7 to describe the distinction between Adam’s “living soul,” breathed into him by God, and the life principle of the other animals. The breathing upon them was meant to convey the impression that His own very Spirit was imparted to them” (EXGNT).
  • Just as God “breathed” life into man, Jesus’ was giving new life. This act assured them that what had been promised (John 14.16,26; 16.13) would be fulfilled (Acts 2.1-4).
• Vs. 23: see John 16.8-11.

Thomas’ confession (vss. 24-29).

• Vs. 25: Thomas professed the same disbelief that had typified the other disciples (see Mark 16.9-11).
• Vs. 26: note that the doors are still locked. They are still afraid (vs. 19); their faith is not yet complete.
• Vs. 28: Thomas’ confession would have made him guilty of blasphemy in the eyes of the Jews (see John 10.33). His confession shows the progress of his faith.
• Vs. 29: 1Peter 1.8; 2Cor. 5.7.

Purpose of the book (vss. 30-31).

• The Lord had just declared that “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (vs. 29). Now John tells us how that is possible.
• We can believe because John and other faithful witnesses recorded what they saw (see Luke 1.1-4). Significantly, they also recorded the struggles of the first disciples to believe, but how they were convinced by the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
• Because of what John wrote, we have firm reason to believe; and through faith in Jesus we have eternal life (John 3.16; 17.3).