John 20 - Introduction

CHAPTER TWENTY

My Lord and my God! This might well be the theme of this chapter. It records the climactic sign of a book filled with records of lesser signs. And, as John adds in his postscript, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His followers but John and the other gospel writers have witnessed and recorded enough supernatural signs to lead men to believe in His deity (cf. John 20:30-31). The physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as He Himself foretold, was the apex of all His signs. This is the one event in the life of Jesus Christ which gives credence, meaning and relevance to all else He said or did! One is tempted to wax eloquent for page upon page concerning this event but we believe Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, Dean of the Graduate School, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, has summarized it so well we prefer to quote from his book, The Reality of the Resurrection here:

... the resurrection of Christ. marks the intersection of the temporal and eternal worlds, of material existence and spiritual life. Because the event is supernatural, it expresses the essence of God's revelation; because it is historical, it is a genuine part of human experience. The resurrection is a permanent witness to the love, power, holiness, and redemptive purpose of God and is also a fact which must be accepted as part of history. It cannot be dismissed as a speculative venture of the intellect which is possibly, but not necessarily, true.

For this reason the resurrection is perpetually relevant to the intellectual and spiritual problems of the world. The event provides a foundation for faith; its imagery contains the framework for a new life. By this one great fact all theology can be integrated. Revelation, incarnation, redemption, sanctification, and eschatology reach their fullest development in the demonstration of the divine triumph over death.
We feel compelled to repeat here some quotations by famous men showing their convictions concerning the resurrection of Jesus.
Warfield said, The resurrection of Christ is a fact, an external occurrence within the cognizance of man, to be established by other testimonies and yet which is the cardinal doctrine of our system: on it all other doctrines hang.
Lyndhurst (famous British jurist) said, I know pretty well what evidence is; and, I tell you, such evidence as that for the Resurrection has never broken down yet.
William Lyon Phelps (Yale) said, Our faith in God, in Christ, in life itself, is based on the resurrection; for as Paul said, if Christ be not risen from the dead then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Theodosus Harnack said, Where you stand with regard to the fact of the Resurrection is in my eyes no longer Christian theology. To me Christianity stands or falls with the Resurrection.
Tenney said, The resurrection demands the attention of those who contemplate the basic problems of death and life, for it has thrust into them a new factor which must be included in evaluating the whole of human experience. Any attempt to explain the process of history will be incomplete without it. The resurrection is permanently relevant to any scheme of thought.

John omits some of the appearances of the resurrected Jesus. Even the Synoptics do not include them all. Acts and the epistles (esp. 1 Corinthians 15:1-58) include a few of the appearances omitted by the gospels. In fact, Acts 1:3 informs us that He also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: by which we realize many of the appearances Jesus made to His disciples may not be recorded at all!

Generally speaking the Gospels record the fact of His resurrection; the Epistles show the theological and experiential implications of it; and Acts records the results or fruits of it.

We have included at the end of this chapter a topical sermon and a special study on the resurrection of Christ. We would like to offer here a short bibliography of material helpful in a study of the resurrection of Christ.

1.

The Certainty and Importance of the Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead, by R. A. Torrey, mimeographed essay available from O.B.C. Bookstore

2.

The Resurrection of Jesus ChristIts Proof and Significance, by A. Dale Crain, mimeographed essay available from O.B.C. Bookstore

3.

The Reality of The Resurrection, by Merrill C. Tenney, pub. Harper & Row

4.

Therefore Stand, by Wilbur Smith (Chapter 8), pub. W. A. Wilde Co.

5.

The Basis of Christian Faith, by Floyd E. Hamilton (Chapter 17), pub. Harper & Row.

We are now prepared to continue our presentation of the outline of the Spectacle of His Passion.

III.

The Word Manifested To The Disciples and Their Acceptance of Him, John 13:1, John 20:31

B.

Public Spectacle of His Passion, John 18:1, John 20:31

3. The Victorious Resurrection, John 20:1-31

a.

The Empty Tomb, John 20:1-10

b.

The Appearance to Mary, John 20:11-18

c.

The Appearance to Ten Disciples, John 20:19-25

d.

The Appearance to Thomas, John 20:26-29

e.

The Aim of the Gospel, John 20:30-31

We have chosen to continue presenting a harmony of all the gospel accounts rather than a paraphrase. We have followed a harmony of the Appearances prepared by Russell B. Watts, a former student at Ozark Bible College, who referred to works by J. W. McGarvey, R.C. Foster, H. H. Halley, S. J. Andrews and A. C. Wieand.

SERMON NO. NINETEEN

(TOPICAL)
IMPERATIVES OF THE EMPTY TOMB

Mark 16:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Michelangelo, the immortal artist, stood in company with his fellow artists one day contemplating a masterful painting of the crucifixion of Christ. He was heard to say, Why do we fill our churches and art galleries with portrayals of the His crucifixion, as if it all ended there? He is risen, He is alive.

I.

YES, CHRIST IS RISEN

A.

Credible witnesses

1.

Testimony of others is accepted as an indispensable source of knowing the truth of much of what we know

a.

IN FACT A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE IS ACCEPTED ON THE TESTIMONY OF OTHERS BECAUSE WE DID NOT OURSELVES SEE IT!

b.

The essential matter is to test and verify the credibility of the witnesses who testify

2.

Competency

a.

Were they eyewitnesses? YES

b.

Were they credulous? NO

(1)

Thomas; Peter & John

(2)

even wrote of themselves that they did not believe He would rise from the dead!

3.

Honesty

a.

NOTHING TO GAIN & EVERYTHING TO LOSE BY THUS TESTIFYING TO HIS RESURRECTION (life, fortune, etc.)

b.

No witnesses ever had more motive for denying what they saw with their own eyes, yet ... we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

4.

Number of witnesses

a.

apostles, women, 500 brethren who saw Jesus all at once. alive when Paul wrote I Cor.

b.

There is a point reached where calling more eyewitnesses becomes ludicrous. WELL OVER 500 EYEWITNESSES SHOULD ESTABLISH THE FACT BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT!

To doubt the resurrection of Christ is unreasonable and irrational in the light of the evidence for it.

B.

Conversion of enemies

1.

A great company of the Hebrew priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 5:1-42)

a.

THESE MEN WOULD HAVE CHECKED ALL THE EVIDENCE BEFORE THEY BECAME FOLLOWERS OF THE NAZARENE!

2.

Saul of Tarsus

a.

If there was ever a man in the first century who knew all arguments against the resurrection of Christ which the Jewish Sanhedrin could ever draw up, that man was the Apostle Paul, and yet in spite of all this he believed and preached it as his central theme in the face of persecution etc.

b.

Two great unbelieving scholars set out to disprove Christianity. one the resurrection, the other the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. both met again as Christians

c.

Also Governor Lew Wallace (author of Ben Hur) and Sir William Ramsay (converted archeologist, etc.)

3.

Paul says that some even of Caesar's own household became followers of the Way!

C.

Contemporary history

1.

Josephus (says He arose and appeared to His disciples); Tacitus (80 A.D.) Pliny; Suetonius (90 A.D.)

2.

These and many other historians confirm the following facts concerning early Christianity of the 1st century

a.

Christ was a real historic person and founder of Christianity

b.

He was worshipped as one divine

c.

Christians met on the 1st day of the week to celebrate the resurrection of their Christ

d.

They were pure morally and were very influential in society

e.

Christianity spread with astonishing rapidity

f.

The church was terribly persecuted but the Christians, by their hope in a resurrection, withstood the persecutions

D.

The Empty Tomb

1.

Stands in overwhelming emptiness and silence as one of the most unanswerable points of evidence

2.

Even unbelievers admit 3 things about Jesus

a.

He lived as a historic personage

b.

He was crucified and buried

c.

His tomb was empty!

3.

Many are the theories as to how it became empty

a.

Disciples stole body (when heavily guarded by soldierswould they then die for their own lie!)

b.

Enemies stole bodywhy didn-'t they produce the body later ! ! !

c.

Jesus did not die but swooned and rolled back the stonenearly dead from beating then hanged on the cross for 6 hours

4.

The answer given by those there and best qualified to know. .

a.

Jewish authorities admitted tomb was empty

b.

Then they bribed soldiers to tell a lie (if were not bribed and was not a lie why did not someone successfully refute the gospel accounts when they were published in the 1st century?)

c.

Not even a good lie at that. DISCIPLE STOLE THE BODY WHILE WE WERE ASLEEP! HOW COULD THEY KNOW IF THEY WERE ASLEEP! IMAGINE SOMEONE TESTIFYING LIKE THIS ON THE WITNESS STAND IN OUR COURTS!

UNBELIEVERS SAY CHRIST WAS NOT RAISED FROM THE DEAD. I SAY PROVE IT!
THERE STANDS THE EMPTY TOMB IN PALESTINE TODAY!
IN THE N.T. THERE IS HISTORIC EVIDENCE WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTED BY ANY COURT TODAY!
LET THE UNBELIEVER PRODUCE SOME EVIDENCE. THE QUESTION IS NOT COULD ITOR COULD IT NOT HAPPEN. THE QUESTION IS ONE OF FACT AND EVIDENCE. THE QUESTION IS DID IT. OR DID IT NOT HAPPEN
THE EVIDENCE SAYS YES IT DID HAPPEN AND THERE IS NO FACTUAL EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY ! ! !
E.

The Existence of the Church and its institutions or ordinances

1.

The church, the 1st day of the week of the Lord's supper, baptism are all here. WHAT IS THE CAUSE BEHIND THESE MONUMENTS

2.

If one should doubt that George Washington ever existed and did the mighty feats recorded of him. we would not only refer to historical testimony, but to the effects of his life and to the monuments erected in his memory!

DENY THE CREDIBILITY OF THE SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY CONCERNING JESUS, HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND YOU HAVE AN EFFECT (THE CHURCH), WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE CAUSE (THE RESURRECTION).

3.

The church of the 1st century and ever afterward accepted the doctrine of the resurrection and practiced the ordinances

NOW THE PEOPLE OF THAT TIME WERE FULLY CAPABLE OF CHECKING THE TESTIMONIES OF THE APOSTLES AND OTHER PREACHERS. BUT THEY COULD NOT AND DID NOT REFUTE THEIR PREACHING AS BEING LIES!

4.

No other truth could have so completely transformed the lives of so many millions through the ages

a.

Indeed no other truth has. no other religion has!

YES, CHRIST IS ACTUALLY, FACTUALLY, HISTORICALLY RISEN FROM THE DEAD. SEEN BY EYEWITNESSES
IF THE EVIDENCE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROVE THE HISTORICITY OF THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. THEN EVIDENCE FROM HISTORY AND EYEWITNESSES IS OF NO VALUE AT ALL TO PROVE ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD! TESTIMONY IS COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE IF IT IS UNRELIABLE IN THIS CASE
THERE IS BETTER EVIDENCE, OF MORE CONVINCING CERTAINTY FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS THAN ANY OTHER FACT OF HISTORY WHICH IS BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE SENSORY PERCEPTIONS
MOST EVERONE BELIEVES THAT LEE HARVEY OSWALD MURDERED PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY. BUT THERE IS NOT NEARLY AS MUCH EVIDENCE FOR IT AS FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

II.

IMPERATIVES OF THE EMPTY TOMB

A.

The Bible is God's Word!

1.

The Creator of the universe has expressed His nature, His will, His purpose for man.

2.

He has demonstrated the unsearchable richness of His love

3.

He has demonstrated that He will keep all His promises

4.

He has demonstrated that there is POWER for the believer in this Word of His

B.

Heaven is as real as the resurrection

1.

He has gone to prepare a place of eternal rest and peace for us

2.

There will be no tears, no death, no sin, no separation, no war there

3.

A real place so glorious that human language is not adequate to fully describe it

C.

Hell is as real as the resurrection

1.

There is no rest there day or night

2.

The smoke of their torment goeth up forever and ever

3.

It is the dwelling place of all that is false, ugly, evil

4.

It is a place of conscious remembrance and eternal regret

3.

One in practice

4.

In obedience to truth revealed, unity. in opinion, liberty. in all things love

5.

Christ purchased the church with His blood. you must be saved by His blood ... you must be a member of His church. to do so you must obey His plan of salvation

G.

One Way of Salvation

1.

He, His person, His accomplishment, His atonement, His commands. this is the one Way of salvation

2.

No man has ever been given authority to add to or take away from His Word (Galatians 1:8-12)

3.

Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Be Immersed

4.

Be faithful unto death (cf. Luke 16:19-31)

5.

A real place so terrible that human language is not adequate to fully describe it

D.

Man's immortal spirit is as real as the resurrection

1.

Man is not just flesh and bone and blood

2.

He is a living soul, created in the spiritual image of God, his Maker

3.

Man is morally free and responsible to make a choice between salvation or condemnation as it is offered to him by God's grace

E.

Christ is coming again just as surely as He came forth alive from the tomb

1.

He is coming in time and in history (not in thought or feeling)

2.

He comes with His angels to judge and render vengeance

3.

No one knows the day nor the hour, but everyone will know when He does come, for every eye will see Him

F.

There is only one church, the universal body of Christ, and that is the one which conforms in belief and practice to the church described in the New Testament

1.

One in name

2.

One in doctrine

Conclusion

I.

THERE IS DIVINE POWER IN THE RESURRECTION (Philippians 3:9-10)

A.

The power of Christianity is not in the esthetic value of great cathedralsnor in somber ritual and traditionnor in emotional singing or heart-rending sermon illustrations

1.

THE POWER IS IN THE FACT OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE TOMB. IN TIME AND IN HISTORY

B.

It gives a hope that is alive (1 Peter 1:3)

C.

It brings joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 John 1:1-4)

D.

It sanctifies or purifies (1 John 3:1-24, Acts 17:32)

E.

It gives power to our witness for God (Acts 4:33)

F.

It gives us a power to be steadfast and to labor (1 Corinthians 15:58)

II.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE RESURRECTION

A.

If Christ be not raised then preaching is foolishness, vain and useless

B.

If Christ be not raised then faith and hope and love are senseless, vain and silly. if there be no life after death, let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!

III.

YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE, YOU WILL MAKE A CHOICE, YOU HAVE MADE A CHOICE

A.

Our only hope is in Christ and His resurrection

B.

Gandhi, Joseph Smith, Martin Luther. their bones and their tombs are with us to this day. there is no hope in them

C.

Philosophy, science and all the other schemes of men are helpless and hopeless

D.

Let the so-called scientists and philosophers talk about prehistoric this and that all they want

AS FOR ME, I WANT MY LIFE HERE AND HEREAFTER FOUNDED ON HISTORIC CERTAINTIES I WILL TAKE THE HISTORICAL, EYEWITNESSED RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST OVER PRE-HISTORIC GUESSES ANY DAY

HOW ABOUT YOU?