Sunday School Lesson
April 8,2012
Lesson Focus:
The word Lives On
Lesson Scripture:
John 20:1-10,19-20
INTRODUCTION. The bodily resurrection of Christ is one thing that sets Christianity apart from the religions of the world. His resurrection also gives His followers assurance of forgiveness and of their own future resurrection. So important is the resurrection to the Christian faith that Paul said, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (see I Corinthians 15:17). All over the world this Sunday, Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this week’s lesson we will take a look at the details of that first Resurrection Sunday.
(John 20:1). John begins our lesson by saying “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” Only Mary Magdalene is mentioned here, but Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and other women are included in Luke’s account (see Luke 24:1, 10). Mark in his gospel included Salome, the wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John (see Mark 16:1). All these women came to the sepulcher “early, when it was yet dark” on “The first day of the week.” Note: We don’t know for sure why John only mentions Mary Magdelene out of whom Jesus cast out seven demons (see Luke 8:2). It may be because she was the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection and John is the only gospel writer who gives the details of the conversation she had with Jesus at that time. It was now Sunday morning, the first day of the week “when it was yet dark” or just before dawn, and these women had come to Jesus’ tomb with the intention of anointing Jesus’ body with the proper burial spices (see Luke 24:1). They may have wanted to complete the anointing process that they thought was not finished. Jesus had to be buried before evening on the Passover which began at evening (see John 19:38-42). In addition, the law stated that anyone hanged on a tree had to be buried before evening (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23; John 19:31). When the women arrived at the tomb they “seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” The stone that was placed over Jesus tomb had been rolled away. Matthew’s account tells us that an angel descended from heaven and rolled the stone away from the door of the tomb.
(vs. 2). It appears that Mary Magdelene was the first of the women to get to the tomb and John says, “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.” The Bible does not tell us whether Mary Magdalene looked into the tomb or not. What we are told is that once she saw the stone was moved away she ran back and found Simon Peter and “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.” This disciple was the Apostle John himself. Throughout his gospel he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Mary Magdalene told them that someone had moved the Lord’s body but she didn’t know where to. In the meantime, the other women reached the tomb, entered it and found Jesus’ body gone, and two angels who announced His resurrection (see Luke 24:4-7). These women also hurried off to report these things to the disciples (see Luke 24:9-10), who didn’t believe them and considered their words “as idle tales” (see Luke 24:11). When the women reported that Jesus’ body was missing, the disciples never seemed to consider the possibility of a resurrection even though Jesus had told them about it numerous times (see Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:17-19).
(vs. 3). When Mary Magdalene told Peter and John what had happened, this verse says “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.” Both Peter and John, “that other disciple” ran to Jesus’ tomb.
(vs. 4). Then John writes “So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.” Both Peter and John left for the sepulcher, or tomb together, but John outran Peter and arrived first. It is widely accepted by most scholars that John was younger than Peter, therefore making him faster.
(vs. 5). John reached the tomb first “And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.” As soon as John reached the tomb, he didn’t enter the tomb immediately, but he did stoop down to look inside. The linen clothes caught John’s eye lying where Jesus’ body should’ve been. The linen clothes were used to wrap Jesus before His burial (see John 19:40). They were supplied by Joseph of Arimathaea along with the spices brought by Nicodemus. They both assisted in the burial of Jesus (see John 19:38-40; Mark 15:46). The phrase “saw the linen clothes lying” indicate that linen grave-clothes were laying there looking like Jesus just simply passed through them! This was evidence that the body was not stolen. No thief or person moving the body would take the time to unwrap it.
(Vs.6). Next John writes that “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie.” When Peter arrived at the tomb, he walked right inside, without giving the matter a second thought. Peter saw the same thing that John saw. There were the linen clothes lying neatly with no body in them.
(vs. 7). Here John gives us the details of exactly what he and Peter saw. He said “And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” Peter noticed the “napkin” or piece of cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. It wasn’t lying with the linen clothes used to wrap Jesus’ body. The head “napkin” was folded neatly and laid in a place by itself. All of this was obvious proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. The body wrappings were lying where they would be if Jesus was still in them. It looked as if Jesus’ body slipped right out of the clothes. The linen strips had not been cut or ripped in any way. Everything was exactly as it was, except that the body of Jesus was not there. There was every indication of orderliness and not a trace of thievery.
( vs.8). At this point John says about himself “Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.” John decided to go into the sepulcher as well. He “saw, and believed.” In other words what he saw led him to believe. The same thing is not said of Peter at this time. In fact, Luke 24:12 reports that Peter “departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” Peter may have been quick to rush into the tomb, but John was quicker to believe. When John saw the whole scene, he finally understood what Jesus had said about the resurrection. As he looked upon the empty tomb he believed.
(vs. 9). If we are wondering why it took so long for these men to believe that Christ had risen from the dead, John tells us why in this verse. He wrote “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” Yes Jesus had told them more than once that He would be killed and rise again on the third day (see Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:17-19). But our text says, “they knew not the scripture.” No doubt John was referring to Old Testament Scriptures. Passages such as Psalm 2:7 compared with Acts 13:33, Psalm 16:10 compared with Acts 2;24-27 and 13:35, and Psalm 110:1, 4 compared with Hebrews 6:20 should come to the Christian’s mind now. Note: John believed on the basis of the evidence in the empty tomb, and then the truth of Scripture brought confirming evidence. The truth is that we ought to believe the Scriptures on their own testimony first. Then whatever external evidence there may be should serve to confirm our faith.
(vs. 10). In this verse John said, “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.” After they gazed for a while in utter amazement, Peter and John turned and went home. One can’t help but wonder what Peter and John said and did as they went home. However, Luke gives us a bit of information on this. His account says that when they got back from the sepulcher, they reported that they had found it empty as the women had said. They also told the other disciples that they did not see Jesus (see Luke 24:24).
(vs. 19). Moving to this verse, John wrote “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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” That same Sunday “at evening” Jesus appeared to the disciples as they met behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews.” The disciples were afraid that the Jewish leaders would take some action against them now that Jesus was dead. Suddenly “Jesus stood in the midst.” His resurrection body was not subject to the limitations of His previous body. Even the shut or locked doors couldn’t keep Jesus out. His disciples were all afraid, but Jesus said to them “Peace be unto you.” The risen Lord quickly set them at ease.
(vs. 20). John here says that after Jesus settled their fears, “he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD.” So that there would be no doubt from that moment on, the Saviour showed His disciples his hands and his side. No wonder they were “glad, when they saw the LORD.” Note: Luke 24:37 says that the disciples at first thought that they were seeing a ghost or spirit when Jesus appeared. Jesus carefully showed them that He was there in a real body of flesh and bones. He showed them places where He had been wounded so that they would be sure of His identity.
Conclusion. The empty tomb is historical evidence that Jesus lives. To the faithful it produces joy. We rejoice because Jesus is alive today. He is our living Word. When we truly grasp the truth about the living Word of God, our lives are transformed and freed from anxiety and fear. The event of the resurrection changes everything for us.
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