Lesson 10 - John 20:1-18 - THE EMPTY TOMB
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in John 19:1-18, we continued the story of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate. From the text we learned that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, believed that Jesus was not guilty of any crime that deserved a death penalty and expressed a second time, "I find no guilt in Him" (20:4). To pacify the chief priests and the crowds, He had Jesus flogged, dressed with a crown of thorns and a purple robe, and beaten by the roman soldiers with the hope that the Jews would accept it as punishment enough. However, the chief priests and the crowd continued to demand that Jesus be crucified and added the charge of blasphemy because He claimed to be the "Son of God" (20:7), which He in fact was. Pilate was already on shaky ground because the Jews had previously complained to Rome about his leadership. Ultimately, in order to protect his position and avoid further conflict with the Jews, Pilate completely caved-in and handed Jesus over for crucifixion. The fact that Jesus was predestined to die on the cross for the sins of humanity did not excuse Pilate's wrongdoing. As to the chief priests and the crowd that supported them, they too, sided with Caesar. And by proclaiming Caesar as their only king (20:15), they were repudiating Israel's future Messianic hope and the Messianic kingdom, which constituted blasphemy against Judaism as a whole.
This week, in John 20:1-18, we will cover the report of the empty tomb and Jesus' first resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene. For John and indeed, all of the early Christians, the resurrection of Jesus was the indisputable fact upon which their faith was based. And their faith depended upon the testimony and the transformed behavior of those who had actually seen the resurrected Jesus. Of greatest significance, the resurrection proved beyond any doubt that Jesus had been completely vindicated by God and was the Messiah and Son of God He claimed to be.
Read John 20:1-2 - MARY MAGDALENE CAME EARLY TO THE TOMB
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So 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."
v. 1a: "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark," - The "first day," which was Sunday, actually began on Saturday after sundown. Jewish Sabbath regulations prohibited visiting tombs on the Sabbath, so Mary came later while it "was still dark." Other gospel writers also mention that several other women accompanied Mary.
v. 1b: "and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb." - Since John doesn't speak of Mary going inside the tomb, she concludes at this point that someone has removed Jesus' body from the tomb, perhaps grave robbers, which was not uncommon. She does not even consider that Jesus has risen from the dead. Mary has been grieving, but now she's shocked and horrified.
v. 2: "So 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." - Mary goes to Peter because he' the leader of the disciples. The "other disciple whom Jesus loved" is traditionally recognized as the apostle John. The presence of these two disciples is important not only for practical reasons but because they establish the testimony of two witnesses required by Torah law. Mary, as a woman, had no legal standing to testify.
Read John 20:3-10 - HE SAW THE LINEN WRAPPINGS LYING THERE
3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
vv. 3-4: "So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;" - It's interesting to see the interaction between these disciples, Peter and presumably, John. After hearing the shocking news from Mary Magdalene, Peter and John take off for the tomb in a dead run. Although Peter was clearly the leader of the disciples, commentators suggest these verses indicate some competition between them. While they were running, John, who was younger and probably more energetic, passes Peter and reaches the tomb first. Bible interpreters point out that this verse demonstrates that these disciples could not have removed Jesus' body from the tomb.
v. 5: "and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in." - The opening of the tomb with the stone removed, would have been about three feet above the ground, making it necessary for John to crouch down to see inside. He could see well enough to notice that the "linen clothes" that had wrapped Jesus' body were just "lying there"- unfilled. Scholars speculate that John didn't enter the tomb to avoid Jewish ritual defilement.
v. 6: "And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there," - True to form, when Peter reached the tomb her barged right in and climbed through the opening.
v. 7: "and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself." - Once inside, Peter immediately noticed the unoccupied grave clothes and also saw that the "face-cloth" had been "rolled up in a place by itself." Many Bible scholars believe that Jesus dematerialized and 'passed through' the grave clothes; but others disagree, pointing to the head cloth: If Jesus had actually dematerialized, the head cloth would have been among the other clothes, unrolled. Either way, the grave clothes serve three purposes in this text: (1) they provide definitive visual evidence of Jesus' resurrection, because the body was gone, yet the grave clothes tell us that Jesus' body had been there. (2) They also prove that Jesus body was not stolen, because grave robbers never would have left behind the expensive linen purchased by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, and more importantly, robbers never would have delayed their escape and risk discovery by taking the time to remove the clothes. (3) And finally, the unfilled clothes also make a theological point: when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he emerged from the crypt with the same body wrapped in burial clothes, but when Jesus emerged, He did so with an unbound resurrection body.
v.8: "So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed." Entering the tomb behind Peter, John beheld the same sight and "believed." The text doesn't explain with any specificity what John believed. The resurrection? Perhaps. In any case, He knew that something wonderful had happened.
v. 9: "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead." -John's faith at this point only rested upon what he had actually seen in person-an empty tomb. Only later would he and the other disciples be able to grasp that Jesus "must (a divine imperative) rise again from the dead" through Scripture; specifically, the prophetic Scriptures that the resurrection fulfilled (e.g., Ps. 16:10: "for You will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will You allow Your Holy One to see correction." [also see, Lev. 23:11; Isa. 53:11-12; Hos. 6:2; 1 Cor. 15:3-7]).
v. 10: "So the disciples went away again to their own homes." - This is a transitional verse. Since it's unlikely that Peter and John owned their own houses in Jerusalem, they probably returned to their temporary lodgings, and we can imagine that they were no doubt very anxious to report what they had seen at the empty tomb to the other disciples.
Read John 20:11-18 - JESUS SAID TO HER, MARY!
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And 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 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?" 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." 16 Jesus *said to her, "Mary!" She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.
v. 11: "But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;" - Mary Magdalene apparently returned to the tomb after she had informed Peter and John that Jesus' body was no longer there. She was still grieving over Jesus' death and now His missing body. Since she had yet to grasp the wonderful event that John had believed, she looked into the tomb a second time to confirm that no body was there.
v. 12: "and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying." - Looking in, Mary, to her utter amazement, saw two angels sitting where Jesus had lain-their dazzling white apparel would have distinguished them as angels.
v. 13: And 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." - It's not certain whether Mary recognized these two beings as angels. They ask her, "Woman, why are you weeping?," as if it should have been obvious to her that Jesus had been resurrected; however, Mary doesn't comprehend this. She evidently still believed that someone had removed Jesus' body from the tomb. She still wanted to mourn over Jesus' body, but did not know where it was.
v. 14: "When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus." - Mary does not recognize Jesus. Maybe her vision is clouded by tears, or perhaps, grief has overtaken her to the extent that she can't think rationally. She's still looking for a dead man and can't comprehend what's before her eyes.
v. 15a: "Jesus *said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" - Mary is still insensible: She's unable to recognize that it is Jesus who is speaking to her.
15b: "Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him," - Since the tomb was located in a garden (John 19:41), Mary mistakenly assumes that the person speaking to her is one of the gardeners.
v. 15c: "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." - In her confusion, Mary respectfully asks Him where she might find Jesus' body so that she can bury it with the honor it deserves. Her loyalty to Jesus and devotion to this task is noteworthy
v. 16: "Jesus *said to her, "Mary!" She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher)." - The veil was lifted from Mary's eyes and she finally recognized Jesus when He called her by name. Earlier, in the Parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus had said, "the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out" (John 10:3). She addresses Him as "Rabboni" (Aramaic for teacher), a name she apparently had used for Him before. Constable rates this as one of the greatest recognition scenes in all literature, biblical or otherwise.
v. 17a: "Jesus *said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father;" - This verse has generated a great deal of scholarly comment and differing opinions. Most scholars believe that Mary joyfully threw herself at Jesus' feet and wrapped are arms around His lower legs. The best explanation is that Mary, in a fit of pure joy, was tightly clinging to Jesus as if she would never let Him go. The reason she should release Him is that He will soon "ascend to [His] Father," but had other work He needed to accomplish first. Only in heaven would faithful and loving believers like Mary be in contact with Jesus forever.
v. 17b: "but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" - Instead of clinging to Him, Jesus commands Mary to "go to My brethren," by which He meant His disciples, not His half-brothers, and deliver the message to them that He was preparing to return to the Father. He needed for them to understand that His death and resurrection had not changed His earlier predictions about His ascension. He calls them "brethren" because they share a common Father in heaven, yet He and his disciples had a different relationship to the Father: them as 'sons of God,' but Him as the 'Son of God' in a triune relationship with the Father. The phrase "I ascend to My Father" is generally interpreted to mean that He ascended 40 days later as reported in Luke 24:50-51.
v. 18: Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. - As an obedient follower, Mary went to the disciples and told them that Jesus was alive and delivered the message He had commanded.
APPLICATION-Seriously Considering the Evidence:
1. The first item of evidence for Jesus' resurrection: the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. John 20:1 reports that Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb "and saw the stone taken away from the tomb." This was a large, round stone placed in a groove in front of the tomb to secure it from grave robbers. It would have taken several strong men to roll that stone out of the groove. The Jewish leaders feared that the disciples would come and steal Jesus' body and claim that He was risen. So they went to Pilate and got a Roman guard to secure the tomb. This caused Peter and John to run to the tomb to see for themselves. John outran Peter, but he hesitated to go into the tomb. He stooped and looked in, seeing the grave clothes. Typically impetuous, Peter brushed past John and went in. Then John went into the tomb and they both confirmed that Jesus' body was not there. Added to that, if the Jewish leaders knew where Jesus' body was, they would have produced it the instant that the apostles began proclaiming the resurrection. So the stone rolled away and the empty tomb both bear witness to Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead.
2. The second item of evidence for Jesus' resurrection: the grave clothes. What did Peter and John see? Jewish burials involved wrapping the corpse with linen strips and tucking spices into the folds to offset the stench of the corpse. The head was wrapped separately. Peter and John saw the linen wrappings with the face cloth rolled up by itself in an orderly manner, but Jesus' body was gone. Grave robbers would not have taken the time to remove the grave clothes at the scene, but would have grabbed the body with the grave clothes and left. Or, even if they had taken to time to remove them, they would have taken the valuable cloth and sold it.
3. The third evidence item for Jesus' resurrection: His post-resurrection appearances. In today's text, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who didn't recognize Him until He called her by name. John's gospel goes on to cite three more appearances: to all the disciples except Thomas (20:19-23); to the disciples, including Thomas (20:24-31); and, to seven of the disciples, by the Sea of Galilee (21:1-25). Paul mentions several other appearances, including one to over 500 people at one time, many of whom were still alive when he wrote (1 Cor. 15:6-8). The varied circumstances of the appearances and the different personalities of the witnesses militate against hallucinations or visions. Even Thomas, who at first was skeptical, was convinced when he saw and interacted with the risen Lord with his own eyes (John 20:27).
4. The fourth item of evidence for Jesus' resurrection: the changed lives of the witnesses. John shows that none of the witnesses was expecting a resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought that someone had taken Jesus' body (John 20:2, 15). Neither John nor Peter at first understood the Scripture that Jesus must rise again from the dead (John 20:9). All the disciples were fearful and confused. Thomas was depressed and doubting. But all were transformed into the bold witnesses of the Book of Acts because they became convinced that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. They were so convinced that the resurrection was true that many of them went on to die as martyrs. John even calls attention here (John 20:8) to his own change of belief when he saw the empty tomb and the grave clothes.
THE FINDING: Our faith in the risen Savior is grounded on solid historical evidence: Believe it and proclaim it! Faith in Christ isn't a blind leap in the dark. It's based on the apostolic witness, which is to say, the eyewitness testimony of credible, Spirit-led men.
