The Victory Has Been Won! | John 20

August 27, 2013

INTRODUCTION

A very blessed Resurrection Sunday. Some 2000 years ago while the whole world was sleeping in the dark, the victorious and risen Lord rose from the dead, broke through the bondages of sin, death, and Hades.

The resurrection is the central theme of the Christian faith. The Resurrection of Jesus is the be all and the end all of the Christian faith.

Paul put it this way, listen:

1 Corinthians 15:14

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

1 Corinthians 15:17

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

The 4 gospels have very different portraits of the resurrection. Today we will look at the resurrection from John’s writings. In John 20-21, Jesus gently and lovingly deals with his disciples enabling them to overcome their grief, doubt and even shame and restore Peter and other disciples, so that they will ultimately become witnesses of the resurrection and servants of the God’s people.

John 20

¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ²So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears and commission to Mary

¹¹Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Appearance and commissioning to the disciples

John 20:19-23

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (Jesus is the agent of the Father and the disciples as the agents of Jesus and the Father who sent Jesus. To equip them as his emissaries.) ²²And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

When did the Resurrection happen?

Now the resurrection happened at night or maybe early morning, there was no one there who watched it when it happened. Today, we could have got it with the CCTV cameras. When Jesus rose again, it would be just the Father, the angels and heaven as witness.

Friends, Friday by 3 in the afternoon, Jesus died and was buried.

What happens on holy Saturday?

Saturday is a day of waiting. It is a day of waiting of waiting in hope. As a church of Jesus many times our life is on Saturday. We are waiting for something to happen. Many times what we are waiting for may not happen in this side of the coming of Jesus. But we can still wait in hope because Jesus will come back again and he has promised to restore everything.

On Friday & Saturday, Jesus entered into the kingdom of death and he came out victorious having fought that battle.

He says: I have the keys:

Revelation 1:18

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Account of Resurrection

John 20:1

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

We read about Mary Magdalene and she comes to the tomb while it is still dark. There is the symbolism of darkness and light from the very beginning in this gospel.

John 1:4

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 13:27

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

John 13:30

As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

John builds up symbolisms of light with darkness. Mary goes, it is still dark. She is still in the darkness, she is sad, grieving the death of Jesus. Mary was probably not alone.

John 20:2

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

We – talks about the fact that she was not alone.

Why did Mary go to the tomb?

Why do we go to the tomb of our loved ones? It is a place where we are reminded about our relationships or friendships or loved ones? Maybe she thought, “If only I can anoint his crucified body, it will give me some comfort.”

However when she came there, the tomb stone was removed.

John 20:1

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

She never expected the tomb stone to be removed and Jesus to rise again. In the time of Jesus no one expected a real person to emerge out of a grave. So when she sees that the stone is removed, she thought of the obvious, “Somebody has stolen the body.” So she ran.

John 20:2

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Those two disciples are running to see what happened to the body.

John 20:3-9

³So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸Finally the other disciple (represents the ideal disciple), who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

This beloved disciple is the first one to believe in the resurrection. He saw and believed.

In the gospel of John there are only 2 beatitudes.

John 20:29

Then Jesus told him (Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The other beatitude John 13:17

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus is saying after the feet washing that I am going to serve others, I am going to be dying for other. Jesus is saying that you will be blessed if you give your life for others.

So this beloved disciple believes but Peter does not. For the beloved disciple, the sight of the burial cloth revealed the truth. He knew the body was not taken by someone, Jesus’ body is risen.

Jesus is risen. We believe that but the people around that scene did not believe except the beloved disciple.

John 20:10

Then the disciples went back to where they were staying (KJV: home).

What about Mary? Where is she? Why does not she go home? Well, home for Mary was with Jesus. She remains near the tomb struggling in deep darkness and grief.

Peter would have told her, “Come Mary, come home.” But what is Mary doing?

John 20:11-12

¹³They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” (She gives the obvious answer)

“They have taken my Lord away,” (I thought at least I can put some spices on the body and express my love.) she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

In all the 4 gospels, women are the first witnesses of the resurrection. Women were not respected and their testimony were not considered trustworthy. Again, that becomes a fact of authentication. If Christians were planning to create a story of the resurrection, they would not have women coming as witnesses. But that is God’s way. Women and men are given the same privilege by God to be witness of the Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God has a different way of thinking.

Mary, the grieving disciple has been chosen to be the first one to see the risen Lord. Jesus also asks her the same question:

John 20:15

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Some humour here from Jesus’ part.

Jesus knows why she is weeping, why does he even ask?

In Luke 24 there is another story of two disciples walking away dejected to Emmaus and Jesus joins their conversation without revealing that it is him. They do not know it is Jesus and they ask Jesus, “You don’t know what is happening?” Jesus asks, “What is happening in Jerusalem?” You can imagine that the resurrected Jesus has some humor. He acts it says.

Here Jesus does not wait that long with grieving Mary.

She thought he is the gardener:

John 20:15b

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

They Jesus says to her:

John 20:16

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (The moment she hears her name, she does not even need to see. She knows it is the Lord) She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

In John 10 Jesus uses the analogy of the shepherd. He said I am the good shepherd. Jesus calling her name must be placed against John 10 where the good shepherd calls his sheep by name and the sheep recognize his voice and they find life.

John 10:4

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:27

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

It was the voice of Jesus when he called her by name, she recognized. She cries “Rabboni!” In that incredible joy she is just clinging on to Jesus. In Matthew she is holdings onto his feet.

Jesus is the Revealer par excellence. Jesus’ revelation of his resurrection to Mary unfolds gradually.

John 20:17

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Something has happened in the nature of our discipleship as master and disciple. Disciples don’t need to seek out the physical presence of resurrected Lord any longer. Once Jesus will be ascended to the Father, this resurrected Lord would be present with Mary and all the disciples always through the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “Don’t worry, I am always going to be with you. You don’t have to hold onto me, Mary.”

By faith, through the Holy Spirit the resurrected presence of Jesus is with us. Whether we feel it or not, whether we see it or not see, we know Jesus is with us.

After assuring her of his presence. Jesus commissions Mary as a witness to other disciples.

John 20:17

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

This is the first time Jesus is addressing his disciples, “My brothers.” Disciples are His family members. Jesus addresses the Father and God as my Father and your Father and my God and your God.

The disciples are the Family of God.

Acts 9, when Ananias has been told to meet Saul, who has been blinded, pray for him. He said, “Lord, how can I go and pray for Saul. I have heard about him. He is a terrible man. He kills people.” Jesus says, “Go, don’t worry.” When Ananias comes you know how he calls out to Saul? He says, “Brother, Saul.” When you call someone brother genuinely, you have embraced them into your family.

Jesus is saying, “My family is open to all who will join me.” It is a family that goes across the world, across communities. God is making one community in this world, that is the community of Jesus who are all his brothers and sister. Jesus is our elder brother and we are the family of God. That is what the church must also represent.

So the disciples are welcome into the eternal relationship that has already existed between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God wants to share that loving relationship that is there in the triune God with us human beings.

Appears and commission to Mary

John 20:17-18

¹⁷Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus reveals himself to many disciples.

John 20:19

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you!”.

The empty tomb did not convince the disciples that Jesus had been raised from the dead. In spite of Jesus talking about his death and resurrection they did not believe that Jesus will rise from the dead.

The Resurrected Body: Real, Yet Glorified

Though the doors were locked, Jesus appeared and stood among the disciples (John 20:19). Later, He cooked and ate breakfast with them (John 21:9-14). This shows that the resurrected body is not a ghostly form but a real, transformed body—bearing the scars of the cross yet not subject to decay and death. It is a foretaste of the new creation—a body capable of real action, fellowship, and purpose, yet gloriously different. This is a real body from the coming age. Not a body of decay and death, a different kind of body.

John 20:20

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

The disciples experience sorrow when they heard that he would be leaving; Jn. 14:1. He promised that their sorrow would turn into joy when they see him again; 16:22. Now they rejoice.

He offers to Thomas the visible and tangible proof of his resurrected body.

John 20:24-28

²⁴Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁸Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

These disciples had seen their Lord crucified a couple of days ago. They would have felt hopeless, helpless. We lost everything. They were so powerless that most of them even could not come near the cross. There were only some women were there. They have lost hope.

What made them that they were willing go out and face the same authorities who had handed over Jesus to be crucified? Now they are willing to risk their lives. What changed them from dejected disciples to bold witnesses? The fact that they had seen the Lord, they had touched.

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

For Peter Jesus had personally reinstated him, Peter you have failed miserably. But guess what you are the one who I am going use to shepherd my people.

These disciples had seen what God had done. Now they understand resurrection has cosmic implications. Jesus representing the living God had gone in and won the last enemy, death. Now that victory over death is now shared by all those who will believe and the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith.

Jesus Defeated Death. Jesus has Won Man’s Last Enemy Death.

Jesus defeats the enemy, not by killing anybody, but by himself being killed. God delivers us by dying himself, dying at the hands of the enemy to deliver us.

The New Creation has Come

In the resurrection, celebrate the coming of God’s new creation.

Mark 1:15

The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.

The KOG has come, the new creation has come through the death, resurrection and with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

We are entered into God’s new creation through Jesus and by putting our faith in him.

God’s redemption has begun. It is not complete, that is why we wait for the coming of the Lord.

Romans 8:19

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

The creation is groaning for that redemption. God is going to redeem the whole creation because the resurrection of Jesus is the main signpost to that assured final victory of God over all sin, all evil there will be one day a victory.

ILLUSTRATION

Have you ever watched a movie that begins with the final scene—the grand victory, the reunion, the resolution? And then the story rewinds, taking you through the journey that led to that moment. From the opening scene, you already know how it ends, but the rest of the movie unfolds with tension, setbacks, and triumphs that bring that ending into full meaning.

CONCLUSION

That’s exactly what the resurrection of Jesus is for us. It’s the preview of the end—God’s climactic victory over sin, death, and evil. It’s the final scene shown at the beginning of the story, a guarantee of how the story of creation will end.

The resurrection is the main signpost—God has already started the new creation in Christ, and one day, when Jesus returns, that victory will be complete. Like the closing scene of a flashback film, the resurrection shows us the ending so that we can live in faith, hope, and perseverance through the middle of the story.

We know the ending. We’ve seen it at the tomb. And now we live toward it.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, Jesus has won the victory. The final victory is coming when Jesus comes again.

In the meantime, We are to Participate in the New Creation Lifestyle.

We are to fight the war by pouring out life out in sacrificial love, bearing witness to the good news of Christ. Speaking truth to power. Working with the powerless and the deprived.

How?

Fight the good fight of Faith.

Live with the value system of the Kingdom of god. Say let your kingdom come.

Give your life in Sacrificial love.

Bear witness to the Gospel.

The Victory Has Been Won! | John 20