John 20:1-10: The Glory of the Resurrection

What is the glory of the Resurrection and what does it mean for you today? The Glory of the Resurrection is that Jesus Christ truly is the Resurrection and the Life… salvation from sin and the dawn of a New Creation for all who believe in Him.

Notes

Transcript

Scripture Reading

John 6:47–51 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

Intro

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything!

It is the Day on which all of human history and even all eternity turns.

Without the Resurrection there is No hope… No Savior… No salvation… No forgiveness of sins and No promise of eternal life…

Without the Resurrection there’s just a cross… just another man that died on a cross 2000 years ago.

Paul said If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Without the Resurrection there is only Death… Loss… Darkness…. and Defeat.

But with the Resurrection there is Life!

There is Salvation!… There is a New Creation and Victory over the Grave!

There is Glory! Grace! and Peace!

All the blessings of God opened up and poured out from that empty Tomb because the stone was rolled away.

Why is the Resurrection so important?

Why is it so foundational to our faith?

I think for many Christians the Resurrection doesn’t get farther than “It’s important because Christ raised from the dead.”

Its just a part of the story.

They don’t see what the Resurrection means for you… your faith… and your salvation today.

They see the Resurrection as a Historical Fact but they miss the glory and promises the Resurrection holds.

So that’s what I want to do this morning.

I want to look at the Resurrection… the glory of it… what it accomplished… and all the promises it has for us.

The Resurrection itself proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ because the Resurrection literally preaches in Christ Life from the Dead!

So what is the glory of the Resurrection and what does it mean for you today?

We are going to have two points today from John 20:1-10:

Number 1… The Glory of the Resurrection is that it is the First day of a New Creation.

This is what the Resurrection accomplishes… signifies… and proclaims.

And Number 2… The Glory of the Resurrection is that it Establishes and Confirms the Blessings We Have in Christ.

This is where we see what the Resurrection gives and means for us today.

How it assures us… by God’s own Testimony… the truth of our Salvation and all the blessings and benefits we have today in Christ risen from the grave.

So let’s start with point number 1 of how the Resurrection changes everything…

How it is so monumental and foundational to our faith… the Resurrection is the First Day of a New Creation.

I. The Resurrection is the First Day of a New Creation

John 20:1–2 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

It was early Sunday morning… and as soon as she could… while it was still dark… Mary Magdalene came to the Tomb honor Jesus.

Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus who had had seven demons cast out of her (Luke 8:2).

And when she comes to the tomb she sees the tomb empty and assumes someone had taken the body .

So she runs and tells the Disciples, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

And that’s, of course, because Jesus was not in the grave.

He was alive again!

He had risen from the grave three days later just as He had said.

The other Gospels tell us other women had come with her (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1, 10).

And either while Mary was still there and John just doesn’t record it or she had already run off to tell Peter and the John leaving only the other women at the tomb… the Gospels don’t contradict each other they are in perfect harmony… two angels show up and said to the women Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise (Luke 24:4-7).

Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead (Matthew 28:6–7).

The Resurrection was a brand new day… a New Dawn shining on the darkness of this world.

The women were coming to the Tomb to mourn.not realizing that at that empty grave would be Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

And that’s because the Resurrection was the day of Salvation… the first day of a New Creation.

First Day

That’s why John says Now on the first day of the week.

Now that’s curious.

We can just brush over it.

The Sabbath was the day before so this was the just first day of a whole new week.

But there is so much more to it than that.

Linking the Resurrection with the first day of the week packs the Resurrection with a load of theological implications.

Its interesting that all four Gospels start their Resurrection accounts by noting that it was the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1).

Why?

There is so much emphasis on Jesus rising on the “third day.”

Jesus had prophesied specifically that He would rise on the third day on multiple occasions (Mark 8:31, John 2:20).

And Paul had even said to the early church in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

And yet the Gospels… all the Gospels… emphasize the first day.

And I think that the reason is all of them wanted to show us Jesus’ Resurrection as the beginning of something new.

Namely…

The Beginning of a New Creation

When you hear first day of the week one of the first things that should do is take you all the way back to creation and the first day of the very first week where God said…

Genesis 1:3–5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

God created the earth on six days and on the seventh day He rested… and God saw that the world was very good (Genesis 1:31).

There was no sin… no pain… no death.

All was right and all was good.

There was Shalom… this idea of perfect harmony and peace.

And when sin came in, sin wrecked it.

The whole earth was cursed in the Fall of Man… thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you (Genesis 3:18).

All of creation was subjected to futility and from that day all of creation has been groaning, longing to be set free waiting for redemption (Romans 8:20).

For all things to be made right and all things to be made new.

And Jesus’ Resurrection is the beginning of that New Creation.

The empty tomb is ground zero for the New Heavens and New Earth that are already and not yet.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And yet there is a future Hope… the fullness of the New Creation where Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [The old world of sin, death, and the curse] have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4).

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Its begun and already in process.

Everyone in Christ is a New Creation and the fullness of the New Creation is still to come.

In Christ… God is remaking the world.

Re-creating it… Restoring it… Making all things new.

The First Creation started with In the beginning and God said let their be light and separated the light from the darkness.

And then John starts His gospel with what?

John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Christ is the beginning of a New Creation.

A New in the beginning.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

That’s the first creation.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

God spoke the Word… Let there be light!

And the darkness… the curse… the spiritual ignorance… and the lostness and blindness and enslavement to sin…

The evil… the death… the futility subjected on the world…has not overcome it.

And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The Resurrection of Christ is the first day of a New Creation Week of an all new, New Creation World.

The Tomb is Ground Zero for the New Heavens and New Earth… one that is redeemed from sin and death and the curse and reconciled to God.

All Things Right… and All Things New.

Summary

To sum it all up… the Resurrection as the first day of a New Creation is simply another way of saying the Hope of Salvation and Redemption from the Fall.

The fullness of Salvation and Eden Restored.

An All New World that is “Already and Not Yet” where the dwelling place of God is with man…

[And] He will wipe away ever tear from their eye, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for…the Old World… the Old Creation… the former things [of sin, death, the curse, and brokenness] have passed away.

That’s the glory of the Resurrection…

Hope!

Salvation from the Curse and Redemption from the Fall.

Number 2… as we look at the glory of the Resurrection and what assurances and promises it means for you today, we come to John 20:3-10 where we see that…

II. The Resurrection Establishes and Confirms the Blessings We Have in Christ

John 20:3–7 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

I do want to pause a moment here and highlight the Historical Evidence and reliability of the Resurrection.

How do we know Jesus actually rose from the dead?

There are several things in this passage and all the Gospels that prove the Resurrection as a Historical Fact.

Women Witnesses

First of all… the first witnesses to the Resurrection in all the Gospels are women.

Now why that matters is because generally speaking women’s testimonies were not normally admissible in court as part of the standard of establishing the truth of a matter by two or three witnesses (Carson, The Gospel According to John, Pillar New Testament Commentary, 1991, 636; Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15).

So if you were going to “make up” Jesus’ resurrection to try and build a credible lie, you probably wouldn’t use women to do it… you’d use men… unless of course that’s what actually happened.

Two Witnesses

Also at the Tomb we have two witnesses confirming the truth of a matter, Peter and John, two of Jesus’ Disciples.

What makes this significant is the radical life-change that happens in them after the Resurrection.

John, not to mention the all other disciples, suffered for their claim that Jesus rose from the dead with all but John being martyred.

Its hard to believe that many men would die for a lie.

Not to mention Peter goes from denying Christ or that He even knew Him in this Gospel to proclaiming Him boldly in the book of Acts.

How do you go from that kind of coward to that kind of courageous for a lie?

Grave Clothes

Then you have the Grave Clothes.

If Jesus’ body was stolen by Grave Robbers, which was a prevalent problem at the time they wouldn’t have left Jesus’ grave clothes in a neat and orderly fashion.

The face cloth was even folded up lying in a place by itself.

If someone had stolen the body everything would have been strewn about.

Likewise Matthew tells us that the Jews bribed the soldiers who were in charge of watching Jesus tomb to say that the disciples came and stole Him by night (Matthew 28:11-15).

Even noting that that story had been spread among the Jews to this day.

But if the Disciples had stolen Jesus’ body they wouldn’t have taken off His grave clothes as that would have dishonored Him and made Him more difficult to move.

I’ve never moved a dead body but I’d imagine you’d want it packaged up.

Not Understanding

Plus at this point the disciples didn’t even understand the Resurrection.

How could they fake something they didn’t even know?

John even says For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead (John 20:9).

All throughout the Gospel when Jesus would prophesy His death it says the disciples did not understand these things and the saying was hidden from them until after the Resurrection (John 2:22, Luke 18:34).

Other Details

And then there are other details… it was a new tomb in a garden so its not like it was difficult to find or misplaced Jesus’ body.

There was a Roman Guard set around the Tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).

It was set with a heavy stone that was so heavy the women were worried how they were going to move it (Mark 16:3-4).

And Pilate even set his seal on the Tomb to say that anyone who broke the seal without Pilate’s permission would do so on the pain of death and face Roman execution.

Only One Empty Tomb

The Resurrection is one of the most Historically verifiable facts there is.

In 1 Corinthians Paul even says at Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at one time, and most of whom were still alive… you could go ask them! (1 Corinthians 15:6).

The fact of the matter is… there is only one empty tomb.

Out of all the major world religions, Jesus is the only founder that is not dead and buried and enshrined in a tomb.

Mohammed?…Millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to his tomb in Medina every year.

Buddha? You can go see him in India.

Abraham who the Jews look back to died and was buried in Genesis 25:10.

Jesus is the only one for whom there is no tomb.

Even if you go to Israel today they’ll tell you this is “traditional” site of Jesus burial, but the truth is they have no clue.

Why because Jesus rose from the grave!

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

And the Empty Tomb as Historical Fact even preaches the Good News of the Gospel.

Every other religion… self-help guru… philosophy… whatever… all point somewhere else and say there… over there is Resurrection and Life.

This god… these works… this worship… this karma… this thing is how you can be saved.

Only One pointed to Himself and said, I Am the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25).

Only One said Life… Salvation… Resurrection… is only found in me.

All other Religions… paths… ways of life only lead to death and we know that because all other religions… paths… ways of life have a grave.

Only One has an empty Tomb.

So the Resurrection as a Historical Fact itself even proclaims the good news of Eternal Life and how Eternal Life is only found in Jesus Christ!

But I don’t want to just do Apologetics.

That’s great and necessary… you need to be able to defend your faith (1 Peter 3:15).

But I also want to look at how the Resurrection isn’t just a historical fact… the next part of the story… but was actually essential for our salvation and what blessings and benefits we now have in Christ risen from the dead.

John 20:8–10 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

And the question I want to ask here is why was it necessary that Jesus quote “must rise from the dead?”

What made it so essential not just for our salvation but for the blessings we now enjoy?

I’m sure there are more… for example our hope of a future resurrection where we will be raised in new, glorified resurrected bodies like Christ’s own body fit for eternity with God in the fully consummated New Heavens and New Earth like we talked about earlier…

But for now I have three.

Number 1…

1. To Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies and Types

John says that they did not yet understand the Scripture and the Scripture he is referring to are the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

Prophecies

Now there are several prophecies we could go to and prophecies are important because they show us that Jesus truly is the Christ.

No one else could have fulfilled all these prophesies.

One that is quoted in the book of Acts by the Apostles referring to Jesus’ Resurrection is Psalm 16:10-11 that says For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your holy one see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. (Acts 2:24-41, 27-28, Acts 13:34-35).

Another is Isaiah 53 where you have the Suffering Servant who dies and was cut off from the land of the living dying a violent and bloody death (Isaiah 53:8).

But after that death verse 11…

Isaiah 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

With the resurrection of the Suffering Servant we see what Christ accomplished with His death…

He shall make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Types

There are also Types.

Shadows in the Old Testament that point forward to their True and Ultimate Fulfillment.

Jonah

One Type we looked at last week was the Type of Jonah.

Jonah was 3 days in the belly of the fish before being spit out… “resurrected”… and going to preach salvation to Nineveh (John 1:7, 2:10).

Jesus was 3 days in the heart of the earth who from His resurrection preached a greater salvation to all who trust in Him (Matthew 12:39-40).

Isaac

Another type is Abraham and Isaac.

In Genesis 22 God tells Abraham to take his son, his only son, the son of his love and sacrifice him on the altar (Genesis 22:2).

Now Isaac was the child of the promise: In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed, what Paul calls the Gospel in Galatians 3:8 promising salvation in the True Seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:3).

How was God going to keep His promise if Isaac was dead.

Well Abraham believed.

Hebrews says that Abraham considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:19; Genesis 22:5).

So Abraham led Isaac up the mountain with Isaac bearing the wood on his back just as Christ would carry the wood of His cross (Genesis 22:6).

And on the mountain God provided a substitute… a ram with its horns caught in a thicket (Genesis 22:13).

Christ the True and Better Substitute wore a crown of thorns.

And where God provided a Substitute for Isaac, there was no substitute for Jesus because He was… the Substitute.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…

The language there is the same from Genesis 22… your son, your only son, the son of your love…

Christ is God’s only begotten, only beloved Son.

That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Where Isaac was saved from death and rose again only figuratively to secure the promised blessing to all nations…

Christ died and rose again to accomplish that salvation for all who believe in Him.

Number 2… It was necessary for Jesus to rise from the grave to…

2. To Vindicate Christ’s Person and Work

1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Vindicated by the Spirit refers to Jesus’ resurrection and essentially means that Jesus by the Resurrection was proven true.

First… He was proven True as the Son of God.

i. As the Son of God

Multiple times throughout His ministry Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

In John 5 He said My Father is working until now, and I am working (John 5:17).

And John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Well the Resurrection vindicated Christ’s person… it proved that He really was the Son of God

Romans 1:4 says that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.

ii. As Our Sinless Substitute

Christ’s resurrection from the dead also vindicated His perfect sinlessness.

Acts 2:24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Why?

Because the wages of sin is death but Christ had no sin of His own for which to die for (Romans 6:23).

So when Christ died… He died for our sins.

The Resurrection proved that Christ was not a sinner because death could not hold Him… it had no claim on Him.

He offered His sinless life as our perfect and sinless substitute.

He died in our place for our sins.

iii. As Our Prophet, Priest, and King

Next, the Resurrection also vindicated Christ as our Messiah and our Prophet, Priest, and King.

These are the three offices Christ fulfills in His work as our Mediator.

Prophet

The Resurrection vindicated Christ’s Words as Prophet.

As we saw He predicted His Resurrection from the dead.

In John 2:19 He said “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” referring to the temple of His body (John 2:21).

Through His Resurrection, Jesus is the True Temple where we we go to draw near to God an have our sins forgiven.

But also, if Jesus had not been raised, He would have been a False Prophet… He would not have the sure and true words of eternal life and we would still be dead in our sins (John 6:68).

But the Resurrection vindicated Christ’s words… and all of Christ words so that we can put all of our faith… all of our hope… all of our trust in Him.

I Am Statements

Sticking in the Gospel of John the Resurrection vindicated Christ’s Words in all of His I Am Statements and all of the promises included in them.

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35).

That’s a promise vindicated by the Resurrection.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

I am the door of the sheep… If anyone enters by me, He will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:7, 9).

Another promise… He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters (Psalm 23:2).

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

I am the resurrection and the life… the fullness of salvation from all our sin (John 11:25).

I am the way, and the truth, and the life promising that He is the One True Way to God the Father and the only way to have the Father love you as His own (John 14:6; John 17:23).

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1).

I am the fulfillment of all the Covenants and in me is the Covenant of Grace.

Because of the Resurrection we can say with Peter John 6:68 Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

The Resurrection vindicated Christ as Prophet.

Priest

The Resurrection vindicated Christ as Priest.

Romans 4:24–25 It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

By being raised for our justification God said that Christ satisfied the wrath of God once and for all.

That His sacrifice was accepted.

Christ paid for our sins on the cross… but the Resurrection proved that our sins were actually paid for.

And now… as our Great High Priest… the blessing we have in Christ’s Resurrection for our everyday life today is that He always lives to make intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Through the Resurrection… Christ lives forever to make intercession for you.

Christ… as your Great High Priest… prays for you.

Now here’s the comfort for you… the blessing of the Resurrection for your everyday life.

When you feel weak… when you feel tired… when you feel like you’re drowning and in over your head…

Like you can’t take just another step…

When you look at yourself or at your future and you just have no hope…

Christ is praying for you… sustaining you… loving you… carrying you.

When all feels lost or daunting or overwhelming… remember Christ’s words to Peter.

Luke 22:31–32 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat…

That he might crush you… shake you… break you down to nothing… ruin you.

but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

The Resurrection Vindicated Christ as our Great High Priest.

King

Last, the Resurrection vindicated Christ as our King.

This was in fulfillment to all of God’s Covenant Promises to David.

God promised one of your sons will sit on the throne forever and I will establish His Kingdom (2 Samuel 7:11-13; Psalm 89:3-4, 34-36).

That this Son of David would reign in perfect righteousness would reign in perfect righteousness to the salvation and blessing to all nations (Psalm 72).

If we go back to Peter’s sermon at Pentecost where He quoted the prophecy of Psalm 16:10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption, here’s what Peter says.

Acts 2:29–31 Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ.

Through His Resurrection Christ has been exalted to the right hand of the Father to reign and rule over all things (Psalm 110:1, Acts 2:32-36).

Now here’s what the means for you.

Christ as King rules over all things for His glory and your good.

Your life is in His sovereign hands And we know… Romans 8:28-29… that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

No matter what comes into our life its not chaos.

No matter what hardship, bitter providence, or trial we might face… none of its wasted.

Its all going according to plan and Christ the King is using it for His glory and your good to sanctify you and conform you to the image of Christ.

To free you of your sin and give you a greater measure of Himself.

And Finally, by way of conclusion… why was it necessary for Christ to rise from the dead and what promises and assurances does it mean for you?

Number 3… Christ rose from the Dead…

3. To Conquer Death and Give Us Eternal Life

Revelation 1:17–18 Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

The Keys means that Christ has the power to open and shut… that He has authority over death and Hades.

He has conquered them.

As Isaiah said by His death He swallowed death in Victory (Isaiah 25:7-9).

And now Christ lives to give Eternal Life to all who believe in Him.

John 5:21, 24 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will… Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Conclusion

The Glory of the Resurrection is that In Him was life and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

And that Jesus Christ truly is the Resurrection and the Life… and the dawn of a New Creation redeemed from sin and death and the curse for all who believe in Him.

Let’s Pray

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