|
I like Carl Bloch’s stone: it isn’t rolled away, it’s blown away! And if we aren’t blown away by the resurrection, we should be.
Previous Step. Next Step. |
 "The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch, from the Gamble family Bible, now in the private collection of Regina Hunter. Photography by Daryl Lee. |
Matthew 28:1-4; John 20:1-18, Sunday, very early. Mary Magdalene, Peter, and (probably) John (10/28/14)
All four gospels name Mary Magdalene as either the first person or as one of the first people to see Jesus after his resurrection. All four gospels say that one or more women went to the tomb around daybreak. After that, things get a little confusing, which is what we should expect. No one was expecting the resurrection, and no one (except maybe John, who is almost certainly “the other disciple”) understood it at the time. All four gospel writers either had their own experiences or had talked to various people who were eyewitnesses to a unique event. It’s sort of amazing that there’s any consistency at all among the six reports that we have about that Sunday.
-
1-4 After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary came to see the sepulcher. But to their amazement there had been a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord had descended from Heaven, and had come and rolled back the stone, and was sitting upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. For fear of him the guards trembled violently, and became like dead men.
1-2 On the first day of the week, very early, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from it. So she ran, as fast as she could, to find Simon Peter and the other disciple – the one who was dear to Jesus – and to tell them, "They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him."
3-5 Peter and the other disciple started at once to go to the tomb, both of them running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached it before he did. Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there on the ground, but he did not go in.
6-7 Simon Peter, however, also came, following him, and entered the tomb. There on the ground he saw the cloths; and the towel, which had been placed over the face of Jesus, not lying with the cloths, but folded up and put by itself.
8-9 Then the other disciple, who had been the first to come to the tomb, also went in and saw and was convinced. For until now they had not understood the inspired teaching, that He must rise again from among the dead.
10 Then they went away and returned home.
11-12 Meanwhile Mary remained standing near the tomb, weeping aloud. She did not enter the tomb, but as she wept she stooped and looked in, and saw two angels clothed in white raiment, sitting one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.
13 They spoke to her. "Why are you weeping?" they asked. "Because," she replied, "they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him."
14 While she was speaking, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize Him.
15 "Why are you weeping?" He asked; "who are you looking for?" She, supposing that He was the gardener, replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will remove him."
16 "Mary!" said Jesus. She turned to Him. "Rabboni!" she cried in Hebrew: the word means 'Teacher!'
17 "Do not cling to me," said Jesus, "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But take this message to my brethren: 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary of Magdala came and brought word to the disciples. "I have seen the Master," she said. And she told them that He had said these things to her.
Luke 24:1; Mark 16:3-4; Luke 24:3-7; Matthew 28:6-10; Luke 24:9-11, Sunday. The women meet angels and Jesus; the disciples don’t believe it. (10/29/14)
Another item that all four Gospels agree on is that the women met angels at the tomb, and their reactions included terror, amazement, and joy. All of these are completely appropriate, as we saw in our study of angels. Pay close attention to vss. 9-11 at the end. The women reported what they had learned to the disciples, who didn’t believe it.
-
1 And, on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared.
3-4, 3 and they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But then, looking up, they saw that the stone was already rolled back: for it was of immense size. and on entering they found that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.
4 At this they were in great perplexity, when suddenly there stood by them two men whose raiment flashed like lightning.
5-7 The women were terrified; but, as they stood with their faces bowed to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you search among the dead for Him who is living? He is not here. He has come back to life. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, when He told you that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.
6-7 “He is not here: He has come back to life, as He foretold. Come and see the place where He lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him. Remember, I have told you.”
8-9 They quickly left the tomb and ran, still terrified but full of unspeakable joy, to carry the news to His disciples. And then suddenly they saw Jesus coming to meet them.
“Peace be to you,” He said. And they came and clasped His feet, bowing to the ground before Him.
10 Then He said, “Dismiss all fear! Go and take word to my brethren to go into Galilee, and there they shall see me.”
9-11 and returning from the tomb they reported all this to the Eleven and to all the rest. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles. But the whole story seemed to them an idle tale; they could not believe the women.
Matthew 28:11-15, Sunday, The cover-up (10/30/14)
Neither conspiracy theories nor cover-ups are new. To be fair, it sort of sounds like everybody involved thought someone else had stolen Jesus’ body. By this time, most people had no idea that there might have been a resurrection, and even some of those who had been told about it thought it was fantasy.
Luke 24:13-32, Sunday afternoon. Jesus speaks to two disciples on the road (10/31/14)
Cleopas and his friend seem not to be mentioned elsewhere in the Bible than in this passage from Luke, although the “long ending” of Mark does summarize the incident in two verses (Mark 16:12-13). I don’t find it surprising that the two did not recognize Jesus immediately. For one thing, they don’t seem to have been among his intimate associates. For another, twice I’ve failed to recognize my very own granddaughter for a second when I’ve seen her out of context, and nobody has ever been so out of context as Jesus on resurrection day!
Luke 24:33-36a; John 20:19b; Luke 24:37-40; Mark 16:14b-18; Luke 24:41-43; John 20:20b-29, Sunday evening. Jesus speaks to his disciples. (11/3/14)
Jesus appeared to many people after his resurrection, most of whom didn’t believe it. Well, that makes a lot of sense to me – the last time they had seen him, he had been beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross, stabbed in the side, dead, and buried. Now, three days later, he seemed to be fine! You and I wouldn’t have believed it either, especially not without seeing it for ourselves. I like Thomas a lot. He wants the proof of his own eyes, but once he has it, he is the first person to acknowledge Jesus not only as Lord, but also as God.
By the way, the material italicized by Weymouth is from the “long ending” of Mark, added very early in the first century after the original ending (if Mark ever wrote one) was lost. It is perfectly scriptural.
-
33-35 So they rose and without an hour’s delay returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven and the rest met together, who said to them, “Yes, it is true: the Master has come back to life. He has been seen by Simon.” Then they related what had happened on the way, and how He had been recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
36a, 19 While they were thus talking, On that same first day of the week, when it was evening and, for fear of the Jews, the doors of the house where the disciples were, were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you!”
37-38 Startled, and in the utmost alarm, they thought they were looking at a spirit; but He said to them, “Why such alarm? And why are there such questionings in your minds?
39 See my hands and my feet – it is my very self. Feel me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40, 14b And then He showed them His hands and His feet. And He upbraided them with their unbelief and obstinacy in not having believed those who had seen Him alive.
15-18 Then He said to them, “Go the whole world over, and proclaim the Good News to all mankind. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who disbelieves will be condemned. And signs shall attend those who believe, even such as these. By making use of my name they shall expel demons. They shall speak new languages. They shall take up venomous snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall do them no harm whatever. They shall lay their hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover.”
41-43, 20b But, while they still could not believe it for joy and were full of astonishment, He asked them, “Have you any food here?” And they gave Him a piece of roasted fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence; and the disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Master.
21-23 A second time, therefore, He said to them, “Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you.” Having said this He breathed upon them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you remit the sins of any persons, they remain remitted to them. If you bind fast the sins of any, they remain bound.”
24-25 Thomas, one of the twelve – surnamed ‘the Twin’ – was not among them when Jesus came. So the rest of the disciples told him, “We have seen the Master!” His reply was, “Unless I see in his hands the wound made by the nails and put my finger into the wound, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it.”
Sunday, a week later. Jesus and Thomas.
26 A week later the disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them, when Jesus came – though the doors were locked – and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be to you.”
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Bring your finger here and feel my hands; bring you hand and put it into my side; and do not be ready to disbelieve but to believe.”
28 “My Lord and my God!” replied Thomas.
29 “Because you have seen me,” replied Jesus, “you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
More of The Chronological Gospel
Birth Announcements and Early Lives of Jesus and John the Baptist
Early Ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist
Jesus’ Early Ministry
Jesus’ Galilean Ministry
Sabbath Controversies
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Plain
John the Baptist
Signs and Parables
Miracles and Mission Trips
Bread of Life
Miracles and Meanings
Transfiguration and Teachings
To Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles
Some Results of Luke’s Research
Light
More of Luke’s Research
On the Road Again
The Raising of Lazarus
Holy Week: Palm Sunday and Monday
Holy Week: Tuesday, Parables and Questions
Holy Week: Wednesday Part 1, Discussions
Holy Week: Wednesday Part 2, Be Ready!
Holy Week: Thursday Part 1, Jesus' Celebration of the Passover
Holy Week: Thursday Part 2, Jesus' Farewell Discourse
Holy Week: Friday Part 1, Jesus' Arrest and Two Informal Trials
Holy Week: Friday Part 2, More Trials
Holy Week: Friday, Part 3, and Saturday, Jesus' Death and Burial
The Empty Tomb
Final Appearances of Jesus Prior to Pentecost
Copyright 2014, 2015, 2016 by Regina L. Hunter. All rights reserved. Scripture readings are from the Weymouth New Testament (1912). This page has been prepared for the web site by RPB.
Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author, Regina Hunter, and may or may not be shared by the sponsors or the Bible-study participants. Thanks to the Holy Spirit for any useful ideas presented here, and thanks to all the readers for their support and enthusiasm. All errors are, of course, the sole responsibility of the author.
Our Sponsors:
St. John's United Methodist Church, "Transforming Lives Through Christ."
2626 Arizona NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110
St. John's Music Ministries now has a YouTube channel, bringing you free concerts and choral music. Check it out!
Traditional worship services are held Sundays at 8:15 and 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Casual worship services are held Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. Jazz Vespers are held monthly on the second Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. St. John's feels especially called to the worship of God and to the service of our neighbors through our music program.
Storm Dragon SoftwareTM
Ducks in a Row, Inc.
This website is supported in part by the generosity of Mrs. J. Jordan.