Wednesday in the Word...John 20:1-10...Up from the grave He arose!

The CSI forensic evidence is being reported by John, described as "the disciple that Jesus loved."  We get the witnesses' names, the day of the week, the time of day, the physical evidence at the scene, the placement of the physical evidence, and the initial assumptions of what has happened.  More evidence will be uncovered but I will let you read of the conclusions of Peter, John and Mary Magdalene.  

Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 20 and verses 1 to 10, which read,

v.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.

We ended last time with Jesus in the tomb on a Friday evening.  The women saw where Jesus was laid by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  They were now coming back after the Sabbath Day to prepare the tomb for the mourners to gather.  The main concern on their minds would be, "How will we move that heavy stone?"

John gives us the accounts of Jesus personal interactions with Mary Magdalene and also he and Peter's first observations at the tomb.  John wants us to know it is Sunday, the first day of the week.  Mary Magdalene is the first to the tomb and find the stone rolled away and assume someone has stolen the body.

John's order seems to:  

• Mary Magdalene first at the tomb, 
• Mary Magdalene tells Peter and John, 
• Peter and John visit the tomb, 
• Mary Magdalene before the angels at the tomb, 
• Mary Magdalene witnesses the risen Jesus who she assumes is a gardener, 
• Mary Magdalene reports this witness to the rest of the disciples.

I think it might be good to answer the question, "Who is this Mary Magdalene?"  Mary Magdalene was the woman that Jesus cast out the seven demons.  Her last name might have included the town she was from, Magdala, which was on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee.  She became a follower of Jesus and witnessed most of the events surrounding Jesus' suffering, death, burial, and resurrection.

  

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."

John gives us a couple hints here that Mary Magdalene was not alone.  Her assumption was that the body of Jesus was stolen and at best just moved to another location.  She also says, "we."  John focuses on the main character of the group much like other accounts when there are two blind men but the main character gets the name and the sole focus.  Maybe the order of events is that Mary Magdalene goes ahead of the group of women and gets to the tomb first, runs back to the group still coming and reports what she has found.  She runs onto Peter and John and gives the report and then travels back to the group of women. Peter and John go to the tomb, witness the linen clothes empty, leave the tomb, and then the group of women approach to witness the angels and Mary Magdalene to witness Jesus Himself.   

v.3-5 - So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.  The two were running together; and the other disciples ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.

You see the picture of Peter and John running side by side but as they got closer to the tomb, John bolts ahead much like Mary Magdalene getting to the tomb prior to the rest of the women.  John doesn't enter the tomb, he just stoops to look in and he saw those linen wrappings lying there.  If someone took the body, why would they unwrap it?  Would it be easier to move the body wrapped up like a package?  Probably the last unwrapping of a dead body that John had seen was the unwrapping of Lazarus.  The word "lying" signifies they were all in a pile and not thrown around.   The linen cloths were lying there in place but no body was in them.  This would not be a sign of a struggle or a sign of haste.  

v.6-7 - And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

Simon Peter catches up and par for the course of his life, just barges into the tomb like he barged into many conversations as the first one to speak, albeit with his proverbial foot in his mouth.  Peter sees the linen wrapping lying there where the body should be but then notices that the face-cloth, a separate piece was rolled up apart from them.  The linen cloths would have been full of spices.  The face-cloth would be separate so that it could be removed for any reason.  The face-cloth was not thrown to the floor of the tomb but rolled up.  Someone took the time to do this.  John gives us the physical forensic CSI scene so that questions would form in our minds.  The physical evidence doesn't add up to someone stealing the body of Jesus.

v.8-9 - So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.  For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

John enters the tomb, sees the physical evidence and makes the deduction that the body was not stolen but it rose from the dead.  The linen cloths are lying in the place where the body was and the face-cloth was rolled up like a risen body would have done with His own freed arms.  Jesus had said multiple times to His disciples that He would rise from the dead.  We hear it all the way back to the start of Jesus' ministry and the first cleansing of the temple.  Look again at John chapter 2 and verses 19 through 22, 

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Not only did Jesus state this but it was also the fulfillment of the Scriptures found in Psalm chapter 16 and verse 10 which reads,

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

Both Peter and Paul refer to this scripture and apply it as a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.  

v.10 - So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

At this point, Peter and John deduct that the body of Jesus is not stolen but risen but risen where? They head back to their own homes with this account but will soon have more evidence reported to them and the rest of the disciples.  The questions created will be answered because Jesus had also said that He would personally meet them in Galilee after His death and resurrection.  All that Jesus has said will be fulfilled.  This is a principle to hold onto as we look forward to His coming again.

Pastor Adam