The Resurrection of Jesus
We want you to know City Awakening is a place for both skeptics and believers to seek truth, find joy, and live with a purpose in our city. We believe that truth, joy, and purpose can all be found in Jesus. But even if you’re a skeptic who doesn’t believe that, you’re still welcome to attend our church. We invite both skeptics and believers to attend our church, because we believe Jesus can speak into the lives of both.
Now as for today, this is the final week in a teaching series we’ve been doing called The Last Week. We’ve been studying the last week, the final few days of Jesus’ life, and what we’re studying specifically today is the resurrection of Jesus. Easter’s all about the resurrection of Jesus! Right now people all over the world are celebrating a savior who’s risen from the grave, not a bunny who lays eggs! They’re celebrating a powerful living savior, not mourning a powerless dead religious teacher! They’re celebrating because Easter’s all about the resurrection of Jesus. It’s all about how Jesus is still alive today, which means his resurrecting power can still transform our lives today. His resurrecting power can still rewrite the story of our lives, and everyone has a story...Everyone in here has a story, and today’s text will teach us the resurrection has the power to change, transform, rewrite the story of our lives. So let’s turn to John Ch. 20 and get into it. If you open the bible to the middle and keep turning right, you’ll find John. We’ll be in John Ch. 20:1-31. Title of the message is The Resurrection of Jesus, and the big idea of the message is the resurrection can rewrite the story of our lives...The resurrection can rewrite the story of your life...
Here’s your context. Historically we know Jesus was crucified and buried on a Friday, and then numerous claims started spreading that he had risen on the 3rd day, which was a Sunday. The Apostle John, who’s the author of this book of the bible, is about to explain what happened shortly after Jesus had risen. His primary focus in Ch. 20 is all about the resurrection of Jesus, but it’s also about what happened to people’s lives after they encountered the resurrected Jesus. It’s all about the empty tomb, but it’s also about the resurrecting power of Jesus changing, transforming, rewriting the stories of 1st Mary, 2nd The disciples, and 3rd Thomas. So let’s check it out.
John 20:1-31 states, “On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, and said to them, ‘They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him!’” Notice Mary’s first response isn’t that he’s risen, it’s that he’s stolen! She says they’ve taken the Lord! It never crosses her mind that he’s risen! Jesus claimed he’d rise again on the 3rd day so much, that even his enemies were concerned about it, which is why they placed soldiers at the tomb to guard it. It’s public knowledge at this point, so you’d think Mary’s first response would be that he’s risen, but it isn’t. In Luke’s gospel it says she came to the tomb with spices to finish the Jewish burial rituals, which tells us she came to mourn, not to celebrate. It tells us she doubted the resurrection, and doubt often grows in the soil of disappointment...When God doesn’t answer our prayers, give us what we want, give us an easy life, we often bury our hope in the soil of disappointment, and that’s when our doubts start to grow...Doubt often grows in the soil of disappointment, just like it did for Mary. Mary’s doubting the resurrection, but she can’t deny the fact that the tomb’s empty, so she tells the disciples about it. When Peter and another disciple hear this, they rush off to go investigate the empty tomb.
Vs. 4, “The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping on Jesus’ head wasn’t lying with the linen cloths, but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple went in, saw, and believed.” So apparently the other disciple is a speedy running back, and Peter’s a slower offensive lineman. The other disciple outruns Peter, and he doesn’t enter the tomb. But Peter immediately enters the tomb and what’s he find? He finds Jesus’ clothes folded up. It’s clue that Jesus’ body wasn’t stolen like Mary thought, because a thief wouldn’t take time to fold the clothes. They’re like a teenager wanting to get in and out of the house, instead of folding their laundry. So the tomb wasn’t empty because his body was stolen; it’s because he had risen.
Vs. 10, “Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb crying...14 She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said, ‘Why are you crying? Who is it you’re seeking?’ Supposing he was the gardener she replied, ‘Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you put him..’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ Then turning around she said to him ‘Rabboni!’—which means ‘Teacher…’ 18 Mary went and announced to the disciples, ‘I’ve seen the Lord!...’” Noice her quick transition from crying to celebrating. The only thing that could’ve caused a quick transition like that, is the resurrection of Jesus. Healing from grief is a much slower, more gradual process than that. So the only logical reason for her having such a quick transition, is she must’ve seen the resurrected Jesus. Everything changed in her life when she realized he had risen. So the 1st thing we’re learning is...
#1 The resurrection rewrites Mary’s story. – The resurrection of Jesus rewrites Mary’s story. She came to the tomb mourning, grieving, doubting the resurrection, thinking someone stole the body. She’s crying because she thinks the story’s over. But Jesus shows her the story isn’t over, because the resurrection has the power to rewrite her story. Everything changed in her life when she realized he had risen. The resurrection turned her depression into dancing, her tears into a testimony, her crying into a celebration! The resurrection was able to rewrite Mary’s story!
Vs. 19, “When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews.” The text says it’s still the 1st day of the week, meaning it’s still the same day Jesus said he’d rise again, and where are the disciples? They’re hiding in fear with the doors locked...They’re hiding in fear with the doors locked, which tells us they’re doubting the resurrection too! I mean none of them are like “Hey it’s the 3rdday, maybe we should check it out. Maybe we should see if he’s risen.” None of them check the tomb to see if he’s risen, which is why Mary has to go get them! In fact two disciples admitted they lost hope in Jesus after he died. Luke 24:21,“We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.” Notice the past tense. They said we had hoped, meaning they aren’t hoping anymore. It’s because when Jesus died, all their faith and hope died with him. So they’re hiding in fear with the doors locked.
Again vs. 19, “The disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.’” Notice Jesus says peace be with you two times. He shows up in that fearful room to bring peace into their fearful hearts. He’s saying, “Find peace in me and my resurrecting power. Find peace in knowing you don’t have to fear anything anymore, because if I can conquer the grave, then I can conquer anything else you’ll ever go through in life.” City Awakening, there isn’t anything you’ll ever go through in life that a resurrection can’t fix!...If Jesus has truly risen from the dead, then it means there isn’t anything you’ll ever go through in life that his resurrecting power can’t fix!...Vs. 20 says the disciples realized this, and they rejoiced over it! It’s another quick transition from fear to rejoicing, that can only be explained by the resurrection. Everything changed when they realized he had risen, and it’s another rewritten story.
#2 The resurrection rewrites the disciples’ story. – The resurrection of Jesus rewrites the disciples’ story. They go from hiding in fear with the doors locked, to rejoicing and unlocking the doors in fearless faith. They stopped hiding and risked their entire lives spreading the good news of Jesus with the world. It’s a powerful piece of evidence for believing in the resurrection, because there’s no reason for them to risk their lives sharing the story of a dead savior. “Hey you should put your faith in Jesus.” Why? “Because he lived, died, and stayed dead!” Ah no thanks!... I’m not putting my faith in a dead savior!...But the reason they risked their lives, the reason they were willing to face torture and death for telling others about Jesus, is because they realized he’s a living savior, not a dead savior! If you’re a skeptic, ask yourself why the sudden shift?...Why were they suddenly willing to suffer and die, if it’s all just a lie?...If you’re a believer, are you living a hidden life, or a sent life?...Are you keeping your faith locked up in fear, or unlocked and shared?...They started risking their lives because they realized the hit list they feared didn’t matter, since Jesus had resurrecting power. The resurrection was able to rewrite the disciples’ story.
Vs. 24, “But Thomas, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, ‘We’ve seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.’” Thomas is another disciple who’s doubting the resurrection. He wasn’t in the room with the other disciples when they saw Jesus, and he doesn’t believe them. So he gets very specific about what it’ll take for him to believe. He says, “Unless I see and touch him, I’ll never believe!” He needs more depth, more concrete evidence to believe. What we’re repeatedly seeing is Christianity didn’t start with people who had a gullible, irrational faith. It started with people who had a logical, rational faith, and they didn’t believe that the resurrection was possible. But everything changed after they saw Jesus had risen, and it’s about to change for Thomas’s life too.
Vs. 26, “A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them…Jesus came, stood among them, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.’ 28 Thomas responded to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Jesus said, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.’”Thomas finally believes! He says my Lord and my God, and it’s another rewritten story.
#3 The resurrection rewrites Thomas’ story. – The resurrection of Jesus rewrites Thomas’ story. After seeing Jesus had risen, he goes from skepticism to submission. A skeptic like Thomas might need a little more time to believe. Vs. 26 says he didn’t come to faith until a week after the resurrection. Jesus doesn’t reject him for doubting; he meets him in his doubt. Doubt isn’t the enemy of faith, an unwillingness to seek the truth is. Jesus accepts doubters, but he also invites them to seek the truth and take a step towards faith. There’s enough truth, evidence, historical facts to lead any open-minded person to faith in Jesus. The resurrection was able to rewrite Thomas’ story.
Vs. 30, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that aren’t written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John the author says all this was written so that YOU may believe! He’s saying this isn’t just about Mary’s story, the disciples’ story, or Thomas’ story. This is about your story! So the 4th and last thing we’re learning here is...
#4 The resurrection can rewrite YOUR story! – The resurrection of Jesus can rewrite your story! John says all this was written so that YOU may believe! Mary, the disciples, Thomas all had their stories rewritten, their entire lives changed by the resurrection, and yours can too! Vs. 31 isn’t about what happened to their life, it’s about what can happen to your life. The reality is some of you came here living a story you didn’t plan. It’s a story of struggles, disappointments, frustrations over the way life’s going...But those struggles and disappointments don’t have to get the final word in your story, because Jesus can rewrite your story!...The good news of the gospel isn’t that Jesus lived and died; it’s that he died and lived! He didn’t just die on the cross for your sins; he also walked out of the tomb to prove that it worked! Your life doesn’t have to be defined by sins or failures. It doesn’t have to feel like it’s beyond repair or restoration! Your life can change, your story can change, your story can be rewritten, and every day can be a new day with Christ!...Your worst days don’t ever have to be your last days, because he can always give you a new story like the people in the text! But the question is—will you let him rewrite your story?
If you’re a skeptic, you can keep writing your own story, or you can get right with God and let Jesus start rewriting your story. You can keep living the same old life without Jesus, or you can start living a new life with Jesus. If you want to live a new story, a new life with Jesus, then get right with God before you leave here today. Get right with God by praying, “Jesus forgive me of my sins and for rejecting you as my savior. I believe you died on the cross for my sins, and that you’re a living Savior. I want you to be MY living Savior, and the author of my life!” If you put your faith in Jesus today, he’ll make you right with God and start rewriting the story of your life today...If you’re a believer, vs. 31 is an invitation for Jesus to grow you, not just convert you. It’s an invitation for you to still treat him as the author of your life, not just a footnote in your life. Are doing that?...Are you treating Jesus as the author of your life, or treating him as a footnote in your life?...What are the areas in your life where you’re still trying to take the pen, still trying to control the story of your life, and you need Jesus to take the pen out of your hand?...Both skeptics and believers, you don’t have to walk out of here today the same way you came in...You can ask the living savior Jesus to transform your life, and to start rewriting your story today. Then you can come back next week for a new teaching series on a book of the bible called Colossians, and it’s all about discovering a new life in Christ. Today’s all about letting Jesus rewrite your story, but next week’s all about discovering how to grow in living out that story. So come back next week, bring someone with you, and let’s keep discovering and growing in a new life with Christ together.
The big idea of the message is the resurrection can rewrite the story of our lives...The resurrection of Jesus can rewrite the story of your life...Like I said before, everyone has a story, and today can be a turning point in your story, just like it was for Mary, the disciples, and Thomas. But there has to come a time when the pens go down, and the prayers go up...There has to come a time when your pen goes down, you stop writing, stop trying to control your story, and the prayers go up asking the living savior Jesus to rewrite your story. That time is now, so let the pens go down and the prayers go up...Take a minute to pray, to ask the living savior Jesus, to rewrite your story...