Eps. 148: Finding Hope in Jesus When Life Feels Heavy | Bible Study John 20

What if the empty tomb means more for your life today than you’ve ever realized?

In John 20, grief turns to joy, confusion gives way to clarity, and everything Jesus had promised suddenly becomes real. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb believing death has won—until the risen Jesus calls her by name.

The resurrection isn’t simply the conclusion of the Easter story. Because Jesus conquered sin and death, those who believe in Him are offered forgiveness, new life, and a new identity as children of God.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the details of the empty tomb helped John recognize that Jesus had truly risen.
• How Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus reveals that your past does not disqualify you from being loved, chosen, and used by God.
• What the resurrection means for your identity today and the hope, forgiveness, and eternal life Jesus makes possible.

Play this episode to rediscover the wonder of the resurrection and what Jesus’ victory means for your hope, identity, and new life in Him.

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

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A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Transcript

Welcome to Moments to Ponder

Speaker 1 0:07

Hi friends , welcome to Moments to Ponder . This is a podcast designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word , gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout your week . I'm Betsy Marvin and this is episode 148 . In the beginning , the Word already existed . The Word was with God and the Word was God and the Word was God . He existed in the beginning with God . God created everything through him and nothing was created except through him . The Word gave life to everything that was created and his life brought light to everyone . The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it . He came into the very world he created , but the world didn't recognize Him . He came to His own people , and even they rejected Him . But to all who believed Him and accepted him , he gave the right to become children of God . They are reborn not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan , but a birth that comes from God . So the word became human and made his home among us . He was full of unfeeling love and faithfulness , and we have seen his glory , the glory of the Father's one and only Son . As John began this gospel , the words I just read . He said it so clearly this gospel , the words I just read . He said it so clearly we have seen his glory . This is what John 20 is all about . We've come to the point of it all the resurrection . Darkness can never extinguish the light .

Speaker 1 2:30

Each gospel writer shares an account of this moment , this amazing Sunday morning so long ago . Luke writes from witness accounts , mark shares Peter's perspective , making it a second-hand account . And Matthew didn't go to the tomb , but John . John was there , he was an eyewitness and this is what he writes . Early on Sunday morning , while it was still dark , mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance . She ran and found Simon , peter and the other disciple , the one whom Jesus loved . She said They've taken the Lord's body out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him . We know from other accounts that Mary Magdalene wasn't alone that morning . She had at least two other women with her . They came while it was still dark , anxious to get there . They need to finish the job that Joseph and Nicodemus had begun the night before , but due to Sabbath they didn't quite get done . There was still more to do . They had additional spices for Jesus's body and on their way . They would ask each other how will we get the stone rolled away ? As soon as Mary sees the tomb open , she assumes that Jesus' body has been stolen . She's unaware of the seal that Pilate had put upon it to prevent that from happening . So she runs to find Peter and John , and she shares her fear .

Speaker 1 4:06

Verse three Peter and the other disciples started out for the tomb . They were both running , but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first . He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there , but he didn't go in . Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside . He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there , while the cloth that covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings . Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed , for until then they still hadn't understood the scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead . Then they went home . They run . They don't reject what Mary has said , but they aren't sure they believe it either . So they run . They have to see it for themselves .

Speaker 1 5:06

John , who refers to himself as the other disciple , does share that . He outran Peter , which is an interesting detail to share . John was younger than Peter . But I also wonder if he wants everyone to know that Peter didn't mess with anything . John was there first and he saw the tomb exactly as it was before anyone went in , and all that was in there was linen . Although John hesitated , he does go in with Peter and they notice the linen lying there . The head wrapping was folded . Why does that matter ? Why that detail ? Well , those strips of cloth were smeared with ointments and aloes and spices , and there were several layers that would have wrapped Jesus's body . If Jesus's body had been stolen , the cloth would be gone as well , and if the tomb had been robbed , the cloth would have been a mess on the floor . Yet the linens were there , lying there , as if the body had just evaporated out and the head cloth was folded . What a deliberate act . It's on purpose . As John sees this , he knows he believes all the scripture , all the words Jesus has said come together for him . Jesus has risen .

Speaker 1 6:32

Yet verse 10 tells us then they went home , which is a bit anticlimactic , isn't it ? I mean , they just go home . Maybe they need to just sit in the wonder of it . Maybe they were in fear of what might happen to them when the word gets out that the tomb was empty , would people think they had stolen him At this point , they haven't seen Jesus . Mary , however , didn't go home . Having followed Peter and John back to the tomb , she's alone , crying . The other women , having been spoken to by angels , went back to share what they have seen . And Mary ? She seems to need to see the place for herself .

Speaker 1 7:21

Verse 11 . Mary was standing outside the tomb crying , and as she wept , she stooped and looked in . She saw two white-robed angels , one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying . Dear woman , why are you crying ? The angels asked her , because they've taken away my Lord . She replied , and I don't know where they put him . Does it strike you a little bit odd that Mary doesn't even react to seeing angels ? These supernatural beings are sitting there in white , one at the head and one at the feet of the linens and Mary . She doesn't show any reaction . She is so consumed with the fact that Jesus is dead . She doesn't even register the linens lying there . The angels don't say be not afraid . As they do in every other appearance , they can see that Mary is so deep in her grief that she has no fear of them .

Speaker 1 8:36

I read one commentator who said when you're looking for the Lord , even angels won't do Verse 14 . She turned to leave and saw someone standing there . It was Jesus , but she didn't recognize him . Dear woman , why are you crying ? Jesus asked her who are you looking for ? She thought he was the gardener Sir . She said if you have taken him away , tell me where you have put him and I will go and get him . Mary Jesus said . She turned to him and cried out Reboni , which is Hebrew for teacher , don't cling to me . Jesus said , for I haven't yet ascended to the Father , but go find my brothers and tell them I am ascending to the Father and your Father to my God and your God . Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them I have seen the Lord . Then she gave them his message , as he will on the Emmaus Road later that day .

Speaker 1 9:42

Jesus doesn't reveal himself right away , and it wasn't to play a trick on Mary . It was to break into her grief and get her attention . She had heard him tell of this moment that he would rise from the dead , yet the physical reality of what she saw on Friday convinces her mind that Jesus is dead . Now we don't know if Jesus did look a bit different . We only know that she didn't recognize him . And then she hears her name Instantly . She knows the shepherd , knows the name of his sheep and his sheep know his voice . In her joy she wraps her arms around him , making sure he's real . It's the kind of hug that is full of surprise and joy and a little I got to prove you're real .

Speaker 1 10:35

In the Greek this is written in the present imperative , so it is translated here correctly Don't cling to me . Basically , jesus is saying Mary , you have to let me go . I need you to go to my brothers and tell them I'm alive . I bet she had a death grip on him . She wasn't about to let him get away . But as Jesus looks at her , he says I have work to do before I ascend to my father and your father , my God and your God .

Speaker 1 11:08

Just as he first announced himself as Christ to the woman at the well , a woman with a past , jesus chose Mary , a woman who had been demon-possessed , a woman with a dark past , to be the first witness of the resurrected Jesus . Mary's path did not disqualify her from being a follower , and she becomes the first person to be called an apostle of Jesus Christ . She's the first one to share the good news . It's important to note here that Jesus chose a woman to be the first witness of his resurrection . The courts of that day would not have recognized her testimony , but Peter and John do . They know that Jesus would not let gender hinder his choice of a witness . In fact , historically , if someone had made up this story of Jesus , they would have not made a woman the first witness . Women's voices were not seen as credible in that time and they would have been dismissed before they even opened their mouths . Yet Jesus values their voices and allows women to play a vital role as witnesses both to his deity and his resurrection .

Speaker 1 12:26

In verse 17 , we see something new , something I hadn't really paid attention to before . Jesus calls his disciples brothers . This is a first . He's called them friends , disciples and servants , but not brothers . Because of what Jesus did on the cross sin being paid for , the sacrifice being made for all time , the gap that separated humanity from God is filled . This simple statement to Mary tells her and us that they had become a part of his family . He's calling them brothers . His righteousness and what he had done created a new relationship with his disciples and ultimately , for all of those who would believe . Jesus held no judgment for their behavior just two nights before he didn't hold anything against them , but instead he forgives them before he even sees them , especially Peter . He forgives them before he even sees them , especially Peter . He wants a closer , familiar relationship with them and he desires the same for us .

Speaker 1 13:38

Because of the resurrection , the payment on the cross , you and I can be Jesus's brother or sister . When we hear child of God , do we really truly understand the wonder of that identity ? Do we see the incredible price Jesus paid to adopt us , to call us his own ? And it was done out of love and it was a choice he made to forgive us , giving us the identity , words of loved , chosen , forgiven . That's the point of the whole thing , the whole story of Jesus , the whole Old Testament pointing toward him and the New Testament pointing back toward him .

Speaker 1 14:31

In his letter to the Corinthians , paul says it really well . He says this it is this good news that saves you if you continue to believe the message I've told you , which is the message of Jesus , unless , of course , you believe something that was never true . In the first place , I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me . Christ died for our sins , just as scripture said . He was buried and he raised from the dead on the third day , just as the scripture said . He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve . After that , he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time , most of whom were still alive , though some have died . Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles .

Speaker 1 15:20

So you see , just as death came into the world through a man , now resurrection from the dead has begun through another man . Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam , everyone who belongs to Christ will be given a new life . From despair to elation , from grief to joy , from confusion to clarity , jesus changed everything the saving of Isaac through a ram Passover lamb that saved the Israelites , as the angel of death passed over the visions given to David and Isaiah . Everything is fulfilled in Jesus . He is the lamb that paid the price for sin . The angel of death is conquered and has no hold on him , and he did it because of love .

Speaker 1 16:25

Dear one , do you believe this good news that Jesus rose on the third day , that he conquered death and sin and offers life . If you do , may you be filled with incredible gratitude for what he has done and made possible . And if you're wondering , how do I receive a new life that Paul speaks of , just like John and Mary , belief is a choice . When we believe in Jesus claiming what he has done , in giving his life and rising from the dead , the overcoming of the penalty for sin , we just need to ask for forgiveness of our sin . We're told that he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness . In Him there is no condemnation . Our faith in Him gives us the right to be called children of God and as his children , we are heirs to eternal life . Through Jesus , people can find forgiveness , receive new life and know that their future is with God . It's the hope for everyone . Thanks be to God , amen .