Ep. 13 - The One About The Resurrection [John 20]

In this episode, we explore the story of the Resurrection of Jesus from John's account.

RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED

• The Resurrection Story - 4 Guys Telling The Story
• "The Face of God" Michael & The Shroud of Turin | Dr. Jeremiah Johnston - Michael Knowles YouTube Channel

Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Leader Lounge Podcast, a place where we have conversations about scripture and ministry in hopes of helping us all put God's word in our hearts and in our minds so that we can share it with others. Who wrote this?

SPEAKER_01 0:13

John.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

And who's faster? Peter or John? John. And John wants us to know that.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

And he says it like three times. So good.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Welcome back to the Leader Lounge. My name is Chris.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

And I'm Emily.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

And today we're going to be jumping into the story of the resurrection. This is Easter week. Happy Easter. And yeah, we're going to talk about this is the most amazing. You know, we Christmas is great, but really, Easter is the crux of our faith. Like if it's if Easter didn't happen, then being a Christian would be pointless.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

Paul said that, right? Didn't he he there's some verse where he's like, if not for the resurrection, there's no point.

unknown 0:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

And so we're gonna we're gonna look at the resurrection. We're we're only gonna look at the resurrection from the book of John today, although the resurrection story is in all four of the gospels. Um, and you want to tell them about this video real quick?

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Yes, we have a family favorite. Um, it's a video where these four guys are playing the roles of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and telling the story because the resurrection story is interesting. Obviously, it's the same story in all four Gospels, um, but there are some very small differences in the way it's told. Um, and so they kind of, I mean, even just like John might say that it was very early in the morning, and then someone else might say, while it was still dark. Um, and so they talk about that, and it's it's really funny. I don't know if I made it sound funny, but it's really funny.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

No, it's great. We're gonna put a link to that video in the show notes, and I would encourage you to go click on the show notes, go listen to the or go watch that video. It's it's really it's four seminary students, and I think it was their project that they had to do for one of their classes.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Oh, I didn't know that. That's funny.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Yeah. So um, so today we are going to only be in the book of John. And um, and so we're focusing on the resurrection. The next two podcasts, we're also gonna focus on a little bit of the resurrection, in that we're gonna talk about when Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus. Um, and then we're also gonna talk about when Jesus restores Peter. Okay, so the next three up, this one plus the next two are gonna be about the resurrection, but today we're gonna focus on like the resurrection at the tomb and you know that whole story. And so, um, Em, why don't you go ahead and read? We're we're in John chapter 20, and as always, we would really recommend you grab a Bible and read along with us.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

All right, we're starting in verse one. Um 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. 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. 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.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Alright, so a big part of this podcast is us bringing these stories to life and just considering what it must have been like. And so it's dark. It's morning time, right? And I love that I get up in the nobody else in the house gets up when it's dark, I don't think. Do you get up when it's dark?

SPEAKER_02 3:54

If I have to.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Yeah. Well, I I love getting up when it's dark, and I and so that's what I picture. Like, like every morning I sit by a window and I read my Bible, and I and the I watch as the the world where I am physically uh gets light as the sun comes up and and it transforms from darkness into light. And um, and so that's the time of day that this is. These women get up um and they go to the tomb. And here it only focuses on Mary. But there were we know there were other women there with them as well. And so it's super early in the morning and they're going to the tomb. Why are they going to the tomb?

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Because it had been the Sabbath, and so they couldn't do any work, so they weren't preparing his body for burial. So they were going to do that now.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Okay, so these women are going to the tomb, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Um, and so Mary gets there and she sees the stone has been rolled away.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

Yeah. And her first thought, because like what she tells Peter is not Jesus is raised from the dead, it's I guess Peter and John, she says they have taken the Lord, and we don't know where they have laid him. And so that's just so interesting. The like the first thought is just like the guards, I think we talked about that two weeks ago. The guards thought that someone might come and try to steal his body, and apparently that might have been a thought among the disciples as well, which is interesting.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

But they thought that I mean the religious leaders thought that the disciples were gonna steal the body.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

So I don't know who Mary thought.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

But why why would she think somebody stole the body?

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Because what other option is there? Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Right? There's no in her mind, there is no other possibility. Like that's the only possible thing that could have happened. They knew Jesus was dead, and they had never they the idea that he would raise from the dead was the furthest thing from their mind. Even though he told them.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

And they saw him do that with Lazarus.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

It's so interesting. I would do the same thing though.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

So if we're bringing this to life, this is one of my favorite stories to share with kids, particularly this part. Who wrote this?

SPEAKER_01 6:05

John.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

And who's faster? Peter or John? John. And John wants us to know that.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

And he says it like three times. It's so good.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

It's and he's an old man, right, when he's writing this. And so he's probably reminiscing about how fast he was as a young man. And he was faster. I wonder. I bet they I wonder if he and Peter like we get in arguments about who's fastest or who's strongest. And you know.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Was Peter even alive when John wrote this?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

I don't think so. I think John.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

It's so cruel of him.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Like, like it doesn't matter anymore.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Let it go, man.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

It's terrible. He really does. He says both of them are running together, but the other disciple outran Peter. And then it says that Simon Peter came following him, and then it says the other disciple who had reached the tomb first. Like he literally says it multiple times.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

So you can't miss it.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

I love it. It shows again, you know, we've pointed this out in other podcasts, but uh it it sh it it shows the truth of the scripture. Like, why, if you're just making up a story, you're not gonna put that in there. You know, this is his eyewitness account. Um, and it it's it it's who John is, right? Um I also think it's who Peter is. Like when you when you read this story and it says John, John was probably more reserved, uh, maybe a little bit more fearful, where if as we read through the stories of the Bible and we hear, you know, Peter's the one who walked on the water, right? Peter's Peter's the one who sticks his his foot in his mouth all the time. Um here, he just runs straight into the tomb. Like you have to be crazy to do that, right? Yeah. Like, and he runs straight into the tomb where John is standing outside. I love that about Peter. He just has this kind of this let's go attitude, right? He's the one who cut off Malchus's ear. Yeah. Right? Such good stuff. And then what do they do after that? So they go into the tomb and then they see the stuff there, right? They see the headcloth, which by the way, okay, let's side note, we'll put this in the show notes also. Um the the linen wrappings are called the Shroud of Turin now. And there are a lot of people who believe that that shroud is actually still here. Um, and there's a really great um video that I'll put in the in the uh show notes um where there's a a guy who is part of the research team for the Shroud of Turin, and um, and he describes a lot of why they believe, and I'm not saying I believe or don't believe, but it's pretty fascinating. Um, the kind of the scientific uh evidence that this could potentially be the actual wrapping that Jesus was in. So I'll put that in the show notes as well. But they went back to their homes.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

I mean, what else are they gonna do? But Mary does not. She stays there. Um so she's and I'll go ahead and pick up on it in verse eleven here. Here's what it says. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and said to and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where I where you have laid him, and I will take him away. And Jesus said to her, Mary. I can barely read that M. She turned and said to him in Aramaic, Raboni, which means teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord. And they and sorry, and that he had said these things to her. The reason I get choked up when I read that is can you imagine Mary? Like, and I love that he says his her name. It's just such a sweet, like tender thing, you know.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

This is a totally random thought. But I feel like this is the only time that angels appear to people, and they're not like Mary doesn't I don't know, she might have been scared, but like she doesn't even seem pleased, she just answers them. That's so random, just like something like usually they're like, do not be afraid, or the person is like freaking out.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Um that's a really good observation.

SPEAKER_02 11:05

That's just interesting. And then she didn't know it was Jesus. Like, did he look different? Was he in I know some people would say like, oh, he's in a different like same body, but like different like heavenly almost.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Right. He He had to have had a resurrection body. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Like he didn't look they said that you could not recognize him on the cross. Right. Because of how like beaten up he was so he definitely didn't look like that.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

But he still had the nail, the scars, right? In his hands and in his side. Yeah, and later on, and we're not gonna do it on this episode, but later on we're gonna talk about the road to Emmaus. I mean, these two these two disciples walk with him for seven miles, and they don't recognize that it's Jesus. So he had to have had a different a different body. Um but he continues to appear to them, and and so they do recognize like she when he says her name, she turns and acknowledges him as her teacher, right? Do you have something?

SPEAKER_02 12:15

I was just looking. There was a note in my Bible that said, Hearing only her name, Mary recognizes the voice of Jesus, and it says, Compare to chapter ten, verses three and four. So I was looking at what that was. It says, The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

That's pretty cool. Yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them, and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Okay, so this scene, right? So they go to the tomb, Jesus' body is not there. Then the the disciples go back to their homes, right? So, and then we have the whole story where Mary sees Jesus. So I'm imagining the disciples are in their homes, right? Or they're they're in a room somewhere with together. Now they're not all there, we know that, because in a minute we're gonna read about Thomas, who isn't there, right? But um, so they're in a in a house and the doors are locked, but they've heard this story about Mary has told them that she saw Jesus alive, right? So you can imagine what do you think those conversations were like in that room before Jesus shows up.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

I mean, they might have been recounting times that he had said he was gonna do this, to maybe like they were probably just trying to think like, did he ever mention this? Um, which he did several times, but I have no idea.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

So here's something that I wonder. It says that they were in a room, the doors were locked, and that Jesus uh came and stood among them. So did he have like could he just appear and disappear? Or did he unlock the door and come in? Because when you know the angel unlock when Peter is in jail and acts, an angel comes and unlocks the door, like it just opens by itself, right? Um and so actually I think it happened, it just opens by itself, or the chains come off Paul, and when they're when he's in, um has been arrested. And so anyway, um, yeah. I just wonder, like, I I kind of think I think he disappeared. That's what I think too.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

Because even later on it happens again, and it says, although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Yeah. So he's just standing there. Do you think he I just picture I like he could like what if he was like if we're sitting here where we're sitting right now? What if Jesus like appeared to our backs and was like, hey guys, you know what I mean? Instead of just be with you. Yeah, I I picture them like being in a circle and Jesus like appearing in the middle, but it it probably wasn't like that at all. You know, um, they're probably sitting on the floor, um, they're scared. It says they're scared for the fear of the Jews, right? And Jesus just shows up.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Is this moment in verse 22 when they do receive the Holy Spirit, or is that later on in Acts?

SPEAKER_00 15:47

That's an Acts. It's interesting. I mean, as I read through the Bible, I think there's several places where it talks about um the Spirit, um, but receiving the Spirit at Pentecost was different than than this, which this has always confused me if I'm being honest. Like, I I don't I need to do some more research on this particular verse, um the end of verse 22 and 23, um, because it appears to say that we have the authority to forgive sins, right? Or that the disciples, whoever he was breathing on, does. And that that could be where you know the Catholic Church, if it was Peter, you know, in the priest, you know, the line of the popes that goes from Peter in the belief that um priests have the ability to forgive sins. I think I don't I don't know all of that their doctrine, but that could go back to that verse. Where is he sending them? He says in verse 21, I believe, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. How do you think they would have received that? Like, what do you think they what do you think that meant?

SPEAKER_02 16:57

I mean sending it out to others. It's kind of like a mini Great Commission. Because it's I mean, the I guess what we call the Great Commission is in Matthew.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

But go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

And he doesn't really say that in John.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

It's interesting, he says, as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Like it's it's kind of like a commissioning, you're right. You wanna close it out?

SPEAKER_02 17:31

Yep. Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord, but he said to them, Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. Eight days later his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it into my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Where was Jesus for those eight days?

SPEAKER_00 18:36

That's a good question. I mean it says that he appeared to people over over forty days, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

But none of the disciples?

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Maybe not. Or maybe maybe not Thomas, at least, right? I mean, the disciples say we have seen the Lord. It doesn't it doesn't say we saw the Lord eight days ago. You know, maybe they've seen him.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

Well, it says that they told him that, and then eight days later. So they told him pretty recently. But then eight days later he appeared to Thomas.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Oh, you're right. So he m it must have been right then, you know. Yeah. Um Thomas. What a guy. You know. I think Thomas gets a bad rap. Um I think he was being reasonable, you know? He's like, look, I need to see this for myself.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

I love that John gives these two verses at the end of the chapter that just tell the whole purpose of the book. And just saying, like, he did so much more, Jesus did so much more than this. But this is written that you might believe and have life in his name, which is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah, so much of John is about believing. You know, I mean, we go back to John 3.16, for God so loved the world that whoever believes in him, right? Um I also like in verse 29 uh where Jesus says to Thomas, Have you believed because you've seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And I love that because that's us. You know? And um and if we're sharing this story with uh with kids or with family members, that's a great verse right there of like, hey, do you believe? All right. Well, hey, let me pray. And then um we will see you guys in the next podcast. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you so much for um this time. I thank you for your word. We thank you for the story of the resurrection, Lord, um, that you died, um, you were buried, and on the third day you rose again. Um, and that because of that um and the reality of that, Lord, we um we can believe, we can have life in your name, Lord God. You conquered death. Um it was nailed to the cross, Lord God, and you um you conquered it. Um so we can have life and have life to the full with you for all of eternity. And I pray now, um, even for those who are listening to this episode, Lord, I pray, Father, that if there's any who don't know you personally, that they might um turn from their sin, that they might repent, that they might believe that you are who you say you are, um, and that you desire to forgive their sins and you desire to give them life and give it to the full, and that you've paid the penalty um for them, Lord. And um I pray that they might have new life in you. And uh, we lift all of this up to you, Lord. Yes, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 21:27

Amen.