04.20.2014 Easter - John 20 - How to Grow in Faith

4-20-2014 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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You have given us life! Help us to have a deeper understanding of what You’ve done!

John 20: 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
We started back in the beginning of the year with this gospel – and the purpose is to produce and encourage FAITH – evidence that our faith is true and reliable. The story of the resurrection and the Easter story – this story comes at the end of that story – and there is a contrast between genuine faith and doubt – this is true and reliable and your faith has a solid foundation – something we can hold onto.
This describes how faith has developed. He tells us WHY we can believe – because of all the things Jesus did – all of the signs and the works that He did – all the books in the world could not contain them. There are so many more than what is recorded in the gospels – and he is reminding those who were alive of the things that Jesus did – things that prove and demonstrate the reality of our faith.
Jesus is the Christ, the son of God - the Messiah, the Savior, the King – the Anointed One – the One we have been waiting for – the WORD – the creator of all things and the judge of the world. What we see in John’s gospel – it begins with Creation – In the Beginning – was the Word. Through all eternity, Jesus has existed, He was with God – He is God – and now there is this new creation on Easter – this new body – a new body that had ever existed – and Jesus is first and we are going to follow. We are going to be a completely new creation at some point.
Then what we see – the results of the resurrection and our faith – so that we might have life. John talks about life – eternal life – This is eternal life, that You know me.
It is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ – it is built on that relationship with God – and yes, it will eventually mean eternity in heaven – but it doesn’t just start there – you will be MORE solid/physical than you are now!
The Bible tells many varied and different stories. There seems to be a story about everything in here – but all of the stories are telling one big story. They will eventually point to this day – and the first Easter is the climax of that story. The point of all of it is this – Jesus came and died and was raised from the dead with a new body that we will inherit. He had something much bigger to accomplish than people never sinning. All that happened had to happen – so we could share in Him in a new way.
This story begins in The Garden – the first two humans in His image. The second part – there is a rebellion in the garden – and because of this FALL – we move from intimacy with God to isolation and death. And the rest of the Bible story is an effort to tell us how to restore what was lost. It is bringing about a new creation. We are going from a creation to a re-creation. The story that began in the garden ends in a garden. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden – and ends in a garden tomb. There was a gardener there.
John 20: 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. 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.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
There is an element that is identical in all 4 gospels – The women – all 4 gospel writers have the women getting to the tomb first. They don’t all have Peter and John running there – and they don’t all have the Road to Emmaus.
Word spread that it was a lie. What John is showing – in their day – it is so important to recognize – a woman’s testimony was not considered reliable in a court of law – they couldn’t even give testimony if they were a witness.
God is basically saying - My witnesses are going to be women.
If you are making up a story, you wouldn’t have women as the eyewitnesses.
These women who went to the tomb were also the last ones to be at the cross – and they had seen where He was laid. They did not go to the wrong tomb! God’s ultimate purpose – with Spiritual and social significance – the resurrection – like in the Garden – each created equally in God’s image – Jesus is elevating the status of women. They were a status of those who were considered outsiders – those who were marginalized – and puts everyone on the same footing. Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Jesus broke it all down – the resurrection levels the playing field for everyone. There are no longer those who are superior in God’s kingdom – all are one in Christ.
Back to John:
4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
John gives so much detail to this – it is not just a story -
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
So the question is – what did they believe? John says – they did not understand this… - they believed that someone stole the body. Mary came and said – someone stole the body! So they ran – and the body is gone! There is this inability to believe until they see Jesus. Several times, John saw, and at the top of this line – He saw the linen wrappings – He saw and believed. This need to see to believe is the climax of the story – their faith needed sight – eventually we must get to the point we believe even though we don’t see.
Eventually – we must all get to the point where we believe even when we don’t see.
They get the facts – they go back – and they hide!
But…
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
First question – why did she stay? What is the difference here – why did she stay and the disciples leave? What caused her to look again? What did she think she would see?
There are all kinds of assumptions and conjecture about who she is. Most of you probably believe she was a prostitute. The Bible never says that. Many believe she was the one who anointed the feet of Jesus. It doesn’t exactly say that. Why Magdalene? She was from Magdala. We do know –
Luke 8: 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.
Why is she the first one? Why is she such an amazing example of faith? She had so much to be grateful for. Seven demons. What must it have been like to live like that? Hopefully none of us has even lived with ONE! This must have been a horrific life – and Jesus deals with it – and that gratitude produces love and devotion. She didn’t care about the Roman soldiers – she went right to the cross. She didn’t care about the Roman Guard – she went right to the tomb.
How much stuff have you been forgiven of? That love and devotion that cause her to stick around produces faith. How much has God done for you? How grateful are you?
She also glanced in a second time – so we see persistence – this also produces faith. Just look again – one more time! So the question is – what do we need to persevere in our faith? Look again. Whatever it is - look again.
15 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
This is a gentle rebuke. Mary would have no understanding of Jesus being raised – her mind would not be able to comprehend it – but Mary is not afraid to face her fear and doubt.
15 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 you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
There is like this fighting attitude! She is not leaving until she gets what she wants! Ignoring doubt produces two things – insecurity – and more doubt. We think ignoring doubt produces faith. But it only produces insecurity. We sometimes try to erase doubt with clichés – “It’ll all work out in the end!”
What doubt do you need to work out?
Suffering – abandonment – many of us feel abandoned by God.
A friend of mine was pouring out his heart regarding doubt - he has only been a Christian for a few months - in particular is struggling with some things related to science – I gave him some things to think about – but it is the resurrection that addresses doubt – that eliminates doubt! You won’t eliminate it by understanding more! When does her doubt end? The next verse – the minute he speaks -
16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
Her doubt was gone!
17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
Now – Mary’s faith is ignited and empowered. She goes to the disciples – and we see in the other gospels – they don’t believe her…
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
They had to see to believe. God was very patient with these folks – He led and guided them into faith.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Sometimes we just refuse to believe. We just simply refuse to exercise faith. But Jesus is very patient with Thomas – and lets him wait 8 more days!
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
That is where we fall – to be people of faith – that is the definition of faith – to believe what is unseen. But what is unseen is more real than what is seen.
Let's pray...