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.” Theme: Three crucial aspects of belief in the resurrection you must understand, so you will serve Christ with full devotion.
The Familiar Setting v.26 I. The necessity of belief v.27
A. Necessary for salvation B. Necessary for service
II. The confession of belief v.28
III. The blessing of belief v.29
A. The significance of the first witnesses and their writings B. The superiority of faith over personal experience or hard evidence
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.
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.”John 20:19-25 (NASB)
Theme: Five reasons why the resurrection of Jesus from the dead should motivate you to be His witness …. so you will
I. The context for Jesus’ appearance to the disciples
v.19a
II. The consolation Jesus gives to the disciples
v.19b
III. The confirmation Jesus offers the disciples
v.20
IV. The commission of Jesus to the disciples
vv. 21-23
A. The apostolic anointing
v.22
B. The apostolic privilege
v.23
V. The consensus of the disciples reported to Thomas
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.
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.”
16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
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.
Theme: Four import perspectives of the resurrection of Jesus Christ so you can be a conduit of this joy to the world
I. Hope Concealed … the distress of the resurrection
vv. 11-15
II. Hope Revealed … the discovery of the resurrection
v.16
III. Hope Understood … the demand for the resurrection
v.17
IV. Hope Announced … the directive of the resurrection
v.18
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Theme: Three standing priorities for Christians so you will know how to live as the church in the new year
The four bases for these priorities vv. 19-21
1. Our manner of entry is with confidence v. 19
2. Where we enter is the holyplace v. 19
3. How we enter is by the blood of Jesus vv. 19b-20
4. Who has entered before us is Jesus our greatpriest v. 21
The Three Priorities
I. The Command for devoted faith is to draw near with a true heart
v. 22
II. The Command for doctrinal fidelity is to hold fast the confession
v. 23
III. The Command for dutiful fellowship is to consider how to provoke one another
vv. 24-25
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
Theme: Three crucial arguments establishing the God honoring way to celebrate Christmas, so you may properly do so.
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.
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.
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.
Theme: Four preliminary reasons why you should believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead so you may be saved.
1. The discovery of Mary establishes that the tomb is empty vv. 1-2
2. The discovery of the disciples eliminates that the body is stolen vv. 3-7
3. The testimony of John encourages that you believe in this event v. 8
4. The testimony of Scripture ensures that the resurrection must happen v. 9
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.
40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Theme: Three elements of devotion to Jesus Christ so you know what it costs to be His disciple.
Risk: Notice the request v.38
Expense: Observe the burial vv.39,41
Consider: Consider the business of caring for the body vv.40,42
John 19:31-37 (NASB)
31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him;
33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.”
37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Introduction:
Theme: Three features of Jesus’ death necessary to establish Christianity so you will be confident in your faith.
Background: The brutal end of crucifixion vv. 31-32
The Jewish Custom v. 31a
The Roman Crueltyvv. 31b-32
Called crurifragium
I. The proof of His death leads to the need for His resurrection vv. 33-34
II. The testimony of John to His death leads to belief in Him v. 35
III. The fulfillment of Scripture in His death leads to assurance of God’s plan of salvation vv. 36-37
a. Jesus is the Passover lamb of Exodus 12:46
b. Jesus is the prophesied Lord of Zechariah 12:10
23 The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece.
24 They said therefore to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be;” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “They Divided My outer Garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”
25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.”
29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.
Theme: Two examples of the central role Scripture plays in the crucifixion of Christ so you will live faithfully in times of trial.
I. Jesus fulfillment of Scripture in the crucifixion is a motivation for Christian confidence. – vv. 23-25a, 28-29
A. The soldiers’ activity fulfilled Psalm 22:18
B. Jesus’ thirst fulfilled Psalm 69:21
You can rest assured of God’s purposes in the midst of your most difficult trials.
II. Jesus’ obedience to Scripture in the crucifixion is a model for Christian living. – vv. 25b-27, 30
A. Honoring your father and mother is a command, not an option. – Exodus 20:12/Ephesians 6:2
B. Accomplishing redemption is the ultimate example of obedience. – Isaiah 53:4-6, 10-12; Philippians 2:8, 1 Peter 2:21; 3:17-18
17 They took Jesus therefore; and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha;
18 where they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.
19 And Pilate wrote an inscription also, and put it on the cross. And it was written, “JESUS THE NAZARINE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
20 Therefore his inscription many of the Jews read, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek.
21 And so the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but the He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.'”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
Theme: Five salient features of Christ’s crucifixion to observe so you will more fully enter into His suffering.
I. The Place of the crucifixion ensures its historicity – v. 17
II. The Punishment of the crucifixion elicits your sympathy for Christ – v. 18
III The Placard of the crucifixion energizes your faith in Christ – v. 19
IV The publicity of the crucifixion encourages your evangelism for Christ – v. 20
V The politics of the crucifixion emboldens your resolve for Christ – vv. 21-22
