Title: Jesus was resurrected (John 20:1-18)
Contents
Jesus was resurrected (John 20:1-18)
I pray that the good news of the resurrection of our Lord will be with you, your family, and everything you do. After the resurrection of Jesus, fear of his resurrection and all the things that tried to prevent it became paradoxical proof of the resurrection of Jesus. The Bible records that they took a large stone and closed the door of the tomb, and sealed it with the help of administrative force. And the fact that they mobilized soldiers to guard the tomb, etc., testifies to the resurrection of Jesus as a more certain thing.
Just as our funeral culture has the Trinity, the Israelites in Jesus' day continued to visit the tomb for three days. They thought that when a person dies, the soul does not leave immediately, but hovers around the tomb and leaves the body only when the face begins to rot. So, because the day Jesus died was the preparation day for the Sabbath, he could not move on the Sabbath, so he could not find the tomb, and it was only on the first day after the Sabbath that he could find the tomb.
The first to find Jesus' tomb were women. Although they had heard the prophecy of the resurrection, they did not even believe or even think about the Lord's resurrection. The Bible describes their attitude as 'On the eve of the first day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and another Mary came to see the tomb' (Matt. It is written, 'Take the spices prepared and go to the tomb' (Luke 24:1). They did not come to see the resurrected Lord, but only to see the dead and comfort them.
Even when the women saw the empty tomb left behind, they could not imagine the resurrection of Jesus and only thought of finding the body. Confused by the empty tomb, the women went to Peter and the other disciple and then returned. Today's text reads, "Peter and his other disciple went out and went to the tomb, and they were running together. The other disciple ran faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first, and crouched down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but did not go in. Simon Peter followed. When I entered the tomb, the linen cloth was laid out (John 20:3-6)'. This is because the beloved disciple, who is the writer of the Gospel of John, arrived at the tomb earlier because he is a young man, but it seems that he was considering Peter, who was older, to witness the resurrection of the Lord first. In any case, even after the two disciples passed away, they continued to stay in the tomb, unable to give up the thought of finding the body.
Even when they saw the resurrected Jesus, they did not realize the resurrection. The women who continued to weep begged the angels to return the body to the angel of the Lord, saying, “Woman, why are you weeping?” They said, “I do not know where the man has taken my lord and laid him” (John 20:13). He met the resurrected Lord, but he only knew that he was a gardener, saying, “When he turned around and saw that Jesus was standing, he did not know that it was Jesus” (John 20:14). When Jesus said, “Mary,” Mary turned and said in Hebrew, “Raboni” (John 20:16), and finally realized that it was the Lord.
Even though Jesus was resurrected, we must see if we are still looking for his body in the tomb or remaining in sorrow. We must hear the voice of the Lord who seeks by calling on my name.
In this way, people searched for the tomb with wrong wishes, but eventually found the risen Jesus. The Lord had prophesied many times that He would be resurrected, and it was recorded in the Bible, but those who did not even realize or even thought of the resurrection and wanted only to find the body had wrong wishes. But instead of the dead, they meet the risen Lord. So are we. Sometimes you can come before the Lord with a wrong wish, but if you come out with a sincere heart, earnest wish and love, God will change that wish.
Fletcher famously said, “Only love justifies the way.” Of course, although it could not be said that it was unconditionally valid theologically, it was the women who sublimated even the wrong way and eventually enjoyed the privilege of meeting the resurrected holy body first.
Even for us, even if it is a wrongly motivated faith, we can meet the resurrected Lord when we run to the Lord with a heart that truly loves the Lord.
He also had them share the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has already risen, but we must not be fools who still have a castle that only revolves around the tomb. I must first meet the risen Lord. So let's run to tell the Lord whom I met with a face of joy and hope, not a face of fear and surprise. We should not become people who just enjoy the joy and stay alone, but people who preach the good news of the resurrection. Even if you cannot fully understand the resurrection yet, amazing works will happen if you preach the risen Lord. Of course, like the two young men who were going down to Emmaus, there were people who did not believe and went their own way when they heard the news that Jesus had risen again. The Bible tells us. ‘How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?’ (Romans 10:14) The news of the resurrection continues to be witnessed through those who preach. It will make a great history.
The world we live in is full of fear, anxiety, and anxiety just as it was after Jesus died on the cross. Just as the military and political influence of the Roman Empire dominated at that time, the logic of power dominates mankind today. However, the power of faith and the power of godliness have fallen and are in a state of spiritual confusion.
The only way to solve these problems is to spread the gospel of the resurrection of Jesus and use its power to defeat the powers of darkness. Let me first meet the risen Lord. I hope you will meet the Lord who calls on my name and be in the place of grace to meet the risen Lord even for those of us who are seeking Him with wrong wishes.
And let's preach the news of the risen Lord. Let's preach the word of the Lord with a face of joy and hope, not a face of fear and surprise. The way we live our lives will change the place we live.
Today is Easter Sunday and also Disability First Sunday. May all obstacles in situations that make it difficult for people with disabilities around us be removed. And for those who have physical or spiritual disabilities, I pray that we will all realize that we are not perfect before God, and that the good news of the resurrection will spread and a wonderful event of change will take place.
I pray that the news of the resurrection will be delivered to the hopeless people who still haunt the tombs and are obsessed with the dead so that they can start a new life with that hope.