118. Beginner Bible Course: The resurrection of Jesus

EPISODE 118:  A simple Bible overview of...THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN

That first Easter morning have been described for us by the four gospel writers. Matthew Mark, Luke and John Matthew and John were eye witnesses. Mark was given this account through Peter who is also an eye witness and Luke the historian research, these facts carefully and got additional information from another remarkable person. Saul of Tarsus. Who'll be renamed. Paul will get to meet this extraordinary old Testament scholar and theologian in a few word pictures. The events of Easter morning started very early while it was still dark. With the Sabbath past waves of women come to the tomb.

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They're coming to see the tomb or bring spices and ointments to anoint his body. Clearly they don't come in one group. They come in waves the first and the wave is Mary Magdalen. The writer's confirm it's the first day of the week, our Sunday, while it's still dark. There's a great earthquake. It's triggered by an angel who descends and comes and rolls away. The stone in front of the tomb, we're told the angel sat on the stone. His appearance was like lightning, his clothing as white as snow. The guards in front of the tomb tremble and become like dead men. I'm guessing a dead faint it's here. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb. She sees the stone removed.

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Presumably the guards have bolted. Seeing the grave open. Mary Magdalen runs and finds Peter and John. She tells them someone took away the Lord from the tomb, where have they laid him? Peter and John then run to the tomb in his gospel. John brags that he beats Pete. Isn't that such a guy statement. John stops at the door, peeks in and sees the linen strips lying there on the ledge. But Peter blasts right past them and goes inside. Peter sees the strips and the napkin or cloth that they use to finally cover his face. Peter notes. Somebody folded that thing. It's here. John comes in and joins Peter to check it out.

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John tells us in his gospel when he saw what he saw, he believed any ads for up until this point, they had not understood. Jesus must rise from the dead baffled. Peter and John depart the tomb. When they're gone, Mary arrives back at the tomb, she's crying outside the tomb then works up the courage to look inside. When she does two angels are sitting in there. One sitting at where Jesus' feet were and the other at his head. If you know the old Testament, it's hard not to think about cherubim over the mercy seat. That was on top of the Ark of the covenant. The two angels who sat on either end, whose wings touched the angels, speak to her and say, dear lady, where are you?

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Weeping? She replies. They took away my Lord. And I don't know where they've laid him. At this point. She turns and sees someone standing outside the tomb. She thinks it's the gardener, the caretaker. She says, sir, if you took them, tell me where he is and I'll go get him and take him away. The person responds, Mary Mary instantly recognizes Jesus voice. She cries out <inaudible> dear teacher and dives to his feet, those same feet. She anointed it. Simon, the Pharisee's house. What Jesus tells her is kind of hard to interpret. It sounds like he's saying you need to let go. I'm kind of in between right now.

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I need to go visit my father and your father, my guide and your guide. That's my best. Guess. Mary listens. She goes and tells those. Who've been with him, his apprentices. They don't believe her. Now we get back to a second group of women who arrive. Two of them are named Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and other women with them. They've come to the tomb. When the son has already risen, they're asking themselves who will roll away the stone. That's a good question. This thing was huge. But when they arrive, the stone has been rolled back. So they go in, they don't see a body either. Instead they see a young man sitting on the right side.

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He's described as dressed in a long garment. Standing there amazed two men and dazzling garments show up. And these women face plant terrified. Those two men aren't men at all. They speak to the ladies. Don't be afraid. You're looking for Jesus. Why do you seek the living among the dead? He's not here. He's risen just as he said, don't you remember what he said? That the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and raised on the third day, come and see the place. Then go quickly and tell his disciples and Peter, that's an interesting comment. You could read that several ways. Then go quickly and tell his disciples and that guy, Peter, the scoundrel, or go quickly and tell his disciples.

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Especially Peter, tell them he is risen. He's going before you went to Galilee there, you will see him as he told you, these women run to tell the disciples, but they don't get very far. They're cut off on the road by Jesus. He greets them. Rejoice. The women sees his feet and worship him. Jesus tells them don't fear. Go tell my disciples, meet me in Galilee. They find the disciples and others with them and tell them, but the, the cycles don't believe the women, Matthew reports. Another amazing thing that happened at the time Jesus was raised in chapter 27. He writes the tombs were opened at the earthquake.

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We're not sure if it was the earthquake when Jesus gave up his life or the earthquake on Easter morning, that opened up Jesus <inaudible> in either case Matthew reports after Jesus has resurrected saints who had died, it came out of the tombs and entered Jerusalem. Yeah, really strange, but not unprecedented. Samuel Moses and Elijah had been brought back to life briefly for a purpose. In the last episode, we talked about the waiting rooms for the wicked and the righteous. There's also an odd bent around the life of Elijah. In second Kings, after Elijah is buried, another dead person is being buried. A marauding band of Mullah bites come and quickly.

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They throw the body into the grave of Elijah. When the man's corpse touches Elisha's bones, it's reported. He revived. He came back to life. Could that be sort of a preview of this Easter morning? Someone who's raised to life by his association with a righteous prophet, the scriptures don't tell us why they just tell us it happened. Perhaps it was God's way of sending a strong message. Hey, people, the rules have just changed on death a bit later, early in the afternoon to have Jesus followers, not the 11 are on a walk from Jerusalem to AMEA seven miles away. One is even named Cleopas.

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The other might've been named Simon. There's no question what they're talking about. The events of the weekend. As they're heading down the road, a stranger joins them. He asked what's with the sad faces and all this talk of death. They shake their head and wonder, man, have you been living in a cave? It's the talk of Jerusalem. It's Jesus. A great prophet mighty in word, indeed. Some of us had hoped he was the Messiah, but our rulers grabbed him, condemned him and crucified him. Then this morning, some women visited the tomb. It was empty. They talked about visions of angels. And some of our guys went there and said, the tomb is empty.

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At this point, the stranger tells them, how can you be so foolish and Della heart, have you not read the scriptures? If you had, it would be obvious to you that the Messiah had to suffer before he could enter into his glory. Then Luke reports, the stranger began from Moses through the prophets to explain why all these events had to happen. I bet I know where he started in Moses Genesis three 15, the seed of the woman would stop Satan's head and Satan would bruise his heel. I bet he moved to Genesis 12 where God had promised Abraham all nations would be blessed because of one of his descendants. And then to the end of Genesis, where it was promised a King would come out of the line of Judah.

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I bet he moved to Isaiah 42, that the seed of the woman would be a suffering servant. And then to Isaiah 53, that he would bear our iniquities and be crushed. I bet he talked about David Psalm. The Holy one will not undergo decay, whatever he said, it was quite a trip. When the two men get to a us and turn off, the stranger keeps on walking, but they plead with him, come home with us. It's late in the afternoon, please. They want to continue this Bible conference with this insightful stranger. When it's time for dinner, the stranger sits down and he takes the bread and blesses it. I can imagine the stranger pulling back his shawl over his head winking at them smiling.

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And then he vanishes the two men are astonished. They gasp did not. Our hearts burn with us. As he talked with us and opened the scriptures on the road, they put on their sandals and do a 12 K back to Jerusalem. And the disciples who are huddling behind locked doors. Once inside they report, we've seen him. The Lord has risen when he broke the bread, it was unmistakable. This was the Lord they're standing there. Pondering this. When Jesus comes through the locked door, they're shocked and terrified and not surprisingly thought he was a ghost. Jesus says to them, peace, don't be afraid.

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Can you touch a ghost? Go ahead, touch me, check this out. My hands and my feet. Oh and this too. Don't forget my side. There really isn't a word for their response. Maybe a combination of crying for joy and giddy. Giggling Craig Ling. Maybe Jesus says, guys, I'm hungry. Do you happen to have anything to eat here? They hand him a fish and some honeycomb. I can imagine Jesus eating it and saying bread and seafood. Those are two of my better ideas. Then Jesus does a little impromptu commissioning service for his apprentices in the room. Peace to you. As the father has sent me.

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So I'm sending you. And then Jesus did something extraordinary, something he had promised now that it was finished, their sins were paid in full or in terms of our story of the little girl with the ship in episode nine, they had been bought back. They were his twice. Jesus says this take the Holy spirit and Jesus breathed on them. This was a down payment of the Holy spirit. In 50 days, they're going to get the whole thing. The gospel writer, John tells us one of the disciples was missing in the room that night. Thomas, after Jesus leaves the disciples, find him and tell him all about it. Thomas response is unless I see the nail holes and place my hand into his side, I will not believe eight days later, Jesus does a reprise.

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It's the same group, but with Thomas, it's likely the same room and it was locked tight. Jesus enters the room the same way without using the door. And he greets them the same piece. Then Jesus looks at Thomas do at Tommy, put your finger in the nail holes. Then put your hand into my side. Don't be unbelieving, but believing Thomas does than others. This my Lord and my God. That's all he said. What more did he need to say? Jesus said to Thomas Thomas, you see me and believe that's good. Even more blessed are those who don't see me, but believe. And that would be people like you and me, not everyone who saw all that weekend's events believed the grave was empty.

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That's for sure. But could there be other possible explanations? The gospel writers report at least one and several more have been developed since we'll look at those explanations for the empty grave both then and today in our next wordpicture.