John 20 - Jon Courson's Application Commentary

Peter the Activist, John the Mystic; Peter Impulsive, John Contemplative travel together in the Book of Acts. Others, no doubt hearing of Peter’s denial, looked down on Peter and distanced themselves from him. Not John. The “apostle of love” takes Peter into his home and into his heart-not knowing exactly how events would unfold. Praise the Lord for people like John, who, when folks flounder and falter, will take them in even before they know how the story’s going to conclude.

Nicknamed “The Giant” in church history, Peter was obviously a big man-and perhaps that’s why John outran him. John was also younger. Called by Jesus when he was perhaps only seventeen years old, at this point, John was possibly only twenty.

John looks into the tomb but doesn’t rush in. Contemplators don’t.

This proves to me conclusively the Shroud of Turin is not authentic. Think of the pictures you’ve seen of the shroud. They always show the imprint of the crucified victim from head to toe. Here, the Scripture record says there was a napkin-a separate piece of cloth around the head. Thus, the shroud does not meet this particular criterion.

As is His custom-never in a hurry, never frustrated, but always moving at the right pace-the Prince of Peace folds the napkin carefully.

In verses 5, 6, and 8, the word “saw” or “see” is used. First, John came to the tomb and saw the linen clothes lying. The word translated “saw” is blepo, meaning, “to look at, to see visibly.” In verse 6, Peter saw the linen clothes lie, and the word used is theoreo, meaning, “to study more carefully,” and from which we get our word “theory.” Finally, in verse 8, the word translated “saw” is eido, from which we get the word “idea”-or “I get it.”

I find it interesting that most of the time our faith progresses according to this pattern. First you’re exposed to some piece of information. You hear what the teacher is saying. Then you give it some more thought down the road. And finally comes that moment when you really get it. It’s not just a concept theologically-but it becomes part of your life personally. But if you never hear the information, you’ll never be able to embrace it. And that is why you’ll never see the process unfold if you don’t come to the place where you can investigate the claims of Christ. So keep in the Word, gang.

“But I’m not getting much out of it,” you say.

You wait. Eventually, it will begin to stir something in your thinking, and finally it will become part of your being. Read your Bible. Stay in the Scriptures and see the process unfold for you even as it did for Peter and John.

They went their way wondering. Oh, they were believers-but their belief is not yet full-blossomed or fully comprehended.

The two angels, the blood-spattered mercy seat, the linen garments-of course the picture is of the ark of the covenant.

Mary didn’t write a book entitled I Saw Angels-because when your passion is for the Person of Jesus Christ, you’re not caught up in other things, no matter how spectacular or supernatural.

I have the word “my” circled. “He’s my Lord,” Mary said. “He is all that matters to me.”

Mary turned away from the angels. You and I would have stared at the angels, taken pictures of them, been all caught up in dialoguing with them. Not Mary. She was more concerned about what she thought was the dead corpse of Christ than the living presence of angels.

Jesus comes through the unexpected person at the unexpected time in the unexpected place. The Lord will come to you through a brother or sister, through a family member or friend. But so often, like Mary’s, our eyes are so filled with tears that we don’t even recognize it’s the Lord speaking to us.

“I will carry Him back,” said Mary because love bears all things (see 1 Corinthians 13:7).

Something in the way Jesus said her name caused Mary to recognize His voice (John 10:4).

“Don’t cling to Me in the way you knew Me previously as a Teacher, a Rabbi, or a miracle Worker. I came to restore you to the Father eternally. And I am working on that restoration presently.”

For topical study of John 20:17 see “Finding Fulfillment in the Father”.

Earlier, Jesus said to His disciples, “I call you not servants, but friends” (John 15:15). Here, He takes it a step further. He calls them brothers. The Book of Hebrews says He is not ashamed to call us brothers as well (2:11). Amazing.

“It is better that the words of the law be burned than to be entrusted to a woman,” taught the Rabbis. So what does Jesus do? He gives the gospel to a woman. Mary’s love for the Lord qualified her to be the first missionary with the full story.

Here are the disciples, with questions mounting and confusion rising like waves on the sea-when suddenly, just as before, Jesus comes to them and stills their storm with one word: Shalom. His first word is, “Peace.” He doesn’t say, “You guys are busted. Where have you been? I’m on the Cross and you’re running around, pretending like you don’t even know Me. What’s the big idea?” No, that’s not what Jesus does. He comes to them and says, “Peace.” And that’s what He says to you (Romans 5:1).

No wonder the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. If someone died, Jesus could bring him back to life with a simple word. Hungry? A few loaves could feed thousands. His provision was abundant; His presence, a delight.

At this point, the disciples are born again. Although they were already following Jesus, they were not yet regenerated because He had not yet died for their sins. But here Jesus breathes on them-reminiscent of Genesis 2:7, when God breathed life into Adam’s nostrils and he became a living soul.

In Mark 2, when Jesus pronounced forgiveness to a paralyzed man, the Pharisees were aghast. “Only God has the right to forgive sin,” they said (see verse 7). And they were right. What, then, does this verse mean? It means we as His ambassadors don’t provide forgiveness, but we do proclaim it. Therefore, to the one who says, “I don’t feel forgiven,” it is our responsibility to say, “According to the Word of God, if you open your heart to Jesus Christ and believe in His work on the Cross, your sin is gone.” Conversely, to the one who says, “I don’t need Jesus Christ. I’m into meditation,”-it is our responsibility to say, “Your sin remains because only the blood of Jesus can wash it away.”

I suppose one of the saddest things I see as a pastor are disciples who miss the meeting. They’re out there struggling, while at a Sunday evening service, for example, at some point Jesus begins to appear through the Word or in worship, through prophecy or the washing of feet. “I can worship at home,” they say. But Jesus didn’t go to Thomas’s house. He went where the saints were meeting together. “Don’t forsake assembling together,” Paul would say (see Hebrews 10:25)-because Jesus shows up in the midst of the congregation.

Thomas missed the meeting. Why? He’s been called Doubting Thomas throughout history-but keep in mind the kind of guy he was. When Jesus announced He was going to Jerusalem, Thomas said, “Let’s go and die with Him” (see John 11:16). Thomas was a guy who went for it. And so now, while the other disciples huddled together behind closed doors, where was Thomas? I suggest he was out on the street saying, “I’m not hiding. I’m out here in public. Anybody want to take me on?”

After catching a cargo ship to India to preach Jesus Christ, Thomas was warned to be quiet. When he kept preaching, his opponents ran a spear through his back. But the church he started in India still flourishes today.

Galatians 6:1 tells those who are spiritual to restore those who are overtaken in faults. That’s what’s happening here. These guys are reaching out to their brother Thomas.

Thomas was loyal but he lacked imagination. That is, he didn’t know that Jesus specializes in taking that which was dead and bringing it to life. Maybe you’ve had shattered expectations in marriage, business, or family, and, like Thomas, you’re not going to dream anymore. Don’t give up, for Jesus “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or even think” (see Ephesians 3:20).

I suggest the disciples said, “Thomas, we’re meeting again next week, and you’d better be there. In fact, we’re bringing you with us.”

Here Jesus is teaching a lesson of great import, for in repeating Thomas’s ultimatum, it’s as if He’s saying, “Boys, even though you don’t see Me, I’m with you always.”

When Peter went into the house of Cornelius, Cornelius fell at his feet. “Stand up,” said Peter. “I’m a man also” (see Acts 10:26). When the people of Lystra started worshiping Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Barnabas ripped their clothes and said, “Stop. We are men of like passions” (see Acts 14:15). When John fell down before an angel, the angel said, “Don’t do that” (see Revelation 22:9). Paul, Peter, and the angel all refused to be worshiped. Regardless of what the cults say, Jesus accepted this proclamation of deity for one reason: He is God.

“Thomas, you believe because you’ve seen,” said Jesus. “But blessed, happy are those with an imagination, with vision, with faith to see what is not physically visible.” Faith sees what the man who lacks faith never does. It’s a whole different dimension and an entirely different perspective.

Other signs were done, but they were done to help people rather than to produce belief. What we have before us are the stories, the miracles, the work Jesus did, recorded for you and me that we might truly believe and go on believing in Him.