THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XLVI: Trusting In Christ For His Great Shepherding Resurrection Evidence Involving Mary

(John 20:11-18)

I. Introduction

A. John's Gospel presents Jesus as the Son of God Who was full of grace and "truth," and the events surrounding His death, burial and resurrection reveal His truth in claiming to be the Son of God and Messiah.

B. For our edification, we view the evidence of His bodily resurrection in His meeting with Mary Magdalene:

II. Trusting In Christ For His Great Shepherding Resurrection Evidence Involving Mary, John 20:11-18.

A. John had recorded Jesus' pre-crucifixion discourse on the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-18 and John 10:27-30 where He had claimed that He knew His sheep by name, that they knew His voice and so they followed Him.

B. John thus shows how this same Jesus met Mary Magdalene as the bodily risen Lord in John 20:11-18:

1. Before John 20:11-18, Mary was sure Jesus had died and His body had been buried in the garden tomb:

a. John 19:25 records Mary stood by the cross, so she saw proof of Christ's death when the soldiers did not break His legs to speed His death, but pierced His side for its flow of "blood and water," John 19:31-35.

b. Also, Mary had witnessed Jesus' burial at the garden tomb, a fact supported by the gospel witnesses of Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:47 and Luke 23:55 with Luke 8:2.

2. However, John 20:11-16 records how Mary experienced a sharp shift from being convinced that Jesus was dead to being convinced that He had risen from the dead, and that by Jesus' John 10 shepherding:

a. After Mary came to the tomb and discovered that its stone cover was rolled away, and as she then assumed that some parties had taken His body to some other location, she ran to tell Peter and John this report to elicit their help in locating and retrieving Jesus' body, John 20:1-2.

b. These two disciples ran to the tomb, looked inside it and left, not giving any help to Mary Magdalene in her quest, so she was left standing outside the tomb, distraught and weeping, John 20:3-11a.

c. She then stooped down to look into the doorway and saw two angels, one at the head and the other at the feet of where Jesus' body had lain, with His empty graveclothes between them, John 20:11b-12 with 5-7.

d. The angels asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" and she replied, "(T)hey have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him," John 20:13. Unlike John, Mary was so overcome with grief that she could not consider the evidence of the empty graveclothes to believe Jesus had risen, John 20:8-9.

e. She then turned around and saw Jesus standing behind her, but she did not recognize Him in her grief, so He asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" (John 20:14-15a)

f. Supposing Him to be the gardener, Mary replied, "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away," John 20:15b. Still overcome by shock and grief, Mary was unable to think clearly enough even to recognize that the risen Lord was standing in front of her!

g. At this point in the account, Jesus called Mary by her name as He said He did in John 10:3 with 10:27a with His disciples, His "sheep," and she turned around and recognized Him, and said, "Rabboni," meaning "My Master," and from John 20:17a we know she began to cling to Him, John 20:16; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to John 20:17. [The John 20:17 command is better translated, "'Do not continue holding or clinging to me' (in order to restrain Him)," Ibid.] When Jesus called her by name, Mary immediately came out of her deep mental fog created by her intense grief to realize He had risen and was standing before her!

h. Jesus then instructed Mary on her need to release Him that He might ascend to His Father to minister in her behalf in a far better relationship than she had had before, that she was to go to His "brethren" and tell them He was ascending to His Father and to their Father, to His God and their God, John 20:17. She instantly obeyed as one of Christ's "sheep" who heed Him according to Jesus' John 10:27b claim, and she left to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her, John 20:18.

Lesson: Though Mary Magdalene had seen Christ's unquestionable death and burial and though the moved stone at the tomb had left her grieving deeply over her assumption that someone had taken His body to where the empty graveclothes, the appearance of the angels or even Jesus' appearance in front of her could not persuade her that He had risen, His calling her by name as His "sheep" instantly persuaded Mary that Jesus was risen, and she as His "sheep" instantly heeded His corrective instruction. Jesus, Mary's Great Shepherd, had truly risen.

Application: May we believe Jesus rose from the dead as Messiah and Son of God by Mary Magdalene's testimony.