John 20:11 “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as
she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and
the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto
them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where
they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw
Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?
She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou
have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will
take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto
him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to
my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto
my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the
Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear
of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his
side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”
1. Angels As Men
2. The Past Tense
3. The Double Take
4. The Signs
1. Angels As Men
The first part of verse twelve: “And seeth two angels in white
sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet,” [John
20:12].
What did Mary see? She saw two supernatural beings called
angels. We will find that the word: “angel” appears 194 times in the
King James Bible of 1611 (or any edition of it), and the word:
“angels” appears 92 times in the King James Bible of 1611 (or any
edition of it). What are they? What did Mary see when she “looked
into the sepulcher” that Sunday morning? She saw two supernatural
beings that appeared as men, yet they were not men.
Now, the Bible is very careful and very exact in showing us that
there are two kinds of creatures that either inhabit this earth or
visit this earth all the time. What are these two kinds of
creatures? These two groups or kinds of creatures are angels and
men.
You say, prove it.
Well, my friend this is easy. Do you believe
God’s word? The Apostle Paul acknowledges this truth in the epistle
of First Corinthians chapter four in verse nine: “For I think that
God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to
death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels,
and to men.” [1 Corinthians 4:9]
Do you see it? We can be made a
spectacle, not only to men, but to angels. Just think on this for a
moment. It is a fact based on the testimony of this BOOK that angels
are all around us, and we do not realize it.
Here is another one for you. Are you ready for it? We are told in
the Bible that we may have at some time, or other, entertained
angels in our home without even knowing it. Let me read to you the
great possibility to you found in Hebrews thirteen, verse two:
“Be
not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have
entertained angels unawares.” [Hebrews 13:2]
There is something else that we need to let sink into our noodles.
It is this. Angels appear as men every time they show up in the
Bible. Check it out for yourself. Do not believe Rick St.James. Go
get yourself a concordance and check it out. I will show you,
however, the classic proof text. Are you ready for it? Turn to
Genesis chapter eighteen.
We have here Abraham lifting up his eyes
and seeing three men standing by him. Read verse two: “And he lift
up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he
saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself
toward the ground,” [Genesis 18:2]. Who are these three men? Let’s
find out. This Bible can clear all the muck and mire of false
notions out of our minds and our heart.
Now, skip down to chapter
nineteen, verse one: “And there came two angels to Sodom at even;
and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to
meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”
[Genesis 19:1]
These two angels are the two of the three men in chapter eighteen,
verse two. Do you see it now? Do you believe what you just read?
Well, do you??? Come on, now. Every time … in the Bible … that
angels show up, they appear as men to us.
This is what Mary saw. She saw two supernatural beings that appeared
as men. Now, note this. Angels do not have wings. Men do not have
wings. Why can I say this? I say this, because the BOOK just showed
me this. They appeared as men. They are masculine in gender. Duh!!!
So much for tradition and superstition, just throw it out in the
trash. The Book clears it up! Amen!
2. The Past Tense
The last part of verse twelve: “… where the body of Jesus had lain.”
Note the “had lain.” It is in PAST tense. This Bible is perfect.
“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace
of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou
shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” [Psalm 12:6-7]
We can count on every jot and tittle in this in this King James
Bible to be God’s word. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled.” [Matthew 5:18]
This includes the tense of the verb here in our text: “… where the
body of Jesus had lain.” Jesus’ body WAS there but now iwas not
there. Jesus Christ rose from the grave!
3. The Double Take
Verse sixteen: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and
saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”
What happened to Mary? Let’s back up a moment, and read with me that
fourteenth verse: “And when she had thus said, she turned herself
back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.”
Here is my question. Why did Mary fail to recognize a person that
she had been around so much, and had known, for three and half
years? Here is the answer. A believer in Jesus Christ can, at any
time, be overtaken with unbelief. What will these momentary lapses
into unbelief do in a believer’s life? Answer: these momentary
periods of time where we lapse into unbelief will leave us blind to
some spiritual truth that is readily at hand, even if it is
something that is staring us right in the face.
Mary did not recognize Jesus, who was standing there, because she
had a mindset [heart problem] that HE was still held by
DEATH. The
realty of the RESURRECTEDSAVIOUR was not
“front and center” in her
heart. It wasn’t until the “Word of God” by the Holy Ghost revealed
to her the RESURRECTED SAVIOUR that she recovered her sight. Look at
verse sixteen with me: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned
herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” This
was Mary’s DOUBLE TAKE. She looked the first time in unbelief and
failed to see. She, then, looked a second time in belief, and could
see.
4. The Signs
Verse twenty: “And when he had so said, he showed unto them his
hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the
Lord.”
This is one of the many instances [or proofs] that Jesus Christ
showed to HIS disciples that HE is God
“… manifest in the flesh.” [1
Timothy 3:16] According to Acts chapter one, verse three; there can
be no argument concerning the veracity of the historical event of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here, is how the Bible put it. Are
you ready? Let me read there now. “To whom also he shewed himself
alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of
them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God:” [Acts 1:3].
These are known as infallible proofs! What does infallible mean?
According to the 1828 Webster Dictionary:
INFAL'LIBLE, a. [L. fallo.]
1. Not fallible; not capable of erring; entirely exempt from
liability to mistake; applied to persons. No man is infallible; to
be infallible is the prerogative of God only.
2. Not liable to fail, or to deceive confidence; certain; as
infallible evidence; infallible success.
To whom he showed himself alive after his passion, by many
infallible proofs--
These disciples in verse twenty [of our text] were made “glad”
when
they saw the Lord. Amen! Jesus Christ was made approved of God by
these “miracles and wonders and signs.” Acts chapter two tells us
this [in verse twenty-two]: “Ye men of Israel, [JEWS] hear these
words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of
you, as ye yourselves also know:” [Acts 2:22]
Remember, the Jews require a sign in order to believe. “For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:” [1 Corinthians
1:22]. God gave them [the Jews] “many infallible proofs” of
WHO HE
WAS. Now, God has given us [the Gentiles] a BOOK [a record] to show
us a WHO HE is. Amen!
Here is what it says in First John. “That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word
of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear
witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and
heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ.” [1 John 1:1-3]
John 20:1 The first day of the week
cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the
sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the
sepulchre.
John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the
other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have
taken away the Lord
out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
John 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and
came to the sepulchre.
John 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did
outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
John 20:5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen
clothes lying; yet went he not in.
John 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the
sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with
the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to
the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise
again from the dead.
John 20:10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
John 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as
she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
John 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the
head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
John 20:13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith
unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not
where they have laid him.
John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and
saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
John 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom
seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him,
Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him,
and I will take him away.
John 20:16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith
unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I
ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
John 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had
seen the
Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the
week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled
for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith
unto them, Peace be unto you.
John 20:20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands
and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them;
and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not
with them when Jesus came.
John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen
the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails,
and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and
Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood
in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side: and be not faithless, but believing.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my
God.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me,
thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet
have believed.
John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of
his disciples, which are not written in this book:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name.