Written by: Jon Soden
JOHN 20
The resurrection is the most important event in John 20 and the foundation of the Christian faith. Yet within this chapter there are several powerful moments that reveal how Jesus meets people in their fear, failure, and doubts. Not to brush over the importance of the resurrection, but we will focus on some of these other moments that are less frequently mentioned. If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to read the chapter to yourself and then we will look at some themes from John 20.
JESUS vs. FEAR
Everything the disciples put their faith in seemed to disappear when Jesus was crucified. They had left their careers, families, and friends behind to follow Jesus, believing He was the promised Messiah. John tells us that “they still did not understand from the scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). The disciples were too scared to even be seen in public, and fearing for their own lives, they went into hiding “with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders” (John 20:19). They were afraid of the same Jewish leaders that Jesus stood up to throughout his ministry. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, this would be the end of the story. But the disciples' lives were transformed when Jesus appeared before them, and even more so when the Holy Spirit was given to them after Jesus returned to Heaven. In Acts, we witness these same disciples stand amongst crowds proclaiming the Gospel with such joy that people said “they have had too much wine” (Acts 2:13). Many of these disciples ended up being tortured and killed for their testimony. This is such reputable evidence for the genuineness and foundation of our faith in the resurrection—the earliest followers of Jesus did not just proclaim Him as the Messiah, they were willing to lay their life down for the belief. The same men that had previously been too scared to face the consequences of following Jesus were willing to sacrifice it all—and most of them did. In his book The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel states the same: “the disciples were in a unique position to know whether the Resurrection happened, and they went to their deaths proclaiming it was true. Nobody knowingly and willingly dies for a lie.” (Please check out his book to learn more about the historical legitimacy of Christ’s resurrection)
JESUS vs FAILURE
Mary Magdalene first appears in the scriptures in Luke 8, where we are introduced to her as “Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out” (Luke 8:2). We learn that she is traveling with Jesus as He is “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). After the crucifixion, John describes Mary’s encounter with a risen Jesus: “she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus…Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’” (John 20:14-16). Although Scripture tells us that Mary was delivered from seven demons, her past did not disqualify her from being used by God. Not only does she travel with Jesus himself to spread the gospel, she is also the very first human to encounter a risen Jesus! Many times, we limit ourselves based on our past, or even our present. Jesus does not. Remarkably, the first person Jesus chose to reveal Himself to was not a king, priest, religious or political leader, but Mary Magdalene. God’s grace is often displayed through people the world might overlook.
JESUS vs DOUBT
In John 20: 19-22, we see a resurrected Jesus appear to his disciples. However, in verses 24-25 “Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’” Thomas was a student of Jesus, witnessed him perform miracles daily, raise Lazarus from the dead, and yet he still doubted. You might think Jesus would be angry with Thomas, but He responds in a different manner: “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God’” (John 20: 27-28). While we can only read the words, I picture Jesus and Thomas embracing, Jesus speaking full of grace, and Thomas in tears. Jesus meets Thomas’ doubt with mercy and love.
You might be investigating Christianity for the first time, or you might have been a Christian your whole life—doubt is normal and you do not need to feel guilty about it. Rather than condemning honest questions, Jesus invites us to bring them to Him. Investigating Jesus—whether it be his crucifixion, the Bible, science, and so much more—is a good thing! C.S Lewis says that “If ours is an examined faith, we should be unafraid to doubt. God will surely reward the honest seeker after truth.” (Check out Mere Christianity for more logical arguments by Lewis for faith).
Thomas personally witnessed the greatness and glory of Jesus, but Thomas was full of fear following the crucifixion, and this blinded him from trusting Jesus. Thomas got so caught up in the moment, that he forgot what Jesus had done in the past. The Israelites do the exact same thing in the Old Testament in Exodus 32—they had just been delivered out of slavery from Egypt and even saw the Red Sea parted before them, but at the onset of thirst and disappearance of Moses, they immediately turned to making and worshipping golden idols. You may shake your head at the audacity of Thomas or the Israelites. But how often do we do the very same thing? How often do we stress and worry just moments after God has provided for us? It is imperative that we remember the past times where God has delivered for us. Scripture gives the same advice: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12). When the doubt sets it, fight back with Scripture and reminders of God’s faithfulness. Tim Keller on doubt: “The stronger your faith, the more doubts you will have. The opposite of faith is not doubt, it is unbelief.” Keller distinguishes doubt from unbelief—doubt is a struggle with faith while unbelief is rejecting the faith altogether.
John 20 is proof that Jesus conquers death, but it is also a reminder that no fear, no failure, and no doubt is too great for Him to overcome.
Discussion Questions:
We see the disciples scared after the crucifixion of Jesus. What practical things can we do to fight against fear?
Mary had a rough past, yet Jesus used her in unimaginable ways. At the end of the day, Mary had to choose to follow Jesus and allow Him to work through her life. What is one small way you can allow Jesus to use and work through you this week?
We see Thomas and the Israelites stop trusting God, even after just witnessing Him provide for them. Scripture tells us to constantly remember the times that God had come through for us–what is one way that God has come through for you in the past?