Responses to the Resurrection
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
From Doubt to Praise
Philippians 3:10 APNT:
so that by it I would know Jesus and the power [power] of his resurrection and would be made a participant in his sufferings and would be conformed to his death,
The Aramaic word here for power is like a high-powered drill that just drills through obstacles.
When people really believe that Jesus Christ is alive, their emotional response changes from negative to positive.
| Who | Record | Emotion | Changed to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazarus (or John) | John 20:1-10 | Unbelief | Believed first |
| Peter | “ | Unbelief (with guilt) | (not until later) |
| Mary Magdalene | John 20:11-18 Mark 16:10 | Sorrow | Hope |
| Other Women | Luke 24:1-11 Matthew 28:5-10 | Grief, afraid | Joy |
| Cleopas & other man | Luke 24:13-35 | Confusion | Understanding |
| 11 Apostles (except Thomas) | John 20:19-23 Luke 24:36-43 | Fear | Peace |
| Thomas (in Galilee) and other disciples | John 20:24-29 | Doubt | Praise |
| Peter | John 21:1-25 | Guilt | Forgiveness, new purpose |
| Judas (at Ascension) | Acts 1:2-11 | Own idea of kingdom | Could not get over it |
John 20:1 APNT:
Now on the first of the week, Mary Magdalene came in the early morning while it was dark to the tomb. And she saw the stone that it was taken away from the grave.
To review, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, Nisan 14, and was buried that night (Wednesday) just before sunset. He is in the grave for three days and three nights. He rises from the dead on Saturday afternoon, just before sunset.
By Jewish custom, the first day of the week begins at sunset on Saturday.
When Mary Magdalene finds that the tomb is empty, it’s still dark, but Jesus has already been up since sunset the night before. What was he doing during that time?
1 Peter 3:18a–19 ESV:
…being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
John 20:2–4 APNT:
2 And she ran [and] came to Simon Peter and to that other disciple whom Jesus loved and she said to them, “They have taken our Lord from the tomb and I do not know where they have put him.”
3 And Simon went and that other disciple and they came to the tomb.
4 And both of them were running together, but that disciple ran before Simon and came to the tomb first.
Many people teach that the disciple whom Jesus loves is John (the only places he is called that are in John’s writings). But over the years, I have begun to lean more toward that disciple being Lazarus.
John 11:5 APNT:
Now Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.
John 11:36 APNT:
And the Judeans were saying, “See how much he [Jesus] loved him [Lazarus].”
Here are some of the reasons why I think the disciple whom Jesus loved, was Lazarus:
- The mentions in John chapter 11 (above) that Jesus loved Lazarus.
- The disciple whom Jesus loved was at the crucifixion and Jesus told him to take care of his mother as if the disciple were her son.
- After the resurrection, in Jerusalem, Jesus spends a lot of time at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
- The disciple whom Jesus loved is also the one who went with Peter into the high priests house during the time of the trial. A Galilean fisherman (John) would not have been allowed into the high priests house.
John 20:4–8 APNT:
4 And both of them were running together, but that disciple [whom Jesus loved] ran before Simon and came to the tombfirst.
5 And he looked in [and] saw the linen clothes laid [there], but he did not indeed enter.
6 Now Simon came after him and entered the tomband saw the linen clothes laid [there]
7 and the cloth that had been bound around his head, not with the linen clothes, but folded and placed aside in a certain place.
8 Then that disciple who had come to the tombfirst [the disciple whom Jesus loved] entered also and he saw and believed,
Peter saw the cloth that had been bound around Jesus’s head, folded and placed aside. Remember when Lazarus came out of the tomb? He had been totally bound up, and people had to unwrap him before he could see.
The disciple whom Jesus loved (Lazarus?) saw just the empty wrappings and he believed! He’s the first person to believe without even seeing the resurrected Christ. Perhaps that had a lot to do with the fact that Lazarus had been raised from the dead, and when he saw those grave clothes lying like that, he embraced the truth right away. He changed from unbelief to belief just like that.
Peter, on the other hand, will take a while to believe. Perhaps one of the reasons Peter (and some of the other apostles) took a longer time to believe was because he was feeling a lot of guilt about denying Jesus three times.
John 20:11–13 APNT:
11 Now Mary was standing by the grave and was crying. And as she cried, she looked into the grave.
12 And she saw two angels in white who were sitting, one by his pillows and one at his feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.
13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have put him.”
That’s exactly what she had said to Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved (Lazarus?) in verse 2.
John 20:14–16 APNT:
14 She said this and she turned back and saw Jesus standing [there]. And she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying and whom do you seek?” Now she thought that he was the gardener and said to him, “My lord, if you have taken him, tell me where you have put him. I will go [and] take him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” And she turned around and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbuli,” which means Teacher.
She recognized him as soon as he said her name.
John 20:17 APNT:
Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them [that] I ascend to my Father and your Father, and [to] my God and your God.”
Remember, it’s still dark. Between this time and when he later appears to the other women, the first fruit offering will be given in the temple (the day after the high day at the end of the Passover period). At the exact moment that they are giving the first fruit offering in the temple, Jesus ascends through the heavens and presents himself as the first fruit offering of someone raised from the dead. That’s why he told Mary not to touch him before he ascended up to his Father, but then the other women could touch him later.
Larnelle Harris & Sandi Patty singing I’ve Just Seen Jesus:
Mark 16:10 APNT:
And she went [and] brought hope to those who had been with him who were mourning and weeping.
Song Because He Lives I can Face Tomorrow:
Each time people believed, they were changed inside.
Matthew 28:5–8 APNT:
5 Now the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not fear, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place in which our Lord was laid.
7 And go quickly [and] tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, [he goes] before you to Galilee. There you will see him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 And they went away quickly from the grave with fear and with great joy and ran to tell his disciples
Jesus also appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and appeared to Peter personally.
Luke 24:32–34 APNT:
32 And they [the two disciples on the road to Emmaus] said one to another, “Were not our heart[s] heavy within us while he talked with us along the road and expounded to us the scriptures?”
33 And they rose up immediatelyand returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven, who were gathered together and those who were with them,
34 saying, “Truly our Lord has risen and appeared to Simon [Peter].”
John 20:19–20 APNT:
19 Now when it was the evening of that first day in the week and the doors were shut where the disciples were because of fear of the Judeans, Jesus came [and] stood among them and said to them, “Peace [be] with you.”
20 He said this and showed them his hands and his side and the disciples rejoiced that they had seen our Lord.
Luke 24:36–38 APNT:
36 And while they were saying these [things], Jesus stood among them and said to them, “Peace [be] with you. It is I. Do not be afraid.”
37 And they were astonished and were in fear, for they supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled and why do thoughts well up in your hearts?
Mark 16:14 APNT:
And finally he appeared to the eleven while they were eating. And he reproved the lack of their faith and the hardness of their heart, since they had not believed those who had seen that he had risen.
Fear hardens our hearts so that even when we see God doing something in our lives we doubt.
The eleven apostles (without Thomas, so it includes Judas) believe enough to obey him and go to Galilee. Judas was there at these times when Jesus appeared to the apostles, up until the day of the ascension.
Judas had trouble receiving the forgiveness that Jesus offered to him because he had betrayed Jesus.
John 20:24–25, 27–29 APNT:
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve who was called the Twin, was not there with them when Jesus came.
25 And the disciples told him, “We have seen our Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the locations of the nails and place my fingers in them and stretch out my hand on his side, I will not believe.”
27 And he said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here and see my hands. And reach your hand and stretch [it] out on my side and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.”
29 Jesus said to him, “Now that you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed [are] those who have not seen me and believe.”
First was the disciple whom Jesus loved (Lazarus?), then Mary Magdalene, then the other women, then the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, then the apostles started to believe, then Thomas got it and doubt turned to praise.
What About Peter?
John 21:14–17 APNT:
14 This [was] the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples after he had risen from the dead.
15 Now after they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, my Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs for me.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, my Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep for me.”
17He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?” And Peter was sad, because he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “My Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my ewes for me.
Peter acknowledges his love for Jesus three times, as he had previously denied knowing him three times.
John 21:19 APNT:
19 Now he said this to show by what death he would glorify God. And after he had said these [things], he said to him, “Follow me.”
Fear leads to hardness of heart and in Peter’s case it was laced with guilt. It was very difficult for Peter to overcome. I believe this is the point when Peter accepted the forgiveness that Jesus is offering to him.
They go all the way to the ascension, then spend ten days between the ascension and the day of Pentecost waiting for the promise of the Father. Then on the day of Pentecost, Peter is the one who stands up and speaks boldly.
Acts 2:14 APNT:
Afterward, Simon Peter stood up with the eleven apostles and raised his voice and said to them, “Men, Judeans, and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and listen to my words.
Peter went from doubting and feeling undeserving, to seeing Jesus many times and seeing that he had been forgiven, to receiving the Holy Spirit, to great boldness.
When we get to the day of the ascension, we read:
Acts 1:6–9 APNT:
6 Now while they were assembled, they asked him and said to him, “Our Lord, at this time will you restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “This is not yours to know the time or these times that the Father has placed in his own authority.
8 But when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will receive power and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and also among the Samaritans, even to the ends of the earth.”
9 And after he said these [things], while they watched him, he was taken up and a cloud received him and he was hidden from their eyes.
It’s after this that Judas kills himself and never gets to receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Judas couldn’t accept the forgiveness. That’s the difference between Peter and Judas.
One of the greatest things about the power of the resurrection is total forgiveness.
Romans 6:4 APNT:
We are buried with him in baptism to death, that as Jesus Christ rose up from the deadin the glory of his Father, so wewill also walk in new life.
Ephesians 2:6 APNT:
and raised us with him and seated us with him in heaven in Jesus Christ,
Colossians 2:12 APNT:
And you were buried with him in baptism and in him you have risen with him, for you believed in the power of God who raised him from the dead.
At any time, we can go from sorrow to hope, from grief to joy, from fear to peace, from doubt to praise, from confusion to understanding, and be released from any kind of guilt. We can enter into true confidence where we can say, “Here am I, send me.”
Gaither Vocal Band on YouTube:
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
This teaching is also available on the Acts Now Fellowship website.
See Also:
What We Have Because of the Resurrection
Responses to the Resurrection from the Acts Now Fellowship website.
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