Seeing and Believing
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
4/24/2011 AM
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Text:
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John 20:1-10
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Psalters: |
261, 334, 302, 265 |
- The sad setting.
- After Jesus’ death, the followers of Jesus grieved.
- They stayed together, someplace in Jerusalem, but we are not told where.
- We are told what charactertized their gathering: “mourned and wept” (Mark 16:10).
- They gathered together again this second morning after His death.
- Mary came with the startling news: they have taken away the Lord (2).
- The wonder seen by John.
- Impulsive Peter and John immediately dash out and run to the grave.
- They “saw.” Holy Spirit uses three different Greek words for seeing.
- John looked in and “saw” something very strange in the grave clothes lying in their place (5).
- Simon Peter went in and “seeth” the grave clothes and the napkin in its place by itself (6,7).
- Then John “saw and believed” (8).
- It was the grave clothes which proved that a miracle had taken place and not a physical stealing of the body.
- Belief in Jesus.
- John saw and believed that Jesus had risen from the dead (though he did not know what that meant).
- We know more than they did, but also we do not understand it all, but hold it for truth.
- They did not get the implications because they “knew not that He must rise again” (9).
- His resurrection is the gospel declaring our justification.
- See and believe. By faith (God’s gift) embrace His resurrection as your only hope, as the victory.