John 20

Verses 1-10

• Peter and John went to the tomb, saw it empty, and then returned to their homes. John, at least, believed, but neither of them understood the meaning of what they saw. The reason? They did not yet know the Scripture.

  • Jesus had told them many times that He would rise again from the dead, but they did remember nor understand the saying until Jesus had appeared to them after His death and explained the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:44-47). 

    • Knowing the Scripture is what brings understanding of the meaning of many other things. Until you understand the Word, not much else will make sense. Always seek and pray for understanding of the Word, while you read it daily, and understanding will grow!

Verses 11-18

• How indescribable it must have been to see the risen Christ as Mary did. But when she clung to Him, He told her not to! Why?

• Jesus needed to return to the Father, and with the Father He remains until His Second Coming.

  • If we cling too tightly to the bodily presence of Jesus, or become discouraged by a lack of His bodily presence, we will not appreciate the advantages of Him being away. Jesus and the Father gave us the Holy Spirit, to live within us, while Jesus is away.

  • When Jesus returns, then we will cling to Him. Until then, believe in Jesus and value the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Notice also where Jesus said that God was His Father and their Father, His God and their God.

  • Jesus was not forsaking His disciples to be with God, as though He and God were leaving them. Rather, He reminds us that God loves and cares for us as He loves Jesus (John 17:23). So we are never forsaken!

Verses 19-23

• Jesus appeared to them, and thoroughly showed Himself, so that they would have no reason doubt.

• He then told them that they were being sent out to preach the gospel, just as Jesus was sent out to preach the gospel, and that by their preaching they carried the authority to tell people whether or not their sins are forgiven. 

  • Know that you are sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel to the lost! As believers are sent out to do this. 

• Then, in breathing on them, He gave them the Holy Spirit, who came to dwell in them at this moment. In this moment, after Jesus was risen and they believed, they were saved and qualified to preach the gospel with Jesus' authority.

  • Because we believe, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, demonstrating that we are saved and have Jesus' authority.

  • So, when you preach the gospel to a person, it's necessary to tell them, if they reject it, that their sins are not forgiven, and that they are condemned. But if they accept it, believe, and obey, that their sins are forgiven (Mark 16:15-16).

Verses 24-29

• Although Thomas did believe after he saw Jesus, Jesus told him that it is better to believe without seeing. 

• We have no reason to be unbelieving and every reason to believe. Jesus has shown Himself alive by many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3). Nothing more is needed. 

  • If we believe the Word without needing to see any further evidence, we are more blessed because we will need only to read it in the Word, and we will take action! We will be bolder, we will obey more...we won't struggle so much. 

  • But there are many weaknesses and problems for the weak in faith. If we think that we always need to see some great evidence, or some miraculous or supernatural event, then we will be greatly limited. For how could we ever grow in Christ if we do not believe anything we read until after some corresponding, tangible experience? 

    • Ironically, those who believe without seeing end up seeing more than those who must see before they will believe. Even so, don't be unbelieving, but believing. 

Verses 30-31

• Thomas' problem was that he would not believe the testimony of his fellow disciples who saw the Lord (verse 25). 

  • As believers today, our faith is based on the eye-witness testimony of Jesus' disciples—our fellow disciples, and our task is to believe their testimony without needing to see or hear anything else. 

  • John 19:35—“And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.”

• John then specifically lets us know that he could have said much more about the things that Jesus did, but what is written is plenty for us to believe. We don't need to hear more; we just need to believe what we have. 

  • Verse 31. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

  • And remember that what the apostles saw and testified is also based on thousands of years of Old Testament prophecy, which Jesus fulfilled (2 Peter 1:16-21). Our faith is well-founded!