John 20: The Resurrection

The Resurrection

The Resurrection of Christ (to me) is symbolic of how our former lives were and our current lives are after we accept God's will fully into our lives and submit to His will (James 4:7).

Mary Magdalene, John, Peter and Simon Peter went to the tomb to check on Jesus but he was no longer there (John 20:1-4).

The pieces of clothing that he was buried in were left in the tomb and folded neatly and left behind by Jesus (John 20:6-7).

When we set our hearts and minds and souls on being fully sacrificial to God's will, we too can leave the old ways behind us like Jesus left behind the linen cloths from his burial. Those burial cloths represent what was, not what is. People we knew before full obedience to God come to see us, metaphorically speaking, it seems like we are not there. We are not the same. We are different. Our submission is to God's will, not the way things used to be. They can only see pieces (similar to memories) of what used to be us, just like the burial clothes of Jesus. We are made new through the power of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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Mark 16:14- Rebuking Unbelief and Spreading the Word

Rebuking Unbelief and Spreading the Word

We know that after Christ died on the cross and was resurrected. We know that an angel told Mary Magdalene and Mary (mother of James) that Jesus had risen from the dead. But, did you know that as the disciples were told that he had risen, they did not believe it? It wasn't shock, it was disbelief. They did not believe that Jesus did what he said he would do (see Mark 8:31-38).

In verses 9-11, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and tells her to go and tell the disciples that he has risen. They did not believe her. I understand that Jesus would have chosen her because in this time women were not respected. But, when God uses a women to deliver a message and you don't believe the message due to your prejudices, then you have missed the point on following Christ and loving your neighbor as yourself. The disciples messed up again as Jesus appeared to two of them in verses 12-13, but not in the form of Jesus. There is more detail of this encounter in Luke 24:13-35.

In verses 14-16, when Jesus appears the the eleven disciples (used to be 12 but Judas hung himself) he rebukes them for their unbelief. Jesus sent the message of his resurrection by Mary Magdalene and again in another form, yet the disciples did not believe. Jesus said what he would do and who he was, yet when the going got tough, the disciple's faith got going, in the wrong direction.

Then he commanded them to go into the world and make disciple of all nations. This was not specific to only people in one land or another, but in all lands. Jesus did not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color and nation of origin. Jesus explains "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." As we must remember, we cannot just sit on the history of Jesus. We must tell others about him.

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