Portraits of the Passion - John 20:24-29

THE BLESSING OF DOUBT

 

How can doubt be a blessing? We all struggle with doubts to varying degrees. We all have questions about our faith in the crucified and risen Jesus – we do. And this bothers us. It’s okay to admit that you have doubts about Jesus. If this isn’t a safe place for doubters, then we need to change some attitudes. If the can of worms were opened the questions would come spilling out. 

            Doubt has been made out to be a plague to faith. It is so unwelcome in Christian circles that space has not been made to allow it. We even fear it. What will it do to our young people? If I express doubts about Christianity, I will be put out of the church. You may feel, “Doubt is sin, after all.” 

            There are two kinds of doubters. We need to identify that there are unwelcome doubts and doubts that can be a blessing.

            Unwelcome doubts come from doubters who use doubt as a cover up for sin. They think they are being intellectually honest and cannot find a balance between reason and faith. Faith, they say, does not make sense in the 21^stcentury. Faith is for the weak. Faith is just a set of rules that limit my life experience. What they are saying is, faith in Jesus keeps me from living how I want and if I find out that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, I will have to change the way I live. 

            The blessing of doubt is altogether different. Those who have honest doubts hate that they doubt God. They are miserable; they want to believe, but they are plagued by genuine, honest questions. Blind faith doesn’t work for them. They need credible answers for their doubts. 

            CS Lewis was at one time an atheist. In those days of unbelief, he had no doubts. When he gave his life to Christ, then he began to doubt. But those doubts led him to explore the questions of faith. Selwyn Hughes, a devotional writer, said, “Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of the Christ’s strongest disciples.”

The Doubt of Thomas (John 20:24-25)

 

We all struggle with doubts that cloud our faith in the risen Christ. No one owned a greater distinction in history than Thomas. He is forever known as “Doubting Thomas.” It’s not a fair label, but here’s where it comes from:

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So, the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

            We know very little about Thomas from the gospel accounts, so we can only guess at what led to this demand. There are four factors that contributed to his doubt:

Personal Failure – On the night of Jesus’ arrest, all the disciples promised to be loyal to Jesus. They all fell away. But Thomas had been particularly outspoken the week before the Passion. Jesus wanted to go to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead, but the disciples knew that it was too close to Jerusalem and thus too dangerous. Thomas, in his cheerfully pessimistic manner said, “Let’s all go so that we may die with him,” (John 11:16). That loyalty would melt away when the mob came to arrest Jesus. That failure helped plunge Thomas into the clouds of doubt.

Lack of Understanding – How many times did Jesus tell the disciples that he was going to Jerusalem to die? Mark 8, 9, and 10 record three times. That means Jesus repeatedly explained to them that his mission involved dying as a ransom for many. They didn’t get it. Thomas, like the others had a “conquering king” image of Messiah, not a “Suffering Servant” portrait. In John 6:60 many of his fringe followers fell away when Jesus taught them that they would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood. One of my own questions as a young adult drove my own theological doubt: How does one man dying on a cross save me from my sins? 

PTSD Over Jesus’ Crucifixion – Seriously! The horrifying details of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion left Thomas in a state of shock. Thomas seemed fixated on the specifics of the wounds, the gory and bloody scene playing over and over in his mind. I remember when a friend of mine was killed in a tree-planting accident how the scene played over and over in my imagination. I literally saw my friend pinned between two logs in an engorged and flooding river in a BC mountain. Shock can leave you in a state of susceptibility to doubt.

Isolation – Why was Thomas missing on the Sunday night when Jesus appeared to the Ten? Where was he? Grief affects everyone differently: some need people around and others want to be alone. Thomas chose the latter. But being alone with your doubts and depression are the worst thing – all you have is your own mind and its irrational thoughts to keep you company. Then the other disciples say they saw Jesus and Thomas must have thought it was a cruel joke. It’s like missing church when you’re having a bad day, and everyone tells you it was the best service ever. It was like Jesus was really present in the worship time. Greeeaaaaat! 

            Do these factors contribute to your doubts about Jesus? Where do you go for the answers to your questions? 

 

The Invitation (John 20:26-27)

 

“The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” (1602) is a painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio that portrays the moment when Jesus appears to Thomas. You can see four intimate figures in a Roman setting. Caravaggio used light and darkness to tell the story: Thomas’ doubt is seen in the shadows behind him, while Thomas touches Christ’s wound as if being drawn into the light. His surprised expression shows his unbelief. Note too that Jesus does not have a halo around his head in this painting emphasizing his in-the-flesh persona.

            “Eight days later” suggests that according to the Jewish way of counting “a week later” – It’s Sunday evening again! Knowing of Thomas’ challenge, Jesus appears again and invites Thomas to investigate his wounds. Jesus graciously offers him to touch the holes left by nails and the gaping gash where the spear pierced his side. Go ahead, find your proof! 

            In other words, if you have doubts use those doubts to investigate more of Jesus. When I struggled with doubts about Jesus, someone encouraged me that it was a good thing. You’ve got questions – use those questions to find out if there are answers. And there were answers! I kept reading. I kept studying. I kept preaching. And I am more certain than ever that Jesus is who he says he is! Doubt doesn’t have to freeze your faith. Doubt is not a sin if it urges you to seek answers.

            Life with Jesus is not a victorious straight line. What I mean is, we get sucked into the sneaky narrative that some preachers tell you that life with Jesus is perfect. Everything that is wrong will be fixed immediately. That’s not how discipleship works. 

            First, we see in the Bible that there are people of faith that had doubts. And God embraces those people. Abraham and Sarah doubted when God told them they would have a son in their senior years. Mary was incredulous when Gabriel told her she would give birth to the Messiah. Do you know who didn’t have doubts? The Pharisees. They stood out as those who think they had God all figured out. They never asked questions, only gave pat answers. And they were wrong. 

            There is a way to deal with doubt from a place of faith. Take your doubts to God. Read the Psalms; they are full of people questioning God. Psalm 42:9, “I say to God my rock: ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’” This psalmist went to God and said, “I don’t get this. Help me understand.” Tim Keller said that we should talk to ourselves but don’t listen to ourselves. Tell your doubts to remember God’s character and how he has been faithful to you. Go to other believers and, unlike Thomas who went it alone, share your questions. 

            The Bible shows us that God welcomes doubts because he wants the “real you” to know the “real Him.” Knowing God is a lifetime pursuit. And he is pursuing you too by giving you the questions. He wants you to investigate him.

 

The Blessing of Believing Without Seeing (John 20:28-29)

 

Thomas is face-to-face with the risen Christ. He sees the wounds of Jesus as Jesus pulls back his garment. All Thomas can say is, “My Lord and my God!” He is not saying, “Oh my God, that’s gross!” He is not blaspheming, and Jesus does not rebuke him for calling him “God”! Thomas is making a declaration of faith. It is the first time in John’s account that someone calls Jesus God. 

            Greg Boyd made an interesting observation about the disciples’ faith. He said they didn’t believe in Jesus because of their scripture (OT); they were convinced by Jesus’ claims, his love, his life, his authority, his miracles, his death, and especially his resurrection. Once they believed in Jesus, they looked for him and found him in the scriptures. 

            Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is home base for faith. It is the foundational truth of our faith. It is the place we return to again and again when the Christian life is hard to figure out. 

            After you come to believe in Jesus, you will still have doubts and questions over difficult problems in the Bible and in your daily life. You may struggle with how a loving God can allow evil in the world. Or how children can be sold into slavery for the sex trade. Maybe you struggle with the idea of hell and how some people are bound for judgment. 

            Listen, you may not get the answers, it may be a lifetime of studying the Scriptures, or it may be a mystery only solved when we see Jesus. But you can trust that God is good and is faithful because of one amazing fact: God raised Jesus bodily from the dead. I may not understand the world and all its complicated mysteries, but I come back to Jesus. He is risen from the dead, was seen by the Apostles, by Thomas who wanted proof, and by 500 more witnesses. If Jesus is risen from the dead, then his claims are true and your issues with how the world works are secondary issues. As Paul said, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins,” (1 Cor. 5:17). 

            The resurrection of Jesus is the touchstone. An ancient Christian creed began like this: “…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures…he was buried…he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

            Thomas saw Jesus and believed. Jesus replied, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” (28). That’s you and me.

 

Do you have doubts about the Christian faith? I challenge you to make your doubts a blessing by looking for the answers. 

            Charles Spurgeon said, and I paraphrase, “I think, when a man says, ‘I never doubt,’ we should doubt his certainty. We need to say, ‘You poor guy, I am afraid you are not on the road to discipleship, for if you were, you would see so many things in yourself and in the person of Jesus Christ than you deserve to see, you would be ashamed, and you would say, ‘This is too good to be true.’” 

            Sometimes doubt is a rite of passage into maturity as when a young person needs to own the faith that his or her parents raised them in. 

            Sometimes doubt is connected to moral choices as when people don’t want to believe in Jesus because God forbids the things they want to do.

            And then there is doubt like Thomas’ who rooted in fear and lack of understanding about Jesus leaves unanswered questions that need investigation. 

            As we approach the Easter season and celebrate its meaning, these are the facts:

·      Jesus died on a Roman cross for the sins of the world.

·      The tomb was found to be empty. 

·      No corpse has ever been discovered.

·      Jesus appeared to a lot of people who put their own lives on the line and died saying, “This is true!”

And do you know what happened to “Doubting Thomas”? Hippolytus, a 2^nd century historian gave a credible account that Thomas preached in what is now Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India where he died for Jesus. That territory covers 25 US states. One of my Sunday School teachers at Braeside was from India and his name was Thomas Matthew. That’s the legacy of one who saw the resurrected Jesus.

            “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is in expressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls,” (1 Peter 1:8-9). 

 

                                                            AMEN

            

Portraits of the Passion - John 20:19-23

UNLOCKING THE DOOR OF FEAR

 

It’s late on Sunday night. The city is in turmoil over the day’s events. A woman of some questionable background is going around spreading a rumor. She says that the body of her teacher is missing. Then she changes her story and says that he’s not dead anymore and she’s talked with him. The dead man’s followers don’t know what to think. They are paralyzed with fear. Their leader has been executed by the authorities and they believe that they’re next. They’re not wrong. Soldiers search for the body. Authorities search for these followers. All they can do is hide and keep the doors locked. 

            The resurrection of Jesus Christ has taken place as Jesus said it would. Mary says its true. Peter and John say the tomb is empty. But the followers of Jesus are afraid to tell anyone about this good news.

            Fear! Fear keeps us locked up and hidden. They feared the Jews. We fear the unbeliever. Fear refers to being intimidated. Fear makes us want to run the other way. It’s a visceral, almost instinctual reaction to something that causes dread whether real or imagined. Fear is driven by “what if” statements, by doubt and uncertainty. It is often the opposite of faith. 

            In my first year of college, it was mandatory to take a course on evangelism. One of the assignments for the course was to evangelize three different people and write about it. A fellow student and I concluded we could either go to the local mall or the local hospital. We chose the hospital because we figured the patients were a captive audience – they couldn’t run away. My partner quickly found someone to talk to in one of the wards. I, on the other hand, walked laps around the hallway of the tiny hospital panicking about entering the room of a stranger and proposing to tell them about Jesus. I finally stirred up some courage and walked into a room…I was quickly greeted by a curtain and a sign that read “quarantined: stay out.” 

            The disciples had the fresh reality of Jesus rising from the dead. What a thrilling and exciting time. But they were afraid. On this side of the cross and the resurrection, we have the historical certainty that Jesus is alive. Yet we too are afraid, if we are honest, to share the good news of Jesus. 

 

What FEARS keep you “locked up”? 

 

If faith is “the reality of what is hoped for, the evidence of what is not seen” (Heb. 11:1), fear is the supposed reality of what is dreaded, the false evidence of what will probably never happen.

            “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews…” (20:19ab). Just like the disciples, fear keeps us from sharing Jesus with others. What are we afraid of?

Jayson Bradley of Churchleaders.com explains five aspects of fear that may lock us up in our witness.

Shame! Are you ashamed of our faith? Shame is being afraid to pray out loud for your meal in a restaurant. Shame is that feeling you get when people ask why you don’t use foul language and you don’t want to say it’s because you are a Christian. Shame is that gut sense you feel when people associate Christianity with some crazy ideas and people (i.e. Westborough Baptist Church).  

Foolishness is closely related to shame. None of us wants to look stupid. A God who would save people by allowing them to kill him is foolish. Going to church every Sunday and singing songs and listening to some guy preach is not seen as intellectually sound among educated elites. Funny thing that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise…” (1 Cor. 1:27).

Ambiguity! One thing we fear in sharing our faith is uncertainty. We are scared that we will look like we don’t know what we are talking about. We are afraid someone will ask a question we can’t answer. Sometimes the best thing we can say is “I don’t know.” To admit that you don’t have all the answers to life’s problems, but that you trust in God anyways, is an authentic and honest response.

Opposition! No one likes to be opposed or even hated. I confess my own inclination is to have everyone like me. So, I can’t find the words to speak God’s truth when people are obviously hostile to God. Being rejected is our biggest fear. A BGEA survey at a Billy Graham crusade revealed that 51% of Christians in witnessing situations were afraid of how people would react. Lifeway Research countered this fear saying people aren’t as mean as you think. People are more willing to talk about faith than you think.

Pain! What if we get hurt? Physical pain is a rare likelihood. More realistically in our context is “What if I mess up a wonderful friendship?” What if my family kicks me out for believing in Jesus? I’m not going to tell you it won’t happen. Pain is a part of living in a fallen world and pain is certainly a reality in talking about Jesus with people who resist Jesus. 

            Fears are often without substance. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” Because fear itself is an enemy and a hindrance to acting or speaking on your convictions.

 

The KEY is Christ’s PEACE

 

While the followers of Jesus were hiding in an undisclosed location with the doors locked, “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you,” (19c). 

            “Peace be with you” was a pretty common saying in those days. Normally it didn’t mean much, like saying, “Hi, how are you? I hope you are well.” 

            In this context, it means so much more. Jesus repeats this blessing again once the disciples had calmed down. Luke reflects this event in his writing saying they thought they had seen a ghost. Luke adds that Jesus eats a fish to demonstrate that he’s not a ghost. No wonder he starts with, “Peace dudes.” 

            The disciples were afraid, then confused, now freaked out. Jesus spoke peace over them. Before he died, Jesus had promised them peace. “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,” (John 14:27). This peace is so important at this moment that Jesus repeats it a third time in our next story with Thomas (26). 

            The word “peace” refers to the OT idea of shalom. When Jews spoke “shalom,” it meant more than peace; it was “used to denote the unqualified well-being that would characterize the people of God” once the kingdom of God was realized. Well, here’ s the king, Jesus, and the kingdom has come. What does shalom mean? What is this peace? 

            Peace covers us in so many ways. 

            We have peace between us and Jesus. When fear was at its highest peak for the disciples, Jesus stood among them and said “I’m here. I’m your friend, your helper. Don’t be afraid.” And he does that for us too. Jesus is here.

            We have peace between us and God the Father. Our sins no longer create an unapproachable chasm between us and God. Through Jesus, we are forgiven of every sin, and we can approach the Father in his name. 

            We have peace with others who follow Jesus.

            We have peace in our own souls. We do not have to live with guilt and shame or memories of the past. Trauma does not define us – Christ does.

            We have a hope of peace for our world. One day Christ will rule the world with Shalom. 

            Christ’s peace is the key to unlock the door of fear. John Stott wrote, “We learn then that the Church’s very first need, before it can begin to engage in evangelism, is an experience and an assurance of Christ’s peace — peace of conscience through his death that banishes sin, peace of mind through his resurrection that banishes doubt … Once we are glad that we have seen the Lord, and once we have clearly recognized him as our crucified and risen Savior, then nothing and no one will be able to silence us.”

            

You possess POWER that overcomes fear 

 

In the place of our fear, Jesus gives us his peace. He gives us his peace so that we can participate in his mission. The text continues with Jesus saying, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld,” (21-23). 

            There are two remarkable truths in this verse regarding our participation in the mission of God. The first is that Jesus Christ needs the church. Do you want me to personalize this? Okay, Jesus needs you! Jesus came preaching the good news and became the good news, as it were, on the cross. Now he was going back to the Father. His message could never be taken to every person unless he returned to the Father and left us with the task of telling every person about Jesus. Jesus is depending on you and me to spread this message.

            Second, the church needs Jesus. A person who is sent out with a message needs someone to send him. He needs a message to take. He needs authority to speak this message. Without Jesus, we have no message, no power, no authority, no means to enlighten minds, no joy to encourage the heart. The church needs Jesus. 

            Because Jesus needs us and we need Jesus, Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to empower us to speak this good news. The text says that Jesus “breathed on them” and gave them the Holy Spirit. I love that. John is reflecting on the old Creation story where “…the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” (Gen. 2:7). And it’s the same picture Ezekiel saw in the valley of dry bones when God breathed on the bones, and they stood up. The coming of the Holy Spirit is like the wakening of life from the dead. When the Spirit comes upon the church, she leaves fear behind and stands up to bear witness to Jesus.

            We have a message that is worth hearing, don’t we? That message is forgiveness of sins through the person of Jesus Christ who just happens to be the Son of God and King of this Universe. That last verse, the one about forgiving sins and not forgiving sins, is a little strange. John Piper paraphrased it and I think he made some good sense of it:

“When you tell people about what I have done, speaking my word, about my work, in the power of my Spirit, I am the one speaking through you, so that if anyone believes your word, I forgive their sins. And if any does not believe your words, I don’t forgive them. And since you are my voice and my truth, I speak of you forgiving them, and you withholding forgiveness.”

            You possess power from the Holy Spirit that overcomes fear. Just like the timid disciples who became roaring lions, speak the name of Jesus and you will overcome fear. 

            

Many Bible readers assume that Timothy was timid – shy. Maybe he was. I confess that I have some of that timidity in me. I am shy at times and will not be the first to speak. We could all take to heart what Paul said to Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline,” (2 Tim. 1:7).

            One writer put fear in a different context that I want to pass on to you. He said the problem of fear is that we just don’t fear enough. More fear? Yes. The fear of the Lord. He quoted Isaiah 8:12-13 where Isaiah was needing a boost of courage in the face of a people that didn’t want to hear his message. The Lord said, “do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread…” 

            There is a saying, “What grips the heart, wags the tongue.” Are we gripped with a proper fear of the Lord and his overwhelming love?                         AMEN

 

Full story shared by Darryl re: Lee Strobel’s evangelism experience:

 

Lee Strobel tells the story of a time when he felt God prompting him to go and share an Easter invitation in the business office of the newspaper where he worked. He didn’t know why. But, he listens to God. When he arrived, he saw his friend who was working in the business office.

It was an average routine day, and I was packing my stuff up to go home and I felt like God was kicking me in the butt and real specifically to go into the business office of the newspaper and invite my atheist friend to come to Easter services at our church. Because Easter was coming up, so I thought this is great. If God is really leading me to do this so specifically, this is gonna be spectacular. He's probably gonna repent right there, get on his knees and receive Christ. This is gonna be fantastic!

So, I walk over to the new business office with great anticipation. I walk in and look around. I see my friend behind his desk.

Perfect, so I said, “Hey how are you doing?”

He said, “I’m doing great”.

I said, “Hey, you know Easter is coming up?”

He said, “Lee, I’m an atheist, I don’t observe Easter”.

I said, “Yeah I know but Easter is when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead.”

He said, “No, he did not”.

I said, “Well actually there is good historical evidence he did.” I began to talk to him about the evidence historically Jesus rose from death and I'm trying to get in a bunch of stuff in and you could see his eyes are glazing over. So, I thought okay this isn't going well.

So, I took another tact, I said, “So um yeah, do you do you ever think about God?”

He said “No”.

Okay um, I said, “Do you have any questions about God”.

He said, “No”.

Okay um Hey look I said, “I know you like music, our church has got great music. Why don’t you come to Easter services, I think you’ll like the music”.

He said, “I don’t want to go to your stupid church.”

“Hey okay, um thanks. Um.. I’ll talk to you… you know where my office is if you ever have a question”.

I thought I screwed up and I thought what the heck was that. Why did God tug me so specifically to go and invite him to church and talk about Jesus and the resurrection? To this day he's still an atheist and I'm telling you this bothered me for years. But I'll tell you now the rest of the story.

Several years after that, by then I was a pastor at this church outside Chicago, I'd preached on a Sunday and a guy came up to me and said, “Can I just shake your hand and thank you for the spiritual influence you’ve had in my life.”

I said, “Well, that’s very nice. Who are you?”

He said “Well let me tell you my story. A few years ago I lost my job and I was panic-stricken. I didn’t have any money in the bank. I was gonna lose my house. I was going to lose my car. I went to the newspaper, and I said, “Hey you have any odd jobs I can do to earn a buck at the newspaper.”

And the guy said, “Well, can you tile floors?” and I said well “Yeah I’ve titled my bathroom. I think I can tile the floor.”

The guy said, “Well, we need some tiling installed and repaired at the newspaper so if you can do that we can pay you for a while”.

So, he said, I went to work at the newspaper. One day, an average day before Easter, I was in the business office of the newspaper, and I was on my hands and knees on the floor behind a desk working on some tile on the floor and you walked in the door. And I don’t even think you knew I was there. You start talking this guy about God, you start talking about the resurrection, you start talking about the historical evidence that Jesus really did rise, you started inviting him to church. But This guy was shutting you down and I’m on my hands and knees behind this desk. And my heart’s beating fast. I’m thinking I need God. I need to go to church. So as soon as you left, I called my wife. I said, “We’re gonna go to church on Easter”. She said, “What!”. I said, “Yeah”.

We came to your church that Easter. I came to faith. My wife came to faith and our teenage son came to faith. And I just wanted to thank you.”

I thought to myself, “This is a new form of evangelism.” Ricochet evangelism is where you share your faith, and it bounces off a hard heart. You just don't know where it's gonna go.

Friends this is the unexpected adventure of the Christian life. You don't want to miss this we can't do this in heaven this is our one chance so let's ask God to take us on these unexpected adventures.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeO0HwS7Zi0

 

 

 

Portraits of the Passion - John 20:11-18

“JUST AN OLD-FASHIONED LOVE SONG”

 

As I meditated on and researched the role of Mary the Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus, an old song popped into my head that seemed to fit her story. Three Dog Night recorded this song in the 60s (show lyrics). If you put a little effort into it, you can tease out some biblical themes in the song. I wonder if God laughs when song writers reflect his themes without trying to. 

            Mary the Magdalene is a mysterious character. She is mentioned 12 times in the gospel accounts, but we don’t know much about her. Mary has always seemed like a flat character to me, no perspective. We don’t know why she was such an ardent follower of Jesus. We don’t know why she was the first person to see the risen Christ. But she loved Jesus deeply. 

            One writer commented that if he were Jesus, he would appear to the Jewish leaders to show them they were wrong about Messiah. Or he would go to Pilate and say, “See?” Or to Peter, the supposed leader of the disciples, and reaffirm that what Peter saw in Jesus was true. But the first person to see Jesus was Mary! 

            Who was Mary the Magdalene?

            Why does John put so much emphasis on her testimony about the empty tomb? 

            The following is just a theory based on an ancient tradition of the early church. This theory has been rejected in the last hundred years by scholars of higher biblical criticism. That is, until a theology student from Notre Dame named Clement Harrold revived the theory in a paper I read last week. It’s still just a theory, but it helped me paint a portrait of the love that Mary had for Jesus and why she matters.

§  Two Anointings, One Anointer

We first find Mary the Magdalene in Luke’s account of the gospel. To begin the narrative, a Pharisee named Simon invites Jesus to a dinner party (Luke 7:36). Luke introduces an unexpected interloper into the party, “And behold a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that (Jesus) was reclining at table (likely a couch) in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment,” (37-38).

            That the woman was from the city and a sinner implied that she was a prostitute. An exchange occurs between this Simon and Jesus; Simon is outraged that a holy man, a prophet like Jesus, would allow this woman of ill repute to touch him so. Jesus retorts that Simon did not wash his feet when he entered Simon’s house, but this woman has washed his feet with her tears. So there…

            Jesus has a soft spot for women. If you know about ANE culture, you know that’s unusual. Jesus elevated women to significance in the kingdom of God. They mattered to him. Ancient men thought less of women than Jesus did. 

            As Luke continues this narrative in chapter 8, Jesus is seen preaching the good news in more villages. Then Luke adds this: “…also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities (were with him): Mary called Magdalene, from who seven demons had gone out…” (8:2). Luke counts Mary and this group of women among the benefactors who financially supported Jesus’ ministry. 

            Mary is said to have been healed of evil spirits. We don’t know if she was possessed or oppressed. The number “seven” implies completeness, so that she was overwhelmingly afflicted. 

            The controversy surrounding Mary over the centuries was whether she was a prostitute or not. Some make the link that the sinful woman of chapter 7 is the Mary of chapter 8. Mary could have been simply ill, or her affliction could have been sexual in nature or result. We don’t know. 

            The question we are left to consider is this: Was Mary the woman of questionable character that heard that Jesus was nearby and wanted to bless him? 

            The theory continues to unfold in the narrative of Luke 10 where two sisters are hosting Jesus in their home (presumably in Bethany; not told). One, Martha, is getting food ready, while the other, Mary, sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him explain the kingdom of God (Luke 10:38-42).

            This Mary is known as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus (we discover in John 11). As the theory goes, perhaps this Mary is the woman of ill repute restored to her family after a life of rebellion. Perhaps this Mary of Bethany was Mary who ran away to Magdala to live a sinful life. Perhaps when she found Jesus (or Jesus found her), she realized how far she had fallen. 

            Add to this wild tale the possibility that this is the same woman who was caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. It may seem far-fetched for various reasons. Yet you can’t help but appreciate the gratitude of this woman (or women) whom Jesus has freed from their stained reputation (before God at least). 

§  The Second Anointing

Is Mary of Bethany also known as Mary the Magdalene? In John 12 we find Jesus in his final week before his crucifixion and he is at another dinner party. This party was for Lazarus who having been raised from the dead by Jesus was some sort of celebrity in Bethany. Martha, as was her nature, was serving the food.

            Lazarus’ sister, Mary, was also being herself. John writes, “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair…” (12:3a). The cost of the ointment was said to be 300 denarii (today’s value 40,000 dollars). Perfume? Hair? Sound familiar? 

            You might be tempted to say the two anointings are the same event but recorded differently. However, there are important details to consider. The first anointing was in Galilee; this one was in Bethany of Judea. In the first story, the woman weeps; here, Mary has no emotion. 

            Perhaps this second anointing reveals the growth in her relationship with Jesus. The first anointing was filled with gratitude; the second was a re-enactment of the first but in preparation for Jesus’ death, a sign perhaps that only Mary understood what Jesus was saying about his mission. 

            That it was a second anointing is implied by John 11:2, BEFORE the raising of Lazarus, where John writes, “It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.” John describes this as something Mary did in the past. 

            In the second anointing, Judas objects to this waste of money and cries foul for the poor. But Jesus replies with an odd rebuke, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial,” (12:7). It is as if she didn’t finish what she was doing, and Jesus instructs her to finish later. 

§  Two Resurrection Stories

A further connection can be made between Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene with the raising of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus. The similarities are hard to ignore. 

            When Jesus finally arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead four days. Jesus talks to Martha and then goes to find Mary. She hears that Jesus is looking for her and runs to meet him. “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,’” (11:32). Jesus is moved by her weeping, and he begins to weep too. Mary weeps at the tomb of her brother, Lazarus, you see. We find the same expression at the tomb of Jesus, “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stopped to look into the tomb…” (20:11). 

            Another similarity between the two stories comes when Jesus says of the body of Lazarus, “Where have you laid him?” (11:34). With Mary Magdalene at Jesus’ tomb, the angels ask why she is weeping, and she replies, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him,” (20:13). 

            Now, you may think that these are coincidences, but if you know John’s writing, you know that he likes to “play” with the reader. He uses double meanings, and he employs literary cues to make connections. Is it possible that this is what he’s doing here? 

            Finally, John includes a very mysterious detail that seems to have little meaning. When Mary the Magdalene looks into the tomb, she sees two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. Why?!? Why does this matter, John? Why would you include this strange detail? That’s John for you. 

            Could it be that the angels were a clue for Mary? In Matthew 26:7, the unnamed woman anointed Jesus’ head and later anointed his feet (John 12:3). If this is the same Mary, then this random detail is not so random at all. 

§  An Ancient Love Song

Finally, John’s anointing scene in chapter 12 carries strong royal and bridal connotations. Remember, my comment that at the dinner parties Jesus attended, he reclined as if on a couch. That’s how they ate their meals, reclining on a couch. 

            The Song of Solomon (or “Songs”) is a love poem. We Christians often ignore it as overly erotic and TMI to be studied or read in church. I call your attention firstly to 1:12 where the beloved, the bride, says, “While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.” Interesting, subtle hints of our anointing scenes…okay?! So, there is a hint of prophecy of Jesus in this…maybe. What the Song really tells us is how much God loves his betrothed, Israel. 

            Is it possible that John is consciously trying to make us think of this Song in his resurrection scene? Mary Magdalene’s actions are like those of the Shulamite girl in this song. In the bride’s dream, she wakes early to seek her beloved husband (Sg 3:1-2; John 20:1). She cannot find him (Sg 3:2; Jn 20:2), so she converses with the watchmen about where he has gone (Sg 3:3; Jn 20:13), and then finally discovers him with much jubilation (Sg 3:4; Jn 20:16). Just as the Shulamite girl clings to her beloved and refuses to let him go (Sg 3:4), Jesus is forced to instruct Mary not to hold him (Jn 20:17). 

            

Sharon asked me what the point of this exercise would be. Good question. Is it just a mystery of the Bible that I wanted to intrigue you with? 

            Mary Magdalene has been a controversial figure for almost 2000 years. Dan Brown in his Da Vinci Code novel makes her out to be the wife of Jesus. Others have painted her that way. I have no desire nor illusions in that regard. 

            The key is found in the first narrative we looked at in Luke. Jesus explained to Simon the Pharisee that the woman who anointed him did so out of great love for the One who forgave her sins. Jesus said, “I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love,” (7:47). 

            If the woman who anointed Jesus at Simon’s party was someone other than Mary Magdalene, the shoe still fits. Mary had seven demons sent out of her. Her life had been completely redefined by the touch of the Savior. Mary’s identity was no longer the woman oppressed but the woman redeemed. 

            I believe Mary represents the spiritual bride of Christ – the Church. She was an historical person, to be sure. However, her relationship with Jesus reflects an intense love for Christ that serves as a model for all of us. 

            Think about it: Early on the first day of the week, Mary came to the tomb while it was still dark looking for Jesus. One writer said there was a lot of running on Easter Sunday. She ran to tell the disciples; the disciples ran to the tomb; Mary must have run after them. 

            When you came to worship this morning, did you come running? Were you eager? Were you expecting to find Jesus this morning? Did you peep into this worship hall hoping to find Jesus? Or like Mary, do we miss the tell-tale signs that Jesus is present here? To be honest, the Church has often missed the signs – we miss the presence of Jesus. But he’s here.

            When Mary found Jesus, she did not want to let him go. She did not want to lose him again. When we find Jesus in worship or in the study of his Word or in the fellowship of his friends (the church), do we cling to him and grudgingly let him go to re-enter the world? 

            Jesus told Mary to go and tell the brothers that he had risen from the dead and what came next. Do we, filled with joy that our beloved Lord has risen from the dead, go and tell our friends about the Man who changed our identities by forgiving our sins? 

            Mary is Mary. In another sense, we are Mary. We are the bride of Christ. We have been forgiven much – do we love him like Mary loved him? 

 

Just like an old fashioned love song…

 

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church,” (Eph. 5:25 & 31-32)

 

 

                                                AMEN