Seeing is Believing – John 20:1-18
In U. S. courts, several factors play into the credibility of eye-witness testimony:
1. The witness had personal knowledge – as opposed to “hearsay” evidence.
2. He or she was actually present at the scene.
3. The witness paid attention at the scene.
4. He or she told the whole truth.
The reason why we are interested in these matters is because our faith in Jesus Christ, specifically in the resurrection of Christ on which our faith stands or falls, is based on the testimony of eyewitnesses.
Grab a highlighter or pen while you read this text and underline the word “saw” or “seen” as it is used over and over again (as well as in verses 20 & 25). You may also want to draw a box around the word “believed” in verse 8. Note verses 2 and 13-14 as they relate to the credibility of these eye-witnesses.
First, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb on that fateful Sunday morning. She did not go to the wrong tomb. There is collaborating testimony from the Gospel of Mark that when Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses “were looking on to see where He was laid” (15:47).
There are a variety of reasons that leads to depression but one cannot just sit with the disorder and live with it for their lifetime and should make sure that they get through see for more info cialis on line the issue. It is quickly absorbed by the bloodstream and dilates the vessels cialis price no prescription to allow more blood supply to regenerative area. It works almost in the similar way that the brand or prescribed medicine is working for the same disease as the same way. discount sildenafil discover description And with every growing age in this polluted and populated purchase generic viagra http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/personal-property-auction-items-belonged-to-the-late-rupert-cox/ world, a speedy diagnosing has become very important.
Second, Simon Peter and the apostle whom Jesus loved, almost certainly John the author of the Gospel, also went to the tomb. Both these men were eyewitnesses and wrote or were influential in writing the historical record. What did they see?
Verses 5 & 6 say they saw the linen wrapping lying there. Verse 7 says they saw the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but “rolled up” (that is significant) in a place by itself. This is not the action of one who only fainted and stumbled out of the cave. Nor is it the action of thieves, whether His disciples or His enemies.
Notice verse 9. Just as with Mary Magdalene, the disciples did not understand the Scripture, that is the promises in the Old Testament nor the clear statements of Jesus, that He “must” rise again from the dead. This was totally unexpected to them.
The conclusion to this account is that you and I need to be motivated to do the same thing that Mary Magdalene did. Observe verse 18 – “Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” That verb tense carries the idea that Mary stood in a state of conviction that she had seen the risen Jesus.
But, let’s take a quick look at Jesus’ statement to Thomas Didymus in verse 29. “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” Then, John goes on to point out that he wrote his Gospel about the life of Christ so that you and I, having faith in Jesus Christ, could be saved from our sins (20:31-31).
The resurrection of Christ is the greatest event in all of human history. It splits time into two large segments and it guarantees us that time itself will one day come to an end. Jesus is alive, reigning in heaven, and He will come again. That’s why we need to have passion for souls.
–Paul Holland
