Before we start this chapter, lets first understand the times and hours that are given here as they apply to the Hebrew calendar and time. This measures a day from sunset to the sunset on the following day. Many people confuse this time that Jesus Christ was in the grave from sundown on Friday, to the morning on Sunday, however this tradition is in error, and we will analyze this time factor in this chapter. The traditional belief is in error and not the way that it took place.

The day that Jesus was crucified, when the soldier placed the spear in His side, was in the afternoon on a Wednesday. That Wednesday was the day before the start of the High holy day of Passover. In this study we will relate our times and calendar to the Hebrew so there will be no misunderstanding of the events that took place, and we can see that everything that happened was truly as prophesied.

It is important that you know the span of time here and have it fixed in your mind. When Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus took Jesus from the cross and hurried Him to the tomb; this event happened just prior to sunset, by 6: P.M. as required by law. This would be the Hebrew Thursday, which by our calendar would be Wednesday at sunset. So the first day of Jesus time in the tomb was from our Wednesday sunset, to Thursday at sunset.

Then from Thursday sunset to Friday sunset was the second day, and made it two days in the grave. And from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset [6: P.M.] was the third day that Jesus' body was in the tomb. The word Saturday is not used in the Hebrew, for Saturday is named after Saturn which is called Satan's planet.

The third day ended at Saturday at sunset, and then some time in the night, of what we call Saturday, the resurrection took place. Jesus' body had spent the entire three days in the tomb. This was also a sign that Jesus gave us in Matthew 12:40; "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

John 20:1 "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre."

The phrase, "The first day of the week", should read, "From the first day of the Sabbath". It is recording the first day of the Sabbath of the Passover. Jesus became the Passover Lamb. So here it is early on Sunday morning, and it is about three to four A.M. while it was still dark that Mary Magdalene approached the tomb.

This stone that was rolled away, had two Roman guards standing watch, however John does not mention them, nor does John mention the sealing of the tomb. When the Lord came from that tomb, He became the first of the first fruits of God's resurrection of the harvest, mentioned in I Corinthians 15:23; "But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's, at His coming."

Mary must have been very upset when she first saw the stone rolled away from the tomb.

John 20:2 "Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him."

These two disciples that Mary Magdalene ran to were Peter and John, the writer of this Gospel.

John 20:3 "Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre."

John 20:4 "So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre."

John, the one that loved Jesus so much, outran Peter to the grave site.

John 20:5 "And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in."

When John saw the burial clothes setting there, he did not go into the tomb.

John 20:6 "Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie."

The big fisherman that Peter was, didn't bother to stop but in his excitement went right into the tomb.

John 20:7 "And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped together in a place by itself."

Let's try to understand this "wrapped together in a place by itself", from the Greek text. It was still wrapped as they had woven the linen napkin around Jesus body at burial. It was interwoven as it was when they put the linen on Christ following His death.

There is a great difference between Jesus' resurrection, and that of Lazarus. When Lazarus was brought to life by Jesus, Jesus stated, "Lazarus come forth" [John 11:43] and at that time Lazarus did not come forth without the burial clothing, but he came forth in the flesh, still wrapped in his graveclothes.

John 11:44 "And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."

When Lazarus came forth we saw two miracles, Lazarus floating out of the grave still rapped in His grave clothes, and the coming to life of his rotting flesh body. His friends and family had to unbind him to let him go, and he was still in his flesh body.

In Jesus resurrection, He was not in the flesh body, but in His resurrected body, and the body came out of the graveclothes, just as we will see later when He entered the room without opening the door. Jesus was in His Spiritual body as we shall all have throughout the eternity.

There is a traditional belief that there was a shroud that was placed over Christ, and His transfigured body left His markings on it. However this is like all other traditions, it is based on hearsay. The year that they were suppose to have carbon dated the shroud, was prior to the time that the process that is stated, had been in used. We should look at the cloth, or shroud as any other tradition, for there are people that will believe any tradition just because they are taught from childhood to do so.

What was involved here when Jesus Christ came out of that tomb alive, and in body form, was the transfiguration of Christ to His new body. Jesus gave Peter, James and John a glimpse of this taking place, when He brought them with Him up on a high mountain. This is recorded in Matthew 17:2-9.

Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."

Matthew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him."

There was a definite brightness that shown when Jesus was transfigured, and when He came out of that tomb He also had that transfigured body, and not of the flesh as happened to Lazarus in his resurrection. This was the purpose of the transfiguration, to show that there was no flesh body left to be moved, to be stolen, or to have anything done with it. The transfigured Body is not the decayed flesh body come to life, it is just that, a transfigured body, of a different substance of a different dimension which we will discuss later in this chapter.

There are many similarities between the risen fleshly body of Lazarus, and the transfigured body of Christ. Both of these bodies did eat, and consume food. When Jesus ate with the disciples and departed in the transfigured body, the food left with Him, right through the unopened door.

Learn to study for yourself, and use the proper tools of study, so when someone makes a statement that just isn't true, you won't be taken in and shaken by some fairy-tales. There are all sorts of new so-called finds, such as the "dead sea scrolls" that we must be on guard against, for they are incomplete, and well tampered with to the point of being no more reliable then the book of "The three bears", or any other fairy-tale.

John 20:8 "Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed."

When John came into the tomb after Peter had entered into the tomb, he saw the clothes, and believed immediately that Jesus was resurrected. It is important that you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, for that is the very foundation of our Christian faith. This is also why it is important that we understand the phrase "wrapped together", for the clothes were still in the same order as it was when the body was wrapped in them. It shows that Christ's body was the eternal transfigured body when He came out of those grave clothes, and not the flesh body, such as Lazarus' body.

Peter and John were at the mount of transfiguration, and Jesus taught them, and told them that they would understand after He had risen.

Matthew 17:8 "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only."

Matthew 17:9 "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."

John 20:9 "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead."

The scripture that is prophesying "that He must rise again from the dead" is found in Psalm16:10, 11.

Psalm 16:10 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption."

Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In Thy presence is fullness of joy; At Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

"Hell" spoken of here is the grave ["Sheol" in the Hebrew tongue]. "Corruption" is the decay of the flesh body. The Father will not allow the body of Jesus Christ the "Holy One" to stay in the ground, and decay like all the other flesh bodies. After Jesus came from the grave, He ascended to Heaven to be at the right hand of the Father. When you place your hope and faith in Jesus Christ, you will see those pleasures that our Father has for you, and they are never ending.

Paul spoke of this also in Acts 2:30; "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne."

Acts 2:31 "He seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption."

This is the Apostle Paul quoting from David in Psalm 16:10, 11.

Acts 2:32; "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."

Paul and all the rest of those that were there when the Holy Ghost entered those that were gathered on that day of Pentecost, were all witness to the fact that Jesus arose from the dead, and fulfilled all parts of this prophecy of David.

Our very faith hinges on the fact that this prophecy is true, for if Jesus had not risen as stated, then Christianity would be little more that a myth.

John 20:10 "Then the disciples went away again unto their own home."

There was no need to stick around, for Jesus was gone.

John 20:11 "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,"

This is the same Mary that Jesus healed from the seven demons. Luke 8:2; "And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," She is standing before the tomb and weeping as she stooped and looked into the tomb.

John 20:12 "And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain."

The word "angel" means messenger, there were two messengers here, and because of the supreme importance of our Lord's resurrection in the divine counsels, it would demand the presence of the highest angels. This is why I believe they were probably Michael and Gabriel. Notice that the appearance of these angels were exactly as flesh men would appear, for men and angels alike are created in the image of God.

John 20:13 "And they say unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him."

Mary was not knowledgeable of the prophecies dealing with the resurrection, nor had she any knowledge of what happened on the mount of transfiguration. To Mary someone had taken Jesus body, and this upset her deeply. We see here Mary's deep love for Jesus.

John 20:14 "And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus."

She turned around after talking to these two angels, and walked back to the mouth of the tomb, and there Jesus was standing. Her eyes still filled with tears, as she didn't recognize that it was Jesus.

John 20:15 "Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, "Sir, if Thou have borne Him hence, tell me where Thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away."

What great love Mary had for Jesus.

John 20:16 "Jesus saith unto her, "Mary." She turned herself, and saith unto Him, "Rabboni;" which is to say, "Master"."

When Jesus said Mary's name, she knew Him instantly.

John 20:17 "Jesus saith unto her, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, `I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God'."

Can you see the kinship that we now have with the Father, once Jesus came out of that grave. It is too bad that we cannot see the urgency in Christ our Lord's voice here, "rush and tell My brethren."

Jesus didn't forbid Mary to touch Him, but in the Greek text He said "Touch Me not", should read, "Don't hold Me up". Jesus had to go to the Father then, and we will see later that He allowed everyone to touch Him, and even the women were allowed to hold His feet. Matthew 28:9; "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "All hail." And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him."

We know what Jesus did while in the tomb those three days from I Peter 3:18, 19; "For Christ also hath one suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" [18] "By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison," [19] Jesus preached to all those souls of mankind, all the way back to Adam, and freed the souls that would believe on Him.

Jesus now wanted Mary to rush and give the good news of His resurrection to His disciples and followers. While she would do that, He is going to the Father, only to see them later.

John 20:18 "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her."

Mary Magdalene came to the disciples and gave them the good news. She told them what Jesus had told her to say, and what she had seen with her own eyes. From this moment on, Christianity was no longer a religion, but a reality. We do not serve a dead Jesus, but a risen Jesus Christ, the Sacrificial Lamb that paid the full price to ransom our souls from the sentence of death that was placed upon mankind. Jesus God and Father is now our God and Father, and the Power of God, His Spirit is now our Spirit of Comfort.

When Mary told His disciples what she had seen and heard, much of what Jesus had said to them before His crucifixion came back to them as living Words. However there was still some doubts in a few of them until they could witness Christ for themselves. They had already witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus being brought to life, and this showed them that He could defeat death.

It is also important that we remember that Jesus body was transfigured, and that the body of Jesus was not left in the tomb. Jesus body did not see corruption and decay, for then you would have to worry about all those stories and lies told about Him. About somebody steeling His body, or drugging Him on the cross, as well as all the other imaginations that the Kenite religious leaders could think up to defend their false traditions. There was no flesh body left behind to allow Satan's children to attack the followers of Christ with.

Every time now that every flesh body dies, the soul within that body goes back to the Father that gave it; and the flesh body returns to the earth and decays into the elements that it is composed of. Ecclesiastes 12:7; "Then shall the dust [put for the body which is made from the dust] return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it."

John 20:19 "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you."

This is the first meeting of Christians with the Lord present, and at this time it was not safe assembling in the name of the Lord. The Kenite religious leaders had just completed their murderous act of killing Jesus as well as Judas, and they were still hunting down those followers of Jesus to destroy them also. The disciples feared the Jews, and met behind closed doors in secrecy. We know this, because this was the Apostle Paul's first duties before He was converted to Christianity.

Notice how Jesus addresses His disciples, "Peace be unto you." This is the only real peace that you can have in the flesh body.

John 20:20 "And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."

When the disciples could see Jesus, and see those nail pierced hands and feet, and see where the spear went into His side, they knew for a fact that it was truly Christ. You can just see the joy that came over them as they rejoiced with Jesus in their presence.

John 20:21 "Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."

The word "apostle" means "a sent one". At this point in time Jesus is elevating this group of men from His "disciples", or ones being disciplined, to His "Apostles", or ones that He is sending out to give the "good news", the "gospel". As a disciple they were being taught all the things that they were to know, while as an Apostle they were to tell others what they had learned, and practice the discipline that had been drilled into them.

John 20:22 "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit:"

"Holy Ghost" in the Greek Test is "Pneuma Hagion", it is the "Holy Spirit". This is the same word used when God breathed in Adam, and He became a living soul. The Holy Spirit is what gives us power from on high. It became possible to receive that eternal life because the price had been paid, and it was acceptable and approved by the Father.

It is only by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, that you can see the love that God has for you, and call upon Him. You come to Him because He draws you to Him through His Spirit. The Spirit that is in you is your power and authority direct from God, and that power and authority is over all forces. When you pray in doubt of that Spirit, you lose the power that He gives, and you have unbelief.

When that Holy Spirit is within you, and your spirit is in peace and communion with God's Spirit, you know it for a fact, and that is reality. When the Spirit of God touches your life, you become a new living soul. You are transformed from the soul that was in a state of dying, into a new living vessel with eternal life. When this new life comes into you, then you are able to become the disciples and apostles for Christ.

John 20:23 "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."

This is misunderstood by many people. No man can forgive another man's sins, for only God can forgive sin, and then only in Jesus name.

Go back to the prior verse. The Holy Spirit was in them, and it was the Holy Spirit from within that would give the conviction to the other person's spirit. The Spirit of God would move on the other man's spirit, not from the spirit of those Apostles.

This is also applied to those that would offend one of God's elect, and anointed. When one person would offend one of God's Elect with the Spirit of God in them, then he has offended the very Spirit of God also, and as such those actions or words will be held against the offender. Of course upon repentance by that offender "in Jesus' name", it is forgiven him by the Father, and blotted out from the eternal record.

God is very jealous of His sent ones [both His Elect and those of the free will], for they are sent forth to plant the seeds of truth that will convict men of their sins, and turn them to the Living God.

John 20:24 "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came."

John 20:25 "The other disciples therefore said unto him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Remember that Thomas knew that Jesus died on the cross, was crucified and placed in the tomb because he witnessed it. He was the only one that wasn't present when Jesus showed Himself to the others disciples. Even the other disciples had some doubts when Jesus first came in (verse 19), and wanted to see the nail prints in his hands and spear print in His side. They didn't fully believe Mary's report, and now that all the disciples have seen except Thomas; you can see how the doubt would also enter into Thomas.

Thomas walked with Jesus Christ for the past three years, and daily heard Him teach. Thomas had seen the miracles that Jesus had done. He sat there on the mount and heard Jesus tell them that in three days He would come alive, just as Jonah did in the whales belly, but Thomas still wanted the proof.

Thomas brings the requirement for belief to one point greater then the others. Mary heard the voice of Jesus say her name, and she believed. To the disciples in the closed room, they wanted to hear and see the nail prints. Now to Thomas, he required not only to see and hear, but also to touch the nail prints, and the scars in the side of Jesus before He would believe. Friend this is a good point to bring out, because it gives greater documentation that this Jesus was truly the risen Savior.

John 20:26 "And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you."

"Eight" in biblical numerics means "new beginnings". This meeting is eight days after Thomas made his doubting statement, and Thomas is here with the other disciples. Jesus came into the room without coming through the open door, and appeared to them.

John 20:27 "Then saith He to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing."

This is being changed from night to day; being faithless and unbelieving, then to believing.

John 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said unto Him, "My Lord and my God."

When Thomas reached forth and touched those nail prints, he believed. He saw the nail prints and the crucified body, because he had witnessed the crucifixion, and saw that that crucified body of Christ had come alive. He now knew for a fact that Jesus had resurrected, and He knew that Jesus was Messiah. You can just see the look of excitement on his face as he stated, "My Lord and My God."

Though Thomas was a doubter, the belief was all the stronger when He touched those nail prints of His hands.

John 20:29 "Jesus saith unto him, "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed:blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

This word "seeing" applied to all three of the senses, and it took all of them to cause Thomas to believe. Jesus looked at Thomas and said to him, you believed in Me because you have seen Me, heard me, and now you have touched Me. Blessed are thy that believe in Me without the advantage that you have had. Today that is the way that we must receive Christ to have Salvation. We take Christ sight unseen, by faith we stake our lives on the documentation of proof from the Word of God.

Those that lived in Jesus day could believe because Jesus was there with them. They had the reality of life before them, and witnessed the resurrected and transfigured body of Christ. Today we have the Word of God, which is the record of the plan of God, and we either hear and believe what is written in the Bible, or we are faithless. There is no middle ground, you believe or you do not believe. Jesus holds all those that can believe in His crucifixion and resurrection by hearing alone in a very special position. You become blessed to Him because by hearing alone you have given your life over to Him, and allowed the Spirit of God to lead in your life.

John 20:30 "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book:"

John is telling us all the signs and miracles that Jesus preformed for His disciples on that day. They simply are not written in this book of John. Some though are recorded in the other gospels.

John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."

John is telling us that the miracles and signs that were written in the Bible were given to show that Jesus is truly the promised Messiah. Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God the Father, and that by believing on Jesus name we do have eternal life. By believing on Jesus name, our own faith causes us to live our life and actions we do to please Him. All those things that Jesus promised to His own becomes a reality to each of us.

"Faith" is placing all your actions focused on the belief that every word and promise stated in His Word is truth, and can be relied on wholly. Then with God's Word placed in our minds and hearts, we have the confidence in the Lord that He will do all that He promised that He would do. Faith requires a focus, and our focus is on whatever you are doing. When that action is within the will of God, and we ask for God's help, in Jesus name, "God's will" will be done.

When God reveals Himself to you, and draws you to Himself through the Spirit, you become aware of your sin. Sin is what separates you from God, and through repentance in Jesus name, we are forgiven from that sin and given eternal life. Our very soul is changed from one of death, to a soul of eternal life. When death of the body happens, the soul and spirit [the intellect of the soul] departs from the body, and returns to the Father that created it, and it continues in life, even following the great white throne judgment, and the perishing of the lost souls.

Paul talks about this in I Corinthians 15:54-58; "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory."

The corruptible is the flesh body that decays and grows old, while the incorruption is our spiritual body, which is our soul and spirit. The "mortal" is the sting of death that the soul has placed upon it, while those that have immortality have repented in Jesus name, and believe on His name. The immortality is not of the flesh but of the soul, it is the taking away of the sentence of death that was placed upon it, called the second death.

I Corinthians 15:55; "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

I Corinthians 15:56 "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."

The "sting of death" is the sin that was placed upon our soul, and the power of the sin has come through the law. The law is not bad, but it is the yard stick that shows each of us that we fall short of God's perfection that He requires of us.

I Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

When Jesus Christ arose from that tomb, He paid the full price for all of the sins of those that will repent those sins to Him. In Christ there is perfection and the perfect sacrifice, and all of our sins are laid upon Him. Christ is our victory, for it is through Him that we can have eternal life.

I Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that you labour is not in vain in the Lord."

This is the very commission that Jesus gave to His followers in John 20:21; "Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you, as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."

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