Hello and welcome to our broadcast. We're in John chapter 20. Have your Bible ready. you Well, here we are in John chapter 20. In our last broadcast, we saw that the women came and when they came to the tomb, they found the stone was rolled away. The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out. He was already gone. The stone was rolled away to let those who would be interested in to see that the tomb was empty. Well, verse two tells us that Mary Magdalene ran and told Peter and John that the tomb was empty and they came running to the tomb. And you know the story. John outran Peter. I guess maybe he's a little younger, maybe in better shape. I don't know. But he got there ahead of him. And finally, Peter got there. John, he just kind of stooped down and looked into the tomb. Not Peter. He ran right in. Remember, Peter was always one to want to be where Jesus was. He got out of the boat and walked on the water. He jumped out of the boat and swam to the shore another time in John 21. We find he was always wanting to be where Jesus was. Well, he went right on in. Well, in verse number 10, we read, Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. Some have criticized them for this. I don't know that we ought to do that. What's the sense in hanging around an empty graveyard? But the other thing is that you remember John was taking care of Jesus' mother and she was there and he would be very excited to go and tell her that Jesus had risen from the dead. Well, the Bible says in Proverbs 8 and 17, those that seek me early shall find me. And while the men were hiding somewhere for fear of the Jews, these ladies were there. And those that seek him early will find him. Same thing is true today. Well, the disciples went home, but we read in verse number 11, but Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. Now she was weeping. Actually, with the tomb being empty, she should have been rejoicing. She had a great heart, but once again, lacking in faith here. And so we see that she looks into the tomb and She seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Why are you weeping? This is not a time to be weeping. You should be rejoicing. In fact, in verse 15, Jesus will ask her the very same question. Why weepest thou? Sometimes I think we weep when we really don't have any reason to weep, if we would just trust the Lord. Well, the angel said, Why are you weeping, Mary? And she saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have lain him. Well, that was nonsense. Nobody had taken away the Lord. He had told them over and over again that he would rise from the dead. However, let us not be too hard on Mary Magdalene here, all right? God has told us over and over and over again about trusting Him, and we go on like, you know, we can't really trust Him. We think trust and obey, there's no other way, and then go out and just completely forget to do it. So let's not be too hard on Mary. Well, in verse 14 we read, And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. And 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. Well, one thing she did, she loved the Lord. There's absolutely no doubt about that. But sometimes we love the Lord and our brain cells aren't working just as good as they should be. Tell me where he is and I will take him away. Where are you going to take him, Mary? Well, it's interesting to note here that the first words of Jesus after he rose from the dead was to a woman, and his first words were, Why weepest thou, whom seekest thou? Very interesting words. Well, in verse 16, we read, Jesus saith unto her, Mary. Very interesting. First he spoke to her and he said he called her woman and now he speaks to her and he calls her Mary. As a woman he spoke as God. As Mary he spoke as her Savior. The Bible says in John 10 and 3 that he calleth his own. Well, she answered, she turned around and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Now, she didn't call him Jesus, that's too personal. She looked at him, she said, Rabboni, which is to say, he is her master. Is he your master? Well, in verse 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. Notice the relationship that we have here. My brethren, my Father, your Father, my God, your God. What an amazing thing it is that we can be on the inside circle of that relationship. Well, in verse 18 we read, Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then, the Bible says, 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. Interesting. There they are, hiding, door shut. Interesting word here, the door shut. The Greek actually means it was barred. And then Out of nowhere, Jesus appears in the room. Well, he focuses on three things here. He focuses on the day, on the disciples, and on the door. It says here it was the first day of the week. Now, that's Sunday. That's the new day that the local church is meeting. They used to meet on the Sabbath, on Saturday, in the Old Testament period. Now everything is changing, and we meet on the first day of the week to commemorate the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Then it says here also that his disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. The disciples. Now, it does not say the apostles. The apostle means one sent forth. But here he focuses on the word disciples because the disciple simply means learners. And so the learners were assembled together. That's what we want to do every Sunday. Hopefully come, not to just be there and go through the motions, Our goal in going to church ought to be, what can I learn here today? Well, the day was the first day of the week. The disciples, the learners, were there. But the doors were shut. As I said, the Greek means to be barred. And Jesus, not going to be barred by some shut doors by human beings. The first thing he says unto them is, Peace be unto you. I think that's important. Peace be unto you. These are the first words that he gives to his disciples after his resurrection. Peace. All the world today is looking for peace. We cannot have true peace without the Prince of Peace. It's just that simple. And if we would just accept that as Christians today, say, I can't have true peace unless I let the Lord have control of my life. Then I shall have peace. He has promised that. I think it's very interesting that in verse 20 it says, when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. The word saw here is not just standing there, but it has been translated perceived five times. They had some discernment, they had some perception, and they were beginning to realize that Christ really is risen from the dead. And so he says again, verse 21, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. Then he said, As my father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Now it is important, extremely important, to keep verse number 22 in the context of verse number 21. He had just said, So send I you. Now it says that he breathed on them. This is a symbolic action. In Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7, he breathed into Adam life. You remember that. John chapter 20 and 22, he breathed on the apostles. Back in Ezekiel 37 and 9, it talks about him breathing upon Israel. And in every one of these cases, it's a symbolic action for somebody who is going to have something to do. And what are they going to do? It's very obvious what they're going to do. He says here in verse number 21, As my father has sent me, even so send I you. Now we have this verse in 23, it says, Whosoever sends ye remit, They are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained." It is very obvious that only God can forgive sin. The Bible is very plain about that, and we do not have anybody forgiving people of their sin in all of the Book of Acts or anywhere in the New Testament. He was not giving them the power to forgive sins here. What we have here is they are giving the authority to go out and establish the plan of salvation to proclaim the remission of sins. The dictionary says the word remit means to refer to an authority. Example, the request for something is remitted to an authority. And so we're looking at what Jesus had told them in the Great Commission when he said, Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel, baptize them, and teach them all things whatsoever I have commanded you. So we're looking at a symbolic action, the power to get things done. At creation, he breathed on them, they became a living soul. And when we get saved, it is the gift of life. We got the power of God within us to do his service. Jesus said, You will not come unto me that you might have life. And so we're looking at the Holy Spirit power to get the job done. And the reason that so much work is done today and so little is being accomplished is so little of it is being done in the power of the Holy Spirit, but rather it is being done in the power of the flesh. We get to verse 24, and you've got those words, but Thomas. Very interesting. Back in verse 11, you have the words, but Mary. Oh, what a difference in these two. Thomas, he's the doubter. His name is Thomas. Three times in the book of John, he's called Thomas, which is called Didymus. Didymus means twofold. Two parts, he's up and he's down, he's always either on fire or he's doubting, as he says here in this portion of scripture, 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 fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. Well that's pretty radical, you're going to stick your fingers in the print You're going to thrust your hand at his side. Thomas, what's the matter with you? He's a two-fold fellow. But keep in mind, he's one of the twelve. He's been walking with Jesus for three years. He should have learned a little more than he has learned. But Jesus picked him and said, you know, I've only got sinners to use. If Thomas, you know, that's encouraging to me because if Thomas can be used, maybe I can be used. Maybe you can be used. God only has sinners to use. He chose to do it that way. Well, they're disciples, they're learners, let's make sure that you and I are learners. Well, in verse 26 we read, And after eight days, that would mean another Sunday came by again. 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 unto them again, Peace be unto you. Great message. 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." What a rebuke it was here to Thomas. And Thomas answered greatly. What did he say? Verse number 28, And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. There's a difference here. My Lord, that means master. My God, that means God. Is he just God in your mind or is he your master? See, Thomas was teachable. Are you teachable? Thomas was teachable. I think it's interesting that when Jesus spoke to him, he didn't just say, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and so on. But verse 27, then he saith unto him, Thomas. He called them by name. Well, why? Because my sheep hear my voice, and I call them by name. Well, Thomas, it would be better, he goes on to tell them in verse number 29, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen me, and yet have believed." The world says seeing is believing, God says believing is seeing. Well, it says many other signs were done, many other things that are not written in this book, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing that you might have life through his name. I hope you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you don't, it's not his fault. It's all written here. Well, we're out of time again. Be with us again tomorrow. We'll get into John chapter 21.