John 20:1-18 (All Years, Easter Day) is a story of the discovery of the empty tomb.
Introduction
John tells the story of the empty tomb through combining two separate traditions, one concerning Mary (v. 1-2, 11-18), stressing the restoration of relationship with the risen Lord, and Peter and the Beloved Disciple (v. 3-10), stressing the apologetic value of the empty tomb. The point of the passage is to establish the empty tomb as a fact. The message of the resurrection that the disciples brought back to Jerusalem could not have survived a single hour if anyone could have shown the body to be in the tomb.[1] Yet, would resurrection require an empty tomb? A negative answer is implied in the view of Herod expressed in Mark 6:14, 16, namely, that Jesus was the beheaded Baptist risen again. However, the re-embodiment of a dead person in someone else is different from an eschatological resurrection of the dead and transformation into a life that is vastly different from existence on earth.[2] Thus, the empty tomb still has its place in the story of Jesus. It seeks to prove the reality of the resurrection of Jesus by the fact of the empty tomb.[3]
Verse-by-verse study
In verses 1-2, early Sunday morning, before sunrise, her grief cause Mary Magdalene to come to the tomb. A difference from the Synoptic Gospels is that she is alone, John wanting to focus on the experience of one woman. Since Nicodemus has already fulfilled the ceremonial custom of bringing spices to anoint the body, she does not have that reason to come. Although John does not mention the positioning of the stone, he notes that it has been removed by someone showing that the tomb is vacant. She does not investigate, running back to Peter and the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved, who according to tradition is John, but many think the text of John itself suggests Lazarus, informing them that someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb, showing that an explanation for the emptiness of the tomb other than resurrection is possible. In saying that “we” do not know where this unknown person has taken the body, John might imply the presence of other women. Conspiracy theories abound regarding the emptiness of the tomb, which in the case of Mary, involves opponents of Jesus disgracing the body of Jesus even more because they would not want the tomb to become a place for his followers to gather. All this has the ring of authenticity. She returned with alarm to Peter, convinced the corpse of Jesus had been stolen, for it was unusual for the governor to release the body of a man executed for treason and fanatics could have remedied this decision by taking the corpse under cover of night to one of the graves set aside for criminals (Sanh 6.5-6. This makes the account in John plausible, suggesting it might preserve the earliest form of the tradition.[4] This report sounds credible. Were it fabricated, the first appearance would not have been said to be to a woman, as women were not qualified to give testimony. It also has a ring of truth, for no one believed her and does not put the disciples in a good light.[5] However, the race to the tomb in verses 3-10 seems to be an expansion of Luke 24:12, a brief and matter-of-fact account.[6] Its apologetic and legendary character is obvious, especially its transference of the rise of Easter faith from appearances of the risen Lord to the fact of the empty tomb.[7] Who is this mysterious disciple? He knew the high priest, allowing Peter into the courtyard (18:15-16) and he reclined next Jesus at the supper (21:20). In the Gospel of John, he has the function of legitimating the community that arose around John, which developed characteristics distinct from the Jewish-Christian community and the communities established by the missionary labors of Paul. In any case, he and Peter went to the tomb, although the other disciples outran Peter, bending to look in through the low entrance and seeing the linen wrappings, not entering because of the awe he felt,[8] while Peter is the one who first enters the tomb. The unnamed disciple believes. Although this could mean he simply believes when Mary said about someone taking the body (Augustine in Tractate 120 in his commentary on John), it seems more likely that he believes because a grave robber would not unwrap the body of Jesus and neatly leave the burial clothes behind, while Peter remains confused, and later Thomas will doubt the witness of the other disciples who saw him. The disciples return to their homes. Yet, since belief in John rests upon a form of revelation, even this other disciple did not understand fully because he did not connect what he saw with the fulfillment of scripture. The tomb is empty, the discovery leaving behind confusion, fear, desolation, and depression. The implication is that John offers a meditation on the ministry of Jesus and its significance for his day, a portrait, a statement of conviction concerning the unique role of Jesus and its importance as seen with the benefit of hindsight and faith.[9] In verses 11-18, John shifts attention to Mary, who remains outside the tomb weeping. This story is not part of the enumeration of witnesses in I Cor 15:5-8, although one could explain this by the fact that the testimony was not acceptable. In any case, Paul does not give a complete list. This account suggests Mary of Magdala made her way alone to the tomb to lament. Although all the appearance narratives have the apologetic motive of proving the resurrection of Jesus by the appearances,[10] we also have the important theme of the restoration of relationship between the risen Lord and Mary. Here transformation from weeping to joy fulfills the promise in 6:20-22. John heightens dramatic tension through mistaken identity, the crowning example of Johannine misunderstanding, which in the Book of Signs is usually by those who do not believe, but in the Book of Glory is expressed by those who are followers of Jesus. She sees two angels in the tomb, differing from the Synoptic Gospels who have only one. They ask her why she weeps, and Mary responds that unknown persons have removed the body of her Lord. She then sees the risen Lord but does not recognize him. Throughout the tradition of the appearances of the risen Lord, the risen Lord is the one who comes to the follower. Supposing him to the be the gardener, a reference unique to John, she asks that if he has taken the body of Jesus away, let her know where he has taken it and she will take it away. John is stressing the ambiguity presented by the discovery of the empty tomb. Although Mary will see the risen Lord, it will take her time to recognize him as such, which will be a consistent theme in the appearance tradition. Of theological significance is his account of the appearance of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene, which points back to 3:13, 6:62. Only when Jesus says her name does she recognize him, following what Jesus said in 10:14 that the good shepherd calls the sheep by name and they recognize him. Her response is to call him Teacher (Ραββουνι or my dearest master; Διδάσκαλε or teacher). We might expect a stronger affirmation of faith from Mary, but in context, John will show a progression of titles that will culminate in the affirmation by Thomas, which is consistent with how John begins his gospel in the steady progression of titles. Mary clings to Jesus out of her joy, but the risen Lord reassures her that she does not need to cling to him because he is not going anywhere yet, since he has not ascended to the Father, indicating that the risen Lord has not returned to an earthly life. The risen Lord is stressing that no one can hold down the resurrected one. At this stage, his earthly journey is not over since further appearances of the risen Lord will establish the early Christian community. The ascension is beginning now but will have a progression through the appearances of the risen Lord to the disciples. The glorification of Jesus, which began with the cross, will not be complete until the risen Lord ascends to the Father. The relationship between follower and the risen Lord will be different from what it was before. The divine man presented in the Book of Signs and in the Synoptic Gospels, to which Mary would like to cling, is a figure of the past.[11] Mary returns to the disciples and proclaims, announces or reports[12] that she has seen the Lord, telling them what the risen Lord had said. This action by Mary makes here a witness to the truth regarding Jesus and a model of what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
Practical Application
As modern persons read a passage like this, we often assume that it was somehow easier for these ancient disciples to believe in the resurrection of Jesus than it is for us. Yet, this passage reminds us of the doubt and confusion the first Easter had for the disciples. They had the Bible. They had the words of Jesus. Yet, the resurrection was not something they found easy to believe. The emptiness of the tomb puzzles them, making them assume someone has stolen the body. Even when Mary first encounters Jesus, she assumes that he is a gardener. She does not recognize the risen Lord until he says her name. She took a second look and saw Jesus; even as she least expected it.
As important as Easter is to the church, to Christian belief, and I hope to us, it never gets easier. The confession of Mary, “I have seen the Lord,” makes her a witness to its truth and a model of faith. We believe the witnesses, not because we have such wonderful insight, but because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes. We now see who Jesus is as the King of kings, Lord of lords, our Savior, and the Son of God. Christians now know that all that we hope to know of God, we know in Christ.
No planet knows that this,
Our wayside planet, carrying land and wave,
Love and life multiplied, and pain and bliss
Bears, as chief treasure, one forsaken grave.[13]
We often want helpful hints for the difficulties we face today. This story says that what God has done in Jesus Christ is far more significant to us than we may realize. Do we believe? Have we seen the Lord? If so, then our lives are neither more nor less than living in relationship to him, receiving the strength he gives for the journey and going where he leads.
For many people today, death and nothingness are the final word. The resurrection of Jesus is a sign that life and light may well have the final say. As a boy, Robert Louis Stevenson, living in a time before light bulbs, was intrigued by the work of the old lamplighter who went about with a ladder and a torch, setting the streetlights ablaze for the night. One evening in Edinburgh, Scotland, as young Robert stood watching with childish fascination, his parents heard him exclaim, “Look, look! There’s a man out there punching holes in the darkness!” Yes, God has punched a hole in the darkness with the resurrection of Jesus. Those who turn to this light with faith could reflect that light in their world.
Bedazzled is year 2000 movie of a modern rendition of Faust, in which the devil, in the form of a beautiful woman, played by Elizabeth Hurly, wants the soul of the naïve Elliott Richard, played by Brendan Fraser, in exchange for seven wishes that she will grant him. Of course, every wish goes wrong. He goes through six wishes, all of which begin to sound much like the seven deadly sins. He wants the love of Allison. He wishes for her to love him. He wishes for wealth and power. He wishes to be the most sensitive man in the world, but Allison gets frustrated. He then wishes to be a great professional basketball player. He wishes for popularity. He finally considers doing something for others, which starts with being President of the USA – Abraham Lincoln. At one point, (1:10:42 to 1:15:35): he goes to church, telling a minister that he needs to talk to God. When he tells the minister about his contract in which he sells his soul to the Devil, the minister has him brought to jail because he sounded so crazy. The Devil is an officer who places him in his cell. His cellmate says she is the Devil. Then he asks, “What are you in for?” “Eternity.” “Why?” “I sold my soul.” “I hope you got something good for it.” “I got nothing for it.” “You got a bad deal. But it doesn’t matter anyway. You cannot sell your soul, because it does not belong to you in the first place.” “It doesn’t? Then, who does it belong to?” “It belongs to God, the great unifying force that holds everything together. The Devil will try to confuse you. You will make mistakes along the way, everyone does. But if you just open your heart and your mind, you will get it.” “Who are you?” “Just a friend, a really good friend.” In the end (1:15:36 to 1:27:00), he decides that he does not want another wish. In fact, he cannot think of anything he wants, at least nothing the Devil can give him. He has spent his life wishing he were something else. He realized that it was not so much where we end up in life, but how we get there. He finally wishes for Allison to have a happy life. This wish breaks the contract with the Devil.
My guess is that all of us have a story in which, at some point in our lives, we became confused. We lived more with darkness and pollution than with light and health. Yet, for many of you, the light has dawned upon you.
You are in the position of Mary today. You may need to take a second look. Have you ever found yourself in a distressing circumstance, when the sky seemed to come crashing down on you, and Christian that you are, you immediately forgot all the promises of God? You felt sorry for yourself; you became anxious and upset. I have. We so quickly forget the promises of God. You need to take a second look.
We have perhaps had it all. It is not that we have never understood that something is more important than success in a career. We have simply taken the wrong path to find it. You need to take a second look at Jesus.
Lloyd Douglas, in his book The Robe, has this scene with Marcellus, the Roman centurion who had the robe of Jesus. He becomes a Christian and tells his fiancée the story of Jesus. She responds, "It's a beautiful story, Marcellus, but we don't have to do anything about it, do we? Let's leave it just where it is." "That's just it," says Marcellus, "I cannot forget it. Because it happened, things can never be the same for me again." It goes that way. People keep getting their lives tangled up with this man Jesus. He changes their lives forever. How about you?
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[8] Michaelis, TDNT V, 815.
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[12] Schniewind, TDNT I, 61, the only occurrence in the NT of this Greek word.
[13] Alice Meynell
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