JOHN LESSON 53


     We will begin this lesson in John 20:17.

     V-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."

     In the last lesson, Mary has just recognized Jesus and called Him
Rabboni or Master.  Of course, it is a great desire on her part to
touch Him to make sure this is not just her imagination.  We spoke of
the two kinds of bodies that are explained in I Corinthians chapter 15
in the last lesson.  My own personal belief is that this is the Spirit
body which the Spirit of Jesus has re-united with.  Jesus tells Mary
to go tell the disciples.  This makes Mary a missionary.  She is to
carry the good new s to her brethren.  Mary will be the first to
spread the great resurrection story.  We will see in the next verse
that Mary is obedient and does just exactly what Jesus has told her to
do.  All believers in Christ have been adopted into the family of God.
He is our Father God, as well as the Father and God of Jesus.

     V-18, "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had
seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her."

     We see here, that John leaves no doubt which Mary this is that
brings the gospel message. Notice that Jesus uses those of the earth
whom the world believes is unworthy to bring His message.

     V-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."

     Jesus is now in His glorified body.  It is not necessary for Him
to open the door.  This appearance of Jesus is the same evening that
He had shown Himself to Mary at the sepulchre that morning.  This is
still Sunday.  These disciples had probably assembled to sort out what
Mary had told them.  They were afraid to meet publicly for fear that
they would be killed.  Jesus is the King of Peace, so this greeting is
no big surprise.

     V-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."

     Jesus' appearance was different, and yet the scars were still in
His hands and side.  The Spirit body has a great deal to do with the
physical body, but is definitely changed, also.  These disciples had
been confused and, perhaps, some did not believe when Mary told them
that she had seen Jesus.  Now they know for themselves that He is
risen, and they are glad.

     V-21, "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you:  as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

There is a peace that comes when we receive the Truth of Jesus Christ
into our lives.  We have no fear of death, because we know there is a
resurrection.  Now Jesus gives them a job to do.  They are to carry
the good news of the gospel to the entire world.  Just as the Father
sent Jesus on a mission to save the world, now Jesus sends His
followers to save the world.

     V-22, "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:"

     This Holy Spirit would breathe into these disciples eternal life.
This would empower them to carry out the work that Jesus had begun.
The very next verse tells you something of the Power He has breathed
into them.  Jesus gives the Spirit of everlasting life along with the
powerful anointing.  This divine life which Jesus gives these
disciples will empower them to do things impossible to do in the
flesh.

     V-23, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them;
and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."

     This is a very hard Scripture, except for the fact that these
disciples are extensions of Jesus' ministry.  Just as Jesus had said,
on another occasion, that when two agree as touching anything on this
earth it shall be done of my Father in heaven, Matthew 18:19.  We,
also, have read here in John chapter 14, that believers can do the
same miracles Jesus did when He was on earth, if they are done in the
name of Jesus.  This is an empowering to use the name of Jesus.  These
disciples are an extension of Jesus' ministry.  They must do these
things in His name is the only difference.  It is Jesus' power.

     V-24, "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not
with them when Jesus came."

     V-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 nails, and
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

     This reminds me so much of many people today.  They want facts
before they will believe on Jesus.  Facts and faith are not the same.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  This Scripture above,
is why a person who does not believe today is called a doubting
Thomas.  The Bible must be taken by faith.  Abraham's righteousness
was because he had faith.  We are heirs with Abraham, if we have
faith.

     V-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."

     V-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."

     Thomas did not enjoy that extra eight days of faith that the
others had.  Just Jesus suddenly appearing in the room should have
been enough, but when Jesus repeated the very things Thomas had said,
Thomas believed.  As I said:  without faith, it is impossible to
please God.  It bothers me when people get too caught up in the
literal word and doubt everything and everyone.  God is a Spirit.  We
must understand and believe in our spirit to please God.

     V-28, "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and My
God."

     Suddenly Thomas moves from the unbelieving to the side of
undeniable faith.  His eyes have been opened, and He calls Jesus more
than Saviour; he calls Him Lord, which means he is Jesus' servant.
The widest understanding comes when he calls Jesus h is God.

     V-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."

     I really believe for this very reason God has not allowed the
masses to see the Ark of Noah on Mount Arrarat.  When this great ship
is found, photographed, and revealed to all, many will believe because
of undeniable evidence.  I believe God does not want us to believe
with our mind.  God wants us to believe with our heart, because we
love Him.  In Hebrews 11:1 it says, "Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This is the faith
God respects.  It takes no faith at all to believe in something you
can see with your eyes.  In chapter 11 of Hebrews, there is a large
number of people listed who believed without seeing.  God loves and
blesses them the most.

     V-30, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of
his disciples, which are not written in this book:"

     V-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."

     Notice what you must believe, That Jesus is Messiah, Christ (the
Anointed one of God).  When you believe He is the Son of God, you
believe He was born of a virgin.  We receive ever lasting life when we
truly believe in our heart these things.  Romans 10:9-10 says, "That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved."  V-10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."


                                 Notes


                           John 53 Questions


1.  Why did Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him?
2.  What was she to tell the disciples?
3.  Where are the two kinds of bodies found?
4.  Which Mary was this talking about?
5.  What did Mary tell the disciples?
6.  Who does the Lord send with His message?
7.  What day of the week does Jesus appear to the disciples?
8.  Why were the disciples hidden?
9.  What did Jesus say to them?
10. What did Jesus show the disciples that made them believe?
11. Jesus says, as my Father sent me ___________________________.
12. When Jesus breathed on them, what did He say to them?
13. In verse 23, what power did Jesus give them?
14. How can Jesus' disciples do miracles?
15. Who was called Didymus?
16. What did he say he would have to see before he would believe?
17. Without ______________________________ it is impossible to please
    God.
18. How many days later did Jesus appear to Thomas?
19. What did Jesus say to Thomas?
20. What two names did Thomas call Jesus?
21. Why did Jesus say Thomas believed?
22. Who is even more blessed that believe?
23. What is faith in Hebrews chapter 11?
24. Why were these signs written?
25. What must we believe?

                                 Notes