SERMON: “The Resurrected Jesus Appears” (John 20:11–18)
“The Resurrected
Jesus Appears”
(John 20:11–18)
Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name” #105 Text: John 20:11–18
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: June
1, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
Last week, we noted that the resurrection of Christ is one
of the most pivotal moments in human history.
It follows the creation of the world and the fall of man. It follows the revelation of God’s law at
Sinai. It follows the incarnation and
perfect life of our Lord under the Law.
And it follows His crucifixion and burial. Yet, with the resurrection, we see a turning
point back to what was lost in the Garden of Eden as well as hope for new life.
We only considered what the disciples did last time, the
surprise of the empty tomb. We noted how
this evidence points us to the truth of the matter, though. For instance, the Apostle John is not afraid
to include details which would prove embarrassing for His Gospel account. As one commentary notes,
In a patriarchal society where a woman’s testimony to the resurrection of
Jesus would not be valued highly (cf. the way women’s statements were regarded
in Luke 24:11, 24–25; Acts 12:15), the length of this story in the evangelist’s
selection of materials is rather striking. …
It is further significant when one notes that J. Klausner categorized
Mary Magdalene as “a woman who had suffered from hysterics to the verge of
madness.”[1]
The evidence is so clear that this is testimony, not
fantasy, that various people have tried to explain away the veracity of these
accounts. For instance, some have
suggested that the grief of all the parties involved was so great that they
must have hallucinated the resurrected Jesus.
MacArthur records another theory that tries to get around the account: One
academic liberal, Kirsopp Lake, argued that the women mistakenly went to
the wrong tomb (even though two of them had watched Jesus being buried; Mark
15:47). Finding it empty, they
erroneously assumed that Jesus had risen from the dead. But that means that Peter and John must have
also gone to the wrong tomb. And surely
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who buried Jesus, knew which tomb they had
put His body in. Obviously the Jewish
leaders also knew which tomb was the right one, since they had sealed it and
posted a Roman guard outside of it. Why
did someone not simply go to the right tomb and produce Jesus’ body?[2]
Unless a person has already decided this is false and
refuses to believe it, there is no other conclusion than the bodily
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In this passage, we see Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Christ,
weeping outside the tomb. She’s consumed
by grief and confusion — not expecting a resurrection. Yet, in her sorrow, she encounters the risen
Lord, an encounter that changes her forever.
We should also allow belief to change us. This morning, we’ll see three clear reasons
to believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord: First, angels call us to belief. Second, Jesus Himself calls us to belief. Third, witnesses call us to belief. Let’s dive into this text, verse by verse, and
discover how it speaks to us today.
II.
First, Angels Call Us to Belief (vv. 11–13)
But Mary was
standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked
into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one
at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you
weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not
know where they have laid Him.”
Let’s begin by considering Mary Magdalene’s grief. The passage opens with her Magdalene standing
outside the tomb, weeping. She remains
there despite the inspection of Peter and John in the previous verses (vv. 3–10).
While the disciples examined the tomb
and left, perhaps she returned slowly to the spot they had ran to, only to find
them already gone.[3]
She was overwhelmed by her sorrow. We might think of her weeping as a quiet
sobbing, but the term is used of loud, unrestrained lamentation. That was typical of mourners in that culture,
and her cries are hardly an affectation.
She was lost in deep grief, what we might today call a depressive
episode. Mary is consumed by the loss, not
only for Jesus’s death, but also now believing His body has been stolen.
Grief is a natural human response to loss, and we must
acknowledge its place in our lives. Yet,
as believers, we are called not to linger in despair but to cling to the
promises of God. Mary’s sorrow blinds
her to the hope standing just before her, a reminder that our emotions, while
valid, can sometimes obscure God’s truth.
Yet, in God’s providence, she apparently decides to do an
investigation of her own. However, as
she looks into the tomb through tear-filled eyes, she doesn’t notice the grave
clothes Peter and John examined. Rather,
two angels capture her attention!
We read about these angels in v. 12 as wearing all white and
sitting at the head and at the feet of where the body of Jesus had been lying. They were not present when Peter and John
inspected the tomb earlier, suggesting a supernatural appearance. Their presence, clothed in white, is a
biblical symbol of purity and holiness (cf. Dan. 7:9; Acts 1:10).[4] Their positioning, one at the head and one at
the feet, evokes the imagery of the cherubim on the mercy seat (Exod. 25:18),[5]
symbolizing God’s presence and the victory of Christ over death.
Of course, some have thought that this presents a
contradiction in the text. Matthew
mentions but one angel (Matt. 28:2), Mark records the presence of a young man
(Mark 16:5), and Luke notes two men (Luke 24:4). Yet, this isn’t a contradiction; angels often
appear in human form, and one may have been the primary speaker, as is common
in Scripture.[6] They wouldn’t have the halos and wings that we
see in pop culture.[7]
It’s not clear whether Mary herself realized these were
angels, as people often fall down before them.
She may have wondered if they were the ones who took Jesus’s body. Instead, these angels (a term which means
“messengers”) they were there to call Mary — and us — to belief in the
resurrection.
They begin by saying “woman.” Again, this is a respectful address, a term
of endearment akin to “ma’am” in our context.
They then ask, “Why are you weeping?” We might think that they are asking out of
curiosity, but they know why. They ask,
not to be callous, but to gently invite her to reflect. Her sorrow is warranted in light of the
resurrection —Jesus is alive!
Mary’s response reveals her heart, though. She misses the invitation to reflect, instead
answering, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they
have laid Him.” Understand, she calls
Him “my Lord,” reflecting her devotion, but her words show she still believes
His body has been stolen. Her grief
clouds her understanding, but the angels’ presence is the first step in calling
her to belief.
Like Mary, we may face moments of grief or confusion that
blind us to God’s work. When life feels
empty, we must look to and believe in the promises of God. The resurrection assures us that Christ has
overcome death, and His victory is ours. Let’s trust in His power, even when our eyes
are filled with tears.
Unfortunately, her grief keeps her from understanding in
this moment. Yet, she is about to
receive a surprise which will forever change her. Let’s consider this next:
III.
Second, Jesus Calls Us to Belief (vv. 14–16)
When she had said
this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it
was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman,
why are you weeping? Whom are you
seeking?” Supposing Him to be the
gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where
you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She
turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
Immediately, there is someone else standing there. This must have caught her attention, or she
was turning to motion. Whatever the
event, she then sees Jesus standing there, though she didn’t know that it was Him.
This is a profound moment. Why doesn’t she recognize Him? Several possibilities exist. Her tears may have blurred her vision, or her
grief may have kept her from looking fully at His face.[8] Perhaps Jesus’s appearance was marred due to
the brutal crucifixion under Pilate (cf. Isa. 52:14), or maybe it “was too dark
to see clearly (v. 1).”[9] Perhaps He supernaturally prevented her recognition,
as He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:16). Yet, the main reason she failed to recognize Him
was because she still thought He was dead — she sought a body, not a risen
Savior!
There’s much more to consider here, though. Jesus chooses to appear first to her, a woman
whose testimony would have been dismissed in that. No Jewish author would invent a story with a
woman — especially one with a history of demon possession (Luke 8:2) — as the
first witness to the resurrection.[10] This detail underscores the historicity of the
account and God’s grace in choosing the lowly to proclaim His truth (cf. 1 Cor.
1:27–29). This is again a reminder that
the Gospel writers did not shy away from “embarrassing” aspects of their
account.
We see another wonderful truth here in the midst of Mary’s
sorrow. As Matthew Henry notes, “Christ
is often near his people, and they are not aware of him.”[11] This is a reminder of Psalm 34:18, which
says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit.” He is there to provide both
challenge and comfort.
So, Jesus speaks to Mary in v. 15, opening with the same
respectful term as the angels. We might
translate it, “Dear lady, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” These questions mirror the angels’ words, and
they show both His tender care for her grief as well as an invitation for her
to recognize His promises. He doesn’t
quite will for her to know it is Him yet; as one study notes, “Perhaps it was
spoken with some roughness, as Joseph spoke to his brethren when he made
himself strange, before he made himself known to them.”[12] He would have her grappling with His word
before seeing Him.
Mary, still gripped by grief, mistakes Him for the gardener. She says, “Sir, if you have carried Him away,
tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Her words reveal
her devotion — she is willing to carry Jesus’ body herself. Yet, sadly, she still assumes He is still
dead.
This misunderstanding reminds us how easily we can
misinterpret God in our lives. As
Matthew Henry notes, “Troubled spirits, in a cloudy and dark day, are apt to
misrepresent Christ to themselves, and to put wrong constructions upon the
methods of his providence and grace.”[13] When we are consumed by our circumstances, we
may fail to know the nearness of the Lord.
Thankfully, He is a Lord of grace, and He grants her
recognition. Everything changes when
Jesus speaks her name: “Mary!” This
single word pierces her grief and opens her eyes. As John MacArthur points out, this moment
echoes Jesus’ teaching in John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me.”[14] The personal call of her name reveals His
identity.
Thus, Mary responds in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” This is also a term of respect, meaning “my
Teacher.” The Reformation Study Bible
notes that Rabboni is a lengthened form of Rabbi. The term signifies deep reverence.
Jesus knows each of our names. Whether He is calling us out of sin or deep
pain, I hope you will learn to hear His voice. Like Mary, you may not recognize Him at first,
but He is near, calling to you from His Holy Word. Let His presence transform your sorrow into
joy, as it did for Mary.
Note that she could not be hallucinating a living Jesus, as
the one liberal theory goes. She wasn’t
expecting to find anything but a dead body, and that is what she voiced seeking
twice. Seeing Jesus alive goes beyond
her wildest imagination. Yet, she came
to accept it. The question is whether
others will, bringing us to the final point:
IV.
Third, Witnesses Call Us to Belief (vv. 17–18)
Jesus said to her,
“Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My
brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God
and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene
came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said
these things to her.
There is a bit of debate here as to what Jesus means when He
tells her to not cling to Him; the KJV renders it “Touch me not.” Some think this means that she would somehow defile
Him with her touch, that He must first present Himself to the Father. They suggest that Jesus quickly ascended to
heaven after this meeting, then returning to speak with his disciples, which is
why His disciples could later touch Him.
However, Scripture places great emphasis on Jesus ascension
to heaven recorded in Acts 1, and John gives no indication here of a second
ascension. Moreover, Matthew 28:9 says
that the women did take ahold of His feet and worshiped Him. So, it is better to understand this as
meaning that she should not cling or hold on to Jesus — He had more to His
mission, and she had a job to do. Mary,
overwhelmed with joy, likely wants to hold onto His physical presence, but Jesus
gently corrects her.
So, He is commissioning her. He is reminding Mary that He is not merely a
recovered man like Lazarus; He is now the resurrected Lord, whose ascension
will usher in a new relationship through the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:18–19;
Acts 1:3–11). Others must know.
So, He sends her to His brethren. This is the first time Jesus calls His
disciples “brethren,” a term reflecting the new relationship made possible
through His death and resurrection (cf. Rom. 8:14–17; Heb. 2:10–13).[15] The message Mary is to deliver emphasizes
Jesus’ ascension, a doctrine often overlooked but vital to our faith. Jesus’ ascension secures our righteousness
and intercession before the Father (cf. Heb. 7:25).
The distinction in Jesus’ words — “My Father and your
Father, My God and your God” — highlights His unique Sonship. He doesn’t say “our Father” and “our
God.” Yet, through His work, we are
united to Him as brothers and sisters. In
Romans 8:29, we read, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His
Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Because of Christ’s work and His ultimate
ascension, we can have a similar relationship with the Father and with God.
So, commissioned to spread the Word, she bears witness of
Christ to the disciples. She announces,
“I have seen the Lord.” Some mistake
this for preaching, but Jesus would not ask her to break His later Word, and
that’s not the term used here. Mary is
simply testifying or evangelizing, speaking about the good news of Jesus! She becomes the first witness to the
resurrection, a task entrusted to her despite her past.
The disciples’ initial disbelief (Luke 24:11; Mark 16:11) again
underscores the authenticity of this account. Yet, they will believe and become witnesses
themselves. This reminds us that every
believer is called to evangelize. You don’t need a perfect past or a platform
to share the gospel; you need only share with others the Word and tell them what
He has done in your life. Like Mary, let
your encounter with Jesus compel you to speak the truth!
V.
Conclusion
The resurrection of Jesus is not a myth or a mistake, as
skeptics claim. The empty tomb, the
angels’ testimony, Jesus’s appearance, and Mary’s witness all point to one
undeniable truth: Christ is risen! And
this calls us to look beyond what we are experiencing to God’s power in Christ.
Where are you today? Are
you like Mary, consumed by your own pain and worries and doubt? Why are you weeping? Look to Jesus, who knows your name, bore your
shame on the cross, and offers you forgiveness and peace. If you are a believer, I hope you will trust
Him with your heartache, holding on to His promises. If He raised up from grave, then He can lift
you up from where you are — just let Him change you.
[1] Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, The New American
Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 25B:297.
[2] John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New
Testament Commentary, (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 375.
[3] “She apparently had not crossed paths with Peter or
John and thus did not know of Jesus’ resurrection (see v. 9).” John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible,
electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1626.
[4] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 20:12.
[5] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and
Unabridged in One Volume, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2051.
[6] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight
Answers, Stronger Faith, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible
Publishers, 2007), 1615.
[7] Edwin A. Blum, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 342.
[8] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, 1626.
[9] Barry, et. al., Jn 20:14.
[10] Blum, 342.
[11] Henry, 2051.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, 1627.
[15] Ibid.