Sunday School Lesson
May 16 Lesson 11 (KJV)
PREACHING DOOM
DEVOTIONAL READING: Jeremiah 38: 7–13; 39: 15–18 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 37–38
JEREMIAH 38: 14–23
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:
22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
KEY VERSE
Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?—Jeremiah 38:
PROPHETS FAITHFUL TO GOD’S COVENANT
Unit 3: Courageous Prophets of Change
LESSONS 9–13
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Explain the context of Jeremiah’s ministry in the days of King Zedekiah.
2. Contrast Zedekiah’s indecisiveness with Jeremiah’s resolve.
3. Write one action to take in the week ahead to counteract an unholy trait that characterizes him or her in a weak moment.
HOW TO SAY IT
Ebed-melech Ee-bed-mee-lek.
Jehoiachin Jeh-hoy-uh-kin.
Josiah Jo-sigh-uh.
Mattaniah Mat-uh-nye-uh.
Nebuchadnezzar Neb-yuh-kud-nez-er.
Zedekiah Zed-uh-kye-uh.
Introduction
A. Unheeded Warnings
Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a seismologist and university professor in Japan, for years warned that many of Japan’s nuclear power plants were at risk for significant damage from earthquakes. Though he and his colleagues warned about possible catastrophe, they were largely ignored. When a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the northeastern coast of Japan’s main island in March 2011, the resulting tsunami caused massive damage to the nuclear power station in Fukushima.
The ensuing radioactive fallout forced some 160,000 people to evacuate their homes across an area of approximately 300 square miles. Studies and reports since published vindicate Ishibashi’s warnings about possible disaster at the site.
When the nation of Judah faced God’s wrath for their many violations of the covenant with God, the Lord commissioned Jeremiah to sound the warnings and call them to repentance. Perhaps it was not too late for this faltering nation and their king to avert the disaster and desolation that awaited them.
B. Lesson Context
The prophet Jeremiah delivered God’s message to the nation of Judah from 627 until the mid-580s BC. That was roughly a century after the prophet Isaiah. Five kings reigned over Judah during Jeremiah’s ministry. Josiah, the first of these five, was righteous (2 Kings 23: 25). The four following him, however, were all wicked. These included Jehoiachin, who was removed from the throne and taken into captivity when the Babylonians invaded in 597 BC (24: 12). King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon replaced Jehoiachin with that man’s uncle, Mattaniah, renaming him Zedekiah in the process (24: 17).
Zedekiah wavered between service to the Babylonian king and rebellion against that overlord. Zedekiah ruled for Judah’s final decade as a nation before it fell in 586 BC.
The destruction of Judah at the hands of Babylon that Isaiah had foreseen decades earlier (see 2 Kings 20: 16–18) drew near during Jeremiah’s day. Like the northern kingdom of Israel before, Judah’s unfaithfulness to the covenant had exhausted the Lord’s great patience. Jeremiah proclaimed that the Lord would use the Babylonians as instruments of judgment against Judah (Jeremiah 20: 4–6).
Throughout his prophetic ministry, Jeremiah warned Jerusalem in word and in deed of the coming destruction. He illustrated this message in symbolic actions (examples: Jeremiah 13: 1–11; 19: 1–15; 27: 1–11). Yet rarely did anyone take this prophet seriously (37: 2). His oracles were misunderstood and dismissed as the rhetoric of a traitorous, pro-Babylonian sympathizer (37: 11–13). Jerusalem’s more “loyal” prophets proclaimed peace, safety, and deliverance. Their fabricated, uninspired message was believed among the populace.
Twice in Judah’s closing months, while Jerusalem was under siege, Jeremiah endured punishments for his message of doom. First, he was beaten and held in a dungeon cell for many days (Jeremiah 37: 15–16). Zedekiah, however, summoned him from the dungeon and released him into the courtyard of the guard (37: 21). There he continued to reveal the unpleasant things God told him (38: 1–3).
Zedekiah’s officials took exception to Jeremiah’s preaching because his warnings were deemed treasonous and demoralizing (Jeremiah 38: 4). With Zedekiah unwilling to oppose them, the officials had Jeremiah put down into a muddy dungeon (38: 6). But a high official named Ebedmelech gathered 30 men (also with Zedekiah’s concession) to lift Jeremiah out of the mud and rescue him from certain death (38: 8–13).
I. A Secret Meeting
(JEREMIAH 38: 14–16)
A. Information Request (v. 14)
14. Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
When the Babylonians returned and besieged Jerusalem and defeat seemed near, Zedekiah began to summon Jeremiah for conversations. The third entry that is in the house of the Lord probably indicates a back entrance from the palace to the temple. The king apparently wanted a private setting where he could talk with Jeremiah outside of his officials’ hearing (see Lesson Context). Perhaps Zedekiah thought that Jeremiah might reverse his oracles of judgment and the Lord would grant Jerusalem a reprieve after all.
This was not the first such conversation (see Jeremiah 34: 6–7; 37: 17). Zedekiah’s repeated summoning of Jeremiah shows that at least part of him respected Jeremiah’s advice, if not his standing as an inspired prophet of God. Yet his terse command that Jeremiah hide nothing from him shows that Zedekiah did not yet understand that Jeremiah always told the king everything God told the prophet.
B. Setting Terms (vv. 15–16)
15. Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
Jeremiah certainly feared for his life and may have considered whether repeating earlier warnings was worth the risk. God had given him assurances of protection at the time of his calling, even from kings and officials (Jeremiah 1: 18–19; 15: 20–21). Yet Jeremiah still feared, for he too was human with doubts (1: 6; 15: 18; 20: 7). Given recent events, he had every reason to believe that a harsh word against Zedekiah could spell his own demise (26: 20–23).
Jeremiah surmised that Zedekiah was hoping for a more favorable word from the Lord this time. But the prophet also knew that no favorable word would be forthcoming.
What Do You Think?
Under what circumstances is it wise for you to question someone’s motives, if ever? Why?
Digging Deeper
In what ways do 1 Corinthians 4: 5; Philippians 1: 15–18; and James 4: 3 guide your answer? …
LISTEN CAREFULLY
I was in my truck listening to a new CD when I noticed a strange percussion instrument. The beat was out of place. The doink sound was annoying and didn’t work well with the hymn “Whisper a Prayer.” The song ended, but when “Morning Had Broken” started playing, there was that percussion beat again!
I turned up the music, and the misplaced beat faded. I drove home with the radio at full volume, no doink to be heard. But when I pulled into my driveway and turned the radio down, the sound returned! Then I saw the seat belt warning light flashing.
If I had fastened my seat belt, the percussive warning would have ended. I had ignored a warning that I was in danger. Like Zedekiah, I looked for solutions to the problem I thought I had instead of perceiving the real danger. What discord in your life is warning you about danger?—C. T.
16. So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
The king continued the secret conversation by giving Jeremiah the purported assurance of safety that he sought. Whether or not Zedekiah was sincere was one question; the more important question was whether he would follow through. His word meant little because, unlike his father, Josiah (2 Kings 23: 24–25), or his brother Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36: 1–2, 4, 20–26), his character was not dependably good or evil.
Zedekiah believed he held Jeremiah’s life in his hands. He ironically swore this oath by the Lord … that made us this soul, a poetic way of acknowledging that God gives life. The king inadvertently acknowledged that God is actually the one who decides between life and death.
II. A Private Prophecy
(JEREMIAH 38: 17–23)
A. Results of Obedience (vv. 17–20)
17a. Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel.
Jeremiah knew that this king would likely waffle, given past behavior (example: Jeremiah 34: 8–22). Even so, the prophet still proclaimed the word from the Lord, come what may. This is the mark of true commitment. Jeremiah did not ask what Zedekiah wanted to learn or tell the king what he hoped to hear. Even if Jeremiah had wanted to withhold the message, he would have failed anyway. The word of God was like a fire in Jeremiah’s bones (20: 9), impossible to hold back whether anyone listened or not (6: 10–11).
Piling up designations for the Lord emphasized that the God of hosts was the true king in Israel. God had allowed the Israelites to have a human king because they desired to be like the other nations (1 Samuel 8: 5–9). He knew this was a result of faithlessness and would also lead to more faithlessness.
Referring to the Lord as the God of Israel has implications for how the people were called to conduct themselves (compare Leviticus 26). But idolatry and injustice had landed them in a position to face God’s punishment. They did not act as people who belonged to the Lord.
17b. If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house.
The Lord’s offer to spare Zedekiah’s life upon surrender to the Babylonians accords with terms previously stated (Jeremiah 21: 8–9). God’s offer to spare the city from fiery destruction might seem like an astonishing, last-minute reversal (compare 21: 10; 34: 2, 22; 37: 9–10). But the Lord has the freedom to change His mind about either blessing or punishment for a nation that alters its course (Jeremiah 18: 5–10). He did so for Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3: 10). The Lord did not offer a solution in which Zedekiah was allowed to remain king in Jerusalem. But the Lord did offer a solution that would avoid Jerusalem’s being burned to the ground or Zedekiah’s experiencing great personal violence.
The nation of Judah apparently had chances early on to avert disaster entirely (Jeremiah 4: 1–4). Yet God eventually was determined unreservedly to punish Judah (4: 27–28). Although judgment in Babylon was by this time assured, God still offered mercy to His people and their king (compare 1 Kings 21: 20–29). Nonetheless, Jeremiah offered a glimpse of what would occur if Zedekiah made other choices. Accepting God’s mercy in judgment would mitigate some of the horrible consequences that otherwise would follow.
Christians still experience God’s discipline tempered by His mercy, even though we don’t always recognize it as such (1 Corinthians 11: 31–32; Hebrews 12: 4–11). This is part of the process of God’s using all things for our good (Romans 8: 28). This isn’t to say we will enjoy all things or that all things will seem good at some point. Instead, all things that happen to us and around us are meant to make us into the image of Jesus (8: 29).
18. But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
Jeremiah’s words implicitly called for Zedekiah to ignore the officials who were urging him not to surrender (Jeremiah 27: 12–15). But beyond Zedekiah’s lack of character and the grave sins of Judah, there was another reason Jeremiah could be resigned to Jerusalem’s being burned by the Chaldeans. The prophets had been warning of Judah’s destruction for many years (2 Kings 21: 10–15; Isaiah 39: 6; Micah 3: 12; compare Jeremiah 7: 25–26; 25: 4; 26: 17–18). Though God can change His mind (see commentary on Jeremiah 38: 17b, above), He also clearly stated that blessing resulted from obedience and curses came from faithlessness (Deuteronomy 30: 15–18). Without repentance and obedience, Jerusalem had no hope of experiencing God’s great mercy.
19. And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
Had Zedekiah feared the Babylonians themselves, it would be hard to blame him. Even fearing his own officials is understandable to an extent, since his predecessor, Jehoiakim, was probably murdered by his own officials the last time the Babylonians invaded (Jeremiah 22: 18–19; 36: 29–31).
The fear he expressed at this point, however, seems comparatively insignificant. Some of Jerusalem’s citizenry already had surrendered to the Babylonians (here called Chaldeans). Zedekiah did not want to expose himself to their scorn or potential murderous mistreatment.
What Do You Think?
Which speaks to you most deeply: the moral courage of Jeremiah or the moral cowardice of Zedekiah? Why?
Digging Deeper
What does that motivate you to do?
BEWARE THE BYPASS
When driving, we want to get to our destination as quickly as possible. Faster is better, and we dislike any kind of inconvenience. To wait at a stoplight can be a major annoyance. For some, driving slowly in a queue of traffic can quickly turn annoyance into infuriation. In the name of convenience, freeways bypass town after town. We love to jump on the interstate, put the car on cruise control, and just go!
Living life in the fast lane is appealing. But where are we going so quickly? Zedekiah was hoping for a quick way to avoid the troubles that Jeremiah said were coming. But by looking for a bypass, Zedekiah actually set himself and the people on the fast track to destruction. If you’re taking spiritual shortcuts, are you actually bypassing the true way as revealed by God?—C. T.
20. But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
Zedekiah had tried to make the issue into a purely political matter, but he was oblivious to the real issue. Jeremiah thus directed the king back to the core spiritual realities. Obedience to the Lord was Zedekiah’s only viable course of action. The promise thy soul shall live probably referred more to quality of life than mere survival, for Zedekiah was already guaranteed to survive (Jeremiah 34: 4–5). Indeed, the quality of Zedekiah’s life after remaining rebellious to both God and Nebuchadnezzar ended up being quite poor (52: 8–11).
B. Consequences of Rebellion (vv. 21–23)
21. But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me.
Jeremiah made clear that this preview of the future comes from God. Contrary to what Zedekiah might have thought, the prophet himself could not set the course. He had no more control over what happened than a weather forecaster has control over the weather.
What Do You Think?
How can we overcome the fear of “negative talk” when such talk is clearly called for?
Digging Deeper
If a context required negative talk on your part, how would you prepare for the likelihood of being called judgmental?
22. And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
Zedekiah’s house would fall if he didn’t do as the Lord had revealed (see Jeremiah 38: 17, above). This could refer to his family in general, his descendants, or (less likely) the Davidic line entirely.
Jeremiah painted a picture of Zedekiah’s women (referring to wives and concubines) ridiculing him as they became captives to the Babylonians. Women in war suffer immensely at the hands of oppositional forces. If Zedekiah cared for the women of his household, he would follow Jeremiah’s counsel. That would spare the women’s being taken into the houses of Babylon’s princes for whatever purpose those men desired.
Maybe to curry favor and maybe just out of heartbreak, the women would mock Zedekiah because of his officials’ treachery. Many of those advisers already had deserted him (Jeremiah 37: 19), and the rest would soon follow. Jeremiah knew what betrayal felt like (20: 10) as well as having his feet … sunk in the mire (38: 6). Zedekiah would have no Ebedmelech to rescue him from the metaphorical pit (38: 7–13). Jeremiah hoped this grim vision would appeal to the king’s fear and self-interest and result in obedience.
23. So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
Jeremiah built on his dire prophecies by emphasizing that not only Zedekiah’s wives but also his children would go into Babylonian exile. Like their mothers, children suffer horribly in wartimes. This is a clear escalation of Jeremiah’s appeal not to Zedekiah’s logical side but to his emotional center. What father would willingly subject his children to seeing their mothers taken captive and their city … burned with fire?
What Do You Think?
Should consequences for others be the primary factor in your moral choices? Why, or why not?
Digging Deeper
What biblical passages support your answer?
Yet even hearing the sad fate that awaited his family failed to move Zedekiah. He was more concerned about keeping the secret from his officials, maybe even protecting Jeremiah, than about obedience to God or the consequences that awaited him (see Jeremiah 38: 24–26, not in our printed text).
The dates given in Jeremiah 39: 1–2 compute to a siege of 18 months, ending on July 18, 586 BC. The king and some of his soldiers fled Jerusalem at night (Jeremiah 39: 4; 2 Kings 25: 4; compare Ezekiel 12: 12). The Babylonians hunted him down, however, and captured him.
Zedekiah’s sentence was to see his sons put to death before his own eyes, be blinded afterward, then taken in shackles to Babylon (2 Kings 25: 7). His officials, what few remained at that point, were executed (Jeremiah 39: 6). The city of Jerusalem was burned to the ground (2 Kings 25: 9).
Zedekiah’s demise came by God’s hand (Jeremiah 34: 22; Ezekiel 12: 13–14). That was something even the Babylonians themselves realized (Jeremiah 40: 1–3). Such was the fate of one who trusted in human wisdom rather than believing that God would do what He said (Proverbs 3: 5–8).
Conclusion
A. A Successful Ministry
What other ministry of doom would we hold in such high esteem as Jeremiah’s? He was a failure by human standards: accused falsely instead of believed, persecuted by officials, betrayed by family. No one obeyed Jeremiah’s words. Even after his predictions about Zedekiah and Jerusalem were fulfilled, Jeremiah continued to be disbelieved and dismissed (Jeremiah 43: 1–3).
Yet from the standpoint of faith, the life of Jeremiah was successful by God’s standards. The contrast between him and Zedekiah could hardly be starker. Zedekiah was one whose mind wavered moment by moment as he tried to save his own skin in his own way. He had no meaningful faith, no courage, no enduring principles. All the while Jeremiah remained true to his calling, willing to deliver the word of God, even though he knew it could cost him dearly. He was open to God’s leading even through doubts, tears, and fears. Those are the marks of real success.
Jeremiah is a book for today’s times. Christians too can expect the world to ignore our message and ridicule our convictions. We can expect hostility to arise in areas where the gospel is proclaimed boldly.
In some nations, this results in loss of relevancy and influence. In others, it results in torture, rape, or beheading. Though Christ is with us always (Matthew 28: 20), Christian discipleship carries no guarantee of personal comfort or applause. But like Jeremiah, we must learn to see the world as God sees it and remain true to our calling. We must continually pray that we will speak the truth boldly (Ephesians 6: 19–20).
What Do You Think?
Which thought in today’s text do you have the hardest time coming to grips with? Why?
Digging Deeper
Considering how your decisions can affect others, what extra effort will you expend to resolve this uncertainty?
B. Prayer
Father, teach us what it means to live successfully in Your sight. Give us the strength to proclaim Your message to the world boldly, come what may. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
Proclaiming God’s message is risky, but to ignore that message is fatal.
KID’S CORNER
The Evidence In The Tomb
Sunday, May 16, 2021
John 20:1-10
John 20:1-10
(John 20:1) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
In Jesus’ day, the Sabbath was Saturday. The first day of the week was Sunday. Today, some secular calendars show the first day of the week is Monday: the beginning of a working week. When Mary went to the tomb it was still dark, and John does not tell us whether the sun rose while she stood at the empty tomb door. The tomb was a cave with a stone door that had been rolled away so she could see into the tomb, though perhaps the light was still dim. The tomb was like the tomb of Lazarus, and before sunset on Friday (the beginning of the Sabbath) Jesus would have been quickly wrapped as Lazarus was wrapped (see John 11:1-44). The other Gospels give even more details about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the guards, and the appearance of angels that John did not need to repeat.
(John 20:2) So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
John, the author of this Gospel, is considered “the one whom Jesus loved.” John never claimed that Jesus loved him more than the other disciples. Jesus loved them all and called them His friends. In his gospel, John never drew attention to himself personally, but kept the focus on Jesus. John did not want to say, “Peter and I” or “Peter and John” because of his humility and objectivity. Mary assumed that Jesus’ body had been “taken” or stolen by people she did not know (notice: she did not assume that Jesus was alive and raised from the dead). She expected His dead body to have been “laid” somewhere after it was taken, but she knew not where that might be. Even though Jesus had foretold His resurrection to them, she never expected that He would be able to walk away from His tomb or talk to anyone again.
(John 20:3) So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
Peter and John took the responsibility upon themselves to verify Mary’s report. They were probably staying at the same home in Jerusalem during Passover. The other disciples would probably have been in other homes. After Judas murdered himself, there were now 11 disciples of Jesus, in addition to the women and other friends and followers of Jesus; therefore, they could not all sleep in the same house. When Jesus was arrested most of His disciples fled, but Peter and John followed Jesus to the trial in the high priest’s home. John followed Jesus to the cross and to the tomb. John and Mary and some others would have known the exact location of Jesus’ tomb, because we can expect them to have helped bury Jesus in the tomb.
(John 20:4) The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;
Because John was at the cross, he most likely helped take Jesus’ body down from the cross. He probably also helped carry Jesus’ body to His burial place, but John does not draw attention to himself in his Gospel by always saying, “I did this.” He and Mary knew without a doubt that Jesus was dead, so they expected to find His body in the tomb unless others had removed it. John probably outran Peter to the tomb because he knew exactly where it was located. After Peter denied Jesus, we have no evidence that Peter went with John to the cross or to the burial site before he and John ran to the burial site on that first resurrection Sunday morning. Mary followed behind them (perhaps with some other disciples of Jesus), and she remained at the tomb after everyone else had returned to their homes.
(John 20:5) and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
John bent down and looked in the tomb. He could see into the cave because of the rising sun. The tomb opening probably faced East, so the rising sun would have shown into the tomb. Today, many Christians are buried so when they rise from the dead, they will be facing East when Jesus Christ comes again. The linen wrappings were most likely white and could be easily seen by Peter and John from outside of the tomb. The wrappings were there, but Jesus body was gone. We do not know why John did not enter the tomb; perhaps he was cautiously thinking about what he saw.
(John 20:6) And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there,
Peter’s personality influenced him to go into the tomb first. Though Peter had denied knowing Jesus during Jesus’ trial, many times in the past he had demonstrated his bravery. When Jesus questioned His disciples about who people said He was, Peter was the first to tell Jesus that He was the Messiah. Peter became a witness to the fact that the burial wrappings were there in the tomb, but Jesus’ body was gone. Mary, Peter, and John saw that Jesus’ body was gone, and from the Old Testament we know that two witnesses were needed to establish a fact. It would have been highly unlikely that Jesus’ body would have been removed by grave robbers and the wrappings left behind. Grave robbers would most likely have carried a body away still wrapped for burial. So, the facts that the wrappings were there while Jesus’ body was gone are good evidence for and consistent with the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. As Jesus would later unexpectedly appear in a locked room to meet His disciples, so Jesus could easily pass through the linen wrappings without the need to be unwrapped as they had to unwrap Lazarus after Jesus called him forth from his tomb.
(John 20:7) and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
Much has been said of the wrappings that were left behind. We know that if the body had been stolen, the robbers would not have taken the time to lay the head wrapping carefully and neatly to one side. If left behind, they would have hurriedly tossed the head wrapping aside. Most probably, they would have taken the body still wrapped or they would have left the body after looking for any valuables to steal (perhaps the valuable spices, for example). The Romans certainly would not have been careful if they had removed His body, but they would not have had any incentive to steal His body. The Jews would not have defiled themselves by touching a dead body, especially during Passover, because they would not even enter Pilate’s headquarters for fear of becoming defiled during Passover. The evidence of the grave cloths being left behind is consistent with the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. The grave cloths may have lain exactly as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had left Jesus’ body, and looked as though Jesus had passed through them and they had collapsed after He rose from the dead.
(John 20:8) So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
John also entered the tomb. He saw exactly what Peter saw and what Mary had reported she saw. Therefore, in his Gospel, John recorded by name that at least three witnesses had seen that the stone had been rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone. As John explained in the next verse, they did not yet understand the scriptures nor did they expect the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; therefore, John may have meant that “he saw and believed” that the body of Jesus was gone. John’s Gospel reports what he himself witnessed rather than giving a secondhand report of what others experienced. We are not told in the Bible that Peter and John took the grave cloths back with them to their home or what eventually happened to them, but these grave cloths would have had sacred significance to them, so they might have been carefully preserved by those who loved Jesus.
(John 20:9) For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Up to this point, they did not remember or understand what Jesus had taught them about His resurrection from the dead or raising up “this temple” in three days. In John 2:19-22, we read, “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” Peter and John confirmed what Mary had told them, so we do have eyewitness accounts that are consistent with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His appearances to His disciples. They had to be convinced by personal experience by Jesus himself that He was alive; so, Jesus found ways to convince them by appearing to them in different ways and times. Because they were so difficult to convince of Jesus’ resurrection, we have good evidence that they were convinced by ample and sufficient proofs that Jesus rose from the dead and lived according to the Scriptures.
(John 20:10) So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
John reported that Peter and John (and perhaps some other disciples who went with them) returned to their homes instead of going back to the empty tomb, which might be dangerous for them if Jesus’ enemies had stolen His body. These “homes” were not their primary homes in Galilee or “second homes” in Jerusalem (for Jesus’ disciples too poor to have second homes). These homes were places of residence for His disciples provided by some of Jesus’ followers who lived in Jerusalem or these homes were rooms in inns that they would have rented as some of the many pilgrims in Jerusalem did who came to celebrate the Passover. The disciples believed the testimony of Mary, Peter, and John; therefore, they did not need to go see the empty tomb for themselves. Perhaps Peter and John took the grave cloths as evidence that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb. No one knew why Jesus’ body was gone, but they all believed that His body was gone based on reliable testimony. Mary remained alone weeping at the tomb. Later, Jesus’ disciples would gather again, perhaps in the same upper room where they had met to celebrate Jesus’ last supper with them, and Jesus would appear to them and convince them He had risen from the dead.
The Evidence In The Tomb
Sunday, May 16, 2021
John 20:1-10
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 (John 20:2—KJV).
So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2—NASB).
So Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:2—NRSV).
After Jesus’ friends took His lifeless body down from the cross and laid it in a tomb, they never expected to see Jesus alive on Earth again. They lost all hope, forgot His teachings about rising from the dead, and feared even more the enemies who crucified their Lord. Since Jesus’ disciples required convincing physical proof before they would believe that Jesus was alive again, their former hardheadedness is another good reason to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. When Mary Magdalene visited Jesus’ tomb and found His body gone, she assumed that someone had removed it; perhaps His enemies, who would bring more defilement and dishonor to His body. When Peter and the beloved disciple, most probably John, rushed to investigate, they saw Jesus’ grave clothes, but His body was gone. Who would defile themselves by removing a dead body from a tomb after first removing the grave wrappings? No one would. They did not know what could have happened to Jesus’ body, nor did they “understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9). In order for Jesus’ disciples to believe that He lived again, Jesus had to meet them and convince them personally. Therefore, Jesus miraculously appeared in their midst. He spoke words of assurance to them. He showed them the healed marks in His nail-pierced hands and spear-riven side. Only after they saw Jesus alive and well, did they believe and rejoice that He had risen from the dead (John 20:11-31).
Thinking Further
The Evidence In The Tomb
Sunday, May 16, 2021
John 20:1-10
Name ____________________________________
1. Why do you think John omitted from his Gospel some of the important events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus that the other Gospels included; such as, the presence of the guards?
2. What reason did Mary Magdalene give Peter and John for why the tomb was empty? Why do you think she assumed this? Why is her assumption important evidence in support of the fact of the resurrection?
3. What importance do you place on the emphasis John placed
on the tomb being empty except for the burial wrappings?
4. John said he believed. What do you think he believed? Give a
reason for your answer.
5. Does someone need to see Jesus to become a true believer in
Jesus? Why is this truth important for both believers and unbelievers to know?
Word Search
The Evidence In The Tomb
Sunday, May 16, 2021
John 20:1-10
Name ________________________________
T I Q E D N J Y Q E P Z V M S
P G Z P S Z L W N L W G U T H
K N V X N R Y E X P N R O S O
R I C S A U L D U I W N M G U
M Y V E C A H E N C E X P N N
D L Q K D S J N L S D O K I D
X T W G W D U D M I G B N P E
A F A F A R E S E D N X O P R
O M O E S J M V E L B W M A S
L P D B C Y H A E J L Q I R T
G I F R M U G P N I K O S W A
O S N W O O X J O S L A R F N
C U V E I L T N V B N E M U D
V I C W N Q A B R S T D B A W
O X B S C R I P T U R E G Y S
Early
Magdalene
Tomb
Stone
Simon
Lord
Disciple
Running
Linen
Wrappings
Lying
Rolled
Believed
Understand
Scripture
True and False Test
The Evidence In The Tomb
Sunday, May 16, 2021
John 20:1-10
Name ____________________________________
Prayer
Father, teach us what it means to live successfully in Your sight. Give us the strength to proclaim Your message to the world boldly, come what may. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.