ï» > back to title page Many Signs Truly Did Jesus< John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 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. This morning we preached on the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We spoke of three glorious effects of His Resurrection: Victory for His Brethren Validation of His Father Vindication before His Enemies Certainly the very first sign we see here written for us if the sign of the empty tomb!! Let us look further through this account, let us look further into the day that we celebrate today. Let us look past the rising of the sun when Christ s followers for the first time realized the Saviour had indeed risen let us look into the events of the day following the finding of the empty tomb! I. The Lying Linen and the Folded Napkin John 20:4-9 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Possible Symbolism: saw the linen clothes lying (John 20:5) Taking a look back we see > A Tradition Set Forth: Animals: Provided by the High Priest: (Vs 3) a bullock (sin offering) and a ram (burnt offering): personal for the high priest and his family.
Leviticus 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. Provided by the People: (Vs. 5) ram: for burnt offering two goats: Lots cast, the LORD s goat becomes the sin offering while the other the scapegoat. Actions: *Lots cast ~ to determine the scapegoat from the LORD s goat (Vs 8-9) *Atonement and reconciliation for the Sanctuary (within the vail) with the blood of the bullock: Because the sins of Aaron and the priesthood! (Vs.11-14) *Atonement and reconciliation for the Sanctuary (within the vail) with the blood of the LORD s goat: Because of the sins of the people of Israel! (Vs. 15-16) *Atonement and reconciliation of the altar: both the blood of the bullock (priest) and goat (people) (Vs. 18-19) > A Transfer: *The Scapegoat: Aaron lays his bloody hands on the head of the living goat putting [the iniquities, transgressions, and sins] of the children of Israel upon His head. The goat is released in the wilderness. (Vs.20-22) > A Transition: Leviticus 16:23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: *Atonement for himself and the sins of the people through the burnt offering and the burning of the fat of the sin offerings (Vs. 24-25) *Bodies of the sin offerings burned without the camp (Vs. 27) Just as the High Priest was to put aside his holy linen garments when his yearly duty on the Day of Atonement moved from making reconciliation for the Mercy Seat and the alter for His sins and the sins of the people through the sin offerings to making Atonement for sins through the burnt offerings, so did the Son of God, after His Resurrection! When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross He fulfilled His role as the offering for sin. After He bodily arose from the grave, He laid aside the linen garments that he was buried in. Just as Aaron s work was not yet done when he laid those garments aside, so the Lord still had something to do! His work as the offering for sin was done, and His work as the Great High Priest had begun! Heb 13:10-13 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Practical Sense: The scene left of the linen clothes lying and the folded napkin were consistent with a bodily/ physical resurrection! As the disciples saw the scene before them it MADE SENSE! Just as one rises from his bed in the morning, the Lord Jesus rose from that tomb! His resurrection was unhurried and deliberate! He was unharried, unhurried, the victorious risen Son of God! Plain Significance!!: he saw, and believed (vs. 8 ) While one may question the real meaning meant by the Holy Spirit by the sight of the linen clothes and the napkin. Perhaps one may doubt the connection with the procedures of Leviticus 16, yet one cannot question or deny the significance as the Scripture proclaims he saw, and believed John was convinced of the BODY that was broken for him! John was convinced of the BLOOD that was shed for him! John was convinced of the BODILY resurrection of his Master and Lord!!! II. The Sign of the Forbidden Contact John 20:17 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. Touch me not! Whether or not the linen clothes lying had the same significance with Jesus as with Aaron, The Lord was not yet done! Hag 2:11-13 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. ~ The Law of Contact Hebrews 8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb 9:11-14 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:23-26 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 12:22-24 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Tell my brethren! Hebrews 2:10-12 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, III. The Sign of the Scarred Flesh Confirmation John 20:20 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. John 20:24-28 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 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. 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. 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. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Luke 24:39-40 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. Identification Psalms 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. ~ His identification in Prophecy Zechariah 12:9-10 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ~ His identification at His Coming John 19:35-37 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. ~ His
Identification in Scripture Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.~ His Identification before all Kindreds Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Conclusion: John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 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. These are written that we might believe and that believing we would have have LIFE!! Eternal Life Abundant Life John 10:7-10 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.