LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:11	hello today let’s talk about the Final
0:16	witness the text before us is for Easter
0:19	Sunday John 20:
0:25	45309
0:26	introduction the empty tomb
0:30	Mary had gotten up early that first
0:32	Easter morning while it was still dark
0:36	she was making her way to the tomb to
0:39	complete the washing and anointing of
0:41	the body of
0:43	Jesus but she couldn’t help but wonder
0:45	who would roll away that
0:48	stone I have read that it may take as
0:50	many as seven men to move a Seiler Stone
0:54	it was heavy and huge a giant rock to
0:58	cover the mouth of the cave tomb
1:02	typically there was a slot or a trench
1:05	that allowed the stone to roll easily
1:08	down into its
1:10	place but to get it back up that incline
1:14	and chocked again so that it would not
1:16	roll back down now that was clearly
1:19	beyond what Mary was able to
1:23	do when Mary reached the tomb she was
1:26	shocked to find that the stone was
1:28	removed
1:30	John says the stone was taken
1:33	away Mary ran to get Peter and John she
1:38	reported they have taken away the Lord
1:41	out of the Tomb and we do not know where
1:43	they have laid
1:45	him point one two
1:49	witnesses Peter and John ran to the tomb
1:52	John outran Peter and arrived first John
1:56	saw and I quote the linen wrappings
1:59	lying there there end quote he did not
2:01	go in yet when Peter arrived he entered
2:04	the tomb and the gospel reports Peter
2:07	beheld the linen wrappings lying there
2:12	this is very specific and carefully
2:14	worded language it is purposefully
2:18	repeating exactly the same words what
2:21	does this mean well in Greek we read
2:26	Tonia ca t IA the wrappings and CA lying
2:34	now this word is used for placing or
2:37	laying something down as you would an
2:40	infant it refers to something or someone
2:43	being carefully put into place in fact
2:47	the same word is used in verse 12 when
2:49	Mary sees the angels in the Tomb one at
2:52	the head and one at the feet of where
2:54	Jesus had been lying
2:58	CA that is is where the Lord had been
3:01	carefully placed you see John is being
3:05	very clear about these wrappings they
3:08	were not cut they were not piled up they
3:11	were not disheveled they were not
3:13	discarded they were lying there
3:18	apparently they were right in place just
3:21	as if Jesus were still lying there in
3:27	them if robbers had stolen the body they
3:30	would have taken the body and the
3:32	wrappings if someone had removed the
3:35	wrappings and why would they have done
3:37	that they would have had to cut them or
3:40	tear them or at least unwrap them but
3:43	this was
3:45	different even if Jesus had revived he
3:49	would have to have removed all of those
3:52	layers of
3:53	wrappings Jesus had been wrapped around
3:56	his Limbs and his body Joseph of Ara
4:00	and Nicodemus used layer upon layer of
4:03	linen interspersed with myr and allow
4:06	100
4:08	pounds also the hands and feet of Jesus
4:11	were probably tied as Lazarus had
4:15	been but what Peter and John saw were
4:18	Linens that were still lying
4:23	there John says it twice so that we get
4:26	the point this is important
4:30	it appears that these wrappings are a
4:34	witness a remarkable inexplicable
4:37	witness to the resurrection of Jesus
4:40	Christ the lord had risen from the dead
4:43	and he had miraculously moved through
4:46	the Linens they were still lying
4:51	there that was a
4:54	witness then John draws special
4:57	attention to the other linen
5:00	it is sometimes called a face cloth or a
5:02	napkin in Greek it is a
5:05	sarion it was rolled up and then tucked
5:09	under the chin and then tied up above
5:11	the head its purpose was to prevent the
5:14	mouth from hanging open when rigamortus
5:17	set in this napkin was not lying with
5:21	the other wrappings but was literally
5:23	rolled up and placed by
5:25	itself if it had been with the other
5:27	wrappings it would have had had no
5:30	special
5:31	significance if it had been discarded it
5:34	would have had no particular importance
5:37	but it was set apart and it was
5:41	carefully placed how did that even
5:44	happen did Jesus pass through the linen
5:47	wearing a linen or holding a linen I
5:50	mean how did the linen pass through the
5:54	other
5:55	linen it is noteworthy is it not it is
5:59	is supposed to be
6:02	noteworthy the napkin was separate and
6:05	as such it was a second witness to the
6:09	Lord’s miraculous
6:11	Resurrection as you may know Deuteronomy
6:15	19 requires that there must be two
6:17	witnesses in order to attest to a truth
6:21	we have just met two material Witnesses
6:24	literally material
6:27	linen we are told that John saw and
6:33	believed then the disciples went to
6:35	their homes point
6:37	two two more
6:41	witnesses Mary was left standing outside
6:44	the tomb she was weeping now in Greek
6:47	there is a word for quiet crying tears
6:50	roll down the cheeks but there is a
6:52	different word used in this passage Mary
6:55	was sobbing her grief was inconsolable
6:59	she had seen
7:01	Jesus beaten brutalized and bleeding
7:04	profusely she had witnessed his
7:07	crucifixtion his
7:09	excruciating torturous pain his labored
7:13	breathing his words of forgiveness his
7:15	final prayer to his father she watched
7:18	Jesus die Mary had seen the Roman spear
7:23	pierce his
7:25	side the Hebrew custom was to bathe a
7:29	body before burial it was required that
7:32	the dead should be kissed and treated
7:35	with extreme respect but Jesus had died
7:39	and the sky turned black it was an early
7:42	Sundown there was no time to care for
7:45	the dead Sabbath started at sundown so
7:49	Joseph of artha and Nicodemus wrapped
7:52	the Lord’s body and applied all of those
7:55	spices as quickly as possible but Jesus
7:59	was covered with deep wounds and lots of
8:04	blood and he was not washed and he was
8:07	not
8:08	kissed now Mary could not even find his
8:13	body where was his body who had taken
8:16	the body of the Lord she shuttered and
8:18	cried out with uncontrollable sobs she
8:21	was confused and
8:24	upset what was she supposed to do now
8:27	where was she supposed to go where
8:29	should she even look for the remains of
8:35	Jesus Mary stooped to look back into the
8:38	tomb there she saw two
8:41	angels they had not chosen to reveal
8:44	themselves to Peter and John one was at
8:46	the head and one was at the feet of
8:49	where Jesus had been
8:51	lying ordinarily the sight of angels
8:53	terrifies people not Mary Magdalene at
8:56	least not
8:57	today Mary had only one desperate
9:01	thought where is my Lord she saw the
9:06	Angels but through eyes blurred with
9:09	tears and a mind stricken with grief God
9:13	had sent her two more witnesses but Mary
9:17	could not even recognize them as
9:20	such the Angels asked a question
9:23	designed to break Mary’s misguided
9:25	thinking woman why are you weeping
9:30	because they have taken away my Lord and
9:33	I do not know where they have laid
9:38	him point three the Final
9:41	witness at this point scripture does not
9:44	tell us exactly what happened did the
9:46	Angels rise and bow their heads did they
9:49	kneel before the Risen
9:51	Savior Mary turned around and saw the
9:56	Lord standing
9:58	there but she did not know him woman why
10:03	are you
10:04	weeping whom do you
10:07	seek still Mary did not know him sir if
10:10	you have carried him away tell me where
10:13	you have laid him and I will take him
10:17	away now John gives us the next two
10:20	words in their glorious
10:22	conversation Jesus said to her
10:28	maram her heart was pierced it rang like
10:31	a bell she knew in an instant
10:37	raboni you have often heard the word
10:39	Rabbi or even raboni this is a little
10:43	different Rabun is an equivalent of the
10:47	Hebrew Adon meaning God Mary knows that
10:52	this one is
10:54	God Jesus is
10:57	God raboni
11:01	Jesus himself is the Final witness to
11:04	his resurrection from the dead Mary
11:07	leaned forward when she heard her name
11:10	the Good Shepherd called his Sheep by
11:12	name and she heard his voice though the
11:15	scripture does not say so specifically I
11:18	cannot help but think that Mary had some
11:21	real difficulty continuing to
11:23	stand did she fall to her knees we do
11:27	not know but she did begin to cling to
11:30	the
11:33	Lord Jesus said to Mary stop clinging to
11:37	me why did he say that I suspect that
11:41	Mary feared that he might leave that she
11:45	would lose Jesus again she did not ever
11:48	want to lose Jesus again she was going
11:50	to hold on tightly Jesus knew what Mary
11:54	was thinking and he was teaching Mary
11:57	something else of course Jesus was
12:00	staying he was going to be there another
12:02	40 days but more importantly from now on
12:08	Jesus would be more near to Mary than he
12:11	had ever been before he would be more
12:14	near to her and to every other believer
12:17	now more than he ever could have been
12:21	before his crucifixion now now after his
12:24	resurrection Jesus Christ can abide with
12:28	Mary and with every other believer
12:31	forever and Mary can abide with Jesus
12:34	and so can all believers
12:38	forever Jesus said tell my brothers not
12:43	my friends not my followers tell my
12:45	brothers that I Ascend to my father and
12:48	to your father to my God and your God
12:52	Jesus is saying that my father is your
12:55	father my God is your god
12:59	because you all are my family Mary tell
13:03	them that I am giving all of you my
13:08	inheritance all of my sisters and
13:10	brothers you all are my family and I am
13:13	leaving you
13:15	everything everything that is
13:18	mine now is
13:21	yours
13:24	conclusion there’s been quite a change
13:26	in Mary since she was first set out for
13:29	the tomb on Easter
13:30	morning when she
13:33	began it was dark and she was grieving
13:36	and lonely but now the world is full of
13:39	light her Lord is living and she will be
13:43	with him and he with her forever she
13:47	will abide in him he will abide in
13:51	her how did this happen well Jesus sent
13:55	Mary five witnesses two material to
14:00	spiritual and Jesus
14:03	himself but here’s the question for you
14:06	how many witnesses did Jesus send to you
14:10	did he use your mother your father as
14:14	Witnesses did he use other Saints of his
14:17	kingdom to be witnesses to you did Jesus
14:21	use the preached word of God did Jesus
14:24	use the written word of God to witness
14:27	to you what Witnesses did Jesus use to
14:31	tell you that he was crucified and he
14:33	was raised from the dead for
14:38	you did Jesus witness to you
14:41	himself H were you
14:45	baptized Jesus is the one who baptized
14:47	you he may have used the hands and voice
14:50	of the pastor but Jesus did your
14:53	baptism did
14:55	Jesus witness to you when you were bapt
14:59	baptized does Jesus continue to come to
15:02	you and witness to you even now oh yes
15:07	he does Jesus comes to witness to you
15:10	each time that you receive his body and
15:12	blood in Holy Communion or hear a sermon
15:15	or read his holy
15:17	Bible you
15:19	see like Mary and like Peter and like
15:24	all of the
15:25	disciples Jesus Witnesses to you over
15:30	and over again and again so that you may
15:35	believe and Keep On
15:40	Believing Jesus does not want you to
15:42	remain like Mary was in the dark and
15:45	grieving and lonely no he wants you to
15:49	be like Mary is in the light and joyful
15:54	and abiding in the Lord
15:57	forever
15:59	Jesus himself has come to witness to you
16:03	and he will continue to witness to you
16:05	throughout your whole
16:08	life why do you think Jesus would do
16:12	that so that you may believe and
16:16	believing have eternal
16:20	life because your lord Jesus Christ
16:24	Above All Things wants to abide in you
16:29	and he wants you to abide in him
16:36	forever
16:38	Hallelujah he has
16:41	risen
16:50	[Music]
16:57	amen
16:58	[Music]