Posting Collin's Obs for everyone to see

SIMPLE Truth: Observations

Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20

MATTHEW 28:

Weather:

·       Earthquake (v2)

·       Lightning (v3)

·       Snow (v3)

Travel:

·       Mary & Mary went to see the tomb (v1)

·       Mary & Mary leave for Galilee (v3)

·       Soldiers go to the city (v11)

·       Disciples went to Galilee (v16)

Fear is present:

·       For fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men (v4)

·       So they departed from the tomb with fear…(v8)

Told not to fear:

·       But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid” (v5)

·       Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid" (v10)

Everyone is in a hurry:

·       Appearance like lightning (v3)

·       Then go quickly (v7)

·       They departed quickly (v8a)

·       Ran to tell his disciples (v8b)

Marys and disciples see Jesus and worship him:

·       And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him (v9)

·       And when they saw him they worshiped him (v17)

Ranks present:

·       Guards, Soldiers (v2, v4, v 12b)

·       Elders (v12a)

·       Chief Priests (v11)

·       Governor (v14)

Note: Jesus claims ultimate authority in heaven and on earth (v18) after a meeting of men of earthly authority (v12-15).

Note: First commission is given to Mary & Mary: Go tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead (v7).

“Go”:

·       Go quickly and tell his disciples (v7)

·       Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee (v10)

·       Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (v19)

Contrast:

·       Faith of the women: Mary & Mary don’t see Jesus until they have already left to tell the disciples that Jesus  has risen (v8)

·       Doubt of the disciples: “some” of the disciples see Jesus in Galilee and “doubted (v17)

Contrast: Two different commissions

·       “Tell people His disciples came and stole him away while we were asleep.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. (v13)

·       “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. (v17)

Soldiers offered comfort

·       Sufficient sum of money (v12)

·       Keep you out of trouble (v15)

Jesus’ Commission:

·       Go (v19)

·       Make Disciples (v19)

·       Baptize (v19)

·       Teach (v20)

In (v17), there were still some that doubted despite seeing Jesus before their eyes, yet Jesus commissions his disciples to go out and make disciples.

Question: Matthew 28:20 – What all had Jesus commanded them?

Question: Matthew 28:17 – Do we know who doubted?

Question: Matthew 28:2 – What is significant about the angel sitting on the stone?

Question: Matthew 28:11-15 – Why is it important to tell the story of how the guards responded? Is it to paint the contrasting picture of the two responses to Jesus’ disappearance from the tomb (that of the guards & that of the two Marys)?

Question: Matthew 28:11-15 – Why, in the face of eyewitness testimony did the Jewish leaders generate a lie to explain to the authorities (the governor in this case) what happened to Jesus’ body?

MARK 16:

Fear is present:

·       Trembling and astonishment had seized them (v8a)

·       They were alarmed (v5)

·       For they were afraid (v8b)

Contrast:

·       Silence: They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (v8)

·       Tell everyone: Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (v15)

Disbelief is present:

·       But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. (v11)

·       And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them (v13)

·       Whoever does not believe will be condemned (v16)

Signs that accompany those who believe (v17):

·       In my name they will cast out demons (v17b) – mouth, proactive

·       They will speak in new tongues (v17c) – mouth, proactive

·       If they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them (v18b) – mouth, reactive

·       They will pick up serpents with their hands (v18a) – hands, reactive

·       They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover (v18c) – hands, reactive

(v20b) the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

Sitting on the right:

·       And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe (v5)

·       Was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (v19)

Jesus’ order of appearance

·       Mary Magdalene (v9)

·       “Two of them” (those that had been with him) (v12)

·       “the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table” (v14)

Question: Why did Mary & Mary bring spices? (v1)

Question: Why would Jesus specifically tell those that he had just rebuked for “unbelief and hardness of heart” to then go out and preach the gospel? (v14-15).

LUKE 24:

Unbelief of the apostles:

·       “seemed to them an idle tale (v11)

·       “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” (v21)

·       Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (v38)

·       And while they still disbelieved (v41)

Contrast: Women believed the words, apostles did not

·       Women: “and they remembered his words” (v8)

·       Apostles: but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them (v11)

References to the Scriptures/Fulfillment:

·       That the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. (v7)

·       But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. (v21)

·       The prophets have spoken (v25)

·       Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer (v26)

·       Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures… (v27)

·       While he opened us to the Scriptures (v32)

·       That everything written about me in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled(v44)

·       Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (v45)

·       Thus it is written (v46)

·       Forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations (v47)

Human characteristics of Jesus:

·       Flesh and bone (v39)

·       Hunger: “have you anything here to eat?” (v42)

Note: Jesus commissioned his apostles despite their unbelief.

JOHN 20:

Author sets himself apart:

·       The disciple whom Jesus loved (v2)

·       But the other disciple outran Peter (v4)

·       Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first (v8)

·       Believes before seeing Jesus: “He saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture,” (v8-9)

Seeing Jesus did not necessarily mean believing:

·       Mary (v14)

·       Disciples believed after “he showed them his hands and his side.” (v20)

·       Thomas (v26)

Jesus addresses this in (v29): “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Responses to Jesus’ appearance:

·       Mary: “Rabboni (Teacher)” (v16)

·       Thomas: “My Lord and My God”(v28)

Jesus provided his disciples with evidence:

·       Showed them his hands and his side (v20)

·       Breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (v21)

·       Put your finger here and see my hands (v27)

·       Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples (v20)

Jesus’ order of appearance:

·       Mary Magdalene (v16)

·       Disciples  (v19)

·       Disciples & Thomas (v26)

The “commission” comes in (v21): As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.

Question: In (v22) the disciples “receive the Holy Spirit.” I thought that does not happen until Pentecost (detailed in Acts)?

Question: Is Thomas not also commissioned? Does he not receive the Holy Spirit?