This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to ponder John 20:19-31. The English Standard Version presents these verses under three headings: “Jesus Appears to the Disciples;” “Jesus and Thomas;” and “The Purpose of This Book.”
The gospels were written at different times, in different places, by different persons – though some of their sources were the same. For example, Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source.
Matthew and John also include their own eyewitness testimony, for they were members of the Twelve, Jesus’ hand-picked disciples.
Mark had the eyewitness testimony of Peter.
Luke had testimony from the Twelve, [1] when he spent time in Jerusalem with the Apostle Paul.
I mention eyewitness testimony because this explains differences between the gospels.
For example, Mark tells us several women went to the tomb, but John tells us only of Mary Magdalene. And Mark tells us only of Peter at the tomb, but John says he and Peter were there.
One of the authenticating features of eyewitness testimony is differences in details – like how many women were at the tomb and whether both Peter and John were there.
I’ll give you a more personal example. Recently, my wife and I recalled that, 20 years ago, my mother spent 16 days in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). But we named different hospitals!
Because of the number of historical accounts, there’s no doubt that Jesus died and was buried.
There are also many accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. But the authors were his disciples.[2]
And there are accounts which mock claims about his resurrection. But the authors were opponents of Jesus and his disciples.
Because Jesus’ death was the result of political contestation, we can expect both claims and denials of his resurrection.
So, was Jesus resurrected? I think the answer has to be yes: partly because of the differences in the eyewitness testimonies.
We got the name of the hospital wrong, but my mother was in an ICU!
As I said last week, the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection cannot have been fabricated, because no person in his right mind, let alone four persons, would have made women the first witnesses. Because at that time, the testimony of women was considered unreliable.
Also, if the accounts were fabricated, why would a gifted writer like John create a problem for himself in today’s chapter?[3]
In verses 11-18, he says that after John and Peter left, Mary Magdalene remained outside the tomb, weeping. And then she looked into the tomb and saw two angels. [4] Then she turned around, saw someone, and gradually recognized him as Jesus, who promptly said to her “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, …”
That’s so mysterious! It’s as if Jesus wouldn’t be able to return to, or wouldn’t have enough time with the Father, if Mary clung to him.
Why does John tell us that?
My guess is, he wants to impress upon us that our idea of time is not the same as God’s idea of time! [5]
Did Mary notice that Jesus had crucifixion wounds on his body? Why doesn’t John tell us? Is it because Mary didn’t notice?
The easy solution to differences is to say, “There are many inconsistencies in the accounts. So, the accounts cannot be trusted. So, the accounts are false. So, the accounts are creations of the church.”
If that were the rule, the testimony of my wife and myself is not enough to conclude that my mother was in the ICU. But she was.
No. We must evaluate the evidence and draw a conclusion.
Over twenty centuries, millions of people across the world, across many professions, have decided that the resurrection accounts in the gospels are true – not least because Jesus’ disciples became less like chickens and more like lions, as I pointed out last week.
There’s yet another problem which we must consider: a theological problem raised by the truthfulness of the Biblical authors.
The problem is best posed as a question: if Jesus’ resurrection is the model resurrection for all resurrections which follow, what will my resurrection body be like?
I mean, the body Jesus presented to Thomas had nail holes in hands and feet, and a hole in the side. So, if I die in a car crash, and I have a hole in one of my lungs in addition to many other wounds, will all these be present in my resurrection body?
All we can do is remind ourselves that on the Emmaus road – you can read the account in Luke 24:13-35 – the resurrected Jesus seems to have had no holes in his body.
Resurrection is central to Christian faith. It’s also a mystery. It’s a mystery bound up with Jesus’ teaching that the Kingdom of God is here, but not yet. It’s all about how we perceive time.
The more we ponder it, the closer we will get to the meaning of our lives, both now and in the “new heaven and a new earth.” [6]
If our use and enjoyment of life doesn’t change after our sacrifices of food or drink or whatever in Lent, our sacrifices are in vain.
Peace be with you.
[1] Judas was replaced by Matthias.
[2] Who suffered often and severely for their insistence, some unto death.
[3] There are other such “problems”.
[4] I’ll leave aside the fact that Mark’s account suggests there were no angels when Peter arrived.
[5] See 2 Peter 3:8 … with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
[6] Revelation 21:1.
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