Message
John 20:1-10
“Confusion Reigns”
A good word which describes the first Easter Long Weekend is
Confusion
There is the confusion of the temple leaders, elders and teachers. They are face to face with the promised Messiah, yet they want him killed.
There is the confusion of the crowd. One moment praising God as Jesus rode into the city. By the end of the week they were shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him.”
There is the confusion of the disciples. They all said they would stand by Jesus no matter what. Yet they all end up running scared.
As the weekend unfolds the confusion only increases.
Let’s read about it in John 20:1-10
That is confusing.
How does a body which has taken so much punishment disappear?
Think about it.
Physically Jesus took a huge amount of punishment.
26 Then (Pilate) released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
(Matthew 27:26)
29 (The soldiers) twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. 30 They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
(Matthew 27:29-30)
That is just the beginning of the physical punishment.
The crucifixion was even more brutal.
Emotionally Jesus took a huge amount of punishment
47 While (Jesus) was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’
(Luke 22:47-48).
One of those closest to Him was the betrayer
60 Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the cock crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.
(Luke 22:60-61).
The one who was never going to leave and be ready to die with Him was the one couldn’t stand firm in the face of accusations.
12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.
13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.
(Mark 15:12-13)
The whole nation has turn against Him.
It just keeps going.
Jesus is constantly abandoned. The emotional punishment this inflicted would have been incredible.
Spiritually Jesus took a huge amount of punishment
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).
(Matthew 27:45-46)
To have the full anger of God against the sin of the whole of world … and to be forsaken … carrying all of that in a moment is a spiritual punishment almost beyond endurance.
Physical punishment. Emotional punishment. Spiritual punishment
No one expects anyone to survive such an ordeal.
Dead and Buried – It is a certainty.
Everyone is sure about what happened.
That is kind of how we like it, don’t we.
We like life to be about that which is sure and certain.
We like to be sure about the marriage partner God brings into our lives. All who are married stand before witnesses and say their vows. They mean these vows … till death do us part. There is certainty and surety about the words.
Then life starts happening.
And bills need to be paid.
And words get said which should never be said.
Actions of regret, shame, sadness, grief.
All of the sudden there is … confusion.
We like to be sure about our career. We study hard, or do a trade. We put in the hours and make ourselves available. We don’t slacken off. We even become good at what we do.
Then there is the GFC.
Or we discover we can’t get a job.
We are not wanted, not needed, not useful.
All of the sudden there is … confusion.
We like to be sure about our health. Sure maybe we don’t look after our bodies as well as we should, but generally we are doing ok. After all we are reasonably fit and we eat healthily.
But cancer doesn’t care how good our diet is.
And not all diseases can be battled with antibiotics.
We can try as we might but our body does give out eventually.
All of the sudden we are sitting beside a hospital bed … or beside a grave … and there is … confusion.
Life is not certain is it.
There is a part of us that wants to feel that we are part of a plan and we have a measure of certainty. But in the middle of it all we realise that there is so much uncertainty about what is happening.
And we want Jesus to fix the confusion … but sometimes he doesn’t.
That is the truth we see on the first Easter Sunday.
Even when Jesus is involved in our lives there can be confusion.
That is what is so powerful about what is happening as Mary encounters the empty term.
She expects to find a grave covered with a large stone.
Instead she finds the stone has been removed and the body is gone.
Now there is confusion.
The first thing Mary does is run to the disciples.
Peter … even though he was the one that denied knowing Jesus
And the disciple who Jesus loved.
They have taken the body of Jesus
That is confusing. Why would anyone want to take the body of Jesus.
How could they do it anyway? There have been guards posted at the grave and the Jewish leaders have specifically said it needs to be guarded so that no-one takes the body and starts the rumour that Jesus has risen from the dead.
And then the race is on.
The disciple who Jesus loves (that is John) gets there first.
He looks inside and sees strips of lien lying there.
That is confusing
Why would you steal a body and not take the linen it was wrapped it?
And don’t forget in all those linen is wrapped 34kg of spices. It is a small fortune. Why is that still there if his body has been stolen?
The body is gone but the theory that is was stolen doesn’t make sense.
There is just confusion.
Finally Peter gets there. He doesn’t linger outside he goes in. Remember he is the first to go in. So what he sees is how the tomb has been left.
Just as John had said there is the linen cloth lying there.
But something else.
The burial cloth that had been around Jesus head was folded up
That is confusing
What thief takes the time to stop and neatly fold the cloth?
The whole process is not making any sense at all.
As Peter and John stand in the empty tomb there is a sense of confusion over everything.
Yes verse 8 says that John saw and believed … but what did he believe?
We know it isn’t that Jesus rose from the dead because verse 9 clearly says they still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
The answer to the type of belief is found over in John 14.
28 ‘You heard me say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
John 14:28-29
It is belief, but a confused belief – the belief which is limited to the idea that Jesus has gone and now He is with the Father.
It is not the saving belief that Jesus has risen and that He has paid for sin.
So as the disciples go back to their homes there is still a sense of confusion.
But here is what they do not understand.
In the middle of all the confusion, Jesus is at work full-filling His plans.
He is alive.
He will be seen.
The resurrection has taken place.
Jesus has it all in hand and it is all going to work out.
No-one can see it … yet.
No-one understands it … yet.
But that does not mean that the plans of Jesus are not happening.
So let me ask you today
Are there times when you feel confused? It doesn’t seem like God’s plan is working.
You’re having troubling seeing how Jesus is making the plan for your life work.
You’ve got doubts and fears and you’re just finding yourself wondering if there are any actual answers.
You’re not alone.
There are days when the disciples of Jesus, even the closest disciples, have the moments of confusion.
Wondering where Jesus is. Totally unsure about what Jesus is doing.
Having a measure of belief, but not the full sense that His resurrection power is at work.
On those days be sure of a 100% guarantee.
When you are in the middle of confusion Jesus is still at work for you.
And at just the right moment He is going to show-up.
Prayer
