Resurrection: Upper Room

A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church

I. BELIEVING AND SEEING

A.       APPEARING OF THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       CONDITION
Jn 20:19a On the evening of the first day of the week, the doors locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,
2.       COMING
Jn 20:19b Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace to you.”
Rom 5:1 “Therefore, since we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God thru our Lord Jesus Christ.”

B.       FEARING THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       CONCERN
Lk 24:37 But they were terrified and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
2.       CALM
Lk 24:38 “Why are your [minds] troubled? Why are your hearts doubting?”
Mk 16:14b He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardened hearts for they hadn’t believed those who saw Him after His resurrection.
John 3:19 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil”

C.       PROVING THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       CONFESSION
Lk 24:39-40a See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me, and see; a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
2.       CHARACTER
Lk 24:41-43 Though still unbelieving from joy and wonder He asked, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb, and He ate in front of them.
3.       CONFIDENCE
Jn 20:20b Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Acts 10:40-41 “God raised him and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

D.       HEARING THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       COMFORT
Jn 20:21 Jesus repeated, “Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
2.       CARE
Jn 20:22-23 And having said this, He breathed into them saying, “Receive the holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

II. SEEING AND BELIEVING

A.       MISSING THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       CARELESS
Jn 20:24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus appeared.
2.       CONFUSION
Jn 20:25 When the other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord,” he replied, “Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into [those] marks, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”

B.       BELIEVING THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       COURSE
Jn 20:26 Eight days later, His disciples including Thomas were inside again. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.”
2.       CONFIRMATION
Jn 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
3.       CONFESSION
Jn 20:28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Conclusion of John’s Gospel (started in John 1:1 with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD”
4.       CERTIFICATION
Jn 20:29 Jesus said to him, “You believed because you’ve seen Me. Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed.”

OBJECTIVE FAITH v SUBJECTIVE FAITH

Blessing of FAITH (not sight)
Become a child of God (John 1:12)
Have eternal life (John 3:16)
Delivered from judgment (John 5:24)
Have spiritual satisfaction (John 6:35)
Final resurrection (John 11:25-26)
See God’s glory (John 11:40)
Have holy life now (John 12:46)
Fruitful life (John 14:12)
Intercession by Jesus (John 17:20)

C.       TESTIFYING OF THE RESURRECTED JESUS
1.       COMMENTARY
Jn 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs witnessed by the disciples that aren’t written in this book,
2.       CONSIDERATION
Jn 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is Messiah, God the Son, and that believing you may have life in His name.