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Yeshua’s death and resurrection are two of the most important events in history. They make it possible for those who become loyal to Yeshua be reconciled to God and live forever.
Here we have the account of Yeshua’s resurrection based on eyewitness testimony. Notice John’s emphasis on details throughout this account. This lets us know that this is real history. Yeshua’s resurrection was a real historical event. It really happened.
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Yeshua loved – referring to John, who out of humility doesn’t mention himself by name. John and Peter were part of Yeshua’s inner circle. It made sense she would go to them first.
She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Like the disciples, Mary was not expecting Yeshua to be resurrected. When she discovered the tomb was empty, she assumed that the reason for the empty tomb was that people had taken Yeshua’s body out of the tomb.
John’s account continues. Again, notice the details: Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Yeshua’s head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed – for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Yeshua must rise from the dead. Then they went home.
Yeshua’s body was not in the tomb but the linen wrappings and cloth that had covered Yeshua’s head were there. What was the reason for this unusual situation? John was the first to understand. Yeshua had been resurrected.
And John, with humility and honesty, lets us know that, even though there are prophecies in the Tenach about the Messiah’s resurrection, like Isaiah 53, the disciples didn’t understand them until Yeshua rose from the dead.
Next John informs us that not one, but two angels appeared in the tomb. When an angel appears, something important is happening. Two angels? Something very important is happening. Again, notice the details, including the detailed dialogue. This lets us know that this is real history.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white‑robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Yeshua had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” Again, Mary doesn’t know the real reason why Yeshua’s body wasn’t there – but she’s about to find out.
She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Yeshua, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Yeshua asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Yeshua said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
Mary had heard Yeshua’s teachings, witnessed His miracles and experienced His compassion. Calling Him Rabbi revealed her personal recognition of Him as the one who taught her truth and transformed her life. By using this title, she acknowledged that her Rabbi was alive again. He was not a ghost or a hallucination. Her words expressed awe, devotion and submission, affirming that He was still her Rabbi. Yeshua’s death had not ended His role as her teacher and spiritual authority. This reminds us that discipleship continues after the resurrection. Yeshua remains our Rabbi who teaches us and guides us into the truth. What a great thing, to have the risen Lord as our Rabbi – teaching and guiding us by means of His Spirit living in us.
Yeshua’s Voice Awakens Recognition: Before He spoke her name, Mary thought Yeshua was the gardener. However, Mary recognized Yeshua when He spoke her name. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and they know Him. They know His voice. Salvation is not merely knowing the right information. Essential to salvation is Yeshua calling to us personally, awakening faith, love and loyalty in us.
“Don’t cling to me,” Yeshua said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
Yeshua Tells Mary Not To Cling To Him – not because physical touch was wrong but because the nature of His relationship with His disciples was changing. Yeshua would soon ascend to Heaven, and His followers would relate to Him not through physical presence, but through His Spirit – the Holy Spirit. Mary’s desire to hold onto the “old” way is redirected toward the “new” way of relating to Yeshua.
I am ascending to my Father. The resurrection was not the end of Yeshua’s mission. Yeshua’s resurrection was a step toward His ascension, glorification and future ministry. His ascension would be the beginning of His heavenly intercession, the sending of the Spirit, and His reign as King and High Priest. Mary is not to cling to Him and hold Him back from completing His mission but understand that even greater things are coming.
Instead of clinging to Him, Mary is sent to tell the disciples of Yeshua’s resurrection and coming ascension. This makes Mary the first witness of the risen Messiah. Yeshua honors Mary’s faith and devotion with the privilege of being the first to proclaim the good news. She became an apostle to the apostles. What a great honor! This teaches us that women are equally entrusted with the duty to proclaim the message of salvation as are men. Regardless of gender, every believer – man or woman – has the responsibility to proclaim the good news of the resurrected Messiah.
A Woman Was The First Witness: Mary, a woman, was the first to see the resurrected Yeshua – a detail highly unlikely to be invented in that culture, where women’s testimony was often undervalued. This affirms both the historical reliability of this account and God’s regard for the humble and overlooked.
A Declaration Of Shared Sonship Made Possible By Yeshua’s Death And Resurrection: Go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father. Yeshua calls His disciples His brothers and includes them in His relationship with the Father. This teaches us that through Him, the faithful become real, true, actual sons and daughters of God. The Father-Son relationship Yeshua has with God the Father is now available to all who believe. What a glorious and amazing thing!
I am ascending to my God and your God. Yeshua calls God the Father His Father and His God. That means that the Son of God has a God. This means that even after the resurrection, the Father remains greater than the Son – not in nature or essence but in position and authority. Yeshua shares the divine nature of God yet willingly submits to the Father’s role within the Trinity. Yeshua’s words reveal perfect unity, love, humility and obedience within the Trinity.
That evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Yeshua was standing there among them! “Shalom alechem – peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Shalom alechem – peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Yeshua Brings Peace In The Midst of Fear And Failure: When the disciples were hiding in fear because they were afraid the Jewish leaders would arrest them next, Yeshua came and stood among them. Even though they had abandoned Him, He came to them full of love and forgiveness, and His first words to them were, “Shalom alechem – peace be with you.” He met them in their fear and failure, not with words of condemnation, but with gracious words of peace.
Yeshua repeated “shalom alechem” twice, the first time to show them they had His presence and His peace to calm their fear and restore them from failure, and the second time to show them they would have His peace to strengthen them for their future mission: Shalom alechem – peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. Peace, real peace, lasting peace, comes only from Yeshua – peace for fearful, troubled hearts and peace to serve God in a fearful and hostile world.
Yeshua’s Resurrected Body Will Be The Only Resurrected Body With Wounds: When Yeshua appeared to His disciples He showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. The wounds were not there because His resurrection was incomplete – His body was glorified and immortal. Rather, He chose to keep His scars as an eternal testimony of His sacrificial love for us. The rest of us who are resurrected will have perfect bodies, free from pain, sickness, and deformity. But Yeshua’s body will forever bear the marks of the nail prints in His hands and feet, and the spear wound in His side – as visible reminders of the price He paid for our redemption. In eternity, we will see them and know that our place in God’s Kingdom was secured not by our works, but by His sacrifice and His finished work.
If Yeshua is willing to carry the marks of His suffering for all eternity, then we can carry the marks of faithful obedience in this life. Scars – whether physical, emotional or spiritual – gained in the service of God and the Gospel are not things to ashamed of. May Yeshua’s eternal scars inspire us to endure our trials and courageously proclaim the Good News until we fall at the scarred feet of the One who stills bear the marks of our salvation.
The Resurrection Body Is Physical And Recognizable: When Yeshua rose from the dead, His disciples could see Him and touch Him. This was proof that His resurrection was real, not symbolic. He was no ghost or hallucination. Yeshua’s resurrection was real, and His glorified body is the prototype for us. We too will have incorruptible, immortal bodies for all eternity. Can’t we face trials, loss and even death itself, knowing this?
Joy Comes From Seeing The Risen Lord: The disciples were overwhelmed with sorrow and fear after Yeshua’s crucifixion, and were hiding behind locked doors. But when they saw Him alive, everything changed. Their grief was transformed into joy, a deep, lasting joy rooted in the reality that their Rabbi and King had conquered death. You want to be truly happy? You want joy – lasting joy? It comes from encountering the risen and living Messiah. When we see Him by faith – fear leaves, hope becomes real and we experience joy.
Yeshua Sends Us As The Father Sent Him: As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. As the Father sent Him – with truth, love, authority, and with the Spirit of God, so we are sent to represent Him and proclaim Him to the world. We are saved, not to live for ourselves, but to continue Yeshua’s mission of world evangelism. That is our priority.
We Must Be Empowered By The Holy Spirit: Yeshua breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Yeshua did not leave the disciples to be sent into the world in their own strength. The Spirit, which the Father and the Son give, empowers, guides, and equips us to fulfill the calling Yeshua gives us. We must be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, live in the Spirit – every day.
We Are Called to Offer Forgiveness: If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. Yeshua gave His disciples the authority to declare the forgiveness of sins to those who place their faith in the message of salvation. When we proclaim the risen Lord and Savior, people have the opportunity to be forgiven or remain unforgiven. But this is more than the forgiveness that comes through believing the Good News. These men would become the future leaders of Messiah’s Community, and just as Yeshua had forgiven them for failing Him, they were given the authority to extend forgiveness to those who sinned against the Community, and to withhold forgiveness from those who sinned who were unrepentant.
What does this look like? We’ve had people sin in various ways and we correct them and help them repent until they are restored. In serious cases, if they remain unteachable and uncorrectable and unrepentant, we might not allow them to participate in the Lord’s Supper, or not allow them to serve in a trusted position like being on the worship team or being a Shabbat school teacher. In more serious cases, we might tell them that they are not welcome among us for a week or two weeks or a month. And there have been very serious cases where we have told people they are no longer welcome at Shema. We do this not to punish them but with the goal of restoring them to the community of the faithful.
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Yeshua came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Yeshua was standing among them. “Shalom alechem – peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Faith Sometimes Struggles Before It Believes: Thomas doubted until he saw Yeshua for himself, but Yeshua met him right where he was. God is patient with honest doubt, addressing it with truth, compassion and the evidence needed to believe. God invites us to examine the truth so we can move from skepticism and uncertainty to faith – and the evidence to remove doubt and build faith is there for those willing to seek.
Peace Comes From The Presence Of The Risen Lord: In spite of locked doors, Yeshua appeared and offered them peace. His presence calms fear, strengthens faith, and reminds us that no barrier can keep Him from bringing peace to those who seek Him. How do we experience His presence? By having the Spirit of Yeshua living in us and filling us.
Confession Of Yeshua’s Deity Is Essential: Thomas’s declaration – “My Lord and my God!” – is a clear confession of Yeshua’s divinity. Faith recognizes Yeshua not just as Rabbi, King or Savior, but as Lord and God Himself.
Then Yeshua told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Faith Without Sight Is Blessed: Yeshua affirms that those who believe in Him, who know He is alive and real, and who become loyal to Him without physical proof – are blessed. True faith does not depend on what is seen, but by believing God’s Word, specifically God’s word about Yeshua. Living by faith means relying on the truth of God’s Word – not physical confirmation. And God rewards and blesses that kind of faith.
The disciples saw Yeshua do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
Scripture And Miracles Summon Us To Faith In Yeshua: John recorded specific miracles to point us to Yeshua’s identity as the Messiah and the Son of God. The purpose of Scripture is not merely to inform us, but to lead us into faith that brings salvation and transformation and obedience to Yeshua.
Faith In Yeshua Brings Eternal Life By The Power Of His Name: Believing that Yeshua is the Messiah and Son of God enables us to have life through His name. Salvation and a God-honoring, successful life in this world followed by eternal life don’t come by our works, our efforts, our good deeds, but by the power of His name – which comes to us when we trust Yeshua and are loyal to Him.
Final Thoughts About Yeshua’s Resurrection
Yeshua’s resurrection is one of the very greatest events in history. Since God would never resurrect a sinner, a liar, a lunatic, a false prophet or a false Messiah, Yeshua’s resurrection is God’s public declaration that Yeshua is sinless, flawless, blameless and perfect. It is the Almighty’s unmistakable seal of approval on Yeshua’s life, ministry and mission. Yeshua’s resurrection validates everything Yeshua did and everything He said. It confirms beyond doubt that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord and Savior of Israel and the nations, and the coming King who will reign forever.
Yeshua’s resurrection makes Him unique – different from every prophet of Israel and every leader of any other religion or ideology. No one else – Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, Marx, Freud – no scientist, educator, artist, military genius or politician, or anyone else – has been raised from the dead like Yeshua.
When Yeshua was resurrected, He defeated Satan and the fallen angels, broke the power of sin and conquered death – not only for Himself, but for all who believe in Him. His resurrection guarantees our resurrection – if we turn to Him in faith and loyalty.
The resurrection is not just a past event. It is the foundation of our hope, the assurance of our salvation, and the promise of eternal life. Because Yeshua lives, and because His Spirit lives in us – we can face life’s trials with courage, face death without fear, and look forward with joy to the day we see Him face‑to‑face.