Five characteristics of Christ in Resurrection — Andrew Ussher

Now I'd like to read please from John chapter 20. John chapter 20. And we're going to read a few verses through John chapter 20 and chapter 21. But I'll tell you what I have in mind so that as we read together.

You'll have the context for what it is. I want to bring out of these passages. I'd like to ask you honestly as I did last night. I'd like to ask all of us to just stop and think. What have you? Appreciated specifically about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Over the past week. I'm not sure what your past week's been like. I don't live in Iowa. I'm not a farmer. Our lives may differ in a number of ways, but we share this in common. We're believers in the Lord Jesus.

We know that our lives are supposed to be live spent walking with him and commuting with him. And I'll be honest enough to put out there and if you're not like this then I'm exposing my own weakness and frailty.

There are days that go by in my life and sometimes maybe weeks that go by in my life. What if I'm honest. Other than going through the motions of reading and praying in the morning in terms of the ongoing reality in my life.

There is very very little in the way of conscious thought and appreciation of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I would just ask you to do a quick self-assessment. What is there about the Lord? Specifically in the circumstances of your life over the last week that have brought you a measure of joy and have Meant a meaningful link between you and him that you have said.

I love this. I appreciate this about the Lord and if like me This past not about this past week for me because I was preparing to speak here. So I've been enjoying this but if this past week in your life is like some weeks I've had in mind.

That I'm not here to beat you over the head and call you a terrible Christian. I'm here to hopefully encourage you. I'd like to speak about characteristics of Christ in Resurrection. We're gonna read about a man who knew the Lord Jesus in a way that none of us had the privilege to know him the Apostle John and John has picked up his pen now at least three decades after The Lord Jesus had gone back to heaven and John's writing his gospel record.

John's Gospel and the Forty Days After the Resurrection

John is an interesting approach in writing his gospel very different than the other three and I'm not going to spend a lot of time going over those differences. Many of you know them. Some of you might not be familiar with it, but look into it and You'll see that John focuses on Specific things at specific periods in Christ's life in a different way than Matthew Mark and Luke.

So for example, John spends from chapter 13 verse 1 right to the end of chapter 18. Dealing with the events in the last 24 hours before the Lord goes to the cross that last final day before the cross of Calvary.

Large section of his gospel spent on that little period of time. Well, we're gonna read is What John chose to record? About 40 days in Jesus life. Those 40 days following the resurrection. Very interesting days in the experience of the disciples who experienced them.

Because it was different than the previous three years. There were things that changed after Christ rose from the dead. He wasn't with them all the time like he had been. They didn't spend all day together and eat and drink together all the time and constantly be following him.

During this 40 days things had changed. He appeared and then he left and Life went on and then he appears again and then he leaves again and then 40 days into that time frame. They go outside the city of Jerusalem to a hillside and he's taken away and a cloud receives him out of their sight.

And almost 30 years go by. During those 30 years the Spirit of God was doing the work That the Lord Jesus had told the disciples he would do. You remember in that time period in John 13 to 17 the Lord Jesus said to the disciples I'm gonna send another one and he is going to come and he is going to take the things of me and he's going to reveal them to you.

So John has now had 30 years of the Spirit of God revealing to a more of What we've just been singing more about Jesus what I know. John takes up his pen to write if you or I could have crept along to this elderly disciple and said John I never had the privilege you had of walking with Christ of Living with Christ of listening to Christ.

Tell me about him John. What could you tell me? About this Lord that we share. I'd suggest to you that's a way to read John 20 and 21 because here John is going to tell us here are some characteristics of Christ in resurrection.

That have meant so much to me over the past years. So as we read this passage together, you'll notice that the way that John describes Christ to us is basically through four encounters. Now if we read 1st Corinthians chapter 15 We will read there were other times that Christ appeared to the disciples in resurrection.

He appeared first to Peter. John doesn't tell us about that. He appeared to over 500 at once. John doesn't tell us about that. You read Luke chapter 24, you'll read he appeared to two on the road to Emmaus.

John doesn't tell us about that. But John chooses the Spirit of God through John chooses these four Occasions when Jesus appears to the disciples and I believe that in these four specific interactions between the disciples and Christ.

We learn characteristics that still apply to us today. So first of all that will start in John chapter 20 and we'll read from verse 10. The first part of the chapter. Peter and John have come running to the sepulcher.

They've gone in they've now gone back home in verse 9. Sorry in verse 10 the disciples went away to their own home verse 11. But Mary stood outside at the sepulcher weeping and as she wept She stooped down and looked into the sepulcher and she sees two angels in white Standing the one at the head of the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had laid.

And they say to her woman why weepest thou. She saith unto them because they've taken away my lord. And I know not where they have laid him. When she had said thus she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing.

But she knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her woman. Why weepest thou whom seekest thou? She's supposing him to be the gardener saith unto him sir. If thou afford him hence tell me where thou has laid him and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her Mary she turns herself and saith to him Rabboni which is to say master. Jesus saith unto her touch me not. For I am not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend to my father and your father to my God and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and he had spoken these things unto her. So that's encounter number one. Mary of the Lord in the garden outside the empty tomb. Encounter number two.

Verse 19. The same day and evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. Came. Jesus had stood in the midst and said unto them.

Peace be unto you. Verse 21. Then said Jesus to them again. Peace be unto you as my father hath sent me even so send I you. Verse 24. Thomas one of the twelve called Didymus was not with the when Jesus came the the other disciples said to him.

We have seen the Lord. He says to them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his side. I will not believe. Verse 26.

Encounter number three. After eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas rich hither reach hither thy finger and behold my hands.

Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless. But believing and Thomas answered and said unto him my Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him Thomas. Because thou has seen me that was believed.

Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Then chapter 21 after these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. So this is encounter number four and on this why showed he himself and you know the context here.

Peter Goes fishing. The other disciples go with them. They catch nothing. Verse 4. When the morning was now come Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them.

Children have he any meat they answered him? No, and then again, you know the context. He tells them to let the net down on the right. They'd pull up the net. It's full of great fishes and so on. Verse 9 as soon as they were come to land.

They saw a fire of coals there and fish laid there on and bread. Jesus saith unto them bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes and hundred and fifty and three and.

For all there were so many yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them come and dine. Verse 13. Jesus cometh taketh bread and giveth it to them and fish likewise. And then verse 15 we have this conversation between Peter and The Lord.

Christ Cares for His People in Their Distress

I'd like to suggest to you five characteristics of Christ in resurrection. That we learn through his interaction with these people with Mary and the disciples. During this 40-day period these four incidents that John records.

And I'm going to move quickly. My wife Rachel always tells me you spend far too long on your first point. Stephen's laughing because his wife probably tells him the same. He spent far too long in your first point.

Dan Harvey's been here. His wife Joan always tells hills that him the same and then you just rush everything and you never finish. So I'm not gonna try to do that today. I'm gonna try not to do that today.

Five characteristics number one as You read these four encounters of the Lord with his own in resurrection life. I learn a Very simple, but a really important truth for me to remember and that is that he cares.

He cares about his people. You look at this first encounter and if we follow the narrative we see this brokenhearted woman she's come with the other woman and they find the stone rolled away and so they rush back into the city of Jerusalem and they tell the disciples and Peter and John come out and They look at that and Mary says see this is what this is what I told you.

The stones God and the disciples go in. Peter goes in that John goes in they hear the word from the angel. And that is something very touching to me. We read the disciples they went back to their homes and In chapter 20 verse 11 Mary stands outside the tomb.

Weeping and so in the narrative of this story you have a woman and She has found herself in a circumstance in life. Where she's absolutely devastated. She's shattered. She has no answers. She has nowhere to go.

Mary had witnessed the Lord die there stood by the cross of Jesus chapter 19 of John's gospel his mother his mother's sister married the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. She had stood there and watched the Lord die in shame.

She had heard his words. They had put him in a tomb. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't know what the future held and this poor woman is standing there with a broken heart and nothing but darkness.

No answers. But you know what I learned from John chapter 20 that while Mary in a sense was all alone in that garden or she thought she was. There was someone who was already there before Mary ever got there.

And it was the Lord. Mary just didn't know it. Mary just didn't understand it. Mary wasn't aware of it. And even when he spoke she turned and she didn't know it was him. She thought it was the gardener.

But I learned this that in that garden There was a woman with a heart that was longing for her Lord and didn't know where he was. But in that garden there was a Lord who was longing for Mary's heart and he knew exactly where she was and Before that little encounter is over Mary and the Lord are going to be together.

And you know, it's so important for us to remember that in life. Because all of us to some degree or another all of us know what it's like. To get into circumstances in life where we really wonder does anybody know?

Does anybody care? Am I Significant to anybody? Maybe it's a tragedy. Maybe it is a health problem. Maybe it's a family circumstance. Maybe it's financial distress. Maybe it's a young person that's here.

I Know up our way. There's a tremendous blight and a plague of despair that sweeps through a younger generation and suicides are on the rise and Substance abuses on the rise and young Christians are not exempt from these sweeping damaging devastating influences and They're reaching out for a sense of significance.

They're crying saying do I matter to anybody? Is there any? Significance to me and to what I'm doing and to what I'm facing. They talk about middle-aged crisis. I don't not sure if I've had mine yet or not.

I Guess it's still ahead of me. I'm not sure but as married men as Mothers with young children. In a world that is devoid of any real sense of meaning. Is it not true that we as Christians can come to a point where we really are left to wonder.

It's God really there. Does he know does he understand? Does it matter to him? You Know the word care when I say that he cares. It means two things. The first is what I've just been emphasizing. Is he aware of what I'm facing and does it matter to him?

And is it of any significance to him what I'm going through? That's the way the disciples used the word in Mark chapter 5. Is it where they're in the storm in the boat? And the Lord's sleeping in the vessel and they're about to go down that he's they think they are.

And so they rush to the Lord and they wake him up. And what did they say Lord? Karest thou not that we perish. Basically, they're saying do you not know what's going on? Are you not aware of what we're facing?

Does it not matter to you? Martha uses the word the same way when she comes to the Lord and Luke's writing and she says to the Lord I'm working away here and Mary's doing nothing sitting at your feet.

What does she say to the Lord? Karest thou not that my sister has left me to serve alone. You ever found yourself wondering does the Lord really know? Does it really matter to him? Does he care? You know the resounding answer of this little section of John's gospel.

He knows that he cares. And you see that at every instance because in every one of these encounters. There's people who are struggling. And there's a Savior who knows it intervenes. Mary standing outside the tomb.

The Lord's already there. The disciples cowering in fear in a room with the doors locked. Jesus appears and he says peace be to you. Eight days later. There was one specific disciple. The Lord knew about and cared about was Thomas.

Thomas hadn't been there the week before. Thomas must have had a miserable week. These other disciples all happy they'd seen the Lord they're telling Thomas all about it. Thomas is just utterly miserable.

I will not believe unless I see him. Was there anybody who knew about that and cared about that? Yeah, the Lord knew about that cared about that. But eight days later he appears with his eye on one disciple.

John chapter 21. Six or seven didn't count them up. Six or seven disgruntled cold. Disappointed discouraged men fished all night caught nothing. Who's already there the shore. The Lord's there, you know, why?

Because he does know and because you do matter and because he is interested and Because he is aware. But you know the word care means more than that. Even in its use of the Gospels and even in modern English usage because it doesn't just mean is he aware and do I?

Matter to him. The word care actually has the meaning of Providing what is necessary in a circumstance? So it's used that way. For example in our modern life. We talk about caregivers. So when John Crago gets old, we'll put him in a hole, but there'll be people who will care for him.

They're going to come and provide what he needs. I Don't hope the Lord comes before that ever happens for me. Luke chapter 10 the Good Samaritan. He sees that man in need and he he goes to where he is and he has Compassion and he binds up his wounds and he pours an oil and wine and he picks him up and he puts him on his Beast and he takes him to it in and he takes care of him.

Could I just encourage you? I don't know very many of the audience but could I encourage you as though it was just you and I over a coffee talking heart-to-heart if You ever in your mind have the idea.

Nobody knows nobody understands nobody cares. There is one who knows you better than any other human ever could and One who loves you and cares about you more than anyone ever could and You matter to him, but more than that He has exactly what is needed For you in your current circumstance.

If you will just draw an eye to him draw near to him. He could provide and he will you see that in John chapter 21. The disciples are fished all night. And there's not one fish in their nets. They're empty.

The Lord tells them to cast their net down. They get a net full of great fish when they come to the land. There's already a fire. There's already fish and bread on that fire. And there's a Lord who knows exactly what those men need and he says to them come and die.

So first thing I learned about the characteristic of the Lord that John tells us here is that we have a Lord in resurrection life. And he cares he cares about us and he cares for us. But the second thing is that he communicates.

Christ Communicates Personally and Directly

Because as you look at these four encounters I want you to notice a couple of specific things in the text that teach us about the Lord who communicates with his own. He is a Lord who constantly reaches out.

To open up a channel of dialogue and to draw near and to communicate and he does it persistently. I'm not sure if you've noticed in each one of these four instances. Who is it that speaks first? You come to the tomb there Mary standing weeping.

The gardener she supposes is standing behind her who breaks the ice. Who's the one who speaks first? The Lord says woman Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? He appears in that room of Trembling nervous scared frightened disciples.

Who's the first one to speak. Wasn't one of the disciples as who are you? No, it was him. He appears and he says peace be unto you. You come to the next encounter eight days later. He appears he says peace be unto you among them.

There's a disciple. I'm not sure what Thomas felt at that point. Thomas didn't go running up to the Lord and say are you sure it's you show me? No, Thomas is sitting saying nothing. Who's the one that speaks the Lord says to Thomas?

Reach hither your hand. Same thing happens in chapter 21. The disciples are in a boat. They're not calling out to the stranger on the shore. It's the man of the shore that is strange to them. They're not strange to him.

But the man of the shore calls out to them and says children of ye any meat. And again among that crowd. There's one particular man who had a a particularly difficult personal situation. Peter. It's not Peter that goes up to the Lord now like he did before the cross.

It's the Lord who comes to Peter and says Simon son of Jonas. Love is now me in. Every case he's the one who initiates the communication. And you know again, I have to be honest with you and confess that I have found over and over and over in my life.

That he's still the same. Generally speaking when things go bad for me the first thing I should do is to go running to my lord for his help and generally, the first thing I do is I turn away from him and go away into my own little cubbyhole and Feel sorry for myself and try and figure it all out.

And I'm almost sort of resentful and annoyed at the Lord because of the way things are and I'm just not sure I'm ready To go to him. You know what happens every time. He still reaches out to me. He still communicates.

He cares. He communicates but not only does it communicate persistently. He's always reaching out to keep that channel of communication open. But notice how he communicates personally. Again, I'm not sure if you've noticed in every one of these four encounters.

He calls the individual by name. Chapter 20. After each Mary turns supposes the gardener and so on. The Lord simply says Mary Calls her name. You come to chapter 20 when Thomas is involved you read through the little narrative.

He doesn't just say reach hither your finger and behold my hands he says Thomas Used his name. You come to the next section of John chapter 21. Three times over he uses not just his name but both names.

Simon son of Jonah's Love us now be. Simon son of Jonah's love us now be. He communicates personally. I don't know if you've ever experienced that. I have Rachel and I had an encouraging Incident back at our missionary conference.

It was an experience of someone else who was staying at our home. This person had traveled quite a distance to come to the conference and Totally unknown to those who were speaking at the conference. She was coming out of a very Trying personal situation in life, and I won't divulge any details for the platform.

But she came very reluctantly to the conference because she was hurting so badly and she wasn't sure she was ready to come. But she came along. One of the men who stood up to speak. Spoke on our tears and the value of the our tears to the Lord.

He treasures that we keeps them in a bottle and so on. That dear sister sat in our home that night. It was only Rachel and myself and her in the living room. She told us she said I came to this conference and I don't know about the other 599 people out of 600 that were there.

But that man that stood up he was speaking to me and Through him the Lord was speaking to me. I've had that experience. When in a world of seven billion people. And in a body of believers in the church of millions of people or in an audience with a few hundred people or in the quietness of my own room.

I Have specifically had the experience of one who knows me and cares about me and communicates with me communicates personally. But what he communicates he also communicates very pointedly. He doesn't beat around the bush.

He has a way the Lord does. Putting his finger Right where it needs to go. But it isn't always nice. But it's necessary. You see it with Mary. Mary learns. It's the Lord. She rushes to the Lord and the Lord basically says to her.

He says no Mary. Don't touch me. Don't cling to me Mary it's going to be different. Mary likely thought it's all fixed. The Lord is alive. It's gonna be just the way it was. No, it's actually not gonna be just the way it was Mary.

I Haven't yet ascended to my father. I'm going back to my father. I'd marry it is gonna be different. But it's still me and it's still you and it is the Lord's purpose. It's the Lord's will. You see you see it with Thomas the Lord speaks to Thomas he doesn't just say Thomas it's all okay.

He says no Thomas. Don't be faithless. But believing he put his finger right on it is he didn't mince words. He basically said Thomas because you've seen you've believed. Blessed are those who haven't seen it'll believe you see it with Peter.

The Lord communicates with Peter three times over by the third time when the Lord says to Peter Do you love me. Peter was grieved because the Lord said the third time do you love me? So yes, he communicates, but he doesn't just communicate in a way to make us feel good.

He communicates because he loves us and he cares about us which brings me to the third characteristic of the risen Christ. The third thing I see in the interaction of the Lord with his disciples and with Mary here is that he corrects.

Christ Corrects His People for Holiness

There's times that I if I'm honest, I have to admit I like to think about a Lord Who accepts me unconditionally? Loves me all the time. Cares about me. Provides for me. But you know, sometimes I'm not so happy to have to be reminded about a Lord who has a claim on my life and Actually didn't save me.

To just make me happy. Now there's a little expression that the Lord is not so much interested in making me happy as making me. Holy and I Understand that I get it. It's actually very true. If happiness is defined as some shallow emotional Self-focused experience that know the Lord actually frankly isn't interested in making me happy because there's no merit in that.

There's no value in that. There's no real lasting ballast in that. That's what the world tries to do to entertainment and so on make us happy. Though the Lord is not interested in some shallow emotion to make us happy.

He is interested in making us holy and in making us holy. One of the things that very often involves is correction. Putting his finger on things that have to be adjusted. I've just met you did it with Mary did it with Thomas did it with Peter and it isn't nice.

It's not enjoyable. But could I just say before I leave this? The language of the New Testament in terms of God's desire to make us holy or to Discipline us or to bring us into line with his will or to mold us into his image.

It is not to make us miserable. In other words, it's not you know, son as you hear the expression doesn't want to make us happy wants to make us holy. Therefore we walk around with long faces and the grouchier and crankier.

We are the better. No true happiness, maybe a better word to the New Testament would be joy. He has actually come to produce Joy, not just in heaven, but joy here. What are the fruit of the Spirit or the elements or the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit love?

Joy and peace. So you see here it is interaction with his own that he corrects them. And maybe like myself you can trace times in your life situations circumstances thought patterns behaviors. Self-indulgences.

Where the Lord has had to come in and has had to put his finger on things that might be very dear to you things That you would not have wanted to give up. Sometimes it's relationships. Sometimes it's possessions.

Sometimes it's position. But if the Lord has a way of coming in and taking that maybe away from you or adjusting it He's doing it for your good. That's the teaching of Hebrews chapter 12. He disciplines us for our good and for his glory, but fourthly because times running out.

Christ Controls Every Circumstance

The fourth thing I learned a characteristic of Christ from these encounters. Not only that he cares not only that he communicates not only that he corrects where it's needed. But he controls he's in control.

You know, Mary was so preoccupied when they came to the tomb before they got there they were wondering who's going to roll away the stone and. Then they get to the tomb and the stones already rolled away.

And then the big question is who took away the Lord. You know, it's interesting that Mary didn't need to worry about either one of those things. Because we're actually not told who took away the stone whether it was the angels or.

But we do know this the stone didn't have to be taken away. For the Lord to come out. He came out without the stone being taken away and nobody had taken away the Lord. The Lord had come out himself and He was standing in the garden that day by virtue of his own Authority and his own power and his own might and his own will and his own choice and he is standing there.

She supposes it's the gardener and it's the majestic Lord of glory. Upholding everything by the word of his own power yet still taking time for a brokenhearted woman. That is our Lord. He's still the same.

Everything is still in his hand. You see twice over the next two encounters that the text carefully points out where the disciples were meeting the doors being locked. Jesus himself appears and stands in the midst.

Those doors were locked because the disciples were scared who might come in. You know who those doors didn't keep out. The Lord who just appears and stands in the middle. Maybe there's obstacles that appear in our lives and we wonder how are they ever going to be overcome?

What is an insurmountable obstacle to you or to me is? Absolutely, nothing for a Lord who controls all things you come to chapter 21. The chapter 21 bed fish all night and not one fish was in their nets.

That takes control a lot of control. I mean, I would think if you let down a net all night long you'd get at least a few little straggly ones. I Hope there's nobody here that was out fishing all night shooting pure crayfish with spotlights on them.

There was no spotlights in the Sea of Galilee. There was no crayfish and he's not in their nets. I'm just kidding here. You're more than welcome to go fish all night to shoot crayfish if you wish. But these disciples experienced the fishermen.

They're out at a boat and not one single fish goes in their net. Why? Because there's somebody who was in control of those fish. Because interestingly whenever they let down their net at his instruction on the right side 153 great fish immediately fill their nets.

He's in control and. Of the fish all out there swimming happily in the Sea of Galilee and now filling those nets 153 of them. There's a few of them. But even prior to that he had called to the shore and he had brought them out of the sea and he had put them On a fire of coals before the disciples even finished fishing.

He's in control. Could I just without in any way seeming flippant or careless as though I knew your circumstances and I acknowledge that I don't but he does and As though I knew your circumstances could I just try to encourage you today, whatever you're in whatever you're facing.

He is not just in control of what's happening today he's in control of what's going to happen tomorrow and He's in control of what's going to happen next week. And there is absolutely nothing that is going to cross your life or mine.

That is outside of his control. There's something that we there's something in our nature we want to know how things are going to turn out. We don't do well with uncertainty. At least I don't. I Hate as a man as a husband as a father.

I hate not being able to to think that I could control things. I hate uncertainty. You know what? He values trust. And he says no, I Andrew you you don't know but I do know. And I want you to trust me.

He's in control. But finally as I sit down the fifth thing I learned about the Lord in this section of John's gospel is that he commissions. He knows he's going away. The disciples didn't know that this was a 40-day period they didn't yet understand that.

Things were going to change pretty drastically and he was going to go back to heaven. He had told them but they didn't really grasp it all. John's now looking back decades later. Before the Lord would leave earth and go to heaven in this section John chapter 21 He says to the disciples as my father has sent me.

Christ Commissions Believers to Feed His People

So send I you isn't it amazing that one who is the infinite Almighty omnipotent God who has ultimate control and Face it could do anything he chooses to do. Isn't it amazing that in seeing his will accomplished?

He has chosen to use you and to use me in his hand with his power. To see his purposes fulfilled and yet that's exactly what he's done. That is what gives purpose to life. That is what gives significance to our activity.

That is what makes it worthwhile to live for him because there is a bigger purpose. There is a bigger power. There is a Lord he's living he's breathing he cares and he has chosen to commission us and put us into his service.

To be used to bring glory to him. But as I close could I just touch on one thing? What has challenged me from this section of John's gospel in terms of the Commission. Matthew and the Commission? Puts a great deal of emphasis on Spreading the gospel go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Lo, I'm with you to the end of the age mark in his description of the Commission Says go and make disciples a little more than preaching the gospel big Disciples of all nations teaching them to observe all things that whatsoever.

I've commanded you. It's interesting to me that one of the specific things we learn about a commission here in John is What the Lord gives to Peter in chapter 21? Peter was going to be a great gospel preacher.