Ep. 9 | Life After Jesus' Death
Speaker: Jesse Turkington
Summary: After Jesus died, a lot of things happened in a short amount of time. What did the disciples do?
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Music created by Chad Hoffman
Artwork created by Anthony Kuenzi
Jesse’s Personal Notes:
Life After Jesus’ Death
Introduction
Hey welcome to Pickled Parables! My name’s Jesse.
We’re going to begin a new series that revolves around the book of Galatians. This book was instrumental in my personal conversion to Christ. And so, I hope that this study will be helpful for you.
This book is really more of a letter. It’s called an epistle, it’s in the New Testament and it was written by the apostle Paul.
Now all of that information is meaningless without the proper context. In order to approach this study with understanding, we need to be aware of some certain things.
So, as an introduction, I want to help everyone be on the same page and this lesson will provide the backdrop for this epistle and color in the context just a little bit. So in order to do that, we need to look back at what happened after Jesus died.
Jesus’ Body Disappears
The events after Jesus’ death are well documented and recorded. Which is great, because a lot of things happened in a short amount of time.
Immediately after Jesus’ death (the day of), a secret disciple of His, approached the Roman governor and asked if he could take Jesus’ body away for burial.
And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that (Jesus) was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking (Jesus) down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of (Jo-sess) Joses saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:42-47 ESV)
So, this took place on a Friday, the same day that Jesus had died. It was called the day of preparation because the next day was the Sabbath and this whole weekend was a holiday.
So, Jesus was buried in a tomb but He wasn’t given a proper burial because of the time constraint. So, Mary Magdalene and another Mary watched where Jesus was buried so that they could come back later and give Him the respected burial that they thought He deserved.
The next day was Saturday and it was the Sabbath and so very little work was allowed for observant Jews. So, the girls had to wait for Sunday. But while they waited, the Jewish leaders remembered something that Jesus had said when He was alive.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before (the Roman governor) Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:62-66 ESV)
The Jewish leaders saw Jesus’ death as a personal victory but they wanted to be cautious because even though He was dead, there was still a way for his disciples to make things worse. So, they set up a guard and sealed the stone against the entrance of the tomb. So, this happened on Saturday.
Then early on Sunday morning, before the sun had popped up, something happened.
And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. (Matthew 28:2-4 ESV)
Now the phrase “like dead men,” that makes me think of unconsciousness. Like they passed out because of panic. You ever see one of those fainting goats? That’s what I envision.
But after they came to, we find out that they went and reported what had happened to their superiors.
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. (Matthew 28:11 ESV)
Now at around this time, Mary Magdalene showed up at the tomb, because she wanted to give Jesus a proper burial and anoint His corpse with spices and aloes according to her custom.
She didn’t know about the guards being posted and so when she arrived, she saw the stone opened with a broken seal and possible evidence of encampment. Like disturbed terrain and left overs from a group of people.
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” John 20:1-2 ESV)
Mary Magdalene’s first thought was that the Jewish leadership had stolen Jesus’ body.
So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. (John 20:3-10 ESV)
Now, while all of this was happening, the Jewish leadership was trying to figure out what to do.
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
So they took the money and did as they were directed. (Matthew 28:11-15 ESV)
It’s not exactly clear what was discussed in this council meeting but the approved result was that the disciples had to be involved somehow.
So, the disciples thought that the Jewish leadership had stolen Jesus’ body and the Jewish leadership thought that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body. So, nobody really knew what was going on, but assumptions were being thrown everywhere.
Jesus Appears to People
Now while it was still morning, more people went to the tomb. A group of women went to Jesus’ tomb to also prepare Him for a proper burial. But they weren’t in the loop, so they hadn’t heard of Jesus’ disappearance yet.
Let’s back up a little to when Jesus was first buried.
The women who had come with (Jesus) from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. (this was on Friday)
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (this was Saturday)
But on the first day of the week (on Sunday), at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 23:55-24:8 ESV)
So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:8-10 ESV)
This is the first time Jesus appeared to anyone after His death. It wasn’t to just one person, but a group of people. So, the women went to tell the disciples that they had seen Jesus.
Now, back at the tomb, Mary Magdalene goes back to grieve the loss of Jesus’ body. She was heartbroken because she had just lost Him a couple of days ago and now, she couldn’t even give Him a proper burial.
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18 ESV)
So after Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus, she ran to tell the disciples too. Both the group of women and Mary Magdalene arrived and both gave separate accounts of seeing Jesus. But the disciples just couldn’t believe it.
Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. (Luke 24:10-11 ESV)
Later in that day, two of Jesus’ followers took a trip to a nearby village and on the way, they met an interesting stranger.
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?”
And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and (they) crucified him.
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
And (Jesus) said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:13-35 ESV)
So, the two guys returned to the disciples but before they could tell them about what had happened, they find out that apparently, Jesus had appeared to Peter as well. so now, Jesus is popping up everywhere!
In fact, Jesus wasn’t done for that day.
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”
But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:36-43 ESV)
Now one of the disciples was gone when Jesus visited the entire group and when he came back everyone told him about how Jesus had come to visit them. But he just thought that they were pulling his leg.
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, (Jesus’) disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 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.”
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29 ESV)
Thomas gets a lot of flak for this moment, but let me just remind you, that all of Jesus disciples had to see His resurrection in order to believe it.
They would not believe the women’s testimony. They went to the empty tomb and stood in it. This was not an easy thing for them to believe. And you can hear it in how Thomas responded to his friends, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
They had just watched Jesus die. It was an excruciating death that was traumatic for His friends to watch. They could not be convinced with a hope or with words that Jesus was alive. They had to see it and interact with Him.
But it’s through their testimony that we are able to believe today.
Ascension and Church
Now, if you remember, when Jesus first appeared to the women, He told them to meet Him in Galilee. But the disciples didn’t believe them and so Jesus had to come and convince them of His resurrection. Eventually then, they made their way to Galilee.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. (Matthew 28:16 ESV)
Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:6-7 ESV)
And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:17-20 ESV)
You know, one of the beauties of the Bible is its honesty. Not everyone believed. Which is fair, because if you’re in a crowd of 500 people, you can imagine the people in the back being a little skeptical.
But Jesus made it a point to appear to more than just a handful of people. He appeared to crowds, to hundreds of people, in order establish trusted witnesses.
After the visit in Galilee, the disciples went back to Jerusalem and Jesus met them there again.
(Jesus) presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 ESV)
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:44-49 ESV)
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-8 ESV)
And (Jesus) led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. (Luke 24:50 ESV)
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11 ESV)
And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:52-53 ESV)
This was forty days after His resurrection. Jesus ascended into Heaven and took His rightful place at the right hand of God. But He would one day return and formally become the Prince of Peace. Replacing the prince of this world, the prince of the power of the air.
But in the meantime, while we wait, the disciples had a mission that they were given. They were told to tell the world about the miracle of Jesus and how through Jesus, mankind can have a restored relationship with God the Father.
And Jesus didn’t leave His disciples alone to carry out this mission. Because 10 days later, not many days from when He ascended, the Spirit of God rushed upon them and they became filled with the Helper Holy Spirit.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing (the disciples) speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
(Acts 2:1-12 ESV)
Well, it meant that God wanted the world to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that He was partnering with people to do it. Starting in Jerusalem and working outward, the message of Jesus was proclaimed.
But this proclamation was met all kinds of opposition. One opposition was named Saul. And he was zealous in his belief that the church was a heretical sect of Judaism. So, he persecuted the church and led campaigns against her.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8:1b and 3 ESV)
… Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way (as it was known), men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here (in Damascus) he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened. (Acts 9:1-19 ESV)
Saul became instrumental in the growth of the church. He reached out to Jew and Gentile alike and became a mighty force against heretical teachings. Saul took the zeal and the passion that he had as a persecutor of the church and he focused it towards the preservation of the church.
He later became known as Paul but he wrote several of our New Testament epistles. One of which is Galatians. And in this letter, he defends the truth of the Gospel with a passion that’s hard to find.
Conclusion
We’re going to be learning quite a bit about this man. Saul (also known as Paul) became very helpful and important to the church because of his zealous guard for truth.
The men who first led the church, were doing it out of a testimony. They were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and they had a mission to reach the world with their witness – Saul included.
So next week, we’re get closer to Galatians as we learn more about Saul and his purpose for writing a letter to the churches in Galatia.
Thanks for joining me today, we’ll catch you next time.