Shalom dear brothers and sisters, we are studying together the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Yohanan, and we are today in the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John. I trust that you have your Bibles with you, the Word of God with you, and will you please turn with me to the New Covenant, the Brit HaChadasha, the New Testament, to John, to Yohanan, chapter 20. And I would like in this ministry time together to read the first 18 verses of John, chapter 20. The theme and the subject of this message is in relationship to the resurrection of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, the resurrection of the Messiah. The Messiah.

And so we read in verse 1 of John, chapter 20. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth, and cometh to Shimon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Yeshua loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth. And that other disciples, and came to the sepulcher, so they ran both together. And the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen cloth laying, yet went he not in.

Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen cloth lying. And the napkin. that was about his head not lying with the linen cloth, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary, this is Miriam, stood without at the sepulcher weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they said unto her, Woman, Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, If thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Miriam. She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Yeshua 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 unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

And I am stopping here, beloved brothers and sisters, with the 18th verse of John chapter 20. This unique chapter 20 is really dealing with the resurrection of the Messiah. To remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, did not only live the perfect life, he did not only died a substitutionary death, but he was raised. He was raised according to the word of God for our justification. The resurrection of the Mashiach is a fundamental truth that was given to the people of Israel long before the Messiah came to this world. David himself said in Psalm 16 and verse 10, prophetically speaking about the coming Redeemer, the coming Messiah, speaking really the voice of the Lord, speaking to God and saying, For thou will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

This representing the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. God will not allow him to remain in the grave. We saw that in chapter 19, Yeshua cried with a loud voice in verse 30, and he said it is finished. We have already have seen in the previous chapter, John chapter 19, that you had this Joseph and Nicodemus, who took a mixture of myrrh and aloes, and they anointed his body, and they placed him in a new sepulcher, wherein never men yet laid. And so now we learn that three days later, the Lord Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead. This is the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John.

According to Isaiah, when Isaiah spoke prophetically about the coming Messiah in chapter 53, the very well known chapter, Isaiah said in verse 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. That means that God wanted him to die in order to provide salvation for sinners such as us all. And then he said he had put him to grief. And then we read in the second portion of Isaiah chapter 53, "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and he shall prolong his days." How can one that was placed on the cross, one that died that his soul was made an offer for sin, how can he have his days prolonged?

Well, that represents the resurrection of the Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, who is clearly presented for us in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but also in the prophecies that God gave to the people of Israel. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle who was speaking to the Corinthians, he charged them. And he was so strong about the truth of the resurrection. He said, "If the Messiah," 1 Corinthians 15:12, "If the Messiah be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some of you that there is no resurrection of the dead?" But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah, Christ, is not risen.

And if Christ is not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, if we have found false witnesses of God, because we have testified that God had raised up Christ, the Messiah, whom he raised up not, if so be that the dead rise not, for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. In other words, if there is no resurrection, then the Messiah was not resurrected, because any resurrection is based upon the resurrection of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, of whom we read in John chapter 20. Paul continued to say in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ, is Mashiach risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept." So as we speak together about the resurrection of the Messiah, in John chapter 20, it is important to bear in mind of the fact that what happened at the resurrection is a fulfillment of what the scripture does teach us.

According to Romans chapter 4 and verse 25, we read, "For he was delivered for our offenses," this is the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, "and was raised for our justification." And so, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, this 20th chapter of the Gospel of John is an important chapter that teaches us concerning the resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of the Messiah. In fact, all the four Gospels present before us this truth of the resurrection. We read of the resurrection of Christ in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 1. We read of the resurrection of the Messiah in Mark chapter 16 verses 2 and 19. We read of the resurrection of Yeshua in Luke chapter 24 verse 1.

And we read of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in John 20 and verse 1 and also verse 19. Notice how beautiful this passage here presenting before us the resurrected Messiah in John chapter 20 verses 1 to 18. Now notice, beloved brothers and sisters, that as we read of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Jesus the Messiah in these first 18 verses of John chapter 20, we notice that here the context is in relationship to this woman by the name of Miriam or Mary of Magdala. Miriam mi Magdala. In fact, in verse 18 he does say, Mary Magdala came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her.

So, Miriam from Magdala, a little village in the land of Israel, she was the one that was there at the sepulcher and it was she, it was Miriam, Mary Magdalene that have enjoyed to learn of the resurrected Messiah here first. Notice what we read here concerning her belief, her belief in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, how you might say in this event that happened here on the first day of the week, that she, that Miriam from one that was initially unsure of what was going on and a little bit later on as we move, we can see that she's, things are dawning in her heart concerning the person of the Lord Jesus and ultimately the faith of Miriam is shining in her heart as she recognized that it was the Lord Yeshua himself that spoke unto her who was resurrected from among the dead.

So notice this, this truth of the resurrection is really an essential part of the glad tidings of the gospel. The gospel is so important to be preached and to be preached not only with presentation of the death of the Messiah, but also with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 3, for I deliver unto you first of all, that which I also received how that Christ, Mashiach in Hebrew, died for our sins according to the scripture, and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Which scripture? Well, the only scripture that Paul Shaul had is the Tanakh, the Hebrew scriptures, the prophets, the law, the Torah, the Nevi'im, the prophets and the writing, the Ketuvim, the whole Tanakh, the whole Hebrew scriptures, what is known today as the Old Testament.

These are the basis upon which we learn the truth concerning the resurrection of the Messiah, his death, his burial and resurrection. And Shaul Paul, when he was mentioning to the Corinthians, he said, it is done. It happened according to the Hebrew scriptures. We base the resurrection of the Messiah as it was promised by God in days of old concerning the Redeemer that will come into this world. So the resurrection is an essential passage that we must present before all as we preach the message of the gospel. And so notice in the first two verses of John chapter 20, look at the heart of Miriam that was really, you might say over, there was an overcast over her heart because she loved the Lord and she came to the sepulcher.

Notice we read verses one and two. The first day of the week cometh Miriam Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth and she cometh unto Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and says unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. And we know not where they have laid him. You see, here's the first two verses that we see that the faith of Miriam in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, was somehow at this point of time, because she came to the tomb. She came to the sepulcher.

And she was so concerned because she found out that the stone was taken away from the sepulcher. And so she's running. She come to Shimon Petros. She's coming to Yohanan John, the evangelist, the one, the apostle. And he's called here the disciple whom Yeshua loved. And she said to them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. We do not know where they have laid him. She was so concerned with the fact that the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua was not in a sepulcher. The stone was rolled away and he was not there. Now notice, we read here that it was on the first day of the week.

Now again, beloved brothers and sisters, it is important this expression. The first day of the week is mentioned eight times in the New Covenant, the New Testament. It is mentioned in Matthew 28:1. It is mentioned in Mark 16:2 and also verses 19. It is mentioned in Luke 24:1. It is mentioned here in John 20:1 and John 20:19. You notice this verse? The same day at evening being the first day of the week. It is mentioned eight times. It is also mentioned in Acts 20:7. It is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:2. And verse 2. A time that expression, the first day of the week, is mentioned in the New Testament, in the Brit HaChadasha. And we have to bear in mind always that in the biblical accounting of the day, it always began at evening, not after midnight at 12:01, but from sundown to sundown as it is given to Israel in the book of Leviticus chapter 23.

And there we read in Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 32: "From even unto even ye shall celebrate your Shabbat." Every day, it was evening and it was morning. It was evening and it was morning. That means that the first day of the week has already began on Saturday after sundown. Immediately after sundown, it is the first day of the week. And the Messiah already rose on the first day of the week. Biblical accounting. Biblical accounting. It is interesting and important to understand that as we look at these events here in Scripture. So you will notice most of the time when you read the first day of the week, you notice that it is an evening time.

Notice, for example, in John chapter 20 and verse 19, it said that the same day at evening being the first day of the week. That means that the first day of the week of evening is Saturday, Shabbat after sundown. It is the first day of the week in Israel, in Jewish life and in the word of God. In fact, if we will go to Acts chapter 20 and verse 7, we will notice that in verse 7 upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread. Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the moor and he continued to speak until midnight. He didn't begin to speak at 9 o'clock in the morning and ended up at midnight speaking for 15 hours.

No, it was an evening Saturday after sundown. It is the first day of the week. And Paul came for the remembrance meeting of the Lord, Shabbat after sundown, first day of the week. And he remembered the Lord with the disciples at Troas and he remained there until midnight. In fact, it says in verse 8 of Acts chapter 20. And there were many lights in the upper chamber. And therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, it is important to understand that when Miriam had arrived to the Sabbath. On the first day of the week, but on the earlier, the following day, the Lord was no longer there because he rose immediately at the end of the Shabbat.

But Saturday by the evening sundown. And then he rose on the first day of the week sometime after 6 p.m. Because that is when the full three days and three nights that the Lord was at the tomb. Very, very interesting. In fact, the gospel of Matthew presented in this way in Matthew 28:1 and the end of the Shabbat. Notice that as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Miriam Magdalene and the other to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake and so on and so on. And the angel said to her in verse 6, he is not here. He is risen.

The Messiah rose on the first day of the week, according to the word of God. He rose at that evening as the first day of the week, just as the Shabbat ended and the first day of the week began. So, here we are back into our chapter in John chapter 20 and verse 1. The first day of the week cometh Miriam Magdalene when it was yet dark. Notice that. Now, it was already past, we might say, past midnight, very early the following morning. But the beginning of the first day of the week already started on the Shabbat after sundown. And then she cometh to the sepulcher. What does she see?

That the Lord was no longer there. He was no longer in the tomb. He already rose. The stone was taken away from the sepulcher. She runneth and she cometh to Shimon Petros and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. And we know not where they have laid him. Very, very interesting. How much, even though she believed on him, but her faith was at this point shaking, you might say. Because, well, where is the Lord Jesus, the Messiah? He died. He was buried. And what happened now? I'm coming to the tomb to see the tomb.

And he's not there. Now, to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, that Yeshua all along, throughout his public ministry, he's spoken concerning his death, also his burial, but also his resurrection. He's spoken of the fact that he will rise from the dead. In fact, we do read in Matthew chapter 16, "From that time forth, Jesus began to show unto his disciples how that he must go into Jerusalem, suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day." And while they abode in Galilee, Yeshua says unto them, "The son of man shall be betrayed unto the hands of men, and they shall kill him.

And the third day he shall be raised again." And they were exceedingly sorry. They were very sad to know that, but he promised their resurrection, that he will rise from the dead. In chapter 20, we read in verse 18, "Behold, we go to Jerusalem." "And the son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles, to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him, and the third day he shall rise again." "And lo and behold, we know, by the time we arrive to Matthew 28, to Mark chapter 16, to Luke chapter 24, and to John chapter 20, the Messiah resurrected and was no longer in the tomb." "And so when Miriam comes, she found that the stone was taken away.

She ran to Simon, to Shimon, and to Yohanan, John, and she told them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him." "But the truth is so wonderful to our own hearts, beloved friend." "The Messiah rose, exactly as the Hebrew prophet proclaimed in days of old, long before he came into this world." "Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground, he died, he abides alone." "But if he died, he bringeth forth much fruit." "Once the Lord was resurrected, all those who believe on him are on the ground of the resurrected Christ." "Resurrected anointed one." "Resurrected Mashiach." Well, notice now the development in the faith of Miriam Magdalena from Magdala.

Notice in verses 3 to 10, we see that things began to dawn on her. In verse 3, we see that Peter went forth and John followed after him to the sepulcher. They heard what Miriam had to say to them. In verse 3, "Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple then came into the sepulcher." In verse 4, we read, "So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher." Now, notice this. Why did John, Yohanan, the one whom Yeshua loved, did outrun Shimon Petros? Why? Because Simon Peter was older than Yohanan. Yohanan was the youngest disciple, follower of Yeshua from the Galil.

He was light in his legs. He was running faster, and he outrun Simon Peter. But what we read here in verse 5, that while John arrived first to the sepulcher in verse 4, he stooped down, and he looked, and what does he see? He sees the linen cloth laying, and he went not in. He didn't go into the sepulcher immediately. He was waiting just at the entrance of the sepulcher. He just stooped down, he just looked, he had a glance, and he was looking inside, and what does he see? He saw the linen cloth laying there on the place where the body of Yeshua was laid. And this is so interesting because while he is waiting outside at the entrance of the sepulcher, arriving before Simon Peter has arrived, you notice the character, the difference in the character between John, Yohanan, and Simon, Shimon, Petros.

When we read in verse 6, that while Peter came later, he just arrived, then comes Simon Peter following him, and he went into the sepulcher. He saw the linen and the cloth laying there. In other words, Simon Peter did not wait outside. You can see that he is the one that is more aggressive. He is the one that cut the ear of Malchus. He is the one that said to the Lord, you will not wash my feet. He is the one that said to the Lord, I will die for you. He is the one that promised that he will die for him, but yet he denied him.

So, Peter was the kind of a person that had, you might say, more aggressive, more outward kind of a person. More aggressive, more active. On the other hand, John is more calm and more a man that is waiting patiently. In fact, it is so beautiful that both of these men, Yohanan, John, and Simon Peter, mention the fact that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, was sinless. But because John was a man of the heart, he said about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that he knew no sin and that in him there was no sin. While Peter said about the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, these words, he said, he did no sin.

Peter, a man of the action, saying that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, did no sin. John, on the other hand, a man of the mind, said that in him there was no sin. And in actuality, it was the Apostle Shaul Paul, who is the man of the mind. And he said concerning Yeshua, the Messiah, that he knew no sin. He knew no sin. In him there was no sin. He did no sin. These three men are represented before us in Scripture with a different, we might say, mentality, different personalities. And yet all of them love their Messiah, love their Lord and served him in such an amazing way.

The Lord used them to give us the word of God as the early apostles of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. So, Peter immediately came in, even though he came after John. He went into the sepulcher. What does he see? The same thing. He see the linen cloth laying there. Notice it says in verse 7, Peter also saw the napkin which was upon Yeshua's head. And notice, a lawn on its own, as it says here in verse 7, and a napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen cloth, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Interesting, you can see that there was order in the resurrection of Yeshua.

Nothing was in haste. Nothing was out of order. When a Messiah rose from among the dead, he rose exactly in accordance with the will of God, in an orderly fashion, that even the napkin that was about his head, it was laying folded nicely aside, wrapped together in a place by itself. There is order in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. No one can claim that somebody came in haste and stole the body. Nobody can claim that there was a resurrection that happened somehow, was an appearance of resurrection. No, beloved friend, the Messiah rose from among the dead, as it was predicted by the Hebrew Scriptures, because if he did not rise from the dead, we are all yet in our sins.

And the work of redemption was not yet complete. The gospel is the Messiah died, the Messiah was buried, the Messiah rose again for our justification. We have a risen living Lord in glory, who is ascended and seated at God's right hand, waiting there for the day in which he will come to take all who believe on him, take us to be with him in glory. So the Lord Jesus, the Messiah is here in this beautiful 20th chapter. Now we see that as John and Peter are also puzzled, and Miriam is the one that is there. All of them, all of them, at this moment, are really the first one to see that the Messiah was no longer at the sepulcher.

And we read in verse 8, "Then went in also the other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw..." Listen to this. This is so beautiful. "He saw and believed." What did he see? He saw that the material of which Yeshua's body was wrapped with was laying there. And he saw the napkin that was about his head laying nicely folded, wrapped at the side, right at the grave, at the sepulcher. And when he entered in, when he saw that, he believed. How wonderful to see that. Now again, to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, it's very easy for us to look at these disciples and maybe blame them.

Why can't you believe? Can't you believe? Why can't you get a hold of this? Whatever the Lord has said, you should have believed it at that time already. Now again, to remind us all, these men were men like you, like me. They had their own weaknesses, their own failure. They have experienced things that never happened in human history before. They were God. God the Son. Living among them as men for these 33 years in the land of Israel. And especially the three, three and a half years in the ministry there in the public ministry of our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. You know what John said later on when he wrote his epistle to those believers in the early days of the church age.

He said that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life. He's speaking of a person, Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. We show you, we show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. You see, for them, beloved brothers and sisters, it was an amazing experience that is, we might say, beyond comprehension. When they have experienced to walk with the men that have never sinned, the God-man, the Messiah himself.

And therefore, for them, it was beyond comprehension, unless the Spirit of God helped them, unless the Lord opened their eyes. And God used these early Hebrew disciples to give us the canon of Scripture, that today you and I can read these passages and believe the word of the Lord as the Holy Spirit of God unfolded these words before us. And so, when John arrived, he saw and believed. Now remember that John was a man of affection. He was the one who leaned at Yeshua's breast at the feast of Pesach in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem. In verse 9 we read, for as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Verse 9. You see, they read it like we have just read it. But they did not know. They didn't quite grasp it. The Spirit of God had to help them to understand it. So, as they were there, Miriam and Shimon and Yohanan, and they were there by the sepulcher where Yeshua once laid, they were receiving, you might say, a revelation from God concerning the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Even though they read that passages in days of old, but they did not know of the Scripture that he, Jesus, Yeshua, must rise from the dead. He must rise from the dead. Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 53:10, and many other passages that tells us of the resurrection of the Messiah.

And then we read, in verse 10, then the disciples went away again to their own home. See, now they went back home. They went to share it with their families. They went to tell it to the others. They probably couldn't keep it for a moment. The very same sepulcher where once the Messiah was buried there is now open. The stone was rolled away. And he's not there. And so, it begins to dawn on them. And as well on Miriam, that the Scripture concerning the resurrection of the Messiah came to fruition. And so now, beloved brothers and sisters, listen to the next verses. Verses 11 to 18, where we read, it is amazing to see how the faith of Miriam is growing.

And her appreciation of the things of God and of the Lord Jesus the Messiah is increasing. Because she loved him. She loved the Lord Jesus the Messiah. He took demons away from her. And she was healed by him. She loved him. And therefore, we now see how she's searching for him. She loved her Lord. You see, there is a verse in Proverbs chapter 8 and verse 17 that says, I love them that love me. And those that seek me early shall find me. You notice that? God is telling King of Israel, Shlomo, that he loves, of course, God loves all the world. But he has especially love with those, love relationship with those that respond to him.

We love him because he first love us. John tells us, King Solomon said in Proverbs 8, I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me. And here, beloved brothers and sisters, we see a woman by the name of Miriam in Hebrew, Mary. She loved her Lord. And she came very early in the morning. John chapter 20, the first day of the week, verse 1. Kameth Miriam Magdalene early, when it was yet dark. She came very early. The Lord was no longer in the tomb because he rose after sundown, after the Shabbat in the evening, becoming the first day of the week. Yeshua the Messiah rose from among the dead.

And now notice that Miriam, in love for her Lord, she stood at the tomb weeping. You see, John went back to his home. Peter went back to his home. Verse 10 tells us this. But Miriam, verse 11, she stood without the sepulcher and she wept. She wept. Why did she wept? Because she loved the Lord and she wanted to be there where he was buried. Even though he told all the disciples and she must have known that he will be resurrected. But where is he? He is not in a sepulcher. And out of love for him, she waited at the sepulcher while the rest went to their home.

And as she wept, she stooped down and she herself now looked into the sepulcher. And what if she sees something and someone that John, Yohanan, and Peter, Simon Peter, they did not see these two angels there. Because here we have the Lord by command to his angels to be there inside the sepulcher to meet this woman, Miriam, who loved her Lord. And the Lord in response to that will have her find him early. And so we find out that what did she see in verse 12? Miriam saw two angels. According to Luke 24 and verse 4, we read that she saw two men. Here in John 20 and verse 12, she see two angels.

Always the angels appear in a form of men to remind us of the days in which Abraham, Abraham, was sitting there at the heat of the day at his tent. And you remember in Genesis chapter 18 that we have the three men. It says here in verse 2, and he lifted up his eyes and he looked and behold, three men stood by him. Out of these three men, one of them was Jehovah, the Lord himself, who stood and spoke to Abraham. But by the time we arrive to Genesis chapter 19 and verse 1, we read that as the Lord was gone to heaven, the two angels remain, the two men remain there and continue on to go to this city of Sodom.

The city of Sodom. And so in chapter 19 of Genesis verse 1, we read that there came two angels to Sodom at even. This is very interesting. Whenever, beloved brothers and sisters, whenever an angel appears here upon the face of this earth, angels always appearing in a form of a male man. In Luke chapter 24, we read in verse 4 these words. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. They were afraid, they bowed down their faces to the earth. They said unto them, why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen.

Luke presenting these two angels as two men. John presenting these two angels, calling them angels, but they always appeared in a form of men. And so, Miriam saw these two angels on each side where the body of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, had been. And that reminds us of this tremendous truth. That the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that he is the eternal Son of God who became a man. And in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1. Verse 14: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

How wonderful to see that! And when you see these two angels on both sides of his body, doesn't that remind us of the cherubim that were in the ark of the covenant, on the two sides of the ark in the tabernacle in days of old? As we read of this in Exodus 25, we do read, listen to this, concerning the fact that there were these guardians of the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle of the Lord. We read in Exodus 25, concerning the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim, and the mercy seat. And you remember in verse 18: And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of bitten work, shalt thou make them in the two ends of the mercy seat.

And make one cherub on the one side, and the other cherub on the other side. Even of the mercy seat shall ye make of the cherubim on the two ends thereof. This is Exodus, chapter 25, and verses 18 and 19. This is so precious! The Lord Jesus the Messiah is the eternal Son of God, God the Son. And these angels were there in the sepulcher, there on the two ends, where the body once laid before he was resurrected. And so we read in verse 13: And they, notice that, And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She says unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord. And I know not where they laid him.

You see, Miriam now is listening. She hears the words of these angels who said to her, Why do you weep? She was crying there. And they said to her, Why do you weep? She said to them, Because, Here's the reason, Because they have taken away my Lord. Notice the expression, The Hebrew word is Adoni. My Adon. My Master. She loved her Master. And she came to the sepulcher to be there, to mourn for him, and to weep for him, and to give thanks to God for him. The one who loved her and gave himself for her. And what does she find is that the body is no longer in the sepulcher.

In the sepulcher. So she weeps. But God so graciously, Providing these two angels to speak with her. Right there where the body of Yeshua was laid. In the sepulcher. And she said, As far as she was concerned, When they asked her, Why do you weep? Why do you cry? She said, Because they have taken away my Lord. She continued, I do not know where they have laid him. As far as Miriam was concerned, It is him. It is Adoni. It is my Lord. It is my Master. It is him. It is the Messiah Yeshua. It is him. He was her object. This is exactly what God desires that every one of us, beloved friend, That we will have him as our object.

As the one that is filled our hearts with love, with joy, with praise to God because of what he had done for us. You see, she loved him. Miriam loved him because he first loved her. So we read, In this beautiful verse 13, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. It is him. It is Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah. And when she had thus turned, Verse 14 tells us, She turned herself back, And who does she see? According to verse 14, She saw Jesus standing, And she did not know that it was Yeshua. Imagine. She was still in a state that she did not realize that the Lord, the Messiah was right there with her, right behind her, by the sepulcher.

Remember, beloved brothers and sisters, when Yeshua rose from among the dead, he didn't go immediately to glory to heaven. He was still on earth for another 40 days, ministering to the Talmidim, to the disciples in the Galil, and ultimately in Yerushalayim, until the time in which he was taken to glory by the cloud in Acts chapter 1, and he vanished outside of their sight. 10 days later, he told them to remain in Jerusalem, because 10 days later, the Feast of Shavuot, the Feast of Week, will occur. And the Feast of Weeks is when the Holy Spirit of God came and formed the body of Christ. So 40 days he was here on earth, plus 10 days they remained in Jerusalem together, 50.

That's how you get the Greek name Pentecost, which comes from the Hebrew Hamishim, 50. The Hebrew Feast of Hamishim, or 50 weeks, is the Feast of Celebration, where the Jewish people would come from all over the nations of the world to celebrate the time of God's provision of the law, the Torah was given. And here in the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Pentecost is where the Holy Spirit of God came and formed the body of Christ. But here we see that Yeshua was still here on earth. She saw Jesus standing, but she didn't know that it was him. She was still, as we might say, in a state of dawning, not quite realizing what happened, but here she was learning that eventually it was him, the Messiah himself, that is right there with her.

So we read beautifully in these verses. She knew not that it was him, yet deliberately the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is the one that he himself revealed himself to Miriam. And you notice, just the same as the disciples who went down from Jerusalem to Emmaus, in Luke chapter 24, verses 13 to 32, they did not know that he was right in their midst. He concealed himself temporarily with them, and then he revealed himself to them. Just like we have here, Miriam did not know that it was he that was there, but now he revealed himself to her as he revealed himself to disciples on the way to Emmaus in Luke chapter 24.

We read here, and then when she had said thus, she turned herself, seeing Jesus, didn't know that it was him. And then Jesus says unto her, Yeshua said to her, woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? Again, the Lord Yeshua so graciously want to bring out of her heart the truth concerning her love for him. So why are you crying? Why do you weep? And who do you seek? And she, again, she still do not understand that it was he who spoke with her. She's supposing him to be the gardener, verse 15 of John 20. She says unto him, Sir, if you have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Now again, beloved brothers and sisters, it is so sweet to the soul to read that as far as she, that is Miriam, was concerned, everyone should have known who is that him. The angel said to her, why do you weep? She said, they have taken away my Lord. I do not know where they have laid him. Then Yeshua, speaking with her, he asked her, why do you weep? And whom do you seek? As far as Miriam was concerned, assuming that he was a gardener working there in the garden there. And she asked him, she said to him, Sir, if thou have borne him, hence tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.

This is so precious to see her love for the Lord. As far as Miriam was concerned, there was only one person that was in her heart. He was the Rabbi, Rabboni. He was the one that was her Lord. He was the one that she loved, and she was weeping there as she was waiting there outside of the sepulcher. And God graciously, Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, graciously, using these two angels. And he is presenting himself to Miriam, beginning with the two angels, inside the sepulcher. And then outside the sepulcher, he asked her, why do you weep? And whom do you seek? My dear friend, it is so wonderful to seek the Lord.

As we have read in the book of Proverbs, these verses that King Solomon have said in Proverbs chapter 8, concerning those that will seek the Lord, those who love the Lord. God said, I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me. Proverbs 8 and verse 17. Miriam sought him early. And here, Yeshua is there to encourage her and to assure her that he did not only live a perfect life, did not only die for the sin of this world, but was resurrected in order to provide justification. And so we read in the next verses. And Miriam is now learning to see that the one that was there beside her was none else but the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

The moment the Lord Yeshua said to her in verse 16, Miriam. Yeshua said unto her, Miriam. Jesus said to her, Mary, Miriam. She turned herself and she said unto him, Rabboni, my Rabbi, my teacher, my master. Notice. And then it says, which is the same master. And you notice, beloved brothers and sisters, this is exactly what the Lord Jesus, the Messiah said in John chapter 10. He said in John 10, you remember what the Lord said concerning his sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Notice what we do read. That in John 10 verse 3, to him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice.

And he calleth his own sheep by name and he leadeth them out. In other words, he is the one that his sheep, those that belong to him will understand, will hear his voice, will know that this is him. In the same John 10 verse 27, we read, my sheep hear my voice and I know them. And they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one.

Wonderful. Hear Miriam listening. She heard the voice of her rabbi, of her teacher, of her master, of her Lord. And when she heard her name, Miriam. In Hebrew, it is Miriam. Mary in English here. Miriam. She turned herself. And she said unto him, Rabboni, Rabboni, my rabbi, my master, which is the same master. And now notice that. Verse 17 and 18, as we conclude with this ministry meeting. In verse 18, Yeshua requested that she will not cling unto him. That's why he said to her, touch me not. Not. When he said touch me not, he simply meant cling not to me. Because she have clung to him, wanted to hold him and to keep him in the same way that he was here upon the face of this earth before he died.

And that's why when Yeshua told her, cling not to me, don't detain me. It's not that she could not touch him because we know from other passages that the disciples did touch him after his resurrection. For example, in Matthew chapter 28, we read in verse 9 after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, we read. And they went to tell the disciples, behold, that Jesus met them, saying all hail or shalom, he said, and they came and they held him by the feet and they worshiped him. So they touched him. It's not the issue of not touching him. The issue here, beloved brothers and sisters, is do not detain me.

Do not cling unto me to have me as you had me before my death, barren resurrection. Why? Because I must ascend to heaven. Yeshua is saying to Miriam, I must return to glory. Because I must go in order to send the Holy Spirit of God, in order to form the body of Christ, the body of Messiah, the assembly, the church, the ecclesia. And the preaching of the gospel will go throughout the world and the Lord will build the assembly, the ecclesia. And in the last 2000 years, the assembly, the church, the ecclesia has been built by the fact that the spirit of God came down to this earth and using the servant of the Lord to be witnesses unto the Lord Jesus and preaching the message of the gospel of the grace of God throughout all the nations of the world.

And Jewish people and Gentile people receive him and become part of the ecclesia. And so he said to her, detain me not. Do not cling unto me because she was clinging to him. Jesus said to her, touch me not. Do not detain me. Do not cling unto me. Why? Because I am not yet ascended to my father. I didn't go yet to God the Father. I did not finish, yet I must return to God the Father in order that he will send the Holy Spirit of God down to this earth. You remember in the upper room, Yeshua said to the disciples, it is expedient for you that I will go.

If I will not go away, the Spirit of God will not come. And that is why it was essential for Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, to go back to where he came from, to heaven, to glory, after his resurrection, at the ascension. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, here we learn, where the Lord said to him, I am not yet ascended unto my father. But here is what you are to do, Miriam. You go unto my brethren. And say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and to your father, and to my God, and to your God. Amazing. The Lord Jesus the Messiah was now going to be taken, ascended to heaven, and there he will be sitting at God's right hand until waiting the day in which he will take his own, the heavenly company to be with him, to come back, to restore Israel, his earthly company here on earth, and to establish the Messianic kingdom at the end of the tribulation days.

And Miriam wanted him to be there with them, with her and the disciples, the way it was, the way he was with the disciples before his death, his burial, and resurrection. So, it is so precious, beloved brothers and sisters, to see how the Lord is presenting himself before Miriam. Wonderful to know. Notice that we read in these verses, at the end, especially verses 16, 17, and 18. We read, when the Lord said to her, Miriam, and then she recognized that he was the Messiah, he was her Lord, and he told her, do not detain me. Then the Lord gave her this wonderful promise. He said, you go, you tell to my brethren, that I will be ascending unto my Father.

Not as yet, but I will be ascending unto my Father, and also to your Father, my God and your God. Wonderful to know that Yeshua's Father is our Father. In John chapter 14 and verse 1, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Same God. And Father, the same God of Israel, you believe also in me. And here, beloved friends, dear brothers and sisters, in the conclusion of this message for this ministry meeting, we learn of the truth of the resurrection of the Messiah and the appreciation by Mary Magdalene, Miriam Mi Magdala, that she grew up in understanding and appreciation of the person of the Lord.

And because she loved him, she sought for him, she waited there outside the sepulcher. The Lord revealed to her who he is, named her by her name Miriam, and sent her to be the one that will tell the brethren that he is later on be ascending to my Father, his Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and your God. How wonderful to know that the Lord Jesus the Messiah is risen. He is not here. He is risen. He was raised from among the dead. And today, you and I are privileged to know that we have a risen Savior. He is in glory. He is at the right hand of God, waiting for the day in which he will come to take us to be with him in glory.

Interceding on our behalf today, beloved brothers and sisters, each and every one of us who lives here in this world with many, many challenges and trials in our life. How wonderful to know that we have a risen Lord. And the Lord who is no longer here on earth is at the right hand of the Father, the majesty on high. What a day that will be when we will be taken to be with him in glory. Well, my dear brothers and sisters and dear friends, as we continue with the study of the gospel of John, let us be encouraged. Because the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, wants us to be encouraged and to continue to follow him until the soon coming day when he will come to take us home.

Until the next session, beloved brothers and sisters, God bless you. Shalom, shalom. Shalom, shalom. Shalom, shalom.