Only two “John Class” thoughts come to mind tonight, both of which I failed to mention in the video …

John 20, the whole chapter, is very carefully and beautifully constructed. Let me show you what I mean. The chapter divides itself into two halves!

Featuring these two characters, both believers in our Lord:

Mary Magdalene … and Thomas

One a lady … the other a man!

At first, Mary is crying … and Thomas is doubting!

Mary seems to be absent when Peter and John enter the empty tomb of Jesus … and Thomas was absent when the disciples first met!

Then wonderfully, Mary’s Confession of faith
(Rabboni, Master) … complements Thomas’ Confession of faith (My Lord and My God)!

If you recall, Mary wanted to touch Jesus and was denied … while Thomas was openly invited to touch Jesus!

What balance!

What beauty!

What Truth!

***

This too … I think I failed to give enough emphasis in class to the possibility of the Resurrection of Jesus being an 8th “sign” (“miracle”) in John’s Gospel. Here’s my Bible basis for thinking like this …

John 2:18-22 … Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

See, the Resurrection is definitely a “sign,” a Miracle of Miracles really!

***

Now, may I invite you to watch the class?

— Dr. Mike Baagwell

.