John 20:9 question

[humblemuslim]

I stumbled across this awhile ago.

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

The death and Resurrection is a key part of Christianity today. This verse states that the disciples (Judging by the next verse that is who "they" is referring to) did not know that Jesus "must rise again from the dead".

Is there any reason given for why Jesus did not inform them of this? I do not recall seeing one. Any opinions outside Scripture?

Thanks

 

[Emmy]

Dear humblemuslim. I believe Peter knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but Jesus told him not to tell anybody. After Jesus had been raised by God, and He did see His disciples several times, Jesus told them many things. You will find it all in the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. That is also the time that the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they started witnessing in earnest, and telling how Jesus came to save us, was crucified and how God raised Him again. Where He is now with the Father. I say this humbly and kindly. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[Sketcher]

Jesus did tell them, twice. Once in Matthew 16:21 and again in Matthew 20:17-20. They were slow to understand, as John 20:9 in the NIV tells us:

"(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"

 

[humblemuslim]

Let me see if I understand you correctly.

Jesus did tell them, but they did not understand him?

 

[drich0150]

Jesus did tell them, but they did not understand him?

The Apostles, and the rest of the Jewish community at the time were looking for a messiah. One who would free them from the Roman oppressors, someone like King David who would rally the community and forces to defend Israel. They didn't understand the nature of the Freedom or liberation Jesus was bringing.. He wasn't looking to physically free them from the romans, but to free them from the chains of sin.. So when peter was given the revelation that Jesus was to die then that's how Jesus knew it was Given to him by God. Because at the time popular belief was he was to set up a physical kingdom in the Name of the Father and rule from the temple (with God's authority.) This is also one of the reasons why the Pharisees feared/hated him, and why when he was brought before Pilate he was questioned in the manner that he was, and also the reason for the sign above him on the cross "King of the Jews." It wasn't until after the resurrection that all became clear, because until Jesus "Death" was a fairly permanent thing.

 

[humblemuslim]

Thanks everyone. This makes sense.

 

[ebia]

I stumbled across this awhile ago.



The death and Resurrection is a key part of Christianity today. This verse states that the disciples (Judging by the next verse that is who "they" is referring to) did not know that Jesus "must rise again from the dead".

Is there any reason given for why Jesus did not inform them of this? I do not recall seeing one. Any opinions outside Scripture?

Thanks

The expection was for a Messiah who would usher in God's new world then and there. The Messiah was not supposed to die and the resurrection was supposed to be something that happened to all God's people at the end of time, so how could they understand that he would rise again? It took seeing his death, and then while they are in the midst of the despair seeing him risen for them to finally make the huge mental adjustments necessary to get what it had all been about all along. What he was telling them would happen was so impossible in their worldview that they literally could not get it until they saw it happen.

 

[JohnDB]

One of the things that many miss as far as to the behavior of Jesus, the man, is that most often when Jesus spoke he spoke in riddles and poetry.
The disciples didn't understand Jesus when he said these things...even when he said them plainly because they were used to not understanding every single thing Jesus said. They thought they would eventually figure it out but in the meantime the parts of what he said they did understand they truly believed in.

 

[Proud Christian 2]

WEll, if JEsus informed them that he was going to have to die to save them from eternal death, they wouldn't want him to die, because of the miracles and happiness he caused. So he kept it a secret.

 

[heron]

There were a lot of things he was discreet about. Notice during his trial, he was asked who he claimed to be, and did not answer. In restrospect, I think the writers of the gospel said a lot of "of course's!" to themselves, finally getting what Jesus was saying.

Read the story of the Last Supper, and Matthew 26-27 (Mark 15:29 parallel )

He already had so many people hovering around him that he couldn't find privacy. If he declared that He was God, then people would just demand more of him, or think he was a lunatic. I would have walked away over that.

For me, the resurrection is not necessary. It would not have changed my faith much if it hadn't happened. The invitation to Heaven and redemption was based on an offer, and sacrificial giving. I see his resurrection as just a reassurance for the disciples that they were not imagining things. It is very discouraging to put your hope in a leader, then watch them go to trial and be hung. Especially before anything conclusive happened, like freedom from political oppression.

The sacrifice that Jesus made of his life has been compared to that of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham assumed that he had to give up what was so dear to him, in order to please God. God provided the scapegoat, because it was not His desire for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac -- for Abraham to live with the grief or guilt, and for Isaac to face unnecessary death.

Ge 22:8
Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering."

Joh 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Re 14:4
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
Jesus is often called the Lamb of God. The offering that covers all our sins.

The resurrection reassures us that even though he died, to take the place of us in death we deserved, that He has overcome death. The crucifixion was temporary suffering, well worth the trouble and agony.

Jesus is our scapegoat.

He gave himself as a sacrifice once, for all. Not just for those of us who are worthy, or have practiced religion our whole lives, but for all humanity.

Some related verses-

1Pe 3:18

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit.

Heb 10:10
Heb 9:12

Heb 7:27
Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.


The criminal next to Jesus, also on a crucifixion cross, was not a devoted Jew or Christian. But he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

Jesus responded, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Lu 23:43
Jesus knew he had better things waiting on the other side. But he also wanted his death to cover anyone -- anyone who chose to be with him.