This chapter gives us a record of the outstanding feature of Christianity—the resurrection of Christ. Christ's resurrection stands as God's ultimate victory over sin and death, and marks the beginning of a whole new order of things in the ways of God. John states that he "saw" three great things. These things lay the foundation for all our Christian blessings and privileges:
• The sight of a dying Saviour (chap. 19:35).
• The sight of an open grave (chap. 20:8).
• The sight of the living Lord in the midst of His people (chap. 20:20).
In the first sight, John witnessed the blood of atonement being shed—the ground for men to be blessed by God through faith (1 John 1:7).
In the second sight, John witnessed God's seal of approval on the finished work of Christ in the Lord's resurrection. He states that "the napkin, that was about His head," was "not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself" (vs. 7). This is significant, and gives us a hint of what was coming in the Dispensation of the Mystery (Christianity). The new vessel of testimony that God would form (the Church), under the figure of the body of Christ, would be marked by a physical separation between the Head and the members of His body, yet they would be intimately connected by the Spirit of God. The Acts and the epistles attest to the fact that Christ the Head would be in heaven while the members of His body would be on earth, during this present Day of Grace (Acts 9:4; 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
In the third sight, John saw the Lord in the midst of His own in a new meeting place for believers—"the upper room." The temple in Jerusalem was the place appointed by God where all in the Jewish economy were to gather and worship Jehovah (Deut. 12:11; 16:16-17). However, just prior to the Lord's death He "went out" of the temple, indicating that He was breaking His link with that whole order of things in Judaism and that place of worship (Matt. 23:38–24:1). Thereafter, His presence would not be found there. When the Lord rose from the dead, He made His presence known in an completely new meeting place—"the upper room." This new place of meeting symbolizes the new ground of gathering in Christianity (Luke 22:12; Acts 1:13; 9:39; 20:8). Some things that characterized "the upper room" were:
• The disciples met there on "the first day of the week" (vs. 19a). It is significant that the Lord's resurrection and the Lord's appearing in the midst of His own (on two consecutive first days of the week) indicates that this new departure of God in Christianity was not connected with the commemorative day of the old dispensation—the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8; 31:12-17). It suggests that the Sabbath would not be observed in the new order of Christianity (Col. 2:16-17).
• They met in the new place of meeting in separation from the Jews and the Jewish order of things that were opposed to Christian principles and practise—"the doors were shut" to them (vs. 19b; Heb. 13:10). Hence, it was "outside the camp" of Judaism in position, principle, and practise (Heb. 13:13).
• The Lord made His presence known "in the midst" of them (vs. 19c; Matt. 18:20).
• "Peace" and gladness (encouragement) were enjoyed by those there (vss. 19-21).
• The presence of the "Holy Spirit" was known in a distinct way (vs. 22; Phil. 3:3).
• The Lord commissioned the disciples with power to "remit" and "retain" sins administratively (vs. 23; Matt.18:18-19; 1 Cor. 5:4).
These things characterize Christianity. Hence, this chapter gives us another transition—from the temple to the upper room.
Mary was the first to see the Lord in resurrection (vss. 11-18). However, she was not to "touch" Him in that state, for He was "not yet ascended" to His Father (vs. 17). This signified that while the disciples had "known Christ after the flesh" as the Messiah of Israel, they were "henceforth" not to "know Him" in that way (2 Cor. 5:16). They were to know Him in an entirely new way— as Head of the "new creation" race (Rom. 8:29; Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 3:14)—in the new place of meeting. Their new Christian connections with God the Father in Christ risen are indicated by His statement to Mary, "I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God" (vs. 17). Those of the old dispensation did not know God as their Father in this way.