The Resurrection in John: A New Jesus, The Same Jesus

Typical of John’s Gospel, his resurrection narrative is beautiful and unique. John focusses on Mary Magdelene and Thomas, bringing simple but profound theological truth to light in Jesus’ discourses with them.

There is a clear aim in John 20: to testify to the reality of Christ’s resurrection, the climactic sign in John’s Gospel. This is so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31). 

There is also a clear rhetorical method to the chapter to achieve this aim. Notice how often it is observed that things are seen. The stone rolled away is seen, the grave clothes are seen and climactically, the Lord, is seen. Mary sees, Peter sees, John sees, the disciples see and, finally, Thomas sees. And so the punchline comes to Thomas from the mouth of Christ: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

You get the message, don’t you? Jesus really did rise from the dead. It was witnessed by many. This is the witness that is written down before you. Now you, who have not seen, are called to believe, based on the testimony of those who have seen.

But underneath the surface here, there are deeper currents. One of those deeper currents finds its source in the earliest chapters of the Bible. John, and more importantly, the Holy Spirit through him, is showing us that Jesus is the Last Adam, the first man of a New Creation.

There are numerous indicators in the text that point to this. First of all, consider the fact that the resurrection is on the first day of the week. This is a new beginning, a new start, a new creation.

Where is the tomb? In a garden. Jesus is mistaken as a gardener. Where was the first garden? Who was the first gardener?

When Mary goes into the tomb, she sees two angels. Of this, Geerhardus Vos suggestively says, “Placed like the cherubim on the mercy seat, they covered between themselves the spot where the Lord had reposed and flooded it with celestial glory.” Where do we get the first mention of cherubim in the Bible? Yes, guarding the Garden in Genesis 3. Rather than guarding the Garden, here the angels are proclaiming good news. Jesus has undone what Adam had done.

Jesus takes us beyond the Garden of Eden, for he is glorified. His body is different. We can see this by considering that his resurrection is different from Lazarus’. When Lazarus rose, he was covered in grave clothes. Jesus is not, for he has passed through them, just as he passes through into locked rooms. His body is real, but it is different; it is glorified. Jesus is the first man of a New Creation.

Jesus inaugurates a new beginning for God’s family. As he speaks to Mary, he refers to his disciples as brothers. His Father will be their Father. We can call God Father through our adoption in Christ. We have a boldness and access through Christ beyond those in the Old Covenant Age.

These things are a continuation of John’s masterpiece. Jesus is the bridegroom who inaugurates the new age of feasting (John 2-3); he is the new temple (which is a microcosm of the whole creation) out of whom living waters flow (John 2, 4 & 7); he is the true vine, the true Israel (John 15), the true king, succeeding where all Israel and their kings, following in Adam’s footsteps, failed. He is “the man” (John 19:4) who wears a crown of thorns (19:2) to overturn the thorns which came through Adam’s sin. Through his resurrection, all of these things are confirmed and find their fulfilment.

But there is something even more important here. He is not just a new, glorified Jesus; he is the same Jesus.

This is seen in Jesus’ touching encounter with Mary Magdelene. Mary sees Jesus but does not recognise him. She supposes him to be the gardener, asking him where Jesus’ body is if he has taken it. Then Jesus simply says her name: “Mary”. She instantly realises who it is. Here is the Good Shepherd calling one of his sheep by name; here is Mary, a sheep, recognising his voice.

Her recognition of Jesus shows that he is the same Jesus. He is the eternal Word of the Father. He is the one who became flesh. He is the one who lived for 33 years, ministering for 3 years. He is the one who rescued Mary from demon possession. He is the one who died. And now he is the one who is risen. Yes, he is glorified, but he is the same Jesus. That personal relationship she had with Jesus continues: Vos again: “…whatever transformation had taken place there could be and would be no change in the intimate, personal character of their relationship.”

And he is the same Jesus today. As he came to Mary in her weeping, to the disciples in their fear, to Thomas in his doubting, he comes to us in our tears, fears and doubting. He reigns in heaven as our sympathetic High Priest. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

In the resurrection, we get a New Jesus, a glorified Jesus; but we also get the same Jesus. He is new in his accomplishments, but he is the same one who was with the Father from eternity and has loved us before the world began. We trust in him as our Saviour, but we also worship him as our God.

Which begs the question: are you trusting in Christ? Do you, with Thomas, say, “My Lord and my God”? It is this faith relationship with Christ which is at the kernel of the Christian life. Without him, we have nothing; with him, though our knowledge be scanty, our vision blurred, our understanding lacking, we have everything.