P3 Biblical Evaluation of Near Death Experience (NDE) Books - Doctrinal issues and final consideration

Introduction and review:

A couple of days ago we began a series on Biblically evaluating the growing fascination among Christians and the culture alike over books authored by those who have had “Near Death Experiences” (or what is referred to in the literature as NDE’s). In 2004 Don Piper’s book “90 minutes in Heaven” became an overnight sensation in a pastor’s retelling of his alleged hour and half experience in heaven following a traumatic car accident.  In 2010 another book, featuring the alleged recounting of heavenly experiences by six year old Colton Burpo in the wake of emergency surgery sent the book in the coveted #1 New York Times Best Seller List.

To be as fair as possible, the books are well written and prove very interesting to read.  Certainly their emotionally compelling recounting of surviving trauma in the face of death draws the reader into the world of the author.  With that said, the question that keeps pressing in the back of this writer is: are these types of book Biblical? Are they helping or hurting the cause of Christ? Are they faithful to the Gospel and Biblical Christianity or do they ultimately undermine the message? Answering such questions will be the aim of this paper. This author has aimed to show that books written about NDE’s are ultimately without the authority, clarity or profitability in comparison to the only book that is singularly authoritative on matters related to life and death, heaven and hell - the Bible.  Yesterday's post aimed to answer the question about what role, if any such books function in understanding life and Bible doctrine.  We concluded that in the final analysis they don't really offer help and that the reader needs to search the scriptures instead.  Today we conclude our study.

Some doctrinal deviations that can be observed in Near Death Experience books

1). Confusion on Heaven. All of these books present a man-centered and angel-centered view of Heaven, with God in the background or mentioned in passing. The Bible on the other hand presents Heaven as the God and Christ centered reality, with the angels and people being in the back ground or mentioned in passing. See for example Revelation 1:1-20; 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:10-13; 11:15-17; 12:10-12; 14:2-3; 15:3-4; 19:1-10; 21:1-9; 22:16-21.

2). Scripture ends up being not enough. These books are communicated as eyewitness accounts of experiences in Heaven and thus, whether meant by the authors or not, become treated as authoritative sources for describing heaven.  The danger of such books is that over time, though such books would never be declared by many people to be on par with scripture, in practice the appearance of DVD-based Bible study curriculum featuring these writings unnecessarily blurs the lines. 1 Such central truths as the clarity and unity of scripture tends to be softened when these types of book are consulted and read. Todd Burpo writes in the book “Heaven is for Real”: When you look at the book of Revelation and other biblical teachings about Heaven, it’s kind of fragmented.” 2

The Scriptures on the other hand are alone sufficient and powerful in deepening one’s faith not only for a life-time but for all eternity. (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:15-4:4) Any theology, Sunday School curriculum, sermon, lesson or devotional ought to never have as its foundation an experience, but rather scripture.

3). Blurring or conflict with key doctrines. Don Piper’s book claims there is no mention of death or the blood of Jesus in any of the songs sung in Heaven. When one compares references in Revelation 5:9-10 and 5:12 of the songs being sung, with references to the blood and the atoning work of Jesus, the conflict between what is written (scripture) versus subjective experience is shown.  On page 121 of Todd Burpo’s book “Heaven is for Real”, we see references to people having wings.3  The ready acceptance of such a description by the author blurs the line between what the Bible shows to be the difference between human beings and angels. (compare Hebrews 2:16) Clearly there are serious doctrinal issues with these books that do not line up with scripture.

Why must people be warned and cautioned about Near Death Experience type books?

Many readers may wonder why I am making such a big deal about these types of books and why I cannot recommend them. First, the authors are passing these writings off as non-fictional experiences that count as revelations about Heaven, Hell, Life and Eternity.  Such books should never be written in the first place. The Great Apostle Paul had an experience in 2 Corinthians 12 where he saw visions of Paradise and the Third Heaven and yet he was not at liberty to recount what he saw. Should not such Biblical cautions be exercised? This author would without reservation say yes.

Second, the Apostle Peter reminds us of the nature of scripture in 2 Peter 1:20 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” To take a private experience, uninspired and perhaps more laden with emotional and physical trauma than spiritual insight, and place it in print for millions to read is to in a practical sense make new scripture!

Thirdly, Christians ought to be far more discerning in the positive endorsement of such literature.  The Bereans in the wake of the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey and preaching were described as follows in Acts 17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Closing Thoughts and recommendations

In place of these fallible books, the Christian reader ought to turn to their Bible and seek out what God has to say about Heaven, Hell, life and eternity. Good resources such as Bible Dictionaries, Concordances and online websites such as Biblegateway.com can point the reader to those scriptures that describe these subjects.

Is the Bible sufficient enough in its revelation about Heaven, Hell, Life and Eternity? Think about these statistics: The Heaven where believers go when they die is mentioned and described in the Bible some 150 times, with 34 mentions in the Gospels by Jesus.  Hell is found some 95 times and is mentioned 17 times by Jesus. Demons are mentioned 95 times; Satan is found 115 times and good angels are found in some 400 places in the scriptures. The Bible alone is God’s infallible (cannot fail = John 10:35), inerrant (without error = Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; Titus 1:2); clear (Luke 24:44-45) and all-sufficient (2 Peter 1:20-21) revelation about such matters. Thus it would be contended that the reader seek the scriptures and the Jesus revealed in them, since the Bible alone is sufficient to shape our understanding of life, salvation and eternity.

Endnotes:

1. http://www.donpiperministries.com/ For example, on Don Piper’s website we see the advertisement for his wife Eva Piper’s new book: “A Walk Through the Dark – How my husband’s 90 minutes in heaven deepened my faith for a life time”.

2. Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. Heaven is for Real. Thomas Nelson. 2010. Page 149.

3. Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. Heaven is for Real. Thomas Nelson. 2010. Page 121.      Todd Burpo writes:“But when I asked him what Pop looked like, Colton would talk mainly about his clothes and the size of his wings.”

P2 A Biblical Evaluation of Near Death Experience Books - What place, if any, do they have in understanding life and Bible Doctrine?

Introduction and review:

Yesterday we began a series on Biblically evaluating the growing fascination among Christians and the culture alike over books authored by those who have had “Near Death Experiences” (or what is referred to in the literature as NDE’s). In 2004 Don Piper’s book “90 minutes in Heaven” became an overnight sensation in a pastor’s retelling of his alleged hour and half experience in heaven following a traumatic car accident.  In 2010 another book, featuring the alleged recounting of heavenly experiences by six year old Colton Burpo in the wake of emergency surgery sent the book in the coveted #1 New York Times Best Seller List.

To be as fair as possible, the books are well written and prove very interesting to read.  Certainly their emotionally compelling recounting of surviving trauma in the face of death draws the reader into the world of the author.  With that said, the question that keeps pressing in the back of this writer is: are these types of book Biblical? Are they helping or hurting the cause of Christ? Are they faithful to the Gospel and Biblical Christianity or do they ultimately undermine the message? Answering such questions will be the aim of this paper. This author will aim to show that books written about NDE’s are ultimately without the authority, clarity or profitability in comparison to the only book that is singularly authoritative on matters related to life and death, heaven and hell - the Bible.  Yesterday's post went over some of the history of NDE (Near Death Experience) accounts.  Today we continue by evaluating what place, if any, NDE books and literature should have in understanding life and Bible doctrine.

How should we regard the place of NDE’s in our way of understanding life and Bible doctrine? – a Biblical and personal assessment

Many theologians and Bible teachers have pointed out that in the Bible we can understand human beings as occupying one of three states: There is a living state, followed by an intermediate state that begins at death and concludes at resurrection (resurrection of the righteous for believers and a second, separate resurrection of the wicked for unbelievers).  The third and lasting state, the eternal state, entails the New heavens and earth for believers and Lake of fire for unbelievers following the Great White throne judgment in Revelation 20.

The issue of one’s immaterial soul/spirit temporarily leaving one’s body and coming back, and the questions surrounding the possibility and conditions for such phenomena is admittedly difficult to place. Without a doubt the Bible does describe scenarios of people being brought back from the dead or resuscitated. (2 Kings 4:18-37 and John 11:38-46)  In the 2 Kings account Elisha raises the son of the Shunammite woman while Jesus brings back to life Lazarus who had been dead for four days.  In looking at passages such as these, one can observe that in no instance of people being resuscitated back to life do we them composing literature to describe their experiences. The silence of such “NDE” testimonies should catch the reader’s attention.

With regards to more modern day examples, this author exercises caution and a listening ear when approaching the subject of Near Death Experiences (NDE’s). Dr. Gary Habermas, a Christian Apologist and Professor at Liberty University writes: “Some ask, How can one gain evidence for life after death from individuals who have not yet died? The medical distinction must be made between biological death, which is physically irreversible, and clinical death, which is a cessation of measurements such as pulse or heartbeat. (Near-death experiences are not viewed as miraculous returns from biological death, though such would provide an additional reason to reject naturalism!) It is difficult to deny that there are many cases of corroborated experiences beyond (and during) clinical death.” 1

As a pastor who has attended the bedsides of those who have passed on from this world to the next, this author can testify that in those closing moments that the person’s actions, facial expressions and words seem to indicate the patient witnessing and perhaps glimpsing things that are otherwise unseen. This author’s mother, an ER nurse for many years, relayed many stories of patients whom she saw evidence similar behaviors. Such events in the general course of human experience cannot be denied. The issue at hand in these posts is not about the possibility of these experiences, but rather whether or not such experiences should be put into writing.

It is one thing to acknowledge such experiences. However it is quite another to take such events and make them normative descriptions and interpretations of life after death.  Dr. Gary Habermas notes again: “Near-death experiences therefore cannot be used to describe (or interpret) heaven or hell but only to argue that certain types of veridical information do confirm the minimalistic conclusion that conscious life has been corroborated beyond at least the initial stages of death and that such cannot viably be explained by brain (or other bodily) activity. That such consciousness exists beyond the veil of death does seem to be a fact and as such is a serious problem for naturalism.” 2

The issue of life after death is not questioned by this author. Furthermore, NDE’s as a possibility is categorically not denied by this author due to the episodes of miraculous resuscitation in the Bible. What this author strenuously opposes is the writing of books by those who have had such experiences and such volumes being used as the basis for Bible studies and doctrinal instruction.  Although this author would generally agree with Dr. Habermas’ assessment of NDE’s, personally I would probably not grant as much weight in using such experiences. Quite frankly, when one begins to read the numerous books about NDE’s (including “90 Minutes in Heaven” and “Heaven is for Real”), there are some important points that need to be mentioned.

More tomorrow....

Endnotes:

1. Dallas Theological Seminary. 1989; 2002. Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 146 . Dallas Theological Seminary

2. http://www.donpiperministries.com/  For example, on Don Piper’s website we see the advertisement for his wife Eva Piper’s new book: “A Walk Through the Dark – How my husband’s 90 minutes in heaven deepened my faith for a life time”.

P1 A Biblical Evaluation of Near Death Experience Books - A brief History of NDE's

A Biblical Evaluation of Near Death Experience Books

2 Corinthians 5:6 “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”

Hebrew 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men to die once and after this come judgment.”

Introduction:

These next few posts will attempt to Biblically evaluate the growing fascination among Christians and the culture alike over books authored by those who have had “Near Death Experiences” (or what is referred to in the literature as NDE’s). In 2004 Don Piper’s book “90 minutes in Heaven” became an overnight sensation in a pastor’s retelling of his alleged hour and half experience in heaven following a traumatic car accident.  In 2010 another book, featuring the alleged recounting of heavenly experiences by six year old Colton Burpo in the wake of emergency surgery sent the book in the coveted #1 New York Times Best Seller List.

What makes both of these books so popular among Bible believing Christians is that they were both written by evangelical pastors (Don Piper and Colton’s Dad, Todd Burpo).  Furthermore, both books have spawned Bible studies, with Burpo’s account  leading to a DVD based curriculum and a soon to be released movie (April 2014).1 As a pastor myself, I have read both books, have seen the Bible studies on Christian bookstore shelves, have listened to interviews of Colton Burpo and his family and have noticed the unquestioned acceptance of these kind of books by the Christian publishing world.

To be as fair as possible, the books are well written and prove very interesting to read.  Certainly their emotionally compelling recounting of surviving trauma in the face of death draws the reader into the world of the author.  With that said, the question that keeps pressing in the back of this writer is: are these types of book Biblical? Are they helping or hurting the cause of Christ? Are they faithful to the Gospel and Biblical Christianity or do they ultimately undermine the message? Answering such questions will be the aim of this paper. This author will aim to show that books written about NDE’s are ultimately without the authority, clarity or profitability in comparison to the only book that is singularly authoritative on matters related to life and death, heaven and hell - the Bible.

Evaluating the history of Near Death Experiences (NDE’s)

Dr. John C. Beck Junior wrote a review article of Richard Abane’s book:

“Journey into the Light – Exploring Near Death Experiences” in the Chafer Theological Journal wherein he summarizes Abane’s extensive historical and theological assessment of NDE’s. Dr. Beck writes: “One of the earliest is mentioned in Plato’s The Republic. A soldier, who is killed in battle comes back to life on the funeral pyre, and tells about his visit to the next world. NDEs were so plentiful in the Middle Ages that Pope Gregory the Great of the sixth century compiled a collection of them in Dialogues. NDE researchers agree that modern experiences mirror closely those of the past. Researchers study what they call the autoscopic NDE, where the experiencer allegedly becomes separated from his body and is able to view nearby objects and events from outside of his body. The ability to describe with accuracy events and objects while unconscious or clinically dead some consider irrefutable proof that NDEs are objective realities rather than subjective experiences. Next, they study the transcendental NDE where the experiencer looks into worlds that transcend or surpass our own earthly limits. They are the most interesting, because they give expanded revelations” and describe “alternate realities.” Third, is the autoscopic/transcendent combination that is “a blending of elements of both the above.” 

Dr. Beck later notes: “These are the building blocks of NDEs, though every experience does not have every element.”2

At the time the above article had been written, Betty Eadie’s book: “Embraced by the Light” had been a major hit. Numerous other books of this genre have been written over the past several years, averaging one every two or three years.  It must be underscored that these are “experiences” that end up being treated as objective fact. Practically speaking, once such experiences are put into print, such experiences become regarded as authoritative writing.

How has Bible believing Christianity regarded NDE’s over the past 20 years?

Where do such experiences fit in the development of one’s understanding of the here and now and life after death? Bible believing Christianity demonstrates a variety of responses. An otherwise reputable Bible teacher and scholar is the late D. James Kennedy who in his sermons and books treated NDE’s as valuable evidence for proving the reality of the Biblical accounts of Heaven and Hell.

On the other end of the spectrum are men such as Dr. John MacArthur who decries the accounts of NDE’s. A case in point is Dr. MacArthur’s 1996 book: “The Truth About Heaven” where he writes:  “They are inevitably shaped and interpreted by the person’s existing worldview. They are no more reliable than dream analysis for giving us any reliable understanding of the unseen world. “3 MacArthur’s book was written to offer a much needed correction to what was then perceived (and rightly so) as a dangerous trend among Christians and the culture alike to embrace books about Near Death Experiences in an uncritical and unquestioning manner.

More tomorrow.....

Endnotes:

1. http://www.thomasnelson.com/heaven-is-for-real.html

2.  Chafer Theological Seminary. 1997; 2002. Chafer Theological Seminary Journal Volume 3 . Chafer Theological Seminary.

3. MacArthur, J. 1996. The glory of heaven : The truth about heaven, angels, and eternal life. Crossway Books: Wheaton, Ill.

The need for resurrection power - John 20:19-31

John 20:31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

These past few days have been dedicated to taking a look at the life of Mary Magdalene and how the resurrection of Jesus Christ changed her life and made her a missionary for her Lord. I felt today that we needed to go forward into the rest of John 20 and consider why you and I need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. John 20:19-31 details for us the events that followed from that dramatic encounter with Mary Magdalene. John 20:19-25 covers Jesus' second post-resurrection appearance to Peter and the other disciples.  John 20:26-28 features a second episode where Jesus appears to them eight days later so as to lay to rest the skepticism of Thomas.  The chapter then closes out in John 20:30-31 with John spelling out the purpose for why he wrote His Gospel. If one life application were to be drawn out of this text, it would be this: You and I need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in our lives.  With those introductory thoughts in mind, let us now briefly explain what all took place through John 20:19-31 and consider the four things that Jesus' resurrection power makes available to you and me today.

The Peace of Christ. John 20:19-21

John 20:19 opens up the scene with a most pitful sight. The future leaders of Christ's church, the very men appointed by Him to be His disciples - are shut up in an upstairs room, with all the doors shut and with a heavy cloak of fear hanging in the air. Much had occurred in 24 hours. Already Peter and John had ran to the tomb upon Mary Magdalene and the women's news of a stolen body.  Having went to the tomb and Peter himself entering into the place to investigate the burial linens - the conclusion was reached that to add insult to injury - it had appeared that someone had done the unthinkable.

Yet we know that from the angel's subsequent appearance to Mary Magdalene and Jesus' post resurrection appearance - the truth had been made clear: "He is no longer in the tomb, He is risen!" Despite Mary's best attempts to convince these fearful, unbelieving disciples, their chosen course of action was to huddle in fear. What they needed was peace! 

Suddenly in the little room we read of Jesus appearing in John 20:19 and saying "peace be with you!" Three times in all we find Jesus in both His appearance to the disciples and then his appearance to them again eight days later uttering this little four word phrase. (John 20:19, 22, 26.  What power is there in God's peace, in Christ's peace? Jesus had expressed this truth previously to his disciples during his ministry prior to the cross. (John 14:27; 16:33) The Apostle Paul tells us of the power of such peace in Philippians 4:6-7  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, willguard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  

As we have noted in the past few posts, anytime Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance, there was always a dramatic change. Always! We know that this same resurrection power is responsible for the peace of God that every Christian can experience and has experienced.  Romans 8:11 notes - "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Such peace can only be explained by the same power that brought it to the disciples in their most desperate hour - namely the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. The need for resurrection power is for the sake of the peace of Christ, but notice also...

The Person of the Holy Spirit. John 20:22-25

What was undoubtedly a preview of the fullness of Pentecost that would occur some 50 days after these events, Jesus breaths into the disciples the Holy Spirit. As Jesus looked at them, he knew that on their own, they would not be able to function for the next 50 days.  Much work had to be done before Pentecost.  We can liken this to the prophet Ezekiel who was shown a valley of dry bones. As God says to him in Ezekiel 37:5 "Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will causebreath to enter you that you may come to life." Lest the Holy Spirit comes, lest He enters into a person and does His work of regeneration and opens their heart so that they can exercise saving faith - no one will be saved. (John 16:8-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3)  The Holy Spirit is the Agent responsible for salvation and sanctification. (Ephesians 1:18) He is also the One who enables every child of God to do the work of ministry. (1 Corinthians 12:1-6, 12-13) You and I dear Christian ever rely upon the Person of the Holy Spirit.  His fundamental ministry of indwelling us at salvation (1 Corinthians 2:10; 3:16) leads Him to seal and preserve our salvation until the day we die or until Christ appears to take us in the rapture. (Ephesians 1:13-14; Jude 24-25) His ministry of adoption and uniting us to the Person of Christ is the basis for our assurance of salvation and knowing who we are and whose were are. (Romans 8:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13) The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to understand and apply the scriptures (1 John 2:20, 27). More could be said but the point is clear - the power of Christ's resurrection is what makes available His peace and the Person of the Holy Spirit.  How we need His resurrection power. Notice now the third reason....

Personal faith. John 20:24-29

Who can ever forget doubting Thomas? What is striking about the post-resurrection narratives is the amount of doubt and unbelief that ran rampant throughout the disciples prior to their encounters with the post-resurrected Jesus. We may often wonder how that could be? Jesus spoke on no less than six occassions about His resurrection from the dead three days following His death.  Yet I think we must also realize that we who have a full Bible and who have been transformed by Christ's resurrection power unto saving faith still have those moments of fleeting doubt, worry and wonder.  Thomas knew what he was looking for.  His persistent critical mind would not take verbbal testimony alone. He also knew what crucifixion would do to a man and being a good Jew - He also was expecting to see the marks left over by crucifixion in a physical body.  The doctrine of the resurrection was a cornerstone of Jewish faith, spoken throughout the Old Testament scriptures. (Job 10:25; Daniel 12:1-3) So it would literally take a physical appearance by the risen Christ to convince an otherwise unbelieving Thomas.

John 20:24-29 records that very truth.  As Jesus engaged Thomas and challenged Him to put his finger in his nail prints and thrust his hand in his side, Thomas bowed in worship at the feet of the God man. One of the most solid delcarations of Christ's Deity is recorded in John 20:28 "Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” This declaration asserts two titles that acknowledge the resurrected Jesus as Yahweh (My Lord) and as the creator God - Elohim. This dramatic encounter brought faith to Thomas. We know that saving faith is a supernatural gifting from God that comes to us through His grace and which is placed in our otherwise empty open hands to receive and believe. (compare Matt 13:16; 16:17; Eph 2:8-9; Galatians 3:25). Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ - there would be no personal faith. 1 Peter 1:3 states -  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whoaccording to His great mercy has caused us to be born again toa living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead". So you and I need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ for peace, the Person of the Holy Spirit and personal faith.  Notice one last reason...

Power of the Scriptures. John 20:30-31

Whenever it is all said and done - if Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, not only would the Christian faith be in vain - the the Word of God, the scriptures, would be rendered null and void. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) John knew that in order for future generations to experience the resurrection power of Jesus Christ that includes peace, the Person of the Holy Spirit and personal faith, there would need to be God's own words which alone can convey such realities.  Romans 10:17 reminds us: "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Truly what Jesus did in His post-resurrection appearances was open the door for the New Testament scripture to penetrate, pierce and provide life to subsequent generations of people - just as had been the case for centuries with the Old Testament. (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)  The many of the men upon whom He breathed His Spirit would be the ones to compose some of those New Testament books.  The scripture itself carries with it His Divine imprimatur and is the lone means through which the Holy Ghost imparts eternal life and ongoing growth in the Christian life. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

Conclusion:

We have seen today why you and I need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ from John 20:19-31:

1. Peace

2. Person of the Holy Spirit

3. Personal faith

4. Power of the scriptures

P2 Mary Magdalene - A mourner directly and dramatically transformed into a missionary

Matthew 28:6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.

Yesterday we began taking a look ay Mary Magdalene - a mourner turned into a missionary.  Her story is part of what may end up being a larger series of posts dealing with how Jesus' post-resurrection appearances changed the lives of his followers and how that same resurrection power changes lives today.  We have noted the following elements that occur in each post-resurrection encounter with the risen Savior:

1. Desparate condition of the people before His appearances

2. Direct encounter with the Risen Christ appearances themselves

3. Drastic change that resulted from the appearances

With regards to Mary Magdalene, we sketched out her journey of disciple with Jesus - noting how His exorcism of demons from her most likely marked the point of her conversion and following of Him.  We then saw how her discipleship led her to witness her Savior on the cross - and how such a traumatic event led to her desparate condition of mourning.  We ended yesterday with Mary weeping at the opening of the empty tomb.  In today's post we want to continue on and eventually notice two other elements that led this mourner to become a missionary, namely Mary Magdalene's direct encounter with the risen Christ and her dramatic change as a result of seeing the post-resurrected Jesus. 

Mary Magdalene's desparate situation of mourning 
The one detail of Mary Magdalene that is emphasized in the Gospel's portrayal of her in relationship to the resurrection account is the intense grief she was experiencing. The details of the three days experienced by Mary Magdalene in seeing her Lord crucified and then risen can explain why she became desparately overcome by grief:

Day One: 3 hours before sundown on Friday
1). Mary Magdalene was among the women who followed Jesus through his trials and ultimately were present at the foot of the cross during His execution. (Matthew 27:55-56)

2). Mary Magdalene and the women followed Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemas to the borrowed tomb and witnessed where Jesus' linen wrapped body was laid and interred with the stone rolled to close the opening. (Luke 23:55)

Day Two: Sundown to sunrise, Saturday
1). Mary Magdalene and the women went to get spices to anoint Jesus' body and chose to rest in keeping with the Saturday Sabbath of the Jews. (Luke 23:56)

2). The Chief priests and the Pharisees in collusion with Pilate stationed guards at the entry way of the tomb and sealed it, remembering Jesus' words that He would rise on the third day.  I find it interesting that Jesus' enemies remember His words and yet prior to Jesus' resurrection we see no evidence of the disciples (among the women or men) recalling Jesus' words.   

Day Three: early Sunday morning, sunrise
1). Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:1 both record Mary Magdalene and the women traveling to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body.  Having been resting on the Sabbath, they did not know of the soldiers having been stationed at the tomb

2). While they were on their way, God sent an angel to roll back the stone, causing the guards to become as dead men and thus providing providential protection for the women who would end up seeing the empty tomb. (Matthew 28:2-4

3). We know mary Magdalene was overcome  by grief, for despite other angels appearing to them to explain Jesus' resurrection, and even the fact of the women remembering Jesus' prediction of His resurrection, Mary Magdalene's grief prevented her from processing the complete truth. (Luke 24:1-8) John MacArthur explains: "Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene, overwrought with the new grief of thinking someone had stolen the body, remained outside the tomb alone." 1

By realizing what Mary Magdalene had experienced in a span of less than 72 hours, undoubtedly her desparate condition could be characterized by one word - mourning. Despite the best attempts of even the angels assigned by God - no efforts could soothe her broken heart and dry her oceans of tears. Thankfully - she would not remain that way for long.

Mary Magdalene's direct encounter with the risen Jesus
In John 20:1-10 we see Mary Mgadalene and the other women run from the tomb to the disciples - with Mary Magdalene telling them that she thought Jesus' body must had been stolen. With haste Peter and the others ran to the tomb, with Peter running inside the tomb and handling the burial linens and beholding the burial cloth that had been wound around Jesus' head. Both the disciples and the other women who had been accompanying Mary Magdalene the whole time left the scene bewildered and confused.  Meanwhile Mary Magdalene remain behind outside the opening of the empty tomb.

John 20:11 records the scene - "But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb." The Greek word translated "weeping" is a very powerful word - described by Henry Thayer as "to weep audibly, to cry as a child, to give verbal expression to grief". 2 As you go down through the remainder of John 20:11-18 and witness Mary's direct encounter with the risen Jesus, you will find two more references to her weeping - one with an angel addressing her.  This was her desparate situation. 

However watch what happens as Jesus encounters her:

1). John 20:13-15 "And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14"When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 

2). John 20:16-17 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”3

Before Jesus had spoken, she could not hardly bear to look at the one she thought was the gardner.  However as soon as He called her name - she could not bear the thought of letting Him go. She clung tightly to the hem of his garment.  He in His post-resurrection glory conveyed to her hope amist hopelessness and joy in place of despair. 

Mary Magdalene's direct encounter with the resurrected Jesus led to a dramatic change from a mourner into a missionary
John 20:18 records the dramatic change in Mary Magdalene: "Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her." 4 Mary Magdalene delivers a message that was charged with hope.  She literally was a missionary to the missionaries! 

Mark 16:9-11 records the disciples initial response to her words - "Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it." Mark 16:14 records then how Jesus would appear to the disciples to rebuke them for their unbelief. Thankfully though by the time we arrive at the end of John 20, we find all of the disciples believing truth of Jesus' resurrection - caused no doubt by his two other appearances to them in John's account, as well as an individual one to Peter to reinforce Him in His faith as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:5. 

Mary Magdalene's direct encounter by the risen Savior resulted in her going from being a mourner to a missionary.  Truly such an account is awesome and amazing to behold and read.  So then, what life applications can we draw from her life? What relationship, if any, does Jesus' post-resurrection power have to do with you today? Tomorrow we will answer those questions.

More tomorrow.....

Endnotes:
1. John MacArthur. Twelve Ordinary Men and Twelve Extraordinary Women - Two Volumes in One. Thomas Nelson. 2005. Page 401

2. Henry Thayer. The Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament. Zondervan. Page 347

3. Now John in the Holy Spirit inspired recollection takes the pains to record the next words of exchange between Mary and Jesus in what would had been their native tongue - Aramaic.  Greek was the common language of the Empire and the language the original text of John's Gospel, however Aramaic was the language of Galilee and Judea where Jesus and His disciples would had treaded up and down those dusty roads. I'm certain that when Jesus spoke her name in Aramaic "Miraim", it would had been spoken as He did when He had delivered her from the seven demons in their very first meeting. (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2) 

4. The word ("angello"), translated "announce", was used in the ancient world to describe how a messenger would run into a city to announce a victory against an opponent.  Closely akin to this word is the word we translate "Gospel" ("euangello") which has within it the same root word as we find here in our text (the word "angello"). You may recognize the word as being the same root for those beings we call "angels".  

P1 Mary Magdalene - A mourner transformed into a missionary

John 20:11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb

In yesterday's post we spent some time looking at the one element that demonstrates the credibility and power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead - His post-resurrection appearances to His disciples.  We also considered what top Christian scholars have to say about this evidence - noting that the broad consensus supports the changed lives of the disciples as proof positive of Jesus' resurrection.  Finally we had listed 8 individuals or groups that experienced Jesus' post resurrection appearances, noting the following three elements in each occurance:

1. Desparate condition of the people before His appearances

2. Direct encounter with the Risen Christ appearances themselves

3. Drastic change that resulted from the appearances

The first person on the list that saw the resurrected Savior was a woman named Mary Magdalene. In today's post we aim to briefly tell her story and then detail her dire situation, Jesus' post-resurrection appearance to her and the resulting change.  We are calling this post and the next one after it: "A mourner transformed into a missionary."

Meet Mary Magdelene

The proflific writer Herbert Lockyer notes the following about Mary Magdelene: "She is mentioned about fourteen times in the gospels, and from the references to her we can see clearly what she did and how she did it. A striking feature in eight of the fourteen passages is that Mary is named in connection with the other women, but she always heads the list, implying that she occupied the place at the front in service rendered by Godly females. In the five times she is mentioned alone, the connection with with the death and Resurrection of Christ (Mark 16:9; John 20:1,11,16,18). In one instance her name comes after that of the mother and aunt of Jesus.  She stood close by the cross with these other women, but because of their relation to Jesus it would not have been fitting to put her name before theirs (John 19:25). No woman, however, superseded Mary in her utter devotion to the master."1 Mary Magdalene's place of residency had been the town of "Magdala" or "Magada" which is North of Jerusalem on the North western shore of the Sea of the Galilee.  The little city was known for its dye industry and some surmize that Mary herself may have had the ability to support the Lord in his ministries as assumed by her being named among the women who supported Jesus out of "their private means". (Luke 8:3) 

Mary Magdalene's devotion to her Lord and Savior 

Mary's discipleship or followership of Jesus can be traced to when she had been delivered from her demonic affliction by Jesus.  Simply put, her level of deliverance by Jesus explains her level of devotion to Jesus. Though we know but a faint outline about Mary Magdelene from the pages of sacred scripture, the one detail that does stand out is that Jesus had exorcised seven demons from her. Luke 8:1-2 states - "Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out." Mark 16:9 notes - "Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons."

So how bad off would Mary Magdalene had been, and why do the Gospel writers mention this Divine intervention by Jesus in her life? Jesus gives this interesting explanation of what happens when someone becomes afflicted in the manner Mary Magdalene was afflicted.  Matthew 12:43-45 records His words - “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Mary's name, which in the Hebrew means "bitter, sorrow", captures the fact that here was a lady who knew tears, bondage and sorrow in her past.  We oftentimes do not know the circumstances that bring about a person's condition by the time we meet them.  All we do know is that in her human timeline the Savior met her, did a Divine miracle of deliverance and saved her.  With the nature of the deliverance being recorded twice in the Gospels as a major identifying mark of Mary Magdalene's life - we can see why her level of devotion would run so deep, especially in the wake of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection.

Mary's discipleship in following Jesus to His cross 

Undoubtedly as we trace the Gospel records of Mary Magdelene's activity through the course of Jesus' ministry, we find most of those references pertaining to His cross and resurrection.  John 19:25 states "Therefore the soldiers did these things.  But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."  Here we see Mary standing at the foot of the cross, establishing her as one of the inner circle followers of Jesus along with the other Mary, Mary Jesus' mother and the Apostle John.  Wherever her Lord was - she was. 

Contrary to the unfounded accusations asserted by liberal scholars who will contend she was an illicit woman who had designs on Jesus - legitimate history and scripture know of no such evidence.  Mary Magedelene was an ardent follower of Jesus who wanted to be where He was out of faith that had birthed forth in her heart the moment He had delivered her. In order to be truly into Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, one has had to been made aware of how much Jesus brought them out of their sin and brokenness.  This is Mary Magdalene in her journey of discipleship from deliverance to her destination in seeing Jesus on the cross. 

As we said earlier, the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus entailed three elements: Desparate situation, direct encounter and dramatic change.  For Mary Magdalene, the devotion and faith she exhibited in Jesus during His days on this earth, followed by the trauma of the cross rendered her shattered and heart broken.  We will close out this post by noting Mary Magdalene's desparate situation of mourning.

Mary Magdalene's desparate situation of mourning

As she witnessed with tears and grief the Incarnate God of Glory bleeding and broken on the cross - she saw all the more how much He was the source of her healing.  Following His crucifixion, we see Joseph of Arimethea taking the body of Jesus and laying it in his own tomb, guess who is there to both witness it and keep vigil - Mary Magdelene.  Matthew 27:61 "And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave." In the days following the burial of Jesus, we know from Matthew 28:1 records that Mary and the other women came to look at the grave.  

Mary's actions depict a woman whose soul had been ripped asunder.  She would not rest her weary eyes and her tears could not stop flowing.  Mary Magdalene is depicted at the tomb of her Lord as a woman in deep mourning.  It is certain that no comfort could console her.  She could never get over losing the Life that had saved hers.  Little did she know that upon her next pilgrimage to the tomb that she would find an unexpected scene that would forever alter her life, the disciples and multiplied millions of lives thereafter.  We close with the verse we started with in today's post - John 20:11 "But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb." What happened? Tomorrow we will continue in see what happens to Mary Magdalene. Find out in P2 of our study - Mary Magdalene - A mourner turned into a missionary.

More tomorrow.....

Endnotes:

1. Herbert Lockyer. All the Women of the Bible. Zondervan. Page 100

The importance of Jesus' post-resurrected appearances to His followers, and to you

Matthew 28:6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Introduction:

Whenever we consider the event of Christ's resurrection from the dead, there is no event that stands more central and important to Christianity.  No other event or Christian doctrine is more proclaimed, more attacked and more credible than Christ's resurrection from the dead.  To get our footing on how Jesus' resurrection is communicated and how it is typically defended against critics, I will note four key areas of consideration that must be considered when talking about Jesus' resurrection from the dead:

1. His burial

2. The empty tomb

3. Post resurrection appearances to His followers

4. Changed lives

What top Christian apologists or defenders of the Christian faith say about Jesus' resurrection from the dead

Three of the top Christian Apologists today list the above four areas in their short list of what consistitutes the essence of the Biblical narrative of Christ's resurrection from the dead.  I want the reader to note the last element in each of their listings, since the importance of Jesus' post-resurrected appearances will be discussed toward the end of this post.

First Josh McDowell in his book: "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" lists the following elements of what he calls "the resurrection scene":1

1. Jesus was dead

2. The tomb

3. The burial

4. The stone

5. The seal

6. The guard

7. The disciples

8. The post-resurrection appearances 

The second Christian apologist, Liberty University Professor Gary Habermas, lists out a very similar short list in the argument he gives for the Resurrection that he calls the "minimal facts argument":2

1. The burial

2. The empty tomb

3. Post resurrection appearances

4. Changed lives (especially of the Apostle Paul).

Dr. Habermas' argument leans heavily on Paul's statements in 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, noting that the material represent early information that takes the reader back to within a year after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  

The third Christian Apologist who argues for the historicity and reliability of the resurrection accounts of Jesus Christ is Dr. William Lane Craig, a world renowned expert and debater who frequently debates critics attacking the Bible.  In his presentations, I have heard Dr. Craig list in a similar fashion the following essential elements to the account of Jesus' resurrection from the dead:

1. The burial

2. The empty tomb

3. The post resurrection appearances

4. The changed lives of the disciples

5. The conversion of the Apostle Paul

The reader can check out Dr. Craig's material at www.reasonablefaith.com.

The one area among these elements that merits further focus and explanation

In past posts over the years we have explored the great resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 and have aimed to unpack and proclaim all that Paul has to say in his masterful explanation and defense of the resurrection.  Certainly the Gospel accounts have also been the focus of past blogs on this subject, wherein we have talked about the crucifixion, burial and empty tomb.  In this post and in future ones, this writer would like to dedicate more time to considering how Jesus' post-resurrected appearances changed the lives of his followers, and how His living Person and power can change your life.

In listening to such fine articulators of the Christian faith above like McDowell, Habermas and Craig, as well as reading wonderful books and articles written by able Bible teachers, it has come to my attention that the way in which Jesus' post-resurrection appearances changed lives is worthy of consideration. Exploring how the post resurrected Jesus radically changed the lives of his disciples in the wake of His resurrection, as well as how He is still changing lives today lends immense credibility to the truth of the resurrection narratives. 

What we observe in the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus

Whenever we consider the four Gospel records, the Book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 15, we find exactly one dozen episodes featuring Christ's post resurrection appearances.  Furthermore, we find three common themes among them all:

1. Desparate condition of the people before His appearances

2. Direct encounter with the Risen Christ appearances themselves

3. Dramatic change that resulted from the appearances

Eight individuals or groups stand out in these post-ressurection appearance narratives, what we could call "post-resurrection profiles". 

1. Mary Magdelene

2. Peter

3. Emmaus Road Disciples

4. Thomas

5. The Disciples in general

6. Group of 500 people

7. James, the half brother of Jesus 

8. Paul

In scanning over these eight people or groups, we discover that in each case, their lives before, during and after each post-resurrection appearance leads to the conclusion that Christ indeed not only raised from the dead, but is alive and operating among His people.  Such post-resurrection power is the basis for the salvation and Christian growth of every Christian living today.  As I mentioned a moment ago: this writer would like to dedicate more time to considering how Jesus' post-resurrected appearances changed the lives of his followers, and how His living Person and power can change your life.

Closing thought

The importance of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances cannot be over-estimated.  Not only is such a truth a vital component in communicating and defending the truth of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, but also is vital in explaining how Jesus is able to change lives today. In closing, this is why we come across such statements as 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." May we think on such truths and live our lives for the living, risen and exalted Jesus Christ!

Endnotes:

1. Josh McDowell. Evidence that Demands a Verdict - Volume 1. Here's Life Publishers. Page 189.

2. Dr. Habermas' minimal facts presentation can be found at the following link at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_Db4RwZ_M