John 20:9, "For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead," is a poignant verse highlighting the disciples' lack of understanding after finding Jesus' tomb empty. It means:
They didn't understand the Old Testament prophecies. The "Scripture" refers primarily to the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). There are numerous passages in the Old Testament that Christians believe prophesied the Messiah's suffering, death, and resurrection. However, at this point, Peter and John hadn't fully grasped these prophecies or how they applied to Jesus. They hadn't connected the dots between what the Scriptures said and what had just happened. They likely understood them in a different context, perhaps focusing more on the Messiah as a reigning king.
They hadn't fully accepted Jesus' own predictions. Jesus himself had repeatedly told his disciples that he would be killed and rise again (e.g., Matthew 16:21, Mark 9:31, Luke 9:22). However, they hadn't truly absorbed or accepted these pronouncements. The concept of a Messiah who would suffer and die, let alone rise again, was likely too radical and went against their expectations.
Their understanding was incomplete. In essence, they were still working through the implications of Jesus' death and what it meant for his Messianic claims. They were confused, bewildered, and likely grieving. They were still thinking in terms of earthly expectations and not yet seeing the spiritual significance of the resurrection.
Sets the stage for the rest of the chapter (and the book). This verse emphasizes that the disciples' faith would later be grounded in understanding of the Scriptures. The rest of John 20 details the appearances of the resurrected Jesus, which lead to belief and a deeper understanding of who he is.
In summary, John 20:9 highlights a moment of incomplete understanding on the part of the disciples. They had the facts (empty tomb), but they lacked the theological and scriptural framework to interpret those facts correctly. Their faith was not yet firmly rooted in the truth of Jesus' resurrection as prophesied in the Scriptures.
John 20:9, "For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead," is a poignant verse highlighting the disciples' lack of understanding after finding Jesus' tomb empty. It means:
They didn't understand the Old Testament prophecies. The "Scripture" refers primarily to the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). There are numerous passages in the Old Testament that Christians believe prophesied the Messiah's suffering, death, and resurrection. However, at this point, Peter and John hadn't fully grasped these prophecies or how they applied to Jesus. They hadn't connected the dots between what the Scriptures said and what had just happened. They likely understood them in a different context, perhaps focusing more on the Messiah as a reigning king.
They hadn't fully accepted Jesus' own predictions. Jesus himself had repeatedly told his disciples that he would be killed and rise again (e.g., Matthew 16:21, Mark 9:31, Luke 9:22). However, they hadn't truly absorbed or accepted these pronouncements. The concept of a Messiah who would suffer and die, let alone rise again, was likely too radical and went against their expectations.
Their understanding was incomplete. In essence, they were still working through the implications of Jesus' death and what it meant for his Messianic claims. They were confused, bewildered, and likely grieving. They were still thinking in terms of earthly expectations and not yet seeing the spiritual significance of the resurrection.
Sets the stage for the rest of the chapter (and the book). This verse emphasizes that the disciples' faith would later be grounded in understanding of the Scriptures. The rest of John 20 details the appearances of the resurrected Jesus, which lead to belief and a deeper understanding of who he is.
In summary, John 20:9 highlights a moment of incomplete understanding on the part of the disciples. They had the facts (empty tomb), but they lacked the theological and scriptural framework to interpret those facts correctly. Their faith was not yet firmly rooted in the truth of Jesus' resurrection as prophesied in the Scriptures.
