No — Jesus' followers did not expect His resurrection on that Sunday morning.
Les Feldick consistently teaches that the disciples had no idea Jesus would rise from the dead. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb only to anoint the body with spices, and the eleven men were convinced everything was over.
John 20:9 — This verse explicitly states that Peter and John did not yet know the Scripture that Jesus must rise again — the clearest biblical proof that His followers had no expectation of the resurrection.
John 20:9 records the testimony plainly: 'For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.' Peter and John had just run to the empty sepulcher, yet even their firsthand observations did not lead them to expect the resurrection. Earlier, in Luke 18:34, after Jesus spoke of His coming death and resurrection, the Scripture states: 'And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.' The Gospel accounts are consistent — Jesus' followers simply did not comprehend or expect what was about to happen.
Les Feldick emphasizes repeatedly that Jesus' followers had no expectation whatsoever of His resurrection. He points out that Jesus had clearly told the Twelve He would be put to death and rise again the third day, yet they comprehended none of it. After the crucifixion, they had no idea He would rise, and Les argues that had they understood, they would have been camped outside the tomb waiting to see it happen. Les explains that this blindness was not accidental — God had sovereignly hidden these things from them. As Luke 18:34 states, the saying 'was hid from them,' and Les adds that it simply wasn't time for them to understand. Only Mary Magdalene went to the sepulcher that Sunday morning, and she went to carry out the customary anointing of the body, not to greet a risen Savior. When she found the body gone, she was shaken because she had no idea He was alive. Les concludes that the disciples all gave up, thinking it was all done. Because they had no expectation of the resurrection, they could not preach a gospel based on the death, burial, and resurrection — it hadn't happened yet and they didn't believe it. Even later, when Peter and John saw the empty tomb, John 20:9 records that they knew not the Scripture that He must rise again.
Les Feldick observes that the only person who showed up at the tomb that Sunday morning was Mary Magdalene — and she certainly wasn't there to see if Jesus had come out of the tomb. She was there to carry out the customary practice of anointing the body with spices. When the body was gone, she was all shook up because she had no idea He was alive.
Les Feldick teaches that Jesus told the disciples more than once that He would be crucified and would rise from the dead, yet they understood none of these things. He explains that God never opened their eyes to it — the saying was hid from them by a sovereign God, because it wasn't time for them to understand.
Les Feldick points out that as Jesus hung on the cross, the disciples scattered like a flock of quail. The eleven concluded it was all over — Jesus hadn't brought in the kingdom, He was dead, and everything was done. Some went back to Galilee. Les says they weren't at the tomb waiting for Him to come out; they were bemoaning the fact that it was all over.
Les Feldick calls attention to John 20:9: 'For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.' Even after Peter and John reached the empty tomb, they still didn't know what the Scriptures had predicted. Les says it's obvious — had they known, they would have camped out at the tomb. But they didn't; they all went home and thought it was all over.
At the Sepulcher on Resurrection Morning
Les sets the scene for the resurrection morning account, introducing the moment when Mary came to the sepulcher — showing she was not expecting the risen Lord.
Mary Came to Anoint the Body
Les makes the case that even after three years with Jesus, the followers had no indication of His death, burial, and resurrection; Mary Magdalene was only at the tomb to anoint the body with spices.
Had They Known, They Would Have Been There
Les argues that if the eleven had understood Jesus would rise, they would have been outside the tomb waiting to see it happen — but not one of them was there.
They Thought It Was All Done
Les stresses that the disciples had all given up and thought it was over, and that Mary was upset when the body was gone because she had no idea Jesus was alive.
Scattered Like Quail
Les shows the eleven's mindset at the crucifixion — they scattered and mourned that it was all over, proving they had no expectation of a resurrection.
'They Knew Not the Scripture'
Les highlights John 20:9, where Peter and John knew not the Scripture that Jesus must rise again, as his proof text that they had no expectation.
They Went Back to Galilee
Les explains that after the crucifixion the disciples went back to Galilee, convinced it was all over, still not realizing Jesus would be raised from the dead.
Sovereignly Hidden From Them
Les teaches that God sovereignly hid the meaning of Jesus' words from the disciples, so that even at the tomb on resurrection morning they didn't know the Scripture.
John 20:9: For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Peter and John had just examined the empty tomb, yet this verse confirms they still did not realize that the resurrection had been predicted in Scripture.
Luke 18:34: And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Right after Jesus plainly told the Twelve about His death and resurrection, this verse records that the meaning was hidden from them.
Yes. Les Feldick points out that Jesus told them clearly they would go to Jerusalem, that He would be put to death, and that He would rise again the third day. But they comprehended none of it — they had no idea He was going to die, and after He died they had no idea He would rise.
Because they had no expectation of the resurrection. As Les Feldick says, had they understood that Jesus was going to be raised from the dead, they would have been outside the tomb waiting to see it happen — but not a one of them was there.
Les Feldick notes that the only one who showed up was Mary Magdalene — and she wasn't there to see if Jesus had come out of the tomb. She was there to carry out the custom of anointing the body with spices.
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