Author: alibates (Page 1 of 8)

John 21:1-25

We start this chapter with seven disciples led by Simon Peter going on a fruitless fishing trip. It is interesting that in spite of having seen Jesus twice since his resurrection they don’t immediately recognise him. The recognition comes with the miraculous sign, one similar to the story in Luke 5, where Jesus directs them to recast their nets and the haul is immense.

John recognises him first and Simon Peter rushes to get to Jesus, who has already prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for the disciples. Verses 15 -19 are concerned with a very personal conversation between Jesus and Simon Peter, it is a very interesting and moving discussion. Twice Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, using the word agape, implying a selfless love, but Peter replies that ‘yes he loves him’ but uses the word phileo, meaning brotherly love. Peter gets upset when Jesus asks the question a third time, but interestingly Jesus uses Peters word, phileo, and Peter repeats his response. Jesus commissions Simon Peter to feed and tend his flock, the church, but also indicates that even though Peter can’t say it he will one day lay down his life for the Lord. Maybe after his denial of Jesus Peter is much more cautious, more aware of his failings and less full of himself. He has learnt a hard lesson but now knows the joy of restoration and forgiveness from his sin.

After taking a few verses to correct a false rumour that he wouldn’t die until Jesus returned, John again tells us that he has only chosen a few of Jesus’ actions and that they are too numerous to tell. They still are. As the Spirit of God moves through believers down through the ages and across the world the ministry of Jesus has not ended. No matter who we are and what we may have done for good or ill we can find hope, forgiveness and purpose in life through Jesus Christ.

 May God bless you this Easter as you celebrate the resurrected Lord

John 20:24-31

According to this Lent reading plan we have today reached Good Friday when the Christian church will remember the crucifixion and burial of the Lord Jesus. We have already read what will follow and witnessed the wonder of the resurrection. Today we will read of one disciple’s struggle with the reality of the resurrection, and another’s determination that we should know and believe.

Poor Thomas gets a bad rap I think. Perhaps he is a rational thinker, maybe he’s just so wounded by what has happened he is afraid to believe. Whatever his reason after a week of doubting Jesus appears once again and addresses Thomas’s fears directly and invites him to see for himself that it really is the Lord. Thomas bows the knee to his Lord and God. Jesus doesn’t rebuke him, but reaching into the future blesses those to come who will believe, after Jesus has ascended, through the preaching of the gospel.

Jesus knows Thomas’s doubts and comes to meet him where he is and he will do the same for us if we call upon him in our moments of unbelief.

John tells us he has written down only a few of the things Jesus did, but he has chosen them that we may believe and go on in the faith finding life in Jesus’ name.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

John 20:11-23

For Mary Magdalen as she weeps outside the tomb, wondering what has happened to Jesus, there is a wonderful revelation. The presence of the two angels in the tomb tells us he has not been stolen; this is a divine intervention. In turning to leave she comes face to face with Jesus who, for some reason, she does not recognise until he calls her name. In the surprise she must have tried to hold on to him, but John tells us this is not right, she has a job to do, to go and find the disciples and tell them that he is going to his Father.

That same evening, he appears to the disciples. The tension of the times they are in is indicated by the locked door and their fear. The resurrected body of Jesus is no longer held by physical constraints and, all of a sudden, he is there. Convinced it is him they rejoice. Jesus speaks his peace over them and commissions them to go and continue the ministry. He breathes the Holy Spirit over them, giving them authority to forgive or not forgive a person sins. This is not dissimilar to Matthew 16:19, 18:18, but in this gospel the non-forgiveness of sins is related to people not believing in Jesus. The tense used here is passive implying that they are declaring what God does; He alone can forgive sins.

It is hard to imagine the emotional rollercoaster the disciples have been on in a few short days, but this encounter and those to follow will convince them of the truth of the resurrection in such a way that they too will be willing to suffer and die for the gospel.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

John 20:1-10

Jesus was laid to rest on the day before the Sabbath (Good Friday), lay in the tomb through the Sabbath but on the day after, the first time anyone can go there, he is gone. In her distress at Jesus’ death Mary has arrived in the dark, found the entrance open and the body gone. The conclusion is that it was stolen by whoever ‘they’ are, perhaps referring to the Jewish authorities. When she goes to Peter and John she talks in the plural ‘we don’t know…’, so presumably she didn’t go alone. Peter and John run to the tomb. The presence of the linen strips suggests the body has not been stolen, or it would have stayed wrapped. The strips lying there empty and the face cloth folded, lying apart, is enough to lead them to the belief that Jesus must have risen from the dead. Whether or not they really understood what happened John simply writes that they went home, John no doubt to tell Jesus’ mother what has happened. I wonder if later when they heard Mary Magdalene’s story of the angels and the appearance of Jesus they regretted not staying longer. Perhaps it was not safe to be there and maybe the later appearances of Jesus were of more significance to John.

Jesus has risen, the devil is beaten at his own game, death is defeated, and humanity can find salvation and restoration from sin. All of this due to the obedience of God’s one and only Son.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

John 19:31-42

Desiring that the Passover Sabbath should not be desecrated the Jews want the bodies removed. We, of course, are aware of the terrible irony that a far worse desecration has happened in putting an innocent man to death, who was their Messiah. The breaking of the victim’s legs ensured death from asphyxiation, another horrible aspect of this dreadful death. However, Jesus has already died and John wants us to know the proof of his death, and that there was an eyewitness account to Jesus’ side being pierced. This too is an evidence of scripture being fulfilled. Since there will later be doubts about Jesus’ death, John knows it is important that we understand that Jesus did die.

It was Jewish custom to bury criminals in common graves but that will not happen to Jesus. His death brings two significant men out of the shadows: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. No longer secret but now very public disciples, together they ensure Jesus is given an honourable burial using a large amount of spices and placing the body in a new tomb, which Matthew tells us belongs to Joseph.

I wonder what these men were thinking and feeling as they tended to the body? We know how the story will unfold, but they didn’t. Their actions were extremely brave, they have made their faith in Jesus public. May we be as brave as they were.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

John 19:17-30

This is what Jesus ministry has been leading to, it is the central reason for his coming; to bear our sins on the cross, to be the’ Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (1:29).

The blunt matter of fact recounting of the crucifixion belies the horror of it all as the glorious Son of God is cruelly killed between two criminals. Pilate, still clearly annoyed at the Jewish priests, writes his sign to provoke them, which of course it does. It is with huge irony that it speaks the truth, Jesus is the king of the Jews.

The events connected to the crucifixion are John tells us, a fulfilment of Old Testament scripture in particular Psalm 22 and Psalm 69:21, other gospel accounts reference parts of Psalm 22.

In the midst of this suffering Jesus takes care of his mother, an extraordinary act of selfless love at a moment of extreme distress. Finally, he bows his head and gives up his spirit fulfilling his words (Jn.10:18) that he would lay down his life of his own volition; his sacrifice is voluntary.

The words it is finished have rung out across the years since Jesus’ death. They declare both an ending but also a beginning. A new age has come where salvation is available to all who choose to believe, whether Jew or Gentile.

(If you have never read Psalm 22 I would encourage you to do so and see how many references to the crucifixion you can find there).

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.