Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 20: 19-23

Rachel Klooster & Billy Heschl

Transcript

Rachel Klooster  0:08  

Welcome to ECRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. I’m Billy Heschl, still reading for Rachel Klooster.  It’s Tuesday, April 22 , but Sunday’s Coming. It’s the SEASON of Easter, and we have the blessed opportunity to respond to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection life. Today’s Bible reading is from John 20:19-23

Rachel Klooster  0:33  

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Rachel Klooster  1:10  

The heading in most Bibles for these verses is: Jesus Appears to His Disciples. When did he appear? That Sunday Evening - this is Easter Sunday night. The disciples heard from Mary Magdalene in the morning that she saw Jesus alive. Some of them had seen the empty tomb and we are told they believed. But I’m guessing there were still some skeptics among them.  Whether they believed Jesus was alive or not, they were sequestering themselves behind locked doors because they didn’t want to end up on the wrong side of the Jewish leaders. Then all of a sudden, Jesus appears to them! How amazing would that be! And I love that Jesus understood that people would be skeptical - he shows them his hands and side - “Look! It’s really me!”

Rachel Klooster  1:56  

Our minds could wander into all sorts of ideas and questions about what did Jesus actually look like. Did he look more like a ghost? How did he get through the wall? Did he seem the same but different? Was his voice the same? He had the scars on his hands and side, so physically he looked at least somewhat the same, but hopefully without the aches and pains our physical bodies usually have. Also, he could have healed his scars, but I think he kept them for the sole purpose of being able to show them to his friends. As in “yes, this is really me and yes this all really happened.” 

Rachel Klooster  1:57  

So what about us? Do we believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Do we believe this means we have been reconciled with God? We can read plenty of explanations of why we should believe and the authenticity of the Bible, but for today (so close after Easter Sunday), let’s take on faith that Jesus appeared to his friends, who then told other friends and so on. We are the beneficiaries of this truth that has been passed down through so many generations. So we too can receive Jesus’s words: Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit. Forgive others

Rachel Klooster  3:11  

Let’s Pray: Thank you Jesus for appearing to your friends in such a human way, knowing we would need extra proof that it really was you. Forgive our unbelief and give us faith to accept your gifts of Peace and the Holy Spirit. Amen.