Thomas

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How do you encourage people to live by faith?

One of the remaining eleven chosen witnesses, Thomas, was not there when Jesus came (226). When Thomas joined the other witnesses later,  they told him, “We have seen Jesus!”

Thomas said to them, “No way. Unless I touch the scars on his hands & the wound in his side, I can’t believe that.”

A week later the witnesses were again together, again behind locked doors; this time Thomas was with them. Again, Jesus appeared suddenly among them & said, “Be filled with peace.”

Jesus turned to Thomas & said, “Come here & touch the wounds on my hands & in my side. Stop doubting & believe!”  When Thomas saw the wounds, his doubts disappeared & his faith was settled.  He exclaimed to Jesus, “My Master & my God!”

Jesus replied with this promise: “Do you believe because you see me? Many people will believe without seeing me & they will be blessed by God for their faith.”

John the Witness wrote down many accounts of events in the life & ministry of Jesus.  He wanted his readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah of God.  He wanted them, he wanted you, to have real life in Jesus.

At the end of his account of the life & ministry of Jesus, John also testified that Jesus did many other miracles which were not written down.

LORD, please help us to love living by faith, and not just by sight.

How do you encourage people to live by faith?

(226) John 20:24-31

Apostles

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To what service for God is the Holy Spirit currently sending you?

After he had eaten the fish, Jesus began to teach his friends (225).  “All these things that have happened are the very things I told you about before I was executed.  Everything inspired by God to be written about me — in the law of Moses, the writings of the prophets & the psalms — all of it had to be fulfilled.”

Jesus went on to open their minds to understand the inspired scriptures, saying, “This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer & must rise from death three days later.”

Then Jesus told them, “As my apostles, you must proclaim to all nations — in both your words & your actions — the message of repentance & forgiveness of sins.

“You are my chosen witnesses.  I will send you the power promised by God so you can do this.  Wait here in Jerusalem until God’s power comes upon you.”

Finally, Jesus said to them again, “Be filled with peace.  As God sent me, so I am now sending you.”

Then Jesus breathed new life into them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Let him fill your heart & take charge of your lives!

“Tell people everywhere to repent of their sins against God and return to God.  Forgive the sins of any who are truly repentant; withhold forgiveness from any who are not truly repentant.”

LORD, please help us to love serving You in the power of Your Holy Spirit.

To what service for God is the Holy Spirit currently sending you?

(225) Luke 24:44-49, John 20:21-23

Alarming Reunion!

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When God does something alarming in your life, what helps restore your peace?

After Jesus had left them on their way to  Emmaus, the two friends began speaking excitedly to one another (224). “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in our hearts, when he talked with us on the road & explained to us the inspired scriptures?”

They got up at once and hurried back to Jerusalem, where they found ten of the remaining eleven chosen witnesses gathered together, with other friends of Jesus.  But before they could say a word, the witnesses told them, “Jesus is risen indeed! Peter & John have seen the empty tomb!”

Then, they told the witnesses what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.

While the two were telling their story, Jesus suddenly stood among them all!  He said simply, “Be filled with peace.”  But his friends were anything but peaceful, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

Jesus said to them, “Why are you alarmed? Why are these doubts arising in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet; it’s really me. Feel my body and you will know.  A ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like me!”

He showed them his hands and his feet, but they still couldn’t believe their eyes; they were amazed!

So Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of cooked fish, which he then took & ate before their eyes.

And then, at last, his friends began to calm down . . .

LORD, please help us to love finding peace in Your presence.

When God does something alarming in your life, what helps restore your peace?

(224) Mark 16:13, Luke 24:32-43, John 20:19-20

On The Road To Emmaus

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What helps you recognize the presence of God in your life?

The men who had been guarding Jesus’ tomb reported the disappearance of Jesus’ body (223). They were bribed by the Jewish religious leaders to say that Jesus’ body had been stolen by some of his students.

Later that same day, two of Jesus’ students were walking to the village of Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

As they talked of all the things that had happened in recent days, Jesus drew near and walked along with them.  They were not expecting this, and they didn’t recognize him.

When Jesus greeted them & asked what they were discussing, they stopped & stood still with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Jesus, “Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know about the things that have been happening there these last few days?” “What things?” asked Jesus.

“The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they both answered.  “This man was a prophet; he was powerful in everything he said & did. Our chief priests & rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and he was crucified. But we had hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free from Roman occupation!

“Besides all that, this is now the third day since his execution. Some of the women of our group went to his tomb at dawn, but they couldn’t find his body. Then one came back saying she had seen Jesus, alive!  So Peter & John went to the tomb and found it empty, exactly as the woman had said.  Jesus was not in the tomb!”

Jesus spoke to Cleopas & his companion: “How slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things before entering into glory?” Jesus then went on to explain to them what was written about him in all the inspired scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.

As they finally came near to Emmaus, Jesus seemed intent on going farther, but the two men said, “Stay with us; the day is almost over & it’s getting dark.” So Jesus agreed to stay with them.

As they sat down to eat, Jesus took the bread & asked the blessing; then he broke the bread & gave it to them.  Suddenly their eyes were opened & they recognized him!

And, just as suddenly, Jesus was gone . . .

LORD, please help us to love recognizing Your presence in our lives.

What helps you recognize the presence of God in your life?

(223) Matthew 28:11-15, Mark 16:12, Luke 24:13-31

Mary Magdalene, Peter & John

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How does the empty tomb energize your life in Christ?

The two women who had come with Mary Magdalene — Joanna & Mary, the mother of James — were completely unnerved by their encounter with the angel (222).  They left the tomb in a huge hurry; they were so afraid that they didn’t want to say anything to anyone.

But Mary Magdalene remained, crying outside the tomb. A voice behind her asked: “Woman, why are you crying?” Without looking up, she answered, “They have taken my master away, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

Then Mary turned around & there was Jesus, standing right in front of her!  But Mary didn’t grasp that it really was Jesus; she thought he was the gardener.

Jesus asked Mary, “Who is it that you’re looking for?”  Still thinking he was the gardener, Mary pleaded, “Just tell me where you have put his body, and I will go & get it.”

Then Jesus called her by name, and Mary knew him instantly!  As she reached out to embrace him, Jesus gently kept her at arm’s length and told her:  “Go & find my brothers & tell them that the time for my return to God is coming very soon.”

So Mary Magdalene found Joanna & Mary, and the three of them went to Jesus’ friends who were mourning the death of Jesus.  When they heard Mary Magdalene say that Jesus was alive, and that she had actually seen him, most of them didn’t believe her.

However, Peter & John immediately started running for the tomb to see for themselves.

John ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and saw the linen cloths in which Jesus had been buried, but he didn’t go inside.

When Peter came, he went straight into the tomb. He also saw the linen cloths lying there & the cloth which had been wrapped around Jesus’ head, rolled up by itself.

Then John went inside the tomb after Peter.  When John saw that the body of Jesus was not there, he knew instantly that Jesus had indeed risen from death!

Astonished, the two of them returned to tell their friends the amazing news.  Jesus was alive again!

LORD, please help us to love living the resurrection life of Jesus .

How does the empty tomb energize your life in Christ?

(222) Matthew 28:8-10, Mark 16:8-11, Luke 24:8-12, John 20:2-18

Empty Tomb

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When was your spirit raised from death to life?  How’s your new life going?

After the Saturday Sabbath, in the pre-dawn hour of Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene & two other women were going to the tomb where Jesus had been buried (221).  They brought more spices to anoint the body of Jesus.  As they approached the tomb they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us?”

Suddenly there was another violent earthquake.  An angel of God came down from heaven, rolled the stone away from the entrance of the tomb & sat on it! His appearance was like lightning & his clothes were white as snow.

The guards at the tomb were so afraid that they fainted dead away!  Also full of fear, the three women bowed down to the ground before the angel, who then began speaking kindly to them.

“You must not be afraid.  I know you’re looking for the body of Jesus, but he is not here.  He has been raised from death!  He’s alive again!

“Remember Jesus told you that he would be handed over to sinful men and that he would be crucified.  Remember he also told you that he would rise to life after three days.”

The angel then invited the women to look inside the empty tomb:  “Come here & see the place where he was lying.”  After they had done so, the angel gave them these instructions:

“Now go & give this message to his friends, including Peter: ‘Jesus is going to Galilee ahead of you.  You will see him there,  just as he told you!'”

LORD, please help us to love the empty tomb.

When was your spirit raised from death to life?  How’s your new life going?

(221) Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-7, Luke 24:1-7, John 20:1

Burial

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What helps you with the daily burial of your independent self-life?  

That evening, a rich man from the Judean city of Arimathea arrived in Jerusalem; his name was Joseph, and he had become a student of Jesus (220). He was also a member of the ruling council of Jewish elders, but he had not supported their campaign against Jesus.

Joseph went to Pilate & asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He called the officer in charge of the execution detail & asked him if Jesus had been dead a long time.  After hearing the officer’s report, Pilate told Joseph that he could have the body of Jesus.

Nicodemus was another Jewish elder; he had first  gone to see Jesus at night & later had questioned the campaign of the Jewish elders against Jesus.  Nicodemus now went with Joseph to care for the body of Jesus — taking with him about a hundred pounds of spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

The two men took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish custom of preparing a body for burial.  Then they placed it in Joseph’s own tomb, which had recently been dug out of solid rock.

Finally, they rolled a large stone across the entrance of the tomb & went away.

The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee saw the tomb & how Jesus’ body was laid in it. Then they went back home and prepared more spices & perfumes for the body.  But on the Sabbath day they rested, as Jewish law required.

On the day of Jesus’ burial, the chief priests and the Pharisees had appealed to Pilate: “Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, ‘I’ll be raised to life three days later.’  So please, give orders for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his friends will not be able to steal the body and then tell the people that he was raised from death. This last lie would be even worse than the first!”

Pilate granted their request, saying: “Take guards, go & make the tomb as secure as you can.” So they went & made the tomb secure, by putting a seal on the stone & leaving the guards on watch.

LORD, please help us to love being buried with Jesus, every day.

What helps you with the daily burial of your independent self-life?  

(220) Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42

Signs

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Through what signs does Jesus assure you of His daily presence?

The Jewish religious authorities didn’t want the bodies of the three crucified men to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath day.  So they got permission from Pilate to do two things: to speed up their deaths by breaking their legs, and then to take their bodies down from the crosses right away, before the Sabbath (219).

The soldiers first broke the legs of the two criminals who had been crucified with Jesus.  But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he had died already, so they didn’t break his legs.

One of the soldiers, however, plunged his spear into Jesus’ side, to be sure he really was dead; at once, blood & water poured out.

(These things were done to fulfill the inspired scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, “People will look on him whom they pierced.”)

Suddenly, the earth shook & rocks began splitting apart!  When the soldiers saw this earthquake, they were terrified; one even exclaimed: “Jesus really was the son of God!”

At the same time, the huge, heavy curtain hanging in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from top to bottom!

Later, graves broke open, and many of God’s people who had died were raised to life!  Some of these left their graves & went into Jerusalem, where many other people saw them!

LORD, please help us to love the signs of Your presence in our lives.

Through what signs does Jesus assure you of His daily presence?

(219) Matthew 27:51-54, Mark 15:38-39, Luke 23:45 & 47-49, John 19:31-37

Last Rites

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How will you serve God as you come to the end of your earthly life?

Two criminals were crucified with Jesus, one on his right & the other on his left (218). At first, they both mocked him, saying: “If you are the Messiah, save yourself, and us!”

But later, one of the criminals repented & rebuked the other: “Don’t you fear God? We’re getting what we deserve for our crimes.  But this man has done no wrong!”

Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me,  when you are enthroned as king!” In reply, Jesus gave him more than he asked for, saying: “You will surely be with me in paradise after we have died today.”

At noon the whole countryside was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At about three o’clock Jesus cried out, “My God,  why did you abandon me?”

The people there heard him, but they didn’t understand his reference to David’s psalm.  Some thought Jesus was calling for Elijah & said, “Let’s see if Elijah is coming to save him!”

Standing close to Jesus’ cross were Mary his mother, Mary Magdalene, and some other women. Jesus saw Mary his mother standing there; John, his beloved friend, was standing nearby.  Jesus said to Mary, “Now he is your son.” Then he said to his friend, “Now she is your mother.” From that time, John took Mary to live in his home.

Knowing that everything had been completed, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on the end of a branch, and lifted up to his lips for Jesus to sip.

Finally, Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then his body died & his spirit was released.

LORD, please help us to love being faithful to the end, like Jesus.

How will you serve God as you come to the end of your earthly life?

(218) Matthew 27:38 & 44-50 & 55-56, Mark 15:27-28 & 32b-37 & 40-41, Luke 23:33-34 & 39-44 & 46, John 19:18 & 25-30

The Place Of The Skull

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What helps you keep your independent self-life nailed to the cross?

The place of execution was called Golgotha in the Aramaic language, which means The Place of the Skull in the English language (217).

There on the hilltop, Jesus was offered a drink of wine mixed with a bitter substance, but he refused it. Then Jesus was laid on a large wooden cross.  Nails were driven through his outstretched hands & feet to fasten him to the cross, and the cross was then stood upright in the ground.

Jesus prayed for those responsible for his execution: “Father, forgive them, because they do not really understand what they are doing.”

Four soldiers took his clothes and divided them equally. But Jesus’ robe was made of one piece of cloth, woven without any seams in it. So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear the robe; let’s throw dice to see who gets it.”  (This happened to fulfill a prophetic verse in the inspired scriptures: “They divided my clothes among themselves & gambled for my robe.”)

After that, according to their normal execution procedure, the soldiers sat there and waited for Jesus, and the two thieves being crucified with him, to die.

Pilate wrote a notice in three languages (Hebrew, Latin & Greek) and had it put on the cross; “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” is what he wrote. The place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, so many people were passing by to see who was being executed.  As they passed, they would read the notice Pilate had posted about Jesus.

The chief priests said to Pilate, “You shouldn’t have written that he was ‘The King of the Jews.’ You should have written, ‘This man claimed to be the king of the Jews.'”  But Pilate answered, “What I have written stays written.”

Passers-by mocked Jesus, saying things like: “So you’re the one who was going to tear down the temple and build it back up in three days!” or “Save yourself if you are God’s son!” or “Let’s see you come down from that cross!”

The religious leaders (chief priests & teachers of the law & elders) mocked Jesus, too.  “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!” or “Isn’t he the king of Israel? If he will come down off the cross, we will believe in him!” or “He trusts in God and claims to be God’s son. Let’s see if God wants to save him now!”

LORD, please help us to love other people, even when they do not love us.

What helps you keep your independent self-life nailed to the cross?

(217) Matthew 27:33-37 & 39-43, Mark 15:23-26 & 29-32a, Luke 23:32 & 35-38, John 19:19-24