December 22 - Conqueror of Death

December 22 - Conqueror of Death (John 20:1-31)

I always know that I have to face Jesus’ death on the cross to get to the Resurrection story.  I am always so grateful for Easter Sunday morning to arrive.

Can you begin to imagine the craziness of the talk surrounding Jesus’ resurrection?  Mary of Magdala saw the empty tomb and thought the worst.  She found Peter and John, worried that someone had stolen the body and got them all stirred up.  They went tearing into the tomb to find out what had happened and when they saw that it was empty, still didn’t understand fully. 

The boys went home, but Mary stuck it out … sobbing beside the tomb.  Two angels tried to comfort her, and then Jesus showed up to assure her that He had risen from the dead.  Her first response – tell the disciples.

Jesus showed up when they were hiding behind locked doors and what did He say to them? “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  He breathed on them and with that, told them to receive the Holy Spirit. 

THAT is HUGE!  They were still in fear of their lives … they had yet to make a commitment to building Christ’s church on earth.  He came to them, offered them peace and the Spirit which would give them power.

Thomas comes forth to express doubt and though it took a week (hmmm, you mean Jesus doesn’t answer our queries immediately?), Jesus showed up and again said, “Peace be with you!” before assuring Thomas of the truth.

It is in the twentieth chapter of John, that we also see his statement of purpose.  He finishes this chapter by saying, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31).

There is one purpose for these gospels … that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing we may have life in his name.  It’s really no more difficult than that.