Christ Church Daily Devotion April 6 2024

In this Daily Devotion, the writer discusses John 20:19-31. Jesus appears to the disciples after his resurrection and offers them peace. He shows them his wounds and empowers them with the Holy Spirit. Thomas doubts, but later believes when he sees Jesus. The writer emphasizes the importance of staying connected with other believers and sharing the good news of forgiveness. They also reflect on the purpose of the gospel and the theme of experiencing life through Christ. The writer encourages readers to be representatives of the life giver and pray for wisdom in relating to others. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for April 6, 2024. Today, we will be reading from John, Chapter 20, Verses 19-31. On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. After he said this, he showed them his hands and sighed. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. Now Thomas, also known as Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hands into his side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were in the house again. And Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here. See my hands? Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. And Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. There are several good lessons and insights in these verses. According to this gospel writer, it was the evening of Easter before most of the disciples met their risen Lord. In the midst of their fear, the first thing he says to them is, Peace be with you. He assures them that it is really him by showing them his crucifixion wounds. He reminds them of their mission, emphasizing the forgiveness of sins and empowers them with the Holy Spirit. Who will continue to guide them? Then comes the scene with Thomas. I always take note that the disciples continued to include him until he had his own experience with the resurrected Jesus. Finally, is this note from the writer about his purpose for writing. Life we can experience through Christ has been a theme throughout this book. I am reminded that followers of Jesus sometimes find themselves in situations that cause them to be afraid. It is important to keep connected with other followers of Jesus and to know that he will come to us in some way to remind us of the peace he offers in the midst of those times. I am reminded that a key part of our mission is to share God's good news of forgiveness. And I am reminded that I should not shun those who do not believe, but find ways to include them and stay connected to them until they have their own experience of Christ. First of all, I am reminded that we serve and represent the one who gives life. Your personal worship option today is, who do you know who needs a renewed sense of the blessing of life? How might you best be a representative of the life giver to them? Pray for wisdom, humility, and courage as you discern how to best relate to them.