"After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." (John 20:20closeJohn 20:20 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) closeJohn 20:20closeJohn 20:20 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) ; from the Gospel reading for April 7, 2013)
“… he showed them…”
-“20/20 vision” (John 20:20closeJohn 20:20 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) closeJohn 20:20closeJohn 20:20 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (ESV) )- When our eyes are fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorned it’s shame and sat down at the right hand of God the Father ; when we consider Jesus who endured so much from sinful people; we will get the right perspective on things.
How does watching a movie like “The Passion” help you see Christ in a new way? _____________________
How does Jesus give you strength to share the Gospel? ____________________
Could you have looked Jesus in the eyes after deserting Him? ____
-The first time we see the Greek word for “showed” is in Matthew 4:8closeMatthew 4:8 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (ESV) closeMatthew 4:8closeMatthew 4:8 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (ESV) 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (ESV) where the Devil takes Jesus up on the mountain to tempt Him. Not all things that we see are helpful for our faith. When we Pray, we must ask Jesus to show us what we need to see for our faith. Our faith is not strengthened by our own reason, but by the work of the Holy Spirit; He restores in us the joy of our salvation and renews a steadfast spirit within us.
When does Jesus show you things / thoughts that strengthen your faith? _____________________
“…his hands and side…”
-We proclaim Christ crucified; foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews. What we proclaim is not the wisdom of man or clever sayings designed to persuade people through logic. The strength of the Gospel is that God became weak and Christ became sin; that we might have complete and total victory over sin, death and the devil.
In our desire to see many hear the Good News, we are tempted to trust in means other than the Good News. How does God use us to show others the wounds of Christ that He suffered for us? ____________________
-They did not need to examine Jesus’ feet; they believed it was Jesus after seeing His hands and side; this was enough. Jesus has more than enough “proof” for you; come and see for yourself also. If you feel guilty over “needing proof”; don’t. Jesus has always had disciples who needed “evidence”.
How important is providing “evidence” of God’s love to others when we are planting a new ministry? ____________________
-It does not appear that Jesus was frustrated with His disciples to examine both His hands and His side; even though they had been with Him for several years.
How do we keep from getting frustrated when we have to Pray for the same people, struggling with the same sins for years on end? ____________________
“The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
-Seeing Jesus makes us happy also. We see Jesus in His Supper; we see Jesus in our midst when we are gathered with even just one other believer; Easter is such a joyful day, even 2000 years later, because we know that on this day, the disciples saw Jesus and their joy has been passed down to us. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit; it is an evidence of someone who has seen Jesus- being a sourpuss is not a sign of sanctification, but one of self-centeredness and self-absorption.
How does being joyful help with the proclamation of the Gospel to a lost and dying world? _____________________
Jim Buckman
