Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Now Jesus also performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not recorded in this book, but these things are recorded in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

Chapter twenty begins early in the morning on the day after the special Sabbath when the Jews permitted work to resume. Mary from Magdala went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid and saw that the stone had been tolled away. She ran to tell Peter someone had stolen Jesus’ body. He and John ran to the tomb. John got there first, but stopped. Peter arrived and immediately went in. The linen that had wrapped Jesus’ body was wrapped up right there where Jesus should have been. The cloth that had wrapped the head was folded up and in another location. The tomb was empty. Peter and John returned home. But Mary stayed, weeping. When SHE looked into the tomb, there were two angels sitting there on either side of where Jesus had lain (like the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant). They asked her why she was crying. She turned around and a man was there. He asked her why she was crying. He said her name and she realised it was Jesus. Alive and standing there before her. She left the tomb and went to tell the disciples of what she had seen and heard.

That evening, the disciples (except Thomas) were locked in a room hiding from the Jews who had killed Jesus. Jesus appeared to them. He showed them His wounds. THEN they were glad and rejoiced. He breathed on them, releasing the Holy Spirit to them. When they told Thomas about it, he refused to believe them until he too had seen the wounds on Jesus’ body. Jesus appeared and showed them to him. He believed as well.

In chapter twenty-one, the disciples had gone into Galilee and were again by the lake. Peter decided to go fishing and the others joined him. They fished all night, but caught nothing. In the morning, as they neared the shore, a man called to them asking if they had fish. They told Him no. He told them to fish off the right hand side of the boat. When they did, they got LOTS of fish. Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. When the others got there, Jesus had a fire going. They cooked fish and ate. He’d made some bread too. This was the third time Jesus had revealed He was a living body after having been a dead one.

After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter to feed Jesus’ lambs, tend His sheep, and feed His sheep. There were many other things that Jesus did while He was on earth – both before and after His resurrection. But these things happened and were testified to by people who were living at the time of the writing. They testified that everything written down in the book of John was true and trustworthy.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Mary Magdalene, Jews

Key Verse(s): John 20:19-29; 21:15-19