What’s it all about?

•April 28, 2011 • Leave a Comment

John 20:30-31

Why John Wrote His Book

30Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. 31But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life.

So we’ve made our way through Lent, the death of Jesus and the resurrection appearances.  We might be asking ourselves ‘why?’, or ‘what’s that all about then?’

At this point, John wants to tell us why he’s written his gospel, his account of Jesus life.

Clearly he has been selective in what he’s told us, there is so much more that Jesus did. But he has told us what he has for one purpose:

That you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God

Jesus did much, taught much and showed much in his life on earth – and it was all to point us to God, that we may believe in Jesus and see what God has to offer.

And so, a decision has to be made:

Do we believe it, or not?

Is Jesus the Son of God, the one who points us to him, or not? What do you believe?

Because our answer to that question has eternal significance. Having faith in Jesus is what gives us true life.  It gives us the best way to live.

John writes his book, to invite us to put our faith in Jesus.

What will our answer be?

Lord,

I hear the call,

the question,

the challenge –

to believe in you,

or not.

As I reflect on the life, death and resurrection

I come to a point of decision…

Posted in Easter, Jesus
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Doubting

•April 27, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Story of my life – I wasn’t there.  I missed it.

I got back to the room, safe to where the others were hiding.  I go in, and they tell me that Jesus has been.  They have all seen the Lord, risen, alive and there among them.

I wasn’t sure…

Didn’t know what to think.

Were they having me on?

Playing a joke at my expense?

Pretty poor taste if you ask me – they knew how upset I was.

I needed some proof.  That’s not such a bad thing is it?  To need to know, to be sure?

After all, it was such an amazing thing that we were claiming.  We’d all seen him die.  We saw the blood and water pour out as his side was pierced.  He was dead ok, no pretences, no lingering hopes.  And now they tell me he is alive.  And not just alive, but here.  I needed to know it was Jesus, I needed to see it with my own eyes.  I so want to believe it, but…

Then, a week later it happened.  We were meeting together again, there was so much to talk about, and next thing we know, Jesus is stood there. Right there.

He knew what I needed, and so Jesus invited me to touch and feel, to look at the evidence for myself.

They weren’t wrong you know!  It was Jesus.  The Jesus we had followed all those months; the Jesus we had heard teach us what God and living his way was really all about; the Jesus who had been willing to give up his all on the cross to bring God’s kingdom.

My Lord and my God!

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

Posted in Easter, faith, Jesus
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Hiding

•April 26, 2011 • Leave a Comment

We were terrified.

What was going to happen to us now?

The Jewish leaders thought they had got rid of Jesus, thought their problems were over, and then they discover he’s not dead at all.  What were they going to do now?  We assumed they would be coming after us, trying to find some way to kill this movement once and for all.

So we hid ourselves away and locked the doors.

The it happened.  Jesus appeared right there in the room with us.  Mary had seen him in his resurrected form, but we hadn’t.  He greeted us – shared his peace – it was just like the good old days.  He showed us his hands and feet.  We saw the scars.  This wasn’t someone playing a cruel trick, pretending to be Jesus – this was him.

We knew it was real.  Jesus was alive.

But Jesus also had something for us to do.  This wasn’t just for us.  It wasn’t just to make us feel safe, all warm and cosy.  He asked us, well I suppose told us really, he sent us to go and tell others.

This was news we weren’t to keep to ourselves.  Others need to know that Jesus is alive – and we have to tell them.  We know it is true, and we can’t keep it to ourselves.

Lord, we know you are alive.

Thank you for the difference that makes in our lives.

Help us to show others,

to go and tell

and bring your life.

Posted in Jesus
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