Reflective Bible Study

As the gospel writers conclude the story of Jesus’ life following the resurrection, the gospel of John includes a fascinating description of Jesus when He appears to the remaining disciples the evening after His resurrection.

While the most notable portion of this passage comes immediately after what we are focusing in on, which is when John tells us that Thomas was not with the group of disciples when Jesus first appeared, when we jump forward and focus on that detail, we miss out on what John tells us about this first visit.

Let’s read what happened the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples, this time without Thomas present. Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 20, and we will be reading from the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 19, John tells us that:

¹⁹ It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰ After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” ²² Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

While I don’t know if Jesus disappeared immediately after this last statement, I find it fascinating that John sets the stage by telling us why the disciples were together. The disciples had locked themselves in a secret space because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Thomas might have been out getting something for the group when Jesus appeared, or Thomas might have thought it would be better to be out alone and not with the group if the Jews found their hiding place, but whatever the reason, Thomas wasn’t with the disciples.

John does not tell us the disciples were huddled together, praying, and seeking guidance on how to move forward launching the Christian movement. John tells us the disciples were huddled together because they were scared of the Jewish authorities. They might have even been planning how they would leave the city and return to Galilee where many of them were from.

But Jesus appeared to them and confirmed the rumors that He had risen from the dead. Jesus showed them His hands and His side. This detail matters because the new “perfect” body God had in mind for Jesus was not free from defects. Instead, Jesus’ resurrected body carries the scars of His sacrifice.

This might also imply that our new, resurrected bodies, while they will be perfect in every way that matters, may also carry with them evidence of our lives here on earth. I believe that in heaven, we will be as unique and varied as we are here on earth, except that we will all be perfect and focused on helping each other. Here in our sin-filled world, our temptation is to always be looking out for ourselves first, but I doubt that will be a characteristic that carries over into heaven.

After showing the disciples His scarred hands and His side, He commissions them to go. While John’s version of Jesus’ commission isn’t as glamorous or famous as Matthew’s version, it is no less significant. John’s version might even be more significant because of what Jesus does immediately following this challenge.

In verse 22, immediately after challenging the disciples to go, Jesus breathes on them and tells them to “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This sounds great, and it is something the disciples would ultimately receive a little over a month later, but Jesus didn’t stop there. Jesus continues in verse 23 by saying, “If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”.

This statement challenges me because it appears to place people between sinners and God. When each of us sins, Jesus has freed us to personally ask for forgiveness. Jesus pushed back at the idea that a person or group of people would be the gatekeepers between God and man. While the Jews were called to fulfill this ideal, they failed to recognize what God had set them apart for, and because of this, the New Covenant was extended to all people.

So then what does Jesus mean when He seems to give the disciples the power to forgive sins? Are the disciples the new gatekeepers?

I don’t believe this to be the case. Instead, I see Jesus giving His followers the ability to release others from the fear of condemnation because of their past sins. Jesus isn’t interested in the disciples withholding forgiveness from anyone, because that doesn’t reflect Jesus’ sacrifice. Instead, I see Jesus commissioning the disciples with the ability to encourage others that their sins have been forgiven.

We can explain this idea by describing someone coming to us who has messed up and sinned, and they are worried that they have messed up too many times for God to forgive them. Will we tell them that they are probably right, and that God cannot forgive them; or will we claim the promise that Jesus tells the disciples in John’s gospel and assure them that their sins have been forgiven. I personally would seek to encourage them, and I’m pretty sure you would too.

When the Holy Spirit is living in our hearts and our lives, we have the authority to forgive someone’s sins. This isn’t something that should make us prideful or arrogant. Instead, this is one of the highest callings a Christian can have, and we are called to forgive responsibly, and in a way that encourages others in their relationship with God.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Always be sure to seek God first and to place Him first in your life. Intentionally look for ways you can encourage others in their walk with God and when you see someone struggling spiritually, feel free and empowered to let them know that God loves them and that they are forgiven of their sins!

Also, be sure to always pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow your own relationship with God. A personal relationship with God is incredibly important, and when we dedicate time that we can spend with Him each day, we are more able to walk the path He has called us to.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of or back away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Near the end of John’s gospel, on the morning Jesus was resurrected, we read an amazing dialog between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. What makes this conversation amazing is that it is likely the first conversation Jesus has with someone (aside from perhaps the angel who had rolled away the stone), and in this discussion we discover some key details about what happened and didn’t happen over the time Jesus was in the grave.

But even before we get to the conversation, we must set the stage. Several women and disciples had already been to the tomb and seen it empty. They all had left confused to return to the others to describe what they saw. But Mary stayed behind at the tomb, and because she did this, she gets the honor of being the first witness of a resurrected Jesus.

Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 20, and we will be reading from the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 11, John tells us what happened:

¹¹ Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb ¹² and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.

She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”

¹⁴ Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

Let’s pause briefly at this point in the passage. To the angels who know Jesus was resurrected, and to Jesus Himself who is now alive, the idea of crying over the loss of Someone who has returned doesn’t make any sense. However, John tells us that Mary didn’t recognize Jesus.

I wonder if Jesus simply hadn’t taken a shower or combed His hair, or maybe He simply looked different. It is also possible that if Mary’s eyes had adjusted to the shadows and darkness of the tomb, then her eyes would still be adjusting to the light if she turned around quickly to acknowledge this gardener. Mary may also have been crying and if tears had filled her eyes, she might not have been able to see clearly either. Whatever the reason for Mary not recognizing Jesus, we can only logically speculate.

However, Jesus’ appearance isn’t completely different, because of what we read next. Continuing in verse 16, we read:

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”)

In verse 16, Jesus says Mary’s name, and this is just enough to break her out of her tears to realize that this stranger actually knows her.

Maybe Mary was so teary-eyed that she simply didn’t look up and only saw the clothing of a person she didn’t recognize, but once she heard her name, she then looked up and saw the face of her Savior.

While John doesn’t state this, my imagination has Mary’s tears of sadness turning into tears of joy and wonder. As her face changes, she runs towards Jesus and embraces Him in a hug that she never wants to end.

What was probably longer than 30 seconds, and perhaps even a few minutes, my imagination then brings us back to where John picks up in verse 17. John continues by telling us that Jesus then said to Mary:

¹⁷ “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”

¹⁸ So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what he had told her.

In my mind, it would be unlike Jesus to keep someone He loves at arm’s length. In my mind, Jesus was more than willing to embrace Mary, but eventually there must be a time for the hug to end. When Jesus knew the time was right, He then commissions Mary to go and tell the other disciples what she had experienced, and specifically what Jesus had told her.

What had Jesus told Mary?

After asking Mary to not hold onto Him, Jesus told her the reason. He said this was because “I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”

I find this detail powerful.

For the whole time Jesus was in the grave, according to what He tells Mary, He never once returned to the Father. While most people agree with this, the message Jesus tells Mary clashes with what many people believe Jesus promised a thief on the cross in Luke’s gospel. Luke tells us that Jesus told one of the criminals who was crucified with Him that they both would be together in paradise. Most people believe Jesus to have given that promise with the time constraint of that day.

But Jesus clearly stated that He never returned to the Father while He was “gone”, and several days had passed. With this supposed contradiction, we must start analyzing the details to help us uncover how both places are sharing truth.

While some people might call the grave paradise, I doubt that is what Jesus had in mind here. While the grave is a place where we might “rest in peace”, it is a big stretch in my mind to think of it as paradise.

Perhaps Jesus’ message to the thief about being saved relates to each of us who have the assurance of salvation. From the moment we place our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus, we can know we are saved. This isn’t because we have done any great or not-so-great thing for God. It’s because we know we cannot do anything, or give anything greater than what God has given for us – and there is no way we can truly repay the sin debt that our lives owe.

Through Jesus, God created another option, and this secondary option is by accepting Jesus’ life as a substitute for ours. When we accept this, we begin to see the world differently, and we should begin to live differently as well. Our obedience is the way we say thank you to God. Obedience is never enough to earn our own way.

From the moment we accept Jesus as our substitute, we have the assurance of salvation, and this was as true for the thief on the cross as it is for each of us today. Eternity starts when we step towards God through Jesus. However, eternal life is a reward that is saved for the New Heaven and New Earth.

Jesus’ message through Mary helps us understand how salvation works. There is an immediate reward, but there is also a future reward as well.

With all this said, as we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life and continue living with Jesus as your substitute. Choose to live your life in a way that says “thank you” to God for what He has done for each of us. Know that your obedient life is not because you are trying to earn salvation, but instead remember that obedience is the best way of saying thank you to God for salvation.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue growing towards Jesus by praying, reading, and studying your Bible personally. While group study is valuable, personal study is just as important. We need both a personal connection with God and a community connection with Him as well. The challenge here is to strengthen whichever connection needs to be strengthened.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or not recognize where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

When reading how the gospels describe the morning Jesus rose from the dead, we discover an interesting detail: none of Jesus’ followers expected Him to rise from the dead. While Jesus’ resurrection shouldn’t have surprised any of them, we learn that it surprised every single one of them.

For our episode today, let’s look at how Luke’s gospel described what happened, and then unpack some things we can apply into our own lives. Our passage is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 24, and we will be reading from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us that:

¹ Very early on the first day of the week, at dawn, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. ² They found the stone rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, ³ but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, two men in shining clothes suddenly stood beside them. ⁵ The women were very afraid and bowed their heads to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person in this place for the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen from the dead. Do you remember what he told you in Galilee? ⁷ He said the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and rise from the dead on the third day.” ⁸ Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.

⁹ The women left the tomb and told all these things to the eleven apostles and the other followers. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women who told the apostles everything that had happened at the tomb. ¹¹ But they did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Bending down and looking in, he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. Peter went away to his home, wondering about what had happened.

In the chaos of resurrection morning, we discover that the only reason word spreads about a resurrected Jesus is because some of the women who followed Jesus didn’t believe He would return to life. These women head to the tomb with spices they had prepared for Jesus’ body, possibly because they believed that the men who had hastily put Jesus into the tomb two days earlier had not done a very good job. John’s gospel described Joseph and Nicodemus taking Jesus’ body off the cross, placing it in Joseph’s tomb, and using the spices that they had, but whatever the reason, the women also want to prepare Jesus’ body for burial with their own spices.

While probably wondering how they would actually get to Jesus’ body with a huge stone rolled in front of the tomb, the last thing the women expect to find is an empty spot where they saw Jesus’ body lay. Also, the last thing they expected to experience are two angels reminding them of Jesus’ own words, predicting His death and resurrection.

However, after the angels had restated Jesus’ earlier message to them, the women remember Jesus’ words, they believe the angels, and they go tell the remaining disciples what they had experienced.

Now it’s the disciples’ turn for disbelief. Verse 11 describes that the disciples “did not believe the women, because it sounded like nonsense”.

However, according to Luke’s gospel, one disciple pushes past his disbelief. Peter, the disciple who had utterly failed Jesus only a few nights earlier, pushes past the doubts to go check out the situation for himself.

Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had challenged Peter regarding Peter’s disbelief over Jesus’ future death – even going as far as calling Peter Satan. Part of me wonders if Peter remembered this conversation, and if Peter was thinking about it as he ran to the tomb.

Our passage ends with Peter returning home, wondering about what had happened. We don’t see Peter return to validate the women’s testimony, and we don’t see Peter have an encounter with an angel to validate what the women describe.

Instead, Peter is left to put the pieces together of an event that He isn’t sure what to make of. Peter was the most vocal disciple with regard to most things, and Peter was the most vocal about the Messiah not facing death.

In our own lives, we can learn from Peter’s experience that it is better to stop, wait, and pay attention – especially when things don’t make sense. Rushing into the chaos isn’t always the best approach. Peter blinded himself with His beliefs about the Messiah that kept Him from realizing the truth.

However, we can also learn from Peter, because when the rest of the disciples choose to remain doubtful when hearing about a possible resurrection, Peter doesn’t waste any time going to see the tomb for himself. Peter rushes to discover the truth for himself. He finds the tomb empty, which is what the women described, but he doesn’t get the same angelic visitors.

In a way, Peter’s experience models our own. When we have our eyes open to looking for evidence of God, and evidence to support our belief in Jesus, we will find reasons and evidence to support our faith. However, similar to Peter, it is unlikely that angelic visitors will appear as a piece of confirming evidence. In Peter’s experience, he finds enough evidence to support a belief in the resurrection, but not so much evidence that would eliminate the role of faith. Our experience is likely to reflect Peter’s.

God has called us to have faith in Jesus, and to trust in the promises of His word. It is unlikely He will remove all reasons for doubt, but He is more than willing to give us enough evidence that we can base our faith on. Let’s keep our eyes open for the evidence He shares, and walk forward in faith.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Be sure to intentionally place your faith in Jesus and keep your eyes open for the evidence God shares. While a skeptical mind is capable of discounting anything and everything, don’t be a skeptic. Choose to accept the evidence God shares and intentionally walk forward in life with Him.

Also, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself because prayer and Bible study are the best ways to grow personally closer to God. An author, pastor, or even a podcaster can give you ideas to think about, but only personal study leads to a personal relationship – and God wants a personal relationship with you!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, give up on, chicken out of, or back away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

If I were to think about the whole story of the Bible and look closely at its plotline, I would probably conclude the climax of the entire Bible is the moment where Jesus gives His last breath. While the resurrection that happened at the end of that weekend is one of the most exciting and earth-shattering events, the whole salvation plan rests on Jesus laying down His life and dying for humanity. The sacrifice Jesus made for us is way more than we can truly comprehend, and because of this, the crucifixion marks the climax of God’s salvation plan.

Our passage for this week covers the exact moment Jesus gives His last breath. All four gospels include this moment, and each gospel has unique details about this event that the others don’t include. All four gospels also include many details that convey a lot of meaning. While I’d love to cover all the details and nuances in each of the gospels that record the final moments of Jesus’ crucifixion, we don’t have enough time, and I truly don’t believe I know or even realize all the nuances that the gospel writers bring into this part of their record.

But with that said, I will touch on some things I see from one of the gospel writers. The gospel of Mark, gives a good overall picture of the last hours and minutes of Jesus’ death. Using the God’s Word translation, let’s read Mark, chapter 15, starting in verse 33:

³³ At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

³⁵ When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, “Listen! He’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar. Then he put it on a stick and offered Jesus a drink. The man said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

Pausing briefly while reading this, we see a picture given of the last minutes Jesus was alive. Darkness had covered the land, and it might have appeared as though darkness had won. Jesus cries out a phrase giving us a clue into what He was thinking and feeling. The darkness and the coldness of death approaching had overshadowed Jesus from feeling God’s presence with Him. This possibly was the only time Jesus ever experienced the feeling of being outside of God’s presence, and this made the final hours on the cross feel like Jesus was truly alone.

However, I am positive that Jesus was not alone, because in the moments when Jesus was hanging on the cross unable to feel God’s presence, it would not be a stretch to think Satan was there casting doubts into His mind. Satan was likely casting doubts about Jesus’ sacrifice not being enough and that it wouldn’t be accepted or appreciated by a single human being. Satan possibly even tormented Jesus into thinking that God tricked Him into dying and that God’s absence meant that God was rejecting Him.

While none of Satan’s lies were even close to being true, I’m sure that Satan used his strongest temptations during the moments when Jesus could not feel God’s presence with Him.

As Jesus was nearing death, He cried out His final prayer and question to God. Perhaps this was because He was becoming delirious because of blood loss, or maybe Satan’s temptations were getting to Him.

Whatever the reason, the Hebrew word for God used here is “Eloi” which also sounds like the name Elijah. This prompts people who were present to think Jesus was calling Elijah to come help Him when that wasn’t the message at all.

Perhaps this cry, and the one that followed it, signaled the end and it drew the crowd of onlookers to pay attention because in the next two verses, we read the climax of the salvation plan. Picking back up in verse 37, we read:

³⁷ Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died. ³⁸ The curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom.

³⁹ When the officer who stood facing Jesus saw how he gave up his spirit, he said, “Certainly, this man was the Son of God!”

In these two verses we just finished reading, Jesus cried out in a loud voice and died, and at that exact instant, the curtain in the temple that separated the holy place from the most holy place split in two from top to bottom. It was like an angel dove to earth and ripped the thick, ornate, multiple-layers-thick curtain into two sections like it was a single sheet of paper.

The curtain splitting is symbolic of an accepted sacrifice, and it draws our attention to Jesus’ sacrifice being enough to satisfy and fulfill the whole Jewish sacrificial system. The sacrificial system in Jewish law was set up to foreshadow Jesus’ death, and while it is possible that only Jesus had actually made the connection at the time of His death, thousands of people following the resurrection would learn the symbolism after Jesus helped the disciples understand it.

However, the detail about the curtain splitting in the temple is a side-note that is added. That happened several miles away from the cross. At the moment Jesus gave up His spirit, the reaction of a Roman officer present summed up the conclusion of everyone present. This officer said to those around him, “Certainly, this man was the Son of God!”

From one of the most secular people present at the crucifixion, and likely one of the least likely to believe in Jesus, comes what is probably the most profound statement in the entire Bible. The Roman officer states without any doubt that Jesus was God’s own Son.

This officer’s declaration incriminates all those who pushed for Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death. From Judas, to the chief priests and religious leaders, to Pilate who was responsible even if he didn’t want to take responsibility, and to the guards who were following orders, after the dust had settled from this event, there was no doubt that Jesus was innocent, and that God’s Son had just been crucified.

However, while this is the climax of the salvation plan, we are ending this podcast on a sad note. At the moment this passage ends, it seems like all hope is lost.

But we know what happens next in the story. We know that just days later, the resurrection would happen – but those alive at this point didn’t realize this.

So as we conclude our podcast episode for this week, probably the biggest key that we can all take away is this: Even when it seems like all hope is gone and that evil is winning, know that victory is just around the corner and that Jesus ultimately triumphs. Even if at times it seems like Satan has the upper hand, Satan’s achievements are short lived because Jesus’ death marked God’s ultimate victory over sin.

Instead of leaving us with the typical closing challenges, let me close by simply challenging each of us to intentionally choose Jesus when we face times of hopelessness, and know that God is with us and He loves us when we are going through dark times and dark places in our lives.