In His Footsteps Week 28: The Resurrection Appearances

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What if you could transform fear into joy and skepticism into unwavering faith? This episode of the Living Words Podcast tackles those very questions as we explore the resurrection appearances of Jesus in John 20:19-23 and John 20:24-29. We dive deep into the moments when Jesus first appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, instilling peace in their hearts and commissioning them with the Holy Spirit. The journey continues with Thomas, who transitions from doubt to a profound declaration of faith upon seeing Jesus' wounds, emphasizing the blessedness of believing without seeing. These pivotal moments teach us about the gifts of Jesus' peace, the empowerment for mission through the Holy Spirit, and the assurance for those who believe without physical evidence.

In the second part of this episode, we offer heartfelt prayers aimed at empowering and strengthening your faith. We seek God's guidance and the Holy Spirit's filling, asking for the courage and ability to spread His message of forgiveness and grace. Additionally, we pray for unshakeable trust in God's promises during times of doubt and uncertainty. These prayers are crafted to inspire and comfort you, providing spiritual nourishment to carry through your week. Tune in and let these words be a source of blessing and encouragement until we meet again next Sabbath.

Get a copy of the In His Footsteps devotional here.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good morning, blessed Sabbath.
I'm Charles Vance and this isLiving Words Podcast.
This week is Week 28, theResurrection Appearances.
This is Week 28 of the 52 Weeksin the Gospel of John from In
His Footsteps devotional.
If you'd like a copy of thisdevotional, you can get it at
Amazon.
I'll leave a link to it in theshow notes or you can just go to

(00:22):
Amazon and search for In HisFootsteps 52 Weeks in the Gospel
of John.
So this week the text is John20, 19-23, and John 20, 24-29.
These verses recount twopost-resurrection appearances of
Jesus to his disciples,revealing profound truths about

(00:45):
peace, belief and the mission ofthe church.
These passages underscore thetransformative power of his
resurrection and itsimplications for his followers.
John 20, 19-23,.
Jesus appears to his disciplesOn the evening of his
resurrection day.
He appears to his disciples Onthe evening of his resurrection

(01:05):
day.
He appears to his disciples whoare gathered in a locked room
for fear of the Jewish leaders.
His greeting Peace be with youis not only a common Jewish
salutation, but also a profounddeclaration of the peace he
brings through his victory overdeath.
He shows them his hands andside, providing tangible
evidence of the identity and thereality of the crucifixion.

(01:28):
This encounter moves thedisciples from fear to joy and
he then commissions them, sayingas the Father has sent me, I am
sending you.
And he breathes on them andsays Receive the Holy Spirit,
empowering them for the missionahead and imparting the
authority to forgive sins, whichsignifies the reconciliatory
role of the John.

(01:50):
20, 24-29 is the story of Jesusand Thomas.
Thomas, absent during his firstappearance, expresses
skepticism about theresurrection, famously saying he
will not believe unless he seesthe nail marks in the hands of
Jesus and puts his finger wherethe nails were.
A week later, jesus appearsagain and invites Thomas to

(02:12):
touch his wounds.
Thomas responds with a profounddeclaration of faith my Lord
and my God.
And he then speaks to thebroader theme of beliefs,
blessing those who believewithout seeing Key themes in
theological significance aboutthis passage is the peace
through Jesus.
His greeting of peaceunderscores the peace with God
made possible through his deathand resurrection, peace amid

(02:34):
fear and certainty and doubt.
It's also the mission of thechurch and Jesus, in
commissioning his disciples,highlights the continuation of
his mission through the church,empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The authority to forgive sinsemphasizes the church role in
the ministry of reconciliation.
And you know this.
I'm not sure I agree with thewording there to forgive sins.

(02:59):
It's not really because theauthority, the forgiveness of
sins, comes from God himself,because the forgiveness of sins
comes from God himself.
The only one that can forgiveyou sins is Jesus himself, and

(03:19):
as a disciple they're sent to goforth to proclaim the
forgiveness of Jesus through hisblood.
So I think it's not that theyhave the authority to forgive
sins.
I think they have the authorityto cast out demons.
They have authority to heal,they have authority to bring the
kingdom of God near to you sothat you can grasp onto it and
receive this forgiveness of sinsfrom the Messiah himself.

(03:40):
Now Thomas's story talks aboutfaith beyond sight.
It addresses the struggle thatwe have with doubt and faith,
culminating in a powerfulconfession of his divinity.
It encourages believers thatfaith does not always stem from
the physical proof, but fromrelational trust in Jesus.
Some of the lessons we see arethe gift of his peace that

(04:03):
transcends circumstances.
First words to his disciplespost-resurrection Peace be with
you.
This highlights the deep,abiding peace he offers, one
that overcomes fear, uncertaintyand turmoil.
This peace is rooted in thereconciliation that God made
possible through his sacrificeand as Jesus' sacrifice over

(04:23):
victory and death.
And John 20, 19,.
There's also empowerment formission through Holy Spirit.
When Jesus breathes on Hisdisciples and says Receive the

(04:44):
Holy Spirit, he empowers themfor the mission of proclaiming
forgiveness and reconciliationin His name.
This act signifies the sendingof the church to continue His
redemptive work, equipped andguided by the Spirit.
John 20, 21-22,.
Again, jesus said Peace be withyou, as the Father has sent me,
I am sending you.
And with that he breathed onthem and said Receive the Holy

(05:07):
Spirit.
And also we have blessedassurance from those who believe
without seeing.
Thomas' initial belief andsubsequent declaration of faith
upon seeing Jesus underscoresthe blessedness of believing
without physical evidence InJesus' words to Thomas, extended
to all future believers,offering assurance and blessing

(05:28):
to those who trust in himthrough faith and not sight,
laying a foundation for thenature of Christian belief.
Reflection and discussion.
How does his resurrectionappearance address the
disciples' fear and doubts?
Because he says peace to you.
And then he says touch me, I'mhere, these are my wounds, this

(05:51):
is my nail-scarred hand, here'sthe side where the sword went in
.
This gave them complete peaceand joy, knowing that he had
risen again, as he said.
He would so reflect on thetransformation from fear to bold
witness.
How does the resurrection powerempower us?
Because that's the Spirit ofGod.

(06:11):
That's the power of the Spiritof God in dwelling that when you
receive Christ and you bringHis Spirit into you, you have
His Spirit within you.
The same power that raisedChrist from the dead is within
you.
Christ from the dead is withinyou.

(06:32):
And there's some suggestedprayers.
A prayer for peace.
Lord Jesus, prince of Peace, ina world filled with turmoil and
fear, I seek the peace youoffered your disciples on the
evening of your resurrection.
May your peace, whichtranscends all understanding,
guard my heart and mind, help meto trust in your sovereign care
and find rest in your presence,no matter the challenge I face.

(06:54):
Let your peace flow through methat I may be a beacon of your
calm and assurance to thosearound me.
Amen.
Now a prayer for empowerment andmission.
Heavenly Father, as Jesus senthis disciples, empowered by the
Holy Spirit, to continue hiswork of reconciliation, so I ask
for your empowerment in my life.
Fill me anew with your Spiritthat I might serve your kingdom

(07:15):
with boldness and love.
Guide me in sharing the messageof your forgiveness and grace
with the world in desperate needof your hope Equip me for every
good work that I may faithfullyfulfill the mission you have
entrusted to me.
Amen, in a prayer for faith.
Lord of all, in moments ofdoubt and uncertainty, remind me
of the blessed assurancepromised to those who believe,

(07:36):
without seeing Strengthen myfaith, that I may cling to the
truth of your resurrection andlordship with unwavering trust.
And, like Thomas, may my heartrespond to your gracious
revelation with a deep andpersonal confession of your
lordship over my life.
Increase my faith that I maywalk confidently in your
promises, serving as a witnessto your transformative power and

(07:58):
love.
Amen.
I hope this has been a blessingto you and I hope you found
some words of comfort andencouragement in this brief
devotion that you can take withyou the rest of the day and the
rest of the week, until we meetagain.
I'll see you again next Sabbath.