San Diego First United
Methodist Church’s Daily Devotion for Monday, 21 April 2014 – Sunday, 27 April
2014 - by Reverend Mark Trotter for 27 April 2014
Text to read: John 20:
19 When therefore it was evening, on
that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the
disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the
middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
20 When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad
when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to
you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 When he had said this,
he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 If you
forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s
sins, they have been retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of
the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 The other
disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days
again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the
doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.” 27
Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here
your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Thomas answered him,
“My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him,
“Because you have seen me,[a] you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen, and have believed.”
30 Therefore Jesus did
many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in
this book; 31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Footnotes:
a. John 20:29 TR adds
“Thomas,”
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1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy
became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that
doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who by the power of God are
guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you
have been put to grief in various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, which
is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may
be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ— 8 whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see
him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory—
9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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John Wesley’s
Notes-Commentary for
John 20:19-31
Verse 19
[19] Then the same day
at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the
disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the
midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36.
Verse 21
[21] Then said Jesus to
them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Peace be unto you — This
is the foundation of the mission of a true Gospel minister, peace in his own
soul, 2 Corinthians 4:1.
As the Father hath sent
me, so send I you — Christ was the apostle of the Father, Hebrews 3:1. Peter
and the rest, the apostles of Christ.
Verse 22
[22] And when he had
said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
He breathed on them —
New life and vigour, and saith, as ye receive this breath out of my mouth, so
receive ye the Spirit out of my fulness: the Holy Ghost influencing you in a
peculiar manner, to fit you for your great embassy. This was an earnest of
pentecost.
Verse 23
[23] Whose soever sins
ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they
are retained.
Whose soever sins ye
remit — (According to the tenor of the Gospel, that is, supposing them to
repent and believe) they are remitted, and whose soever sins ye retain
(supposing them to remain impenitent) they are retained. So far is plain. But
here arises a difficulty. Are not the sins of one who truly repents, and
unfeignedly believes in Christ, remitted, without sacerdotal absolution? And
are not the sins of one who does not repent or believe, retained even with it?
What then does this commission imply? Can it imply any more than, 1. A power of
declaring with authority the Christian terms of pardon; whose sins are remitted
and whose retained? As in our daily form of absolution; and 2. A power of
inflicting and remitting ecclesiastical censures? That is, of excluding from,
and re-admitting into, a Christian congregation.
Verse 26
[26] And after eight
days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus,
the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
After eight days — On
the next Sunday.
Verse 28
[28] And Thomas answered
and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
And Thomas said, My Lord
and my God — The disciples had said, We have seen the Lord. Thomas now not only
acknowledges him to be the Lord, as he had done before, and to be risen, as his
fellow disciples had affirmed, but also confesses his Godhead, and that more
explicitly than any other had yet done. And all this he did without putting his
hand upon his side.
Verse 30
[30] And many other
signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book:
Jesus wrought many
miracles, which are not written in this book — Of St. John, nor indeed of the
other evangelists.
Verse 31
[31] But these are
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and
that believing ye might have life through his name.
But these things are
written that ye may believe — That ye may be confirmed in believing. Faith
cometh sometimes by reading; though ordinarily by hearing.
Verse 3
[3] Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead,
Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — His Father, with respect to his divine
nature; his God, with respect to his human.
Who hath regenerated us
to a living hope — An hope which implies true spiritual life, which revives the
heart, and makes the soul lively and vigorous.
By the resurrection of
Christ — Which is not only a pledge of ours, but a part of the purchase-price.
It has also a close connexion with our rising from spiritual death, that as he
liveth, so shall we live with him. He was acknowledged to be the Christ, but
usually called Jesus till his resurrection; then he was also called Christ.
Verse 4
[4] To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
you,
To an inheritance — For
if we are sons, then heirs.
Incorruptible — Not like
earthly treasures.
Undefiled — Pure and
holy, incapable of being itself defiled, or of being enjoyed by any polluted
soul.
And that fadeth not away
— That never decays in its value, sweetness, or beauty, like all the enjoyments
of this world, like the garlands of leaves or flowers, with which the ancient
conquerors were wont to be crowned.
Reserved in heaven for
you — Who "by patient continuance in welldoing, seek for glory and honour
and immortality."
Verse 5
[5] Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.
Who are kept — The
inheritance is reserved; the heirs are kept for it.
By the power of God —
Which worketh all in all, which guards us against all our enemies.
Through faith — Through
which alone salvation is both received and retained.
Ready to be revealed —
That revelation is made in the last day. It was more and more ready to be
revealed, ever since Christ came.
Verse 6
[6] Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations:
Wherein — That is, in
being so kept. Ye even now greatly rejoice, though now for a little while -
Such is our whole life, compared to eternity.
If need be — For it is
not always needful. If God sees it to be the best means for your spiritual
profit.
Ye are in heaviness — Or
sorrow; but not in darkness; for they still retained both faith, 1 Peter 1:5,
hope, and love; yea, at this very time were rejoicing with joy unspeakable, 1
Peter 1:8.
Verse 7
[7] That the trial of
your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ:
That the trial of your
faith — That is, your faith which is tried.
Which is much more
precious than gold — For gold, though it bear the fire, yet will perish with
the world.
May be found — Though it
doth not yet appear.
Unto praise — From God
himself.
And honour — From men
and angels.
And glory — Assigned by
the great Judge.
Verse 8
[8] Whom having not
seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Having not seen — In the
flesh.
Verse 9
[9] Receiving the end of
your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Receiving — Now already.
Salvation — From all sin
into all holiness, which is the qualification for, the forerunner and pledge
of, eternal salvation.
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Monday – Read the John
20: 19 When therefore it was evening, on
that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the
disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the
middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
20 When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad
when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to
you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 When he had said this,
he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 If you
forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s
sins, they have been retained.”
24 But Thomas, one of
the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 The other
disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days
again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the
doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.” 27
Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here
your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Thomas answered him,
“My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him,
“Because you have seen me,[a] you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen, and have believed.”
30 Therefore Jesus did
many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in
this book; 31 but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Footnotes:
a. John 20:29 TR adds
“Thomas,”
How does Jesus address
doubt?
Tuesday – When can doubt
be healthy?
When is it a hindrance?
Wednesday – The word
"send" occurs often in verse 21.
What does it mean here?
What does it mean to us?
Thursday - What does
"seeing is believing" mean to Christians?
How can it help us?
Friday - Is it possible
to have to believe to "see" something?
Has this happened to
you?
Saturday - Consider
reason and faith.
How do they work
together in your faith life?
Sunday - Pray for those
who have uncertainty in their life.
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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio
South
San Diego, CA 92108
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