Daily Scripture: John 14:8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works. 11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. 12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father.
20:19 In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” 20 Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord. 21 “Shalom aleikhem!” Yeshua repeated. “Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you.” 22 Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach HaKodesh!
Reflection Questions:
In John 20, everything the disciples thought they knew about Jesus' mission seemed lost. Their leader was dead; his body was missing. The disciples were hiding, afraid the Jewish authorities would come after them next. But no one had stolen Jesus' body—he was still their Messiah, in ways that surpassed their wildest dreams. “Jesus...stood among them" and gave them his peace, his purpose ("As the Father sent me, so I am sending you"), and his power ("Receive the Holy Spirit").
Lord God, help me to embrace your peace and purpose, and to trust the Holy Spirit as my power source as I shine your light in the dark world around me. Amen.Insights from Ginger Rothhaas
Reflection Questions:
In John 20, everything the disciples thought they knew about Jesus' mission seemed lost. Their leader was dead; his body was missing. The disciples were hiding, afraid the Jewish authorities would come after them next. But no one had stolen Jesus' body—he was still their Messiah, in ways that surpassed their wildest dreams. “Jesus...stood among them" and gave them his peace, his purpose ("As the Father sent me, so I am sending you"), and his power ("Receive the Holy Spirit").
- How could anyone do greater works than Jesus? Scholar William Barclay wrote, “When it came to a matter of numbers and extent and changing power, the triumphs of the message of the Cross were even greater than the triumphs of Jesus in the days of his flesh…. In the days of his flesh he was limited to Palestine.” How can you help extend Jesus' works into Kansas City, Jamaica, Honduras or Malawi? (For ideas, visit www.cor.org/missions.)
- John kept including clues to remind his readers of the creation stories in Genesis 1-3. After Jesus commissioned the disciples, “he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”—a clear echo of Genesis 2:7. The new spiritual life he “breathed” into them was to empower them to carry out his commission. How has Jesus breathed new hope and purpose—new life—into you? In what ways can you tangibly share that life, peace and wholeness with those around you today?
Lord God, help me to embrace your peace and purpose, and to trust the Holy Spirit as my power source as I shine your light in the dark world around me. Amen.Insights from Ginger Rothhaas
Ginger Rothhaas is a seminary student at Saint Paul School of Theology and is serving in Congregational Care at The Church of the Resurrection.
In today’s scripture from John 20:19, Jesus appears resurrected to the disciples and says “Peace be with you.” As I read this, I can’t help but think they were feeling anything BUT peace at that moment.
Their teacher, friend, mentor, leader had just died a gruesome death before their eyes, they are now in hiding fearing for their lives, and everything they had hoped to be true had just been extinguished on the cross.
And then, Jesus appears bodily right before their eyes and says, “Peace be with you,” in what I imagine to be a calm, loving, reassuring voice.
Can you imagine the shock they are experiencing in this moment?!?!
I have learned that it is so much more fun to read Biblical stories imagining you are in the room:
I expected him to save himself, for God to miraculously make it all stop, but it didn’t, and now what do I do?
Jesus answers that anguish with an instruction to live in peace.
What if we all lived into these truths? We can start today. Let’s do it together. Peace is possible. Peace be with you.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
In today’s scripture from John 20:19, Jesus appears resurrected to the disciples and says “Peace be with you.” As I read this, I can’t help but think they were feeling anything BUT peace at that moment.
Their teacher, friend, mentor, leader had just died a gruesome death before their eyes, they are now in hiding fearing for their lives, and everything they had hoped to be true had just been extinguished on the cross.
And then, Jesus appears bodily right before their eyes and says, “Peace be with you,” in what I imagine to be a calm, loving, reassuring voice.
Can you imagine the shock they are experiencing in this moment?!?!
I have learned that it is so much more fun to read Biblical stories imagining you are in the room:
- So there I am…shaking in my boots, knowing I am likely next to be on a cross because I was seen following this man.
- Why did I make this decision to follow him? How could I be so wrong? My mama warned me I should have stayed a fisherman. It was good money.
- I could have had a quiet, unfulfilled existence. Why am I always seeking more meaning? How did I get myself into this mess?
I expected him to save himself, for God to miraculously make it all stop, but it didn’t, and now what do I do?
Jesus answers that anguish with an instruction to live in peace.
- But how do I do that?!?! Everything has just been turned upside down in my life! Everything I was counting on just died before my eyes.
- I had hope. I had joy. I had community. I had wisdom. I had it all. I was finally fulfilled, living into my calling and happy. Now all of that is gone.
- Does this sound like anything you have experienced? We have all had the rug ripped out from under us at some time. This feeling of despair that everything you planned, hoped for, dreamt of, all of it comes crashing to a halt. Everything you knew to be true is no longer.
- “I am sending you” – my translation of this instruction is that Jesus is saying ‘you have a job to do for God, you have purpose. The world needs you to carry on my work’
- “Receive the Holy Spirit” – no translation needed. I think this says ‘receive it, open yourself to its presence, recognize the Spirit’s active in your midst, you have help…I am with you’
- “Forgive them” – ugh, this is the hard part! Really?!?! Do I haaavvveee to? Translated…‘If you want peace, you do…this is it, the key to all of it, let it go, release, forgive, now.’
What if we all lived into these truths? We can start today. Let’s do it together. Peace is possible. Peace be with you.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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