John 20

John 20:8-9 can seem confusing, but it’s actually fairly straightforward. John saw the evidence at the tomb and believed that Jesus rose from the dead, but neither disciple really understood the Scriptural evidence that pointed to the resurrection:

Psalm 16:10 (WEB) “For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.”

Isaiah 53:10 (WEB) “When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.”

Rather than try and find something mystical in 20:16, perhaps Jesus is simply saying: “Stop holding on to me. I haven’t ascended yet. I’m not going to disappear on you!” Isn’t it special that, even though He is not physically here now, He is present with us through His Spirit?!?!

John 14:16-17 (WEB) “I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Jesus repeatedly requests His disciples to be at peace. Life here is hard, but we can take Jesus as His word and trust that He is in us and with us!

Not to get too technical, but Jesus’ words in 20:23 are in the perfect passive tense: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have already been forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they have already been retained.” It states what has already happened. When we present the gospel and people accept or reject it, they are completing a transaction that was settled when Jesus died on the cross. If they believe, their sins have already been forgiven; if they reject the gospel then their sins are retained. All we do is present the way, and people respond! All who do believe have a special joy that comes from knowing Jesus (20:29):

1 Peter 1:8 (WEB) “whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory”

And that’s the whole purpose of the gospel of John: to bring people to belief (20:31)!

Thought for the day: Jesus’ resurrection body foreshadows our resurrection bodies:

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (WEB) “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”