Devotional Questions:
John 20:1-19
- What is the relationship between Mary Magdalene going to the tomb early in the morning “while it was still dark” and her privilege of being the first to witness the empty tomb?
- Contrast Mary to the disciples, who were huddled together “with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.” What made Mary so bold?
- What can I learn from Mary regarding overcoming fears?
John 20:14-29
- What can I learn about Jesus from the way he appeared before Mary, the disciples and Thomas?
John 20:19-23
“His greeting of ‘Peace’ and the assurance of his identity calmed their fears and demonstrated by unmistakable proof that he was alive. They were overjoyed, not only to see him again, but also to realize that he was undefeated by death and that his claims were validated.”[1]
- What needed to happen for the disciples to go from being full of fear to being “overjoyed?”
- What fears do I need to confront with the peace provided by the risen Jesus?
“The disciples did not have the power to forgive sins (only God can forgive sins), but Jesus gave them the privilege of telling new believers that their sins have been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus’ message.”[2]
- What is the first responsibility the risen Jesus gave to the disciples (vv. 22-23)?
- Am I experiencing Jesus’ peace in my life so that I can become an agent of peace to others?
John 20:30-31
“To believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God involves the total acceptance of the revelation of God that he offers, the acknowledgment of his divine authority, and the fulfillment of the commission he entrusted to his disciples. The total scope of this belief is illustrated in the narrative of this Gospel. Its result is eternal life, a new and enduring experience of God by the believer.”[3]
- What was John’s purpose in writing the Gospel of John?
- What does it mean to have “life in his name?” Am I experiencing that life?
Additional Questions:
John 20:2-8
- What is the relationship between hearing, responding, and believing as demonstrated by the disciples?
John 20:17
- What is amazing about Jesus calling his disciples his “brothers” after they deserted him?
- Based on this, what are the criteria for being part of God’s family and having the right to call God my Father and my God?
John 20:24-29
- What might have been the reason that Thomas “was not with the disciples when Jesus came,” and what did he miss out on because of this? What lesson is here about gathering with others?
- What may have been behind Thomas’ refusal to believe despite the other disciples’ repeated assurances that Jesus had risen?
- How did Jesus deal with Thomas’ doubt?
- How did Thomas come to his confession that Jesus is indeed his Lord and his God?
- Are there areas in my life where I need to “stop doubting and believe?”
[1] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes for chapter 20.
[2] Life Application Study Bible, study notes (co-published by Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1991) 1927.
[3] Frank E. Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) notes for chapter 20.
Commentary:
vv. 6-7 “The scene, then, is not chaotic or confused. Rather, something purposeful has transpired here. If someone had simply stolen Jesus’ body, surely the clothes would be missing, or at least strewn about the floor. But here is a scene in which the body is missing but the clothes appear undisturbed. Jesus’ body has simply left them behind.”[1]
v. 8, 24-28 “We are invited — no, we are challenged — to believe like Thomas. Yet John understands perfectly well that we do not have the same opportunities. ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ This is why in the story of John 20 the Beloved Disciple becomes one of the most important figures. He looks into the tomb, sees the evidence, and believes (20:8). While not seeing the resurrected Jesus, he sees what has been left behind; he sees the remnants of divine activity in history in stone and fabric and decides to believe.”[2]
v. 17 “In telling her not to hold on, Jesus is saying that his permanent ‘return’ and presence must come in another form. She cannot embrace what she finds in the garden. Things are going to change. Jesus’ correction is a spiritual redirection away from Jesus’ physical presence, a preparation for the Spirit that is about to be given.”[3]
vv. 21-22 “Throughout this Gospel Jesus has been described as the One who was sent by God. Now with his work nearly completed, his final task is to commission his followers as he was commissioned by the Father. Thus as Jesus was God’s special representative (or agent) in the world, so too his disciples become Jesus’ agents, working in the world and witnessing to the reality of God and the truth of Jesus’ words.
“But in this Gospel one feature of Jesus’ commission is his empowering. God not only sent his Son but also empowered him with the Spirit. For example, in Jesus’ baptism the central event (from John’s view) was not the water baptism itself, but the anointing in the Spirit that came to Jesus. Our first introduction of Jesus came from the prophetic words of John the Baptist, whom God had told, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’ (1:33).
“[…] Therefore to be commissioned (20:21), to advance the work of God as God’s agent, means being empowered as Jesus was empowered — obtaining the Spirit, just as Jesus was anointed and as Jesus promised.”[4]
vv. 21-23 “The gift of the Spirit is framed with two messages outlining aspects of the church’s work in the world. In 20:21 we observed how the disciples will enjoy a mission that parallels the mission of Jesus (cf. 17:18a). And in 20:23 Jesus points to their ability to forgive sin (no doubt as a part of that mission).”[5]
v. 22 “This is no impersonal spirit; this is no ambiguous inspiration from God. This is Jesus himself indwelling his disciples, taking up the residence promised in 14:23. Jesus desires intimacy with Mary and his followers, but the vehicle of that intimacy will now be experienced through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The reason that the work of the Spirit in John 14–16 is so highly personal is that this Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus — his own Spirit — that is now poured out at the hour of glorification.”[6]
vv. 24-28 “In the final scene, we meet Thomas, a man no different from us. He is a man for whom faith will only be a reality when the concrete evidence of resurrection is provided to him. He possesses no experience at an empty tomb, nor has he heard or seen Jesus. Thus, faith seems for him daunting and impossible. Thomas becomes a template for us, who read the story of Jesus from a distance. We hear the report, we read John’s Gospel, and at once we are challenged to believe.”[7]
“Jesus’ exhortation, ‘Stop doubting and believe,’ […]. Thomas is being challenged to change, to become like the others who, upon seeing Jesus, embrace him with faith. His response, ‘My Lord and my God!’, is not a word of astonishment or praise to God. It is a confession of Thomas’s heartfelt belief in Jesus. Thus we learn that ‘the most outrageous doubter of the resurrection of Jesus utters the greatest confession of the Lord who rose from the dead.’”[8]
v. 29 “Jesus has in mind people (such as ourselves) who are now reading this Gospel and have not had Thomas’s opportunity to touch Jesus’ wounds. There can be no more remarkable privilege. But John has provided us with a record of signs — his Gospel — that can serve us in a similar capacity. While not doing what Thomas did, we have his story, and this should give us a reasonable ground for belief.”[9]
v. 31 “In 20:31 John discloses his purpose for writing the Gospel. Belief leads to life, and this life is a gift given through the power of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.”[10]
[1] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 554.
[2] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 572.
[3] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 556-557.
[4] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 558-559.
[5] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 561.
[6] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 575.
[7] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 566.
[8] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 562-563.
[9] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 563.
[10] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000) 564.