Alive

8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—

20 When he had said this, He showed them His hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Main Point: See the joy of Jesus resurrected!

There is light at the end of the tunnel. As we approach the end of our 21 Days of Focus and time of fasting/prayer, what message could possibly ring more true? I recall friends who would play the game of trying to hold their breath while driving through a tunnel on a road trip. There is an intense feeling of release that rushes in upon emerging from the other side of a tunnel and taking that first deep gasp in. There are also moments of extreme doubt and desires to give up in the middle, as all the odds seem impossible to overcome. However, John 20 shows us that Jesus still is hope in the midst of hopelessness.

Jesus was crucified and died, leaving all of His close friends and followers in a state of worry and panic. They must’ve questioned everything Jesus told them and wondered if He was actually the savior since He died. However, Jesus literally meets them in the place of their deepest worry. We see Jesus meeting the first mourners in their state of great anguish, looking for His body, and providing great comfort. Jesus then appears to His disciples and provides all they proof they need that He truly has resurrected. Can you imagine the emotional rollercoaster the disciples experienced? Jesus’ resurrection signifies that we all can have new life through faith in Him. The gospel of John leads to this one culminating moment, Jesus not being in the tomb because He is risen and alive. Jesus being alive validates our faith and secures our forgiveness.

Deeper Focus:

- Can you put yourself in the shoes of the disciples and Jesus followers? What do you think you’d feel seeing someone you loved dearly and thought you would never see again resurrected?

- Do you feel any areas in life are hopeless currently?

- Jesus beat the final enemy, death, so that we all can have life and always have hope.

Let’s focus on the power of the resurrection and nothing being impossible for our Lord today.