From Fear to Joy! : John 20:19-20 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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From Fear to Joy! - John 20:19-20

Key Thought

What a roller coaster weekend it had been for Jesus' disciples. He was arrested, tried, and executed. They had eaten Passover with him and then abandoned him in his hour of need. They had been marked as wanted men; associates of a crucified criminal rebel, they were huddled in a locked room in fear for their lives. They have heard rumors that Jesus was alive, but couldn't quite grasp it with solid faith because it was outside their experience or even hope. Then suddenly, he was among them. They heard his voice and were both comforted and thrilled with his familiar greeting, "Shalom!" They saw the marks on his body of his crucifixion and yet there he was among them. Suddenly, joy rushed in and forced out every other emotion. The Lord is alive! I see him with my eyes! He lives! And so do we!

Today's Prayer

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O God, my Father, thank you for the assurance of life I have as your child. Thank you for my Savior and Lord, who also claims me as my older brother. I look forward so much to the day when I will see him and you, dear Father, face to face. Until that day, please know that I will build my life on the power of my risen Lord, Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

The day was Sunday. That same evening the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus said, "Peace be with you!" After Jesus said this, he showed the followers his hands and his side. The followers were very happy when they saw the Lord. Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you! The Father sent me. In the same way, I now send you." After Jesus said that, he breathed {on the followers}. Jesus said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, then their sins are forgiven. If you don't forgive people's sins, then their sins are not forgiven." Thomas (called Didymus) was not with the followers when Jesus came. Thomas was one of the twelve. The other followers told Thomas, "We saw the Lord." Thomas said, "I will not believe it until I see the nail holes in his hands. And I will not believe until I put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side." A week later the followers were in the house again. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus said, "Peace be with you!" Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and start believing." Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you see me. Those people that believe without seeing me will be truly blessed." Jesus did many other miracles that his followers saw. Those miracles are not written in this book. But these things are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.

— John 20:19-31 (ERV)

The One (Jesus) who makes people holy and those people who are made holy are from the same family. So he (Jesus) is not ashamed to call those people his brothers and sisters. Jesus says, "God, I will tell my brothers {and sisters} about you. Before all your people I will sing your praises." He also says, "I will trust in God." And he says, "I am here. And with me are the children that God has given me." Those children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like those people and had the same experiences people have. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death. That one is the devil. Jesus became like those people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:11-15 (ERV)

The Father (God) has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are God's children. But the people in the world (people who don't believe) don't understand that we are God's children, because they have not known him (God). Dear friends, now we are children of God. We have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him. We will see him like he really is.
1 John 3:1-2 (ERV)

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can't see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory. Your faith has a goal. And you are receiving that goal--your salvation.
1 Peter 1:8-9 (ERV)

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HEARTLIGHT^® Magazine is produced by Heartlight, Inc. HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. PO Box 7044, Abilene, TX, USA 79608-7044. Copyright © 1996-2009. Heartlight is supported by Westover Hills Church, Southern Hills Church, and loving Christians from around the world. Scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. Used by permission. All rights reserved.