Monday, 3 April 2017

John devotional week beginning 3/4/17 – John 20:19-23 I am sending you

22:15 Posted by Matthew Beaney No comments



Going deeper week 5 – Personal daily study notes on Jn. 20:19-23

This first church starts out as a fearful and hopeless band. How has the world been so transformed from such hopeless beginnings? The answer is in the words of Jesus “receive the Holy Spirit”. How will we, and our church, have greater impact on this community, our friends, family and even the world? We must embrace Jesus’ commission and empowering.
Monday: “Peace be with you
Read John 20:19. The disciples are shut away in fear and Jesus mysteriously enters the room, by-passing the locked door. To this group who have deserted Him in the garden, who have lost faith, who are cowering in fear, He pronounces His peace. To each of us, Jesus offers His peace – His forgiveness and presence in our lives.
Tuesday: “overjoyed”
Read John 20:20, 16:20. The disciple’s grief is turned to joy as they perceive that this is Jesus and He has risen. What else has changed? The Romans and Jewish authorities are still against them; they are still a small unimpressive group… Jesus being alive changes our perception even when nothing else changes. Jesus is alive and is with you today!
Wednesday: “I am sending you”
Read John 20:21, 17:18, 17:20. As Jesus was sent into the world from heaven to bring salvation, so we have received a commission from heaven to bring salvation, in Jesus’ name, into this world. Spend some time ‘hearing’ this commission for yourself and your church again. Pray that we could be obedient and courageous.
Thursday:Receive the Holy Spirit”
Read John 20:22, Acts 1:8. How could this fearful bunch carry out Jesus’ mission in the world? The answer is to “receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus breathing on them is not the giving of the Spirit – this will happen at Pentecost (Acts 2), this is an enacted promise of the Spirit’s gift and empowering. A promise that is available for us.
Friday: Receive the Holy Spirit”
Read John 20:22. “Jesus comes and gives us peace with God. Then he gives us power to do the kinds of things that mere humans can’t do — like defeating our own selfishness, loving other people, treasuring Christ above all. With that peace and power he gives us our central purpose for existence: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (Piper)
Meditate upon and pray out of Matthew 28:19-20
Saturday: “If you forgive… if you don’t forgive”
Read John 20:23, Luke 24:47-49. To put it another way, the Spirit-filled church, in her mission, declares people forgiven, as they put their faith in Jesus; she also declares as condemned those who have not received forgiveness. We are to be confident and robust in our declaration of the gospel.
You can catch up on all the messages in the John series at:

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