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JUNE 13
fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the
midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 When He had said this, He showed them His
20:9 did not know the Scripture. Neither hands and His side. Then the disciples were
Peter nor John understood that Scripture said glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus would rise (Ps. 16:10). This is evident by 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you!
the reports of Luke (24:25–27,32,44–47).Jesus As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
had foretold His resurrection (2:19; Matt. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on
16:21; Mark 8:31; 9:31; Luke 9:22), but they them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy
would not accept it (Matt. 16:22; Luke Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
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9:44,45). By the time John wrote this Gospel, forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any,
the church had developed an understanding they are retained.”
of the Old Testament prediction of Messiah’s 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the
resurrection.
twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said to him,
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“We have seen the Lord.”
Now when she had said this, she turned So he said to them, “Unless I see in His
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around and saw Jesus standing there, and did hands the print of the nails, and put my finger
not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, into the print of the nails, and put my hand
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“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are into His side, I will not believe.”
you seeking?” 26 And after eight days His disciples were
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus
to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell came, the doors being shut, and stood in the
me where You have laid Him, and I will take midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said
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Him away.” to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” at My hands; and reach your hand here, and
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She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but
(which is to say, Teacher). believing.”
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I And Thomas answered and said to Him,
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have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to “My Lord and my God!”
My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you
to My Father and your Father, and to My God have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are
and your God.’ ” those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Mary Magdalene came and told the disci- And truly Jesus did many other signs in
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ples that she had seen the Lord, and that He the presence of His disciples, which are not
had spoken these things to her. written in this book; but these are written
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Then, the same day at evening, being the that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
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first day of the week, when the doors were the Son of God, and that believing you may
shut where the disciples were assembled, for have life in His name.
DAY 13: Describe the resurrection appearances of Jesus to His followers.
John 20 records the appearances of Jesus to His own followers: 1) the appearance to Mary
Magdalene (vv. 1–18); 2) the appearance to the 10 disciples (vv. 19–23); and 3) the appearance to
Thomas (vv.24–29).Jesus did not appear to unbelievers (see 14:19; 16:16,22) because the evidence
of His resurrection would not have convinced them as the miracles had not (Luke 16:31).The god
of this world had blinded them and prevented their belief (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus, therefore, appears
exclusively to His own in order to confirm their faith in the living Christ. Such appearances were so
profound that they transformed the disciples from cowardly men hiding in fear to bold witnesses
for Jesus (e.g., Peter; see 18:27; Acts 2:14–39). Once again John’s purpose in recording these resur-
rection appearances was to demonstrate that Jesus’ physical and bodily resurrection was the
crowning proof that He truly is the Messiah and Son of God who laid down His life for His own
(10:17,18; 15:13; Rom. 1:4).
In particular, His appearance to Thomas, who has already been portrayed as loyal but pes-
simistic, is insightful (vv. 24–26). Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for his failure, but instead compas-
sionately offered him proof of His resurrection.Jesus lovingly met him at the point of his weakness
(2 Tim.2:13).Thomas’s actions indicated that Jesus had to convince the disciples rather forcefully of
His resurrection, i.e., they were not gullible people predisposed to believing in resurrection. The

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